How do you see beautiful Penang on a tight budget? You see and do all the free things. You eat at the markets, and you jump on the free bus. Getting a good look at Penang – on the cheap – is simple because most of Penang’s temptations are free! Yes free! For instance, the street art, a major drawcard for Georgetown, is free. The stunning national park and turtle sanctuary, is free. Furthermore, those that are not free are cheap. The food in Penang, also a leading attraction, doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it is the hawker food which attracts all the foodies that flock to Penang to taste her delights!
Our favourite feature of Penang is the street art! Georgetown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the majority of the art, but street art can be found throughout many other parts of Penang as well. The street art, which is now a prominent tourist drawcard, is a relatively new addition to this charming historic town. The idea of art to “mark” the UNESCO – Georgetown, was developed in 2009 with a competition which lead to 52 metal caricatures depicting the area’s history. Further to that, in 2012 the government asked a young Penang-based artist to paint some wall murals to brighten up the town… and the rest, as they say, is history. We have spent many an day, roaming the convoluted streets of Georgetown, vigilant to locate the street art. We have not seen it all yet, however the following photos will give you an idea of what is artistically on offer in the streets of Georgetown.