Penang Botanic Gardens

To experience Malaysia’s rainforests without straying too far from the sanctity of the city, you need go no further than the Penang Botanic Gardens.

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Set within a valley at the base of Penang Hill and bordered on three sides by dense tropical forest, the gardens offer a respite from the hectic streets of Georgetown. Wandering along its broad, tree-lined boulevards, and listening to the whir of cicadas and the chatter of birds and monkeys in the jungle beyond, it’s easy to see why this has always been such a popular place for locals to come and relax (although the peace is somewhat shattered by occasional blasts from a nearby rifle range).

Oh so pretty. Photo taken in or around Penang Botanic Gardens, Penang, Malaysia by Sally Arnold.

Oh so pretty. Photo: Sally Arnold

The present gardens were established in 1884 on this 29-hectare site as a recreational facility for the town and as a repository for a wide variety of different plants. For seasoned horticulturalists, the gardens are perhaps not as impressive or as well tended as others around the world and although there are lots of labels citing the Latin names of species, there is not much ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 500 words.)

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