|
 | Penang Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 143 |  |
Though it's a wee bit off the beaten path, the Penang Butterfly Farm is a must do as it's the world's first tropical live butterfly farm and the most impressive one I've seen in a long time. Landscaped to look like a tropical Monet's garden, they have many beautiful species flying in the open as well as a collection of other unusual insects. Words cannot describe my wonderment. Perhaps my pictures can.
2 butterflies, deep in a drink of nectar.
Where:Penang Butterfly Farm, 830 Jalan Teluk Bahang, a little beyound Batu Ferringhi. See weblink for more details
Cost:RM15 ( steep but well worth it ) Leave a Comment |
Just off the periphery of the new Bayan Lepas Highway, lies a little temple filled with the smoke of burning incense and a variety of poisonous pit vipers! I'm not joking, there are snakes in this place and though the snake population has seen a sharp drop in the snake population, it's still interesting to drop by here enroute to the airport. The snakes in question have all been devenomed and defanged so you can touch them if you dare. Most of them were in the garden behind the temple, sleeping in tight coils around the trees.
Face to face with two pit vipers.
Hypnotised by their presence and flickering tongues.
I touch their scaly coats and feel their calm.
Where: Le Temple des Serpents..ok, the Snake Temple is the Near Bayan Lepas Highway Leave a Comment |
Recommended by the Lonely Planet
If you care to visit this little gem that is smack in the middle of Georgetown, you'll see rare paintings and old photographs that take you to another era. For Rm1, it was hard to resist. It's interesting to note that the museum only occupies half the building as the eastern half was destroyed during bomb raids in World War II. The Peranankan exhibits here occupied my interest.
Faces of the past
Stare out at a Modern World
Speaks of a forgotten time where
Fashion sings in decadent details
Where:The Penang Museum @ Lebuh Farquhar, is open from 9:00am to 6:00pm, everday except Fridays. Leave a Comment |
The Leong San Tong Temple of the Khoo Kongsi must be the most richly ornamented temple the whole of Penang. Too often, visitors come here and are so dazzled by the architecture that they neglect to see the fine details of the temple.
2 stone lions guard Leong San Tong, one male, one female. The female has a little cub beneath her and the male wears a string of coins. Both augur fertility and prosperity to the temple.
Where:Khoo Kongsi, No.18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang Leave a Comment |
The Leong San Tong Temple of the Khoo Kongsi must be the most richly ornamented temple the whole of Penang. Too often, visitors come here and are so dazzled by the architecture that they neglect to see the fine details of the temple.
If you look very carefully, there are 2 stony monks sitting at the bottom of the temple staircase. One monk is laughing and the other crying , for all eternity.
Where:No.18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang Leave a Comment |
The Leong San Tong Temple of the Khoo Kongsi must be the most richly ornamented temple the whole of Penang. Too often, visitors come here and are so dazzled by the architecture that they neglect to see what is at the back of the temple! Depicted on the walls are fine murals hand drawn by artists hired from China. All these murals depict old, wise sages to give honour to the elders of the Khoo Kong Si.
Mural mural on the wall, tell me who is the wisest of them all?
Where:Khoo Kong Si, No.18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang Leave a Comment |
Yes, an Asian Wet Market is a little wet, smelly and definitely not your average touristy joint. But if you love visiting local markets and are ready for a real culture shock, go take a look at Penang's Chinatown Market. It's smack in the middle of town, right under the nose of the towering KOMTAR in Georgetown.
Shopping under the shadow of KOMTAR, a lady pauses and decides if the prawns are fresh.
Where: Campbell Street Market, at the junction of Campbell Street and Carnavon Street, within walking distance from KOMTAR Leave a Comment |
The largest and best known temple in Penang, Kek Lok Si, took some 20 years to build. Other than the iconic seven storey pagoda, there are other gigantic things to gawk at.
The Goddess of Mercy smiles serenely as she looms above all the temples of Kek Lok Si.
Where: Kek Lok Si Temple,Air Itam, Penang, 10450 Malaysia
How to get there: Grab a cab, costs RM20+ from Georgetown Leave a Comment |
While Kek Lok Si is the largest temple in Penang, Kuan Yin Teng or the Goddess of Mercy Temple is believed to be the oldest. It's a little oasis in the heart of town and the temple is usually crowded with devotees lighting incense and offering fresh fruits and flowers to the dieties.
Saucers of fresh flower waiting to be offered to the Gods.
Where:Kuan Yin Teng, Jalan Kapitan Keling (located close to the Kapitan Kling Mosque), not too far from the heritage trail Leave a Comment |
Now that I have talked about the oldest and largest temple in Penang, I'll talk about the most richly ornamented temple. It's none other than the Leong San Tong Temple of the Khoo Kongsi. Too often, visitors come here and are so dazzled by the architecture that they neglect to see the fine details of the temple.
If you look very carefully, there are sprightly fishes, a human on horseback and a scaly dragon wrapped around a column in the main hall.
Where:Khoo Kong Si, No.18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang Leave a Comment |
|
|
on November 23, 2005
