Extract from the Blog of a Gap Year Traveller:   ( Aboard Harmony of the Seas 3 ).

Friday 14th March. 2025

Arrived at George Town’s enormous Lim Guan Eng Port. Impressed by the massive cable car, ‘the Dozen Island Project’ and the 16 lane bridge connecting Penang Island to the Mainland. The Port Towers has an amazing mural depicting the old Clan Jetties that used to occupy the Lim Wharf.

We took the short Monorail ride to the enormous Transport Hub at the junction of Victoria Street and Armenian Street Gaut. From there we were ferried by motorised Pedal Carts to the 9th Wonder of the World. My eyes filled with tears as I gazed lovingly upon the ‘Bicycle Mural’. A moment I’ll never forget. We waited patiently for an hour for the opportunity to have our photo taken next to it.

Progress has finally saved this area from stagnation and the old buildings that were once a blight on the town streetscape have now made way for attractive skyscrapers. Armenian Street now has a 33 storey Tourist Centre, a Heritage shopping Emporium and there’s the 46 storey Khoo Towers with the first 3 floors housing the most beautiful temple I’ve ever seen.

The real highlight of my visit and the main reason for wanting to stop off in Penang was the Singaporium in nearby Acheen Street. Accessible from Armenian Street via the Jagdeep Mall, the 88 storey high Singaporium houses a 1,000 square meter scale model of Old George Town ( circa 2000 ). Wow, it must have been an amazing place when people actually lived in the town.

We spent the rest of the day visiting museums ( The Upside Down Hipster Cafe & Bubble Gum Museum, The Corruption Museum, The Head Up a Dead Bear’s Bum Museum ) and escaped the heat at Carnarvon Street Water World.

All in all, a great day exploring a unique Heritage town.