Jawi Peranakan Mansion is located at the Hutton Lanes which was also known as the Malay Millionaire row. The lane is named after Dr James Hutton who was one of the first doctors in Penang who arrived in 1805.

The building was acquired and restored in 2012 to how it once was, an elegant Anglo Indian mansion. Jawi Peranakan refers to the locally born, Malay speaking Muslim of the mixed South Asian and the Malay ancestry. The building is artfully decorated and is now a heritage hotel.

Cozy room with Mughal inspired decoration

More photos of the hotel

Nagore Square

Near to the hotel lies a restored area of Penang combining the heritage design of the old world and the new lifestyle of F&B, art and cultural and entertainment area.

Most of the architectural design around the area are Strait style double storey residential houses but today many have converted them into restaurant and beverage shops. The road is named after Nagore, a town from the South India as there are many Muslim Indian settlements at the Hutton Lane back then.

Penang’s only Synagogue

Penang’s only synagogue was once located at the 28 Jalan Nagore but was shut in 1976 when the community could no longer put together a minyan. Today it is a trendy cafe and a coffee roaster, SiTigun cafe, that is worth dropping by for a cup of coffee.

It is little known when exactly Jews first arrived in Malaysia, possibly around 1700s. There is a Jewish cemetery situated alongside the Jalan Zainal Bidin, formerly known as Jalan Yahudi ( Jewish Road). The Jewish cemetery is believed the oldest single cemetery in the Southeast Asia. It is is still function today and maintained by the board of trustee that established and registered in 1885.

Gurney drive

It is formerly known as New Coast Road along the North beach and was completed in 1936. It was renamed in 1952 to Gurney Drive in honour of Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney, the British High Commissioner of Malaya who was assassinated by the communist guerrillas.

Over the years, the beaches along the Gurney drive has lost to the coastal erosion and are a lot muddy today. Currently the local council is reclaiming the offshore coastline to create a public recreation park named Gurney Wharf.

It is still the popular spot for the tourist and locals specially for its famous Penang and Malaysian food scene. Gurney Drive Hawker Center is one of the largest and the local eateries in Penang. Along the Gurney drive are strips of restaurants and bars ranging from local and western cuisines. Penang’s second largest shopping mall, Gurney mall, and Paragon Mall, are also situated along the coast.

There were many affluent bungalows along the beach side in the old days and today, many are restored and preserved to blend into the modern skyscrapers of hotels, upscale condominiums and the mall.

St Joseph’s Novitiate

St Joseph’s Novitiate was built in 1916 and was used as Novitiate for the Christian brother till 1988 as well as a teacher training college. It was once Upland School until it was acquired and restored and connected to the Paragon shopping mall , 2 luxury towers and an office towers.

Penang food

Penang is also famous for its regional food paradise, some quoted that it is one of the best on the planet due to the melting pot of the different cultures and influences from Chinese, Malay, Indian and the British.

Photos of food in Penang ( to name a few)