The maps I picked up at Penang International Airport- and I’m pretty sure numerous blogs and websites do this as well- listed dozens of tourist hotspots I should visit in George Town, the heart of Penang. Honestly, I tried to follow every single one of them (my numero uno mistake) and ended up getting frustrated under the unforgiving Penang sun. Furthermore, I picked up four maps (second mistake) and concluded after much headache that they didn’t contain the same information. Or my map-reading skills were seriously lacking. 

Recipe for disaster

Despite everything, I enjoyed George Town and here are my favourite spots:

- Khoo Kongsi Temple

- Georgetown Street Art

- Fort Cornwallis

There are numerous temples in Penang, but one made a bigger impression more than the others: Khoo Kongsi Temple. “Kongsi” literally means “clan”, and so Khoo Kongsi Temple is a temple that belongs to and is taken care by the Khoo family. Said to be the finest Chinese clan temple outside of China, Khoo Khongsi Temple boasts grandiose facade and intricate ornaments. The colourful ornaments remind me of those of Wat Arun in Bangkok. There is a small museum at the lowest floor of the temple, but it didn’t really interest me.

Just outside the entrance to Khoo Kongsi Temple

Khoo Kongsi Temple \ Note the intricate roof ornaments, how pretty are they? Entrance fee: RM 10

Cheeky-looking dragon

George Town Street Art are numerous graffitis scattered around George Town, first created by a Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic. I was shocked when I found out that the graffitis were painted in 2012, because only in two years time most of the paints have started to fade and there were a lot of chipped walls. I’m curious of what the local government would do in the future: restore the graffitis, paint new ones, or demolish them altogether. 

Chipped paints!

The elusive Bruce Lee mural. Trying to find this one was frrrrustrating.

More chipped paints and walls. Sad.

My last favourite spot in George Town is Fort Cornwallis, a fort built sometime in the 1700s. What interests me about this fort is not so much about the shape or architecture of the fort -although it’s very impressive for a 300-year-old structure-, but the fact that it has never engaged in any battle! No wonder it still stands tall and proud to this very day :D Walking around Fort Cornwallis generally doesn’t take too much time, but it overlooks the sea from its highest height near the canons, which is always a good reason to walk a little bit slower and enjoy the view.

The impressive roots embedded at Fort Cornwallis walls \ Entrance fee: RM 2

Gunpowder storage room, which apparently is called "Gunpowder Magazine".

The eye of the canon~

View from Fort Cornwallis

At the end of the day, walking around George Town was exhaustingly fun and something you wouldn’t want to miss when traveling to Penang. The inner city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was indeed pretty and rich in culture. Don't let the sun go down on me deter you from exploring George Town, have fun!

A random house at George Town, I couldn't resist taking a picture of those lovely potted plants!

Gorgeous sunset at George Town

Picture-ready random cute stray dog

When your feet are too tired to walk another step, hop on this free CAT Bus! Waiting time: 10-20 minutes

A.

Khoo Kongsi Temple
Opens daily 9am-5pm


George Town Street Art
Found this awesome article written by an awesome lady who was obviously much more patient looking for those street arts compared to myself.

Fort Cornwallis
Opens daily 9am-6.30pm