Malasia: Visitas Guiadas al Jardín Tropical de las Especias de Penang

This is an excellent way to learn about the plant and tree life of Malaysia. I learned a huge amount and the tour guide was excellent. The tour itself was over an hour and I stayed a further hour exploring for myself. If you are interested in nature and/or cooking this is definitely worth doing.

We arrived at the Gardens after catching the bus from Batu Ferringhi. The gardens were beautiful and we had a one hour tour with the knowledgeable and friendly guide Yeap. The plants and knowledge made this a great experience before we walked up to the kitchen for our cooking class. The kitchen is clean, the ingredients fresh and Chef Lim and his team were helpful and friendly helping us to prepare our dishes. We made a traditional Nonya Sea Bass, a pineapple salad and banana bites (sorry not the traditional names). We then sat down with other participants to eat our delicious prepared lunch. The tour and cooking class took 4 hours and was excellent.

A lovely way to spend a couple of hours, just 2-3km from central Batu Ferringhi. Well managed gardens with helpful staff. Very pleasant to wander around - interesting plants throughout, including the poisonous garden. High points were the free tea station and fish foot spa. There are lots of steps and steep paths so probably not the easiest to navigate for some. Slather on mosquito repellent you are prone to bites. Well worth a visit

Enjoy a relaxing self-guided tour through clearly marked trails that highlight a wide variety of spices and plants. Keep your eyes open to spot wildlife in its natural habitat. Enjoy delicious beverages (highly recommend the Masala Chai tea) in the cafe and don’t miss the selection of spices and soaps and other products in the gift shop. Make sure to add this tour to your list of things to do while on Penang.

The Tropical Spice Garden caught my eye as a way to extend the experience in Penang. So we opted to spend a morning strolling among the local and international collection of herbs and spices. Although the garden is manmade there is a natural feel. Cascading streams pool into landscaped ponds. Jungle-type paths clamber up the hillsides. Birds call and the wind flows among the forest. The 'wildness' alone makes the trip educational. This is enhanced by the strategically placed information boards about the varied vgetation. The ticket comes with an online app to learn more about spices and herbs of the gardens, so visitors can have a multi sensory learning experience. The plants come from around the world and this information along with culinary, medicinal and unexpected facts are provided in the online app. Food tours are frequently advertised and a visit to the Tropical Spice Garden adds to the understanding of Penang's culinary heritage. Would I go again - yes (but I would go on a non-raining day). It was a pleasant way to spend a morning learning more about the history of Penang and its culinary heritage.

We had a few hours spare and it was only just up the road from us, so we decided to see what it was like. The guide was so informative and the award winning gardens where amazing. Before you enter they will give you some mosquito repellent to put on, I prefer my own as it has never let me down. As a result of this tour my wife and I will be making some changes to our food and drinks. The guided tour is a must and you learn so much it is well worth every penny and more. Please try and make time for this. I have to many pics to post so I have selected a few. I hope you all like them