PG with PG: 48 Hours in George Town

George Town, Penang is the commercial centre for northern Malaysia, and its city center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. It’s known for its diverse and thriving culinary scene, and an architectural heritage that spans a range of cultures and religions. While we didn’t have the longest time here, here’s what Priya, Udai, and I can recommend for you after 48 hours in George Town!

Attractions

You'll just want to walk around the George Town old town area, peeking into the little cafes and taking in the mesmerizing facades.

The former abode of Cheong Fatt Tze, described as the “Rockefeller of the East” is worth the hype! We visited the Blue Mansion without a tour, and really enjoyed a light bite and refreshing beverage at its scenic Cafe Mangga.


We really enjoyed walking up and down Armenian St., popping into House of Street Art, which has a lovely art curation, and stopping for coffee at Kopi Loewak where you can try coffee whose beans have been partially digested by a civet. The Yap Kongsi叶宗祠 temple crowns the curve of the street with its sage green exterior. There’s a beautiful streetscape from here, if you stand facing out from the temple, where you see Kapitan Keling Mosque in the distance in front of you, Armenian Street’s umbrella alley to the center, the Taoist Poh Hock Seah Twa Peh Kong Temple to your right, and throughout will be smattered an assemblage of rickshaws, street food, and museums.

Lodging

A friend suggested that we stay at the Seven Terraces, a refurbished traditional residence that affords a truly unique lodging experience. Each of the “rooms” is double-story, and feels like its own apartment. It has a king bed on the ground floor and a single day bed. Staying in a Peranakan home made the experience immersive for us, even though we were there for about 48 hours! 

Eats

Our best meal of the trip was at Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery, a family-style Nonya restaurant that’s Michelin-mentioned. We tried every curry we could get our hands on, along with a vegan version of the Nasi Ulam (herbed rice) and I couldn’t recommend this more highly!

Our second dinner was at Kebaya Dining Room, which offered a very reasonably priced 3-course set dinner perfect for sampling Malaysian-inspired Chinese fare. The environs were stunning and we were transported by the gliding of the stringed guzheng behind us and the traditional Peranakan decor and finishings all around.

Shopping

We enjoyed browsing Gerakbudaya Bookshop, with their wide variety of books about the region. They also have a reading room where you can browse their selection of informational books (textbooks, encyclopedias, etc.) about the history of the area.


For souvenirs, Armenian St. was great: we found nice art prints at House of Street Art and fun stationery souvenirs at Loka Made.

Maha House on the same street had a nice selection of airy linen dresses and shirts for men, perfect for the sticky hot climate of gorgeous George Town.

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