Day 5 - Part 1 (Penang War Museum and Paintball Park)

"The Penang War Museum is built on the remnants of an old British fort which defended Penang's coast from attack. The museum is a memorial to those who died defending the country as well as aims to be an educational centre about life in Penang during World War II. It features old war relics and depicts the lifestyle of soldiers in those times. The historic site is an ideal setting for paintball tournaments. For reservations, call Jenny..."

With this recommendation from our Free Penang Traveller's Map, who could miss it? And what historic site is not an ideal site for a spot of paintball? We could start a franchise and set up paintball parks at the Collosseum, Stonehenge, Hyde Park Barracks...

We almost gave the War Museum a miss, as an online review had described it as a paintball park with some historical ruins scattered around. We're very glad we did because it was quite an experience. The museum is all outdoors in tropical jungle, and they are preserving the site of the fort as well as adding displays such as these models depicting Malay villages and British administration buildings.

These are the two canon-firing spots. The first is for the Breech cannon and the second is for the "Monster" with the 13-inch artillery.



Walking around in the humid jungle on the actually site really gave you an idea of what it might have been like. This is the view back to the mainland. The little dots across the water are the foundations of a new bridge being built between Penang Island and the mainland.

To add to the realistic atmosphere, we were trying to avoid getting caught up with a group of schoolchildren so every now and then we would drop to our bellies and scramble through the jungle or pop down one of the wells marked "escape". Almost.

We walked into a bunker built into the side of the hill. We walked quite a distance into the L-shaped tunnel before any light came on. It was pitch black so we weren't quite sure whether we were meant to be in there or might be facing some unexploded artillery. Luckily a sensor light switched on and revealed these bunkers with helpful signs.

This is a photo of Chulia Street, where our hotel is, after it had been bombed. The site of the museum became a POW camp once the Japanese forces occupied Penang and all of Malaya. There were some quite chilling places such as the guillotine where the Japanese executioner Suzuki operated, a noose, a mortuary and a torture room featuring some photos of victims. For example, I peeked in the window of a building marked "Officers' Quarters" and saw bullet marks still in the cement walls, with a mannequin set up to show what it might look like if someone were about to be executed.

So, it was a very interesting experience despite us not getting any time for paintball. The museum seems to be a work in progress; for example, there was a grotto of old shells and bottles, marked "Display still under research and development (R&D)". Also, the signs were quite simplistic and not of the quality we're used to seeing at Australian war memorials.

But the atmosphere of being in the jungle made up for it, and in the main building there was a door painted in camouflage and marked "R&D", so I suspect they're working on it.