Butterfly garden
Under a transparent roof.
Dominic Nelson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chongkian — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dominic Nelson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dominic Nelson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ah Wei (Lung Wei) — CC BY-SA 2.0
A butterfly and insect park at Teluk Bahang, opened in 2016 on the site of the old Penang Butterfly Farm that visitors had known since the 1980s. The building itself is striking: a huge structure clad in plants at the foot of the hills, which from the Teluk Bahang dam looks like part of the forest. Inside is a large tropical garden under a transparent roof, where thousands of butterflies fly freely among flowers, small waterfalls and ponds, including colourful Malaysian species you can photograph close up. Indoors is an interactive discovery centre showing insects, reptiles, spiders and the life cycle of the butterfly, which children love. It opens daily from nine in the morning to six in the evening, with last entry at five. A non-Malaysian adult ticket costs seventy-five ringgit at the gate, a little less when bought online in advance. The butterflies are most active in the morning as the sun warms up, so come early. It lies near the Tropical Spice Garden and Penang National Park, so pair it with them for a day on the north coast beyond Batu Ferringhi.
Under a transparent roof.
Insects and reptiles for children.
A structure clad in plants.
Teluk Bahang, at the north-western tip of Penang Island
Yes, it is one of the best family stops in Penang, with the butterfly garden and an interactive discovery centre, mostly covered and good in heat or rain.
