In a nutshellA walk around the streets of Georgetown to discover the history of Penang island, a true open-air museum where different cultures, traditions and religions coexist in harmony. Monuments, colonial architecture, museums and temples: each building exudes history and is a living testament to Penang's glorious past. For this reason, the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Main stops

Clock tower dedicated to Queen Victoria
Fort Cornwallis, commissioned by captain Francis Light
City Hall
Chinese temple of Kuan Yin, dedicated to the goddess of mercy
Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple
Little India and ethnic shops
Baba Nyonya Museum or Pinang Peranakan Mansion

The programme

We start our walk around the city centre of Georgetown by admiring the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, a stark white clock tower in the Moorish style right in the middle of a busy roundabout. The tower was commissioned in 1897 and was a symbolic gift of a wealthy local landowner in occasion of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee: the tower is in fact 60 feet tall (around 18 metres), one for each year.
We continue external Fort Cornwallis, one of the oldest and largest British fortifications in Malaysia commissioned by Captain Francis Light who took possession of Penang Island in 1786 from the Sultan of Kedah in exchange for protection against the pirates and the expansion of Siam. The fort is star-shaped and is named after British General and Marquis in Bangladesh Charles Cornwallis.
West of Cornwallis, we find the City Hall, one of the oldest and most imposing buildings in the city.
Two amazing temples await us after the City Hall: the Chinese temple of Kuan Yin with its dragon-ornate pillars and dedicated to the goddess of mercy where women gather to pray for their families, and the Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple.
The latter is right next to the Little India district where Indian families have historically lived from the founding of the city. Here, we find countless ethnic shops selling all kinds of fabrics and goods.
Before returning to the ship, we end our walk with another of Georgetown’s gems: the Baba Nyonya museum, also known as “Pinang Peranakan Mansion” or “Chung Keng Kwee Museum”, as it used to be the private residence of the Chinese Chief of the Hai San Secret Society. The building, a magnificent eclectic villa, is a true architectural marvel. The late Victorian influence is particularly evident in the profusion of cast-iron decorations, among the few in Penang to have survived the Japanese occupation.
After visiting the Baba Nyonya Museum, we walk back to the ship.

Good to know

You need to be physically fit to take part in this excursion.
This excursion is not recommended for guests with mobility problems and pregnant women.
Clothing that is appropriate for places of worship is compulsory to enter the temples. Footwear must be removed before entering the temple AND before accessing the 2nd floor of Baba Nyonya Museum.