MAS: George Town Downtown

George Town, Penang, Malaysia

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, which is also the third most populous city in the country. It was the very first British settlement in Southeast Asia. Its historical core, retaining a unique town landscape and multi-cultural heritage, has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

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SIN: Silk Air MI354 (Economy)
MAS: Kimberley Hotel George Town
MAS: Kek Lok Si Temple
MAS: Gurney Drive
MAS: Penang Hill
MAS: George Town Downtown <YOU ARE HERE!>
MAS: Penang International Airport
SIN: Silk Air MI347 (Economy)

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Let's first talk about the vicinity of Kimberley Hotel George Town where my group stayed at during our short trip. There's a shopping mall nearby called Prangin Mall, which has been around since 2001. We didn't go inside though. It has got quite a few entertainment options, such as a cinema, a bowling alley, a kids' indoor playground and arcades.

Across the road is Komtar Bus Terminal, which I've mentioned in the previous posts. Taking a bus is a convenient way to explore the town and go to places such as Gurney Drive, Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill.

Don't forget to download the Moovit app to help you plan your journey.

A special type of bus worth mentioning is Rapid Penang Central Area Transit (CAT) bus. It travels along the major streets of George Town and allows you to drop off at designated bus stops close to major attractions completely free of charge.

We took a bus to explore the Esplanade, a waterfront location in the northern part of George Town, dropping off near Penang High Court and Penang City Hall.

Originally completed in 1903 as the British Municipal Offices,
Penang City Hall is an impressive Victorian style building.

In front of Penang City Hall is an open field with a few trees planted by delegates from overseas. I happened to take note of the one planted by a past governor of Medan, Indonesia in 1989.

Penang War Memorial is a cenotaph that was initially intended to commemorate Allied servicemen from Penang who lost their lives. The present cenotaph is a 1948 reconstruction of the original built in 1929, which was destroyed during the Japanese occupation in World War II.

As you can see, there are lots of landmarks to see at the Esplanade.

For Cornwallis is a bastion fort built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century.
It's the largest standing fort in Malaysia.

Built to commemorate Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee,
the Moorish style clock tower is 60 feet in height.

 

From there, we walked through two main roads, from Lebuh Light to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.

St. George's Church is the oldest purpose built Anglican church in Southeast Asia.

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang. Its history goes back to the founding of the parish in1958.

The construction of the cathedral building was finished in 1969.

 

Masses are mostly conducted in English, with a session in Mandarin and Tamil each on Sundays.

Penang Kuan Yin Temple is quite an elaborate Taoist temple built by immigrant settles from China in honour of the Chinese Goddess of Mercy.

Built in 1728, it's the oldest temple in Penang.

 

I enjoyed looking at those pretty candles.

Not far from there are two other places of worship: Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Kapitan Keling Mosque.

Religious tolerance has been practiced all along in Penang.
It's my hope that this can happen everywhere else in the world.

Located a bit further is Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, a temple built by an ancestral clan in 1810.

Let's continue our journey to marvel at the various street art in town.

We dropped by Ghee Hiang to buy its famous sesame oil.

 

I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

 

Let's stop smoking!

I doubt I've ever seen a purple-coloured lion dance costume in real life.

 

We ended up resting a bit at a small, serene park.

At around 12.40pm, our stomachs started to grumble.

What's your favourite Penang dish?

I wonder how many times have I been to a metal hardware store in my life.

After walking around under the hot sun the whole morning, it was finally time for lunch not far from the hotel.

Beat the heat with chendol!

Here are the last few photos that I've got.

Komtar Walk is a sheltered hub of eateries and cafés.

 

It's a pity that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some travel agencies to close down.

The Rolex shop there appears rather jarring, don't you think?

 

Hello, bears!

As always, you're invited to take a look at my food blog for the eateries that we dropped by in Penang:

- David Brown's Restaurant & Tea Terrace (Western)
- Gurney Drive Hawker Centre (Chinese)
- Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul (Chinese)

- Kek Lok Si Vegetarian Restaurant (Chinese and Indian)