TROPICAL SPICE GARDEN
Read moreOccupying more than 8 hectares, this lush park offers a beautiful stroll among more than 500 plant and animal species, including the only tropical spice garden in Southeast Asia. You can opt for a guided tour (departure at 9, 11 and 1:30 am) or choose to visit alone with a French audioguide screwed in your ears. Cooking classes are also offered in the morning to learn the basics of Malay, Indian and Nyonya cuisine, as well as the use of spices in these cuisines.
PENANG BOTANIC GARDENS
Read moreThis is the pride of the Penangites, their tropical Bois de Boulogne created in 1884 by Charles Curtis on the site of an old quarry. The whole area, including the tarmac roads, is immaculately clean. The garden includes a 30-hectare domesticated tropical forest divided into 12 sectors. Orchids, ferns, bamboos and cacti stand side by side with century-old trees. Monkeys used to be a major attraction, but due to their numbers and aggressiveness, park rangers are trying to contain them at the entrance to the park. It is now forbidden to feed them.
TAMAN TASIK
Read moreThese 62 hectares of gardens were laid out at the end of the last century on the site of an abandoned tin mine. Today, a large lake occupies the center of the park, and pathways wind their way through it. Peaceful during the week, the area comes alive at weekends and is a popular place for strolling. Romantic couples, groups of friends and families enjoy strolling beneath the hundred-year-old trees, jogging or picnicking around the lake. You can cross the lake in a pedal boat. The park is also home to a small zoo, the pride of the town!