Penang, Paradise in Malaysia: 9 Things to Do from Cooking Curries to Zip-lining
Find a mix of East-meets-West heritage, rich historical museums and mouthwatering food that will set your taste buds tingling.
1. Hunt for Murals in Georgetown
Hop on a trishaw and streak through the bustling streets of Georgetown as you ferret out Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic’s oil painting murals on the crumbling UNESCO heritage walls. This graffiti art, created as part of the Georgetown Festival of Arts and Culture back in 2012 and scattered across the capital, merges real-life objects with graffiti. Check out Cannon Street, where a painted boy “stands” on an actual chair; or make a turn into Armenian Street to see the artist’s best-known “Children on a Bicycle” mural (above), in which two painted kids ride a real bike perched against the wall.
2. Do a Street Food Marathon
While the better-known Gurney Drive Hawker Centre boasts a motley collection of tourist-driven food stalls, the New Lane Hawker Centre remains a local favorite thanks to its authentic Malaysian touch. Gorge on hot skewers slathered with nutty satay sauce, or some char koay kak—chewy rice cakes stir-fried with crunchy bean sprouts and pork lard. Having trouble sniffing out the best of the best? Enlist help from Food Tour Penang ($300), whose foodies will whizz you in and out of alleyways to taste the best of Penang.
New Lane Hawker Centre: Lorong Baru, 10400 Georgetown, Penang. Opens 4pm-2am, foodtourpenang.com
3. Satisfy Your Inner Architecture Nerd
Architecture lovers, assemble! Penang’s colonial history means that it’s brimming with beautiful buildings: Set out for the Blue Mansion (14 Leith St., Georgetown, Penang, pictured left), which got its name from its eccentric blue-washed walls. The 19th century mansion breathes a European flair into traditional Chinese architecture with Gothic louvered windows and geometric tiles. After that, swing by St. George’s Church (1 Lebuh Farquhar, Georgetown, Penang), the oldest Anglican Church in Southeast Asia, to catch a glimpse of its tall Doric columns and sharp steeple.
