Universiti Sains Malaysia or commonly known as USM is one of the famous publicly-funded universities in the northen part of Malaysia. Currently, there are 3 campuses in Malaysia with its main campus strategically located in Gelugor, Penang. The distance between the exit of Penang Bridge and USM is as short as 8km.
Due to its extraordinary characteristic, Penang is known as The Pearl of The Orient. The great effort of the state government in achieving a balance between urban development and historical site preservation has won Georgetown as one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
In this writing, the blog post is recommending three shopping malls for the USM students to hang out after hours of lecturing.
Queensbay Mall
- Points of Interest: Aeon, Neway Karaoke Box, Golden Screen Cinema, Seoul Garden, Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant, Esprit, MNG Mango, Forever 21 & etc.
- Operation Hours: 10.30am – 10.30pm
- Number of Retailers: Approximately 420
- Distance between USM and the mall: Approximately 4.0 km
- How to get there?: Rapid Penang Bus Route 304/308; Uber/Grab – Less than RM 10 per trip
- Parking Fee:
Monday to Friday: RM 1.00 for first 2 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours
Weekend/Public Holiday: RM 2.00 for first 2 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours
♠ MallSyok’s Shopping Tips ♠
- Distance wise, this is the nearest to USM, Gelugor.
- This mall houses Golden Screen Cinema, Neway Karaoke and various entertainment centres which are definitely ideal for group gathering.
- Be reminded to bring along your USM Student Card, a card to access all kind of discounts!
- If you are looking for gowns or tuxedo for your prom night, Queensbay Mall will not disappoint you because more than 140 retailers selling them in all range of prices.
- Do consider to spend your time in Queensbay Mall if you have plenty of time before boarding to any flight, as it is just located around 7.9 km away.
- Friendly Reminder: However, this is not an ideal place for your first date, because high possibility you would meet your coursemates, seniors or juniors. Just my 2 cents.
1st Avenue Mall
- Points of Interest: Parkson, Starbucks, Cotton On, Esprit, H&M, Red Box Karaoke, TGV Cinema & etc.
- Operation Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm
- Number of Retailers: Approximately 76
- Distance between USM and the mall: Approximately 8.1 km
- How to get there?: Rapid Penang Bus Route 303/401; Uber/Grab – Approximately RM 9 – RM 13 per trip
Monday to Friday: RM 2.00 for first 2 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours
Weekend/Public Holiday: RM 3.00 for first 3 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours
♠ MallSyok’s Shopping Tips ♠
- MallSyok highly recommends to insert 1st Avenue Mall in your Georgetown day trip schedule. Take a break and grab a cup of Tealive on the 8th Floor, enjoy the great view of Georgetown in 20 degree Celsius room temperature during a hot sunny day.
- Flash your Maybank Debit Card to the TGV Counter before 6pm, then two pieces of movie ticket at RM 10 each to be handed over to you. Promotion valid till 31 January 2019.
Gurney Plaza
- Points of Interest: Golden Screen Cinema, Red Box Karaoke, Armani Exchange, Birkenstock, Bar BQ Plaza, Esprit, Braun Buffel, Cold Storage, Parkson & etc.
- Operation Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm
- Number of Retailers: Approximately 387
- Distance between USM and the mall: Approximately 10 km
- How to get there?: Rapid Penang Bus Route 304; Uber/Grab – Approximately RM 11 – RM 16 per trip
- Parking Fee (Multi-Storey Car Park):
Monday to Friday: RM 2.00 for first 3 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours
Weekend/Public Holiday: RM 4.00 for first 3 hours; RM 1.00 for subsequent hours - Parking Fee (Basement Car Park):
Monday to Friday: RM 2.00 for first 3 hours; RM 2.00 for subsequent hours
Weekend/Public Holiday: RM 2.00 for first hour; RM 2.00 for subsequent hours
♠ MallSyok’s Shopping Tips ♠
- If you are driving to Gurney Plaza during the weekend, take note on the large disparity of parking fee between the parking lots at basement and upper levels.
- If your movie/karaoke session would last until late night, parking lots at the top are more convenient.
- Located along the Gurney Drive, you must not miss the Penang local and authentic hawker food as your dinner at the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre and few others operate nearby (such as Pulau Tikus Market Hawker Centre).
- Friendly Reminder for Girls: It is impossible if a guy dates you to enjoy the sunset view along the Gurney Drive since you are facing to the east. Don’t get trolled.
All three malls above are featured in MallSyok Mobile Application. Download the mobile app into your phone and have access to the directory boards at your fingertips. The app is now available on Google Play Store. “Like” and “Follow” our app page for more information and update!
Continue reading “Shopping Malls in Penang that USM Students Must Not Miss Out!”
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