George Town Street Art, Penang

The "Children on a Bicycle" mural on Armenian Street is the famous one but honestly the iron-rod caricature installations scattered along Cannon Street and Muntri Street were just as enjoyable. Felt like a treasure hunt finding them all. We picked up the free trail map from the Penang Heritage Trust office which helped a lot.

Went early before 9 am and the morning light on the east-facing walls was perfect for photos. Had the Zacharevic murals almost to ourselves — by 10 am there was a queue of people waiting to pose with the bicycle mural. The whole walk from Armenian Street south through Ah Quee Street took about an hour and it is completely free.

The murals are great but some have faded quite a bit since Ernest Zacharevic first painted them in 2012. The "Boy on Chair" and "Little Girl in Blue" are still in decent shape. The interactive ones where you become part of the art are fun for kids. Be aware that during peak hours there are long waits to get a clear photo at the popular spots.

Best free activity in George Town. The artwork on the old shophouse walls gives the heritage zone so much character. Beyond the famous Zacharevic pieces there are dozens of newer murals by other artists too. We stumbled across several pieces in random back lanes that were not even on the map. Wear comfortable shoes — it is a lot of walking on hot pavement.

Nice outdoor activity but avoid the midday sun. We started at Ah Quee Street and worked our way along Lebuh Cannon. The iron wire sculptures depicting scenes from Penang life and history are clever and easy to miss if you are not looking up. Combined it with a coffee at one of the Armenian Street cafes afterwards.