PENANG Runaround 5 (GURNEY DRIVE and Back)

We're finally visiting Gurney Drive!

Synonymous with Penang Island, Gurney Drive sits on reclaimed land created off Teluk Ayer Rajah, the bay that once existed between George Town and Tanjung Tokong.

Taken from the Penang Fandom website:
As early as 1930, plans were drawn up to build a coastal road which spanned George Town's northern coasts by extending North Beach (the area around Northam Road). In 1934, North Beach was extended by 510 yards into what is now Gurney Drive. The New Coast Road along North Beach was completed two years later. In the late 1940s, land was reclaimed next to the road off Teluk Ayer Rajah, a bay between George Town city centre and the Tanjung Tokong suburb. This reclaimed land would be later known as Gurney Drive. In 1952, at the height of the Malayan Emergency, New Coast Road was renamed Gurney Drive after Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney, the British High Commissioner of Malaya who was killed by Malayan Communist Party guerillas in the state of Pahang the previous year. Initially, Burmah Road was to be renamed as Gurney Road, but New Coast Road was chosen instead.

Our evening began with a walk to the bus stop along Jalan Penang in front of the 7-Eleven. Here we caught a Rapid Penang #101 bus that would take us to the Sleeping Buddha bus stop along Jalan Kelawai. The fare was RM1.40 each (approximately USD/EUR0.30).

We then walked across Jalan Kelawai onto Jalan Concordia and continued northeast to its very end. We were finally at Gurney Drive but found out that our initial place of interest, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre was closed on Tuesdays.

We settled on the first thing that came to view; in this case it was Coco Island Street Food. A lively place, we quite enjoyed our dinner here and an hour later it was time to head back.

We had a little too much to eat so instead of taking another bus back to the hotel we decided to walk the entire distance. We walked along Gurney Drive for quite a fair distance headed southeast while taking in the sights, to the very end before turning left onto Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

We again walked southeast before walking across Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah past the Istana Kedah onto Jalan Larut. At the next intersection we again turned left onto Jalan Hutton and were on the home stretch!

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the hotel, our feet a little sore but the food in our tummies fully digested.

Please stay tuned for our next posting as we adventurise a couple of jetties tomorrow morning.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

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📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/LyX27z6dX3KBnH7F7
Sleeping Buddha - https://goo.gl/maps/WwhjQ2PNojYAeARTA
Jalan Concordia - https://goo.gl/maps/aMSA9UUztcnK3zxPA
Coco Island Street Food - https://g.page/CocoIsland?share
Persiaran Gurney - https://goo.gl/maps/ArNno4vfcQBGfjmb8
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah - https://goo.gl/maps/7s1T6vjmLP5jsPHk7
Jalan Larut - https://goo.gl/maps/jv7wdjKznefhagrA7
Jalan Hutton - https://goo.gl/maps/5LkU5U5wkJm8xw3V8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.