Bayan Lepas Attractions

Bayan Lepas may be a predominantly industrial area, but it also has plenty of noteworthy attractions that are worth your while. The War Museum on top of Bukit Maung gives you a glimpse of the nation’s bloody past with its well-preserved fortress and historical relics.

For a temple with a difference, head on to the Snake Temple at Sungai Kluang, where you can get a chance to take a picture with its slithery residents. Or if your interest is more towards natural history, then a visit to the Penang Aquarium and the Bukit Jambul Orchid & Hibiscus Garden is a must.

War Museum

Built by the British army right on top of Bukit Maung, the War Museum bore witness to the fall of the British army in the hands of the Japanese invaders, making it a significant historical point in Penang.  The ancient fortress holds a dark story from the time when it was transformed into a Japanese army base; tales of war prisoners being tortured for information colour the walls of the fortress. As a result, Bukit Maung earns the reputation of a haunted location, sending chills down the spines of locals who daren’t go up the hill after dark. Turned into a War Museum by a local three decades later after a period of restoration, the fortress still maintains its underground tunnels and ventilation shafts, ammunition bunkers, logistic centre, canon firing bays, sleeping quarters, cook houses and medical infirmary.
Address: Lot 1350, Mukim 12, Batu Maung
Getting here: From Port Weld in George Town, get on the Yellow Bus No. 69
Tel: (604) 626 5142
Opening Hours: Daily, 09:00 – 19:00

Snake Temple

Also known as ‘Temple of the Azure Cloud’, the Snake Temple was originally built in 1850, in the memory of Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist monk said to have great healing powers. According to legend, he had provided shelter to a number of snakes during those days, and it is said that the snakes that had entered the temple had stayed and never left as a mark of respect to the monk. One of the oldest temples in the world, devotees come from all over the world to visit the temple every year. Local devotees believe that the snakes residing within the temple had come of their own accord, and even though they look quite docile and are believed to be de-venomed, it is still not advisable to touch them or pick them up on your own. Stepping into the temple is quite a surreal experience you can see several snakes in all shapes, colours and sizes slithering about – definitely not for those with ophidiophobia.
Location: Sungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas (near the airport)
Tel: (604) 261 6663/ 262 0202
Opening Hours: Daily, 07:00 – 19:00

Penang Aquarium

Discover a world of marine wonders at the Fisheries Research Institute Aquarium, otherwise known as the Penang Aquarium. Housing a total of 25 fish tanks in its darkened aquarium area, you can catch some pretty exotic species live here such as the moray eel, the lion fish and the giant catfish. Adjacent to the indoor aquarium is an open-air garden housing a koi and carp pond, a turtle pool and some tanks containing invertebrates such as starfish and anemones. 
Location: Off Jalan Batu Maung (near the War Museum, opposite the Batu Maung Post Office)
Tel: (604) 626 3925
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 17:00, closed on Wednesdays

Bukit Jambul Orchid & Hibiscus Garden

Encompassing two hectares of beautifully-landscaped gardens, Bukit Jambul Orchid & Hibiscus Garden is home to an astounding variety of flora and fauna, some of which are unique and can be found only in this part of the world. Other than the obvious – orchids, hibiscus and reptiles - the garden also has a cacti collection, a deer park, a pottery shop, a waterfall and an ornamental Japanese pond. You can even take some of the plants home by purchasing them from the garden shop. Its residents include a 20kg albino python, a 100-year-old tortoise, a pair of Bengal tigers, a talking parrot, 6 arapaima gigas, the world's largest tiger orchid and a green anaconda.
Location: Persiaran Bukit Jambul, Bayan Lepas (near Hotel Equatorial)
Tel: (604) 644 8863
Opening Hours: Daily, 09:30 – 17:30 (a snake show is performed twice daily during weekends and public holidays at 11:30 and 15:30)