Travelling in Penang can be a fruitful experience as there’s so much to explore in this Pearl of The Orient- Food, tourist spots, architectural scenes, factory zones, events, and more. When people mostly spend their time in the north and the central parts of the island, there’s a town in Batu Ferringhi that possesses many tourists-perceived-value places- Teluk Bahang it is.

Teluk Bahang, a used-to-be fishing village in the older days, is a tourist attraction with many options for nature-related activities that could take up the whole day of your travel experience. If you need a getaway from the noisy streets and other things in Penang, developing some healthy bond with nature in this area would be a suitable choice for you.

With so many things on the list, it could be hard for everyone to binge-visit them in a go. That being said, here are specifically 5 places in Teluk Bahang that I would recommend to get you off the undecided fence when it comes to picking the right targets.

ESCAPE Theme Park, Penang

(Photo by Nazarizal Mohammad on Unsplash)

If you are born with the chivalrous blood that always gives you the adventurous nerves to be involved in the adrenaline-rush activities, you should definitely go to ESCAPE Theme Park. It’s an amusement park that features games and rides in a natural setting. With its expansion, the current ESCAPE comprises adventure play, water play, and gravity play, which are all included in a single ticket upon entry. Most importantly, they conduct regular maintenance to ensure the safety of visitors. Thus, this number 1 theme park in Malaysia deserves your attention when visiting Teluk Bahang.

Contact Information:
Address: 828, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang, 11050 Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Pinang.
Tel: +603-3310 0229
Hours: 10am- 6pm (Tuesday- Sunday, closes on Monday)
Ticket Rates: 1 Day Pass- Free for kids below 3 yo and senior citizens, RM77.70 for kids of age 4-12, and RM116.90 as the normal price for all.
Website: https://www.escape.my/pg
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm

(Photo by Alex Chan on Unsplash)

If you come across this area and want some out-of-classroom discovery on nature science and insects knowledge, there’s a contemporary place right next to the ESCAPE Park. Entopia, used to be named after Penang Butterfly Farm, is now a house of over 200 species of flora and 150 species of fauna for bug lovers of all ages. Not only that they display many things that would stimulate the biological interest among visitors, but the indoor environment of the entire house is beyond fascination. The discovery hub consists of two parts- The Natureland that features the ecological garden, and The Cocoon with various indoor interactive edu-stations. It’s a place that you shouldn’t miss if you are someone with a learning mind.

Contact Information:
Address: No.830, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang, 11050 Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Pinang.
Tel: +604-888 8111
Hours: 9am- 6pm (daily)
Tickets and Promotions: https://www.entopia.com/plan-your-visit/online-ticketing
Website: https://www.entopia.com/
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Tropical Spice Garden

(Image credit: Tropical Spice Garden)

Another bio-diverse-themed outdoor museum that’s worth visiting in Teluk Bahang is Tropical Spice Garden. This six landscape acres destination houses 500 living luxuriant and foreign flora from around the world. Its core value, Spice Fam, centers around the idea of community empowerment where it brings people together, amplifies their voices, inspires one another, and builds resilience. Apart from the park for visitors to walk through, Tropical Spice Garden is also recognized as one of the best flower gardens in Malaysia that hosts culture arts workshops and events. If you need a spiritually uplifting experience with nature, Tropical Space Garden is definitely a place to visit.

Contact Information:
Address: Lot 595 Mukim, 2, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang, 11050 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Tel: +6012-423 6797
Hours: 9am- 4pm (Wednesday- Thursday), 9am- 6pm (Friday- Sunday)
Tickets and Promotions: https://tropicalspicegarden.com/buy-tickets/
Website: https://tropicalspicegarden.com/
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Art & Garden by Fuan Wong

(Image credit: Art and Garden)

In 2015, the Owner, Fuan Wong, started his venture of combining arts amidst the garden as a floral gallery in his durian orchard. Named after Art and Garden, the garden features a lot of Fuan’s plant collections all over the place with a mixture of glass sculptures and other artworks by different artists as well. As the orchard is at the hillside, visitors aren’t only getting fresh air, but the scenic view of the forest, all owned by Fuan himself. If you are an ingenious person and would like to see the beauty of how creative arts could blend into the greenish nature, you should drop by this charming place for an eye-opening exploration.

Contact Information:
Address: Jalan Teluk Bahang, 11000, Pulau Pinang.
Tel: +6012-485 5074
Hours: 9:30am- 6:30pm (daily)
Ticket Rates: RM24 (My Kad Holder), RM30 (Adult), RM15 (Children below 15)
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Chin Farm Waterfall

(Image credit: @Joeltzy)

Here’s another hidden gem that isn’t known by many, including locals as well. Envision yourself sinking into the freshwater from the mountain itself, that could be another soothing way of unwinding yourself from stress. The entrance is across the road from Bayview Beach Hotel and it requires a few minutes’ walks before you reach the waterfall area. The depth might not be suitable for water jump stunts, but it’s good enough for someone to dip their body down the water and enjoy the quiet nature. This place is undoubtedly a heaven for daredevils to walk through the forest and climb through slippery rocks before reaching this bucolic utopia.

Contact Information:
Address: Ferringhi Villas, 11050 Batu Ferringhi, Penang
Social Media: Facebook

With the rise of technology in today’s society, people are more caught up with the idea of spending tons of money on places that bring comfort or convenience in many aspects, that happens during travelling as well. Consequently, we become less intact with nature, which isn’t healthy for us.

The slogan “Heart & Soil” from one of the destinations above spoke directly to me, which came off as a reminder to me that humans are formed through nature. Connecting ourselves, physically and mentally, to the ground, wouldn’t only spice up the fun during our holidays, but it also serves as an energy booster that would bring benefit to our mental health well-being.

Wait no more, start planning for your trip now. Although some of the places above aren’t reopening soon due to the pandemic policy, it’s still a great idea to map out your travel route to Teluk Bahang, Penang whenever the travel access becomes available.

(Featured image credit: Photo by Rasid Faisal on Unsplash)