Teluk Bahang - Penang Peaceful Retreat
The "Bay of Heat Wave" or often called Teluk Bahang is a quiet and friendly fishing village at the coastal road located on the northern side of Penang Island. Perhaps the name is relate such a way, because of the high temperature of the sea breeze coming into its' shore.
It has a serene and shady beach which offers a peaceful environment and breezy wind. This place is perfect for weekend retreat minus the "always" crowded Batu Ferringhi.
Teluk Bahang beach is not suitable for swimming, due to the presence of jellyfish.
So, you may want to ask - If swimming is not allowed, what else can you do there?
Well... The answer is PLENTY!
As Teluk Bahang is strategically located along the popular Penang tourist belt, there's a lot of attraction for you to visit and to explore.
Penang Cultural Centre
First, there is Penang Cultural Centre that showcases a contrasting display of cultural and arts of Malaysia. You will get to see some native games, traditional handicraft on display, Malay martial arts, a longhouse and some dance performance. The center operates on the format of "guided tour" which last about 2.5 hour. You'll be guided on a 6 pm -10 pm evening tour that includes sumptuous dinner based on native cuisines. Mmmm. Yummy!
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Penang Butterfly Farm |
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A short drive away, is a Penang Butterfly Farm. A home and sanctuary to a wide variety of insects, reptiles, fishes, plants and of course beautiful butterflies.
Inside, there is a mini zoo, insect museum and Artifact gallery. The farm also has a program to educate the public as well as a research centre to develop breeding methods.
You can also visit Penang National Park, a unique place that contain different types of habitat such as meromictic lake (has layers of water which do not intermix), wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs and turtle nesting beaches. Mammals such as wild boars, wild cats, sea otters, mouse deer, bats, squirrels, fishes, monitor lizards and snakes are common here. Wild birds are plenty couple with dusky leaf monkeys and the long tailed macaque.
The park trails will lead you direct to beautiful beaches, like the secluded Monkey Beach or Pantai Kerachut. Entrance to Penang National Park is free of charge but you'll need to register first before going in.
There's also Forestry Museum, a 247-acre recreational park that houses several fresh water pools, rest huts and offers a range of outdoor activities. It's home to countless species of flowering plants, ferns, insects, birds, butterflies, snakes and lizards. You can spend the day exploring various footpath that lead to the exciting flora and fauna.
Penang Forestry Museum
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Batik Factory |
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Others includes' a couple of batik factories, a small scale orchid farms targeting the tourist market, Tropical Fruit Farm and splendid view of Teluk Bahang Dam.
The dam, with a storage capacity of 19.24 billion liters, is the biggest on Penang Island currently and held a distinction of being the only dam in Malaysia built within a few kilometers from the sea.
Teluk Bahang may not have the thrills of Batu Feringghi or privacy of isolated beach such as Monkey Beach, but it did offer something different. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy the creation of nature, to learn the cultural diversity of Malaysia and to explore the many different habitat of wild creature that is difficult to find in another place.