Penang Ernest Zacharevic's Murals Location And Map

Ernest Zacharevic.

The creator. The pioneer. The sifu.

Thanks to this talented Lithuanian who started the mural madness in Penang in conjunction with last year's Georgetown Festival 2012, we have more and more murals gracing all over Georgetown, Penang. Most of the photos here were taken last year and it's sad to see that some of the "Mirrors of Georgetown" murals have already disappeared :(

View Ernest Zacharevic Murals in a larger map 

Do hunt for them now if you have yet to do so...Trust us, you won't regret!

1. Reaching Up

Location : Cannon Street

2. This Old Man

Location : Armenien Street 

This is the very first mural painted in the streets of Georgetown, Penang and it depicts Ernest's neighbour, Mr Ng Chai Thiam, the famous wooden blog painter in Penang. The mural is fading away fast so do go catch a glimpse of it before it's too late! 

3. Children On A Bicycle

Location : Armenien Street

This mural is not only popular among the tourists and locals but also a hit with the vandals. There have been at least two occasions of vandalism, with the recent one being thrown with dhal curry. It's sad that we have senseless people like these running around and tainting our beautiful Penang!

4. Boy On A Motorbike

Location : Ah Quee Street 

5. Boy With Pet Dinosaur

Location: Ah Quee Street 

This mural is also fading fast with the boy's face and the dinosaur barely recognizable. Go quickly and catch them before they too, disappear!

6. Children On A Boat

Location : Chew Jetty

This mural has peeled off sadly, leaving only an outline of where the mural used to be and the above photo as memory. Due to weather condition and the fact that the mural was facing the sea, it faded even faster compared to the others :( As it can be seen from the photo above, the cats have already started to fade since then.

7. Little Girl In Blue

Location: Muntri Street

8. The Trishaw Peddler

Location : Penang Road (facing Red Garden Food Court's Carpark)

9. Despicable Me Minions

Location : Soo Hong Lane, off Armenien Street

This is the latest 2013 artwork done by Ernest Zacharevic, painted on a concrete traffic bollard to "celebrate" the minion craze. We were surprised how much this craze affected the Penangnites although we still could not understand it till today. Google or YouTube McD Minions in Penang to see it for yourselves! ;)

Honestly, we were a little bit surprised that this was done by Ernest, the very same artist who did all the above murals. We couldn't help but to wonder if he did this hurriedly in the middle of the night with no lights? Don't get us wrong, we have nothing against him or the Minions! We just have a very high expectation of him and this just falls short compared to all his other artworks!

Finally we had the opportunity to see the artwork, but if you haven't, go to Ernest Zacharevic's Official FB Page for more photos!

10. Broken Hearts 

Location : Junction of Love Lane, facing Chulia Street

We have no idea what happened but this is no longer where it is supposed to be. Does anyone here know what happened to this beautiful piece of artwork? Please let us know! For now, the above photo is the only proof we have of its existence!

And finally, our very own printable map :)

*click to enlarge*

Budget Travel Tips

Ah haah!

At some point of time, you might Google "Budget Travel Tips" and there are millions of websites, pages, and everything that is available on the internet. But here are the Lady Travel Bugs version. It works for us and it definitely will work for you!

The Golden Rule: Plan Early!
Planning early and well in advance for your travel will give you a lot of advantages, from flights to accommodations (ideally, 10 months to a year ahead, or worst case, 3 months!). Some people might say they are able to get cheap flight tickets at the very last minute (two weeks or less before you leave), but hey, how about your accommodations? :P It will only work if you are bunking at your friend's or family's place. 

Be smart 
You can save on fares by traveling mid-week, or choose the off-seasons. Avoid the school holiday season if you want a stress free holiday as it would be too crowded and you'll have to queue up for practically everything!

Another point to take note is to coordinate your traveling dates with your preferred season because different people have different preferences. For instance, summer may be a bliss for one but a torture for  another. For us, the Lady Travel Bugs definitely prefer to travel during Autumn or Spring...where the weather is just nice! ;)

Check the local tourism websites to find out when their off-season starts. Be safe though, we do not advise choosing a typhoon season, cheese!

Make friends
A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Always share a room to save ka-ching$ as double occupancy is cheaper than booking two separate rooms. If you're a little bit more adventurous,we would recommend you to try  Couch Surfing (for bunking in at people’s house at no charge) and Airbnb (people renting out their apartments for short period of time and the rate is usually cheaper than hotels).

Another plus point for Couch Surfing and Airbnb is that your hosts will be able to recommend cheap and good restaurants or shopping in the area, and sometimes even offer to be your tour guide for a day or two. Some tourist attractions can be overrated so if you're lucky, you may find hidden gems that only the local knows! Who better to take advice from than your hosts who should know the place at the back of their hands? ;)

However, especially for Couch Surfing, you would need to plan well in advance to introduce yourself to the couch surf community and find the right people to host you. And it brings us back to the golden rule – plan early.

Travel is the food to soul. Going on a trip doesn’t have to burn a hole in your wallet and yes, you can have a wonderful vacation even without breaking the bank. Cheers!