Funicular train schedule:

6.30am - 9.15pm (Sunday - Thursday)

6.30am - 11.15pm (Friday & Saturday)

Tel: 04 - 828 3263

The Botanical Garden is an oasis of peace and tranquility with lush green surroundings and vibrant the colours of Penang’s tropical flora. The 30-hectare garden also features a waterfall. Created in 1884 by the British, it was meant as a tribute to Charles Curtis, its first superintendent who collected botanical specimens from the surrounding hills which have since become significant samples in the world’s major herbariums. The garden is also well known for their Rhesus monkeys.

Opening hours: 5.00am - 8.00pm

Tel: 04 - 227 0428

Tel: 04 -881 1797

Discover an exotic agro tourism experience at the Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang. Spread over 25 acres of hilly terrain, the farm contains orchards that produce over 200 tropical and subtropical fruits including durians, lychees, mangoes, guavas and several lesser known varieties. The farm arranges several tours daily for visitors who would like to view the orchards and sample the wide assortment of locally grown fruits.

Opening hours: 9.00am - 6.00pm (closed on Tuesdays)

Tel: 04 - 229 3841 / 227 6223

A short drive away from the Penang Airport at Balik Pulau is the Bukit Jambul Orchid and Hibiscus Garden. A wide variety of colourful orchids and hibiscus plants can be seen here. There is also a Reptile House in the grounds.

The park offers some excellent trails through the rainforest and attractions at the park include Teluk Duyung, a broad bay protected by the Cape of Muka Head and Pantai Kerachut. Pantai Kerachut is popular as a picnic and camping site. It is also a site where the green turtles come to nest from April to August while the Olive Ridley turtles come between September and February.

The area contains a meromictic lake about one square kilometre in size, where fresh water from the island’s stream meets sea water. During dry seasons and low tide, the lake is a mudflat and when the tide rises, sea water gradually fills the lake while fresh water remains on top of the denser sea water. Certain fish, birds and reptiles have adapted to living within this unusual environment.

Visitors are required to register at the Wildlife Office in Teluk Bahang before entering the park which is reachable by a 30-minute boat ride or 90-minute trek from Teluk Bahang.

Opening hours: 8.00am - 6.00pm

Tel: 04 - 881 3530 / 201 3039

The farm spans 0.8 hectares and is home to 3000 living specimens from over 50 species of colourful butterflies, frogs, scorpions and other insects. It features a lily pond, rock garden, tunnel, bubbling mud pool and artificial waterfalls. Also within the farm are a garden enclosure, breeding area, laboratory, exhibition area, souvenir shop and information centre.

Opening hours:

9.00am - 5.00pm (Weekdays)

9.00am - 6.00pm (weekends / last admission at 5.30pm)

Tel: 04 - 885 1253

The park spans 5 acres and houses some 800 birds from all over the world. It is beautifully landscaped and features a walk-in aviary, a pond with ducks and swans, ornamental ponds abounding with water lilies, Japanese Carps and ornamental plants.

Opening hours: 9.00am - 7.00pm

Tel: 04- 399 1899

Penang’s northern shoreline is famous for its beautiful beaches. The beaches at Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang offer expansive stretches of glittering sand interspersed with secluded coves. It is along this famous coastline that resorts of international standard have sprouted up, offering a host of water sports. If you crave for privacy, head for Teluk Duyung, Pantai Keracut and Pantai Mas. These beaches are accessible via the trails in the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve from Teluk Bahang. The Pasir Panjang beach at the southwestern tip of the island is a good clean stretch for swimming and can be reached after a 25-minute hike over hilly terrain from Betong.

The recreational forest in Teluk Bahang, has flowering plants and ferns and numerous species of insects, exotic birds, butterflies, snakes and lizards. There is also a forestry museum which specialises in forestry exhibits.

Pulau Aman or ‘island of peace’ is about 2.5 nautical miles from mainland, just off the southern coast of Seberang Perai. The nearest town is Bukit Tambun from which a 30-minute boat ride gets one to the island. Boats from Batu Maung and Batu Uban also take passengers on a 45-ni mute journey to the island. The 288-acre island is an idyllic fishing village populated by some 300 people who mostly comprise elderly folk and children. Fishing, water sports and jungle trekking are some of the popular activities for holidaymakers. There are some chalets and homestays at affordable rates.