Penang is a state in the northwest coast of Malaysia. It is comprised of the mainland Sebarang Perai and Penang Island in the Malacca Strait. Penang Island is separated by the mainland by Penang Strait and is connected by the two longest bridges called Penang Bridge and Sultan Abdul Hain Muadzam Shah Bridge. The Penang International Airport is located near the Bayan Lepas at the southern tip of Penang Island. It is one of the busiest airports in Malaysia.
Town Hall
Day 1
I arrived at Kuala Lumpur International airport in the afternoon and transferred to a connecting flight to Penang. I arrived at 10 in the evening at Penang International Airport. I booked in Sogor Dormitory and I arranged a car to fetch me. It was a 30 minutes ride from the airport to the dormitory. The tour guide also introduced me to George Town by driving along the streets and seeing the Queen Victoria Memorial Tower Clock and the Blue House before dropping me off the hostel.
Day 2
I left Sogor Dormitory at around 9 AM and decided to walk along Jalan Macalister. I went to the nearby catholic church of Our Lady of Sorrows. I walked to the bus stop along Jalan Dato Keramat and saw McDonald's. I ate breakfast and went to Penang Times Square to check the mall.
A tour guide I met in McDonald's gave me a ride to the George Town UNESCO World Heritage site It was past 10 in the morning where he dropped me off in Goddess of Mercy Temple.
From the temple, I walked going to Lebuh Light and I saw the City Hall, Town Hall and Penang Art Gallery. I crossed the street going straight to Esplanade and went inside the Fort Cornwallis. I went around the fort and rested for a while. From the Fort Cornwallis, I saw the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower and the Penang Fountain.
From the Esplanade food court, I went back to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling to check the St. George's Church. Next to the church is the Penang State Museum and Cathedral of the Assumption. Across the street is the State Assembly Buildings.
State Assembly Buidling
I followed the sign going to Little India. In Little India, I saw the Mahamairamman Temple which was also under renovation. Then I went to Teochew Temple. On the next street was the Kapitan Keling Mosque. Still walking along the streets were Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, Khoo Kongsi and the Masjid Malayu Lebuh Acheh.
There are many souvenir shops and restaurants in Lebuh Armenian, including the art galleries. I finished my tour by going back to the bus stop in Lebuh Light to ride the free Penang bus going to Komtar Mall. From Komtar mall, I alighted at the Penang Town Square bus stop. From the bus stop, there was the Nagarathar Sivan Temple and Hua Yan Temple Si before Baru Road while going back to the hostel.
George Town City
The city of George Town is the capital of Penang Island. George Town is also known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here is the list of famous landmarks in George Town based on my itinerary.
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
The 60 feet clock tower, commissioned by the wealthy Cheah Chen Eok. It is built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and is the core zone of the World Heritage Site. Each foot represents a year in the Queen's reign. The Penang Fountain, a colonial-era landmark can be seen in the roundabout.
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
The Blue Mansion Hotel
The Blue Mansion is a heritage building on Leih Street, which turned to a boutique hotel. It is also called Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion named for the founder and architectural designer of the building.
Birch House
The McDonald establishment was inside the Birch House, an old colonial mansion used as smelting in the 19th century.
Birch House
Goddess of Mercy Temple
The popular temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The first foundation was laid in 1728 by Chinese settlers and completed in 1800. It is the oldest Chinese temple in Penang and located in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
Goddes of Mercy Temple
City Hall
The City Hall was built in 1903 and located at Lebuh Light. This is the headquarters of the Penang Island Municipal Council. The First World War monument for fallen soldiers is also located here.
The City Hall
Town Hall
The town hall is between the City Hall and Penang Art Gallery
Penang Art Gallery - Located in Lebuh Light and was officially launched in 1964. The gallery displays outstanding works by international artists including from Japan and Thailand.
Esplanade
A seafront promenade bordering an open field where festivals and events are often held. Located along the stretch are a War Memorial to fallen soldiers, a hawker food court and the ancient Fort Cornwallis.
Fort Cornwallis
It is built by Captain Francis Light when he first landed in Penang. This ancient sentinel of George Town guarded over the island's cape.
Fort Cornwallis
St. George's Church
The church is built between 1817 and 1818 and located in Lebuh Farquhar. It is said to be the oldest Anglican Church in Southeast Asia.
St. George's Church
Penang State Museum
Between two churches, the Museum is also located in Lebuh Farquhar. It was almost destroyed in the World War II bombing. The museum houses a plethora of Penang historical artifacts.
Cathedral of the Assumption
The history of the church is as old as Penang itself. It was set up not long after the landing of Francis Light and the arrival of Eurasians from Kedah on the eve of the Feast of Assumption. It was awarded the status of Cathedral in 1995.
Cathedral of Assumption
State Assembly Buildings
It is located in the stretch of Lebuh Farquhar and Lebuh Light. The exquisite 19th-century buildings were formerly the Police Court and are now the venue for State Assemblies.
Mahamairamman Temple
This famous temple located in Lebuh Queen from Little India. It is built in 1883 and the oldest Hindu temple dedicated to Muthu Mahamairamman. A distinctive feature of the Mahamairamman temple is its gopuram with 38 exquisitely carved Hindu deities.
Teochew Temple
It is a prime example of Teochew architecture in Lebuh Chulia and also known as Han Jiang Teochew Ancestral Temple. The temple was built in 1855 and move to its present site in 1870. In 2006, the temple received the Award of the Merit of UNESCO Asia-Pacific for Culture Heritage Conservation.
Teochew Temple
Kapitan Keling Mosque
It is founded in 1801 in Lebuh Chulia by Kapitan Keling Kadir Mydin Merican. It is the largest mosque in George Town with a Moghul architecture. It features beautiful minarets and domes.
Kapitan Keling Mosque
Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi
This clan temple from Cheah Clan features classic Chinese architecture and with the surprising addition of British lion heads on the temple. The lions symbolize the Straits Chinese loyalty to the British colonial powers. It is one of the oldest Hokkien clans in Penang,
Khoo Kongsi
It is completed in 1906 in Lebuh Armenian. The temple belongs to the Khoo Kongsi clan and features fine Chinese architecture and craftsmanship.
Masjid Malayu Lebuh Acheh
The mosque is founded by Tengku Syed Hussiah bin Abdul Rahman Hussain in 1808 for the early Hadrami Arab settlers and is located in Lebuh Acheh.
Nagarathat Sivan Temple
It is the oldest Hindu temple with South Indian Architecture and is dedicated to deity Shiva.
Nagarathat Sivan Temple
Accommodation
Sogor Dormitory - 217-V, Jalan Burma, George Town, 10050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia, Telephone Number: +6042282200
It is a hostel for females with capsule-style dorms, a common area, a kitchen, a laundry and a bathroom area. It was previously located in Jalan Kek Chuan until it transferred to Jalan Burma.
Location of Old Sogor Dormitory
