Friday 30 January 2015

George Town Walkabout Tour

The George Town Walkabout Tour summarises the UNESCO World Heritage Site's two centuries worth of history into a condensed yet insightful 1.5 hour tour. Cheng Sim found out that is indeed insightful.

If you only have a day to explore George Town, the George Town Walkabout Tour is an affordable introductory tour of what this UNESCO World Heritage Site has to offer. Introduced by Penang Global Tourism, the tour condenses the city’s two-centuries history into an insightful 1.5 hour tour.

The George Town Walkabout Tour begins from the Tourist Information Centre at The Whiteaways Arcade on Lebuh Pantai before making its way to Logan Heritage along the same road that once served as the workplace of lawyer James Richardson Logan in the 1860s. Follow the guide’s lead from Lebuh Pantai to Lebuh Light where you’ll spot the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower towering over you.

Then take a slow stroll and spot more historical sites like Fort Cornwallis, Esplanade, Town Hall and City Hall, each filled with history and stories of their own - for instance, did you know that Town Hall was featured in one of the courtroom scenes of the 1999 movie ‘Anna and the King’?

street art in George Town.
After venturing into British’s colonial past, the tour makes a turn into Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, the start of George Town’s Street of Harmony where different places of worship exists almost side by side harmoniously. The first to welcome you at Street of Harmony is St. George’s Church, Malaysia’s oldest Anglican church that also houses the Francis Light Memorial. Then, continue to spot other places of worship like Goddess of Mercy Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Masjid Kapitan Keling.

Saving the best for last, the tour group will then proceed to Lebuh Armenian comprising of traditional shophouses and some shopping. At the start of Lebuh Armenian, take a whiff of the spicy mee goreng from a popular corner stall or sip a refreshing coconut drink. Then peek into one of the few souvenir shops filled with postcards, note books, Penang memorabilia and t-shirts. If you have a bit of time after the tour, there’s also a Batik Painting Museum and the famous ‘two kids on a bicycle’ mural to discover. The tour wraps up with two other murals on Gat Lebuh Armenian painted by Artists for Stray Animals (ASA) before making its way back to Tourist Information Centre at The Whiteaways Arcade.

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
'George Town Walkabout Tour' is open to local and foreign tourists who wish to explore George Town. This specially-designed tour which is conducted in English, takes 1.5 hours and is priced at RM25 per person. The tour operates every Tues, Thurs and Sat at 10.30am for registered participants and last minute walk-in. Contact Tourist Information Centre at 04-263 1166 for more details or see our tour listing.

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