Gurney Drive is a renowned esplanade encompassed by George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Also referred to as Persiaran Gurney, the long oceanfront walkway boasts equal local cultural and modern tourist attraction. The world-renowned vista serves as a commercial hub sprinkled with entertainment venues as well as a bustling business centre lined with locally utilised skyscrapers and office buildings.
The tourist allure of Gurney Drive is accentuated by two massive shopping centres, Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, respectively. The cuisine is the highlight feature of the esplanade, represented by eateries situated within the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre boasting local delicacies such as Char Koay Teow, Mee Goreng, Rojak, Satay, among others. The esplanade contains many cultural interests including Dharmikarama, which is the only Buddhist Burmese temple situated outside of the country of Myanmar, the Church of Immaculate Conception and the Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram Temple, which is the biggest Thai temple in the city.
Public buses are the predominant form of transportation throughout the area of George Town. There are plentiful taxis available for hire and motorbikes for rental as well. The most popular way to explore the vast lengths of Gurney Drive is on foot.
Gurney Drive was once publicly regarded as New Coast Road until the officially renaming following the death of distinguished public figure Sir Henry Gurney. Coastal erosion has transformed the formerly pristine lengths of beachfront into appealing mangrove-studded silt rows.