Penang Getaway - Butterfly Farm

(Daddy flutters)

Besides offering good food and relaxation, Penang also has some rather interesting places of interest for the kids and adults alike. And one of these is the Penang Butterfly Farm.

Located just 15 minutes away from the Batu Ferringhi belt, Penang Butterfly Farm is the world's first tropical live butterfly sanctuary, with an average flying population of some 4,000 live butterflies of 150 different species.

So do expect lots of butterflies to be fluttering around you as you enter the huge greenhouse filled with plants, twisting paths, flower feeding stations, a pond and water features. 

Oh, and also these creepy crawlies, which absolutely fascinated the boys. I can't say the same for the wifey though.

Just as fascinating were the rows of butterfly larvae on display, which allowed the boys to see for themselves what they really looked like in real life.

Needless to say, the boys were having a field day wandering the park, each with a camera in hand and snapping away with every passing butterfly.

And every time either of them saw a different type of butterfly, they would run back excitedly to tell us all about it. It was truly wonderful to see them so engaged in an activity that didn't involve an iPhone or iPad. Heh.

Ale, on the other hand, was focused on her own mission - to catch a butterfly with her bare hands.

Well, I don't think she succeeded eventually. But I guess everyone, including her, had lots of fun at the farm.

Besides butterflies, the farm also houses other animals like giant koi and catfishes, giant millipedes, turtles, mandarin ducks (and a rather unique white mandarin duck too!) and lizards.

There was a enormous ancient-looking iguana, which hardly moved for the whole duration that we were there. Something which Ayd could never achieve I reckon.

Midway through our visit, we joined a staff member for a guided walk around the farm where the boys picked up a few interesting facts about these flying insects. They even got up close with a stick insect and leaf insect too!

The second part of the Farm was the indoor education centre which was just as fantastic. On display were a wide range of live frogs, poisonous local insect species and spiders. Luckily for us, they were all kept safely behind a thick glass.

There were also interactive display screens which allowed the boys to search for hidden animals in pictures of urban landscapes. This was Ayd's fave station. Another hit with the monkies was this small cinema that played short animated cartoons on insects by Miniscule.TV.

They loved the cartoon series so much that they remembered the spelling of 'Miniscule' and searched it on YouTube the moment they were back home!

Here's one:



It's not often that one goes to a Butterfly Farm, and certainly there aren't as many as good and educational as the Penang Butterfly Farm.

So the cheekiemonkies' verdict? Definitely a must-go if you are in Penang with kids in tow.

Useful information about the Penang Butterfly Farm

The Penang Butterfly Farm is located in the north west corner of Penang at Teluk Bahang. Opening hours are from 9 am - 6 pm each day, 365 days of the year. Entrance fees are RM27 for adults and RM15 for children between 4-12 years old.

If you are driving, follow the coastal road past Batu Ferringhi until you reach the roundabout in Teluk Bahang. Turn left and the Butterfly Farm is less than 1km down the road. If you are coming by bus, the Rapid Penang 101 goes directly to the Butterfly Farm.