PEN Day 3 │ Runaround: GURNEY DRIVE and Back

A Little History

We were finally visiting Gurney Drive, a place almost everyone connects with Penang Island. It sits on reclaimed land that once formed part of Teluk Ayer Rajah, the bay between George Town and Tanjung Tokong.

According to the Penang Fandom website, plans for a coastal road began in the 1930s. By 1934, North Beach was extended into what later became Gurney Drive. More land was reclaimed in the late 1940s, and in 1952 the road was renamed Gurney Drive in honour of Sir Henry Gurney, the British High Commissioner of Malaya.

Getting There

Our evening began with a short walk to the bus stop along Jalan Penang, right in front of the 7 Eleven. We caught the Rapid Penang #101 bus and rode it to the Sleeping Buddha stop on Jalan Kelawai. The fare was RM1.40 each (about USD/EUR0.30).

From there, we crossed Jalan Kelawai, walked onto Jalan Concordia, and continued northeast until the road ended. At last, we reached Gurney Drive.

A Change of Plans

We soon learned that the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre was closed on Tuesdays. We had not checked beforehand, so we simply went with the flow and chose the first lively place we saw — Coco Island Street Food.

It was bright, busy, and full of choices. We enjoyed our dinner there, and after about an hour, it was time to head back.

Walking Off Our Dinner

We had eaten a little too much, so instead of taking the bus, we decided to walk the whole way home. We followed Gurney Drive southeast, enjoying the sea breeze and the evening lights, until we reached the end of the road. Then we turned left onto Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

We continued southeast, crossed the road near Istana Kedah, and walked onto Jalan Larut. At the next junction, we turned left again onto Jalan Hutton — the home stretch.

About twenty minutes later, we reached our hotel. Our feet were a little sore, but our dinner had fully settled.

What’s Next

Please stay tuned for our next post as we explore a couple of jetties tomorrow morning.

And one last reminder: while masks are now optional outdoors, they are still mandatory indoors. Stay safe and considerate.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 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.