Entopia By Night is touted as the world’s first biofluorescent garden. — Photos: Handout
Befitting its Pearl Of The Orient epithet, Penang is a popular travel destination packed with endless wonders to explore.
Recently listed by Lonely Planet as one of the top seven places to visit in South-East Asia, with the renowned travel guide stating it as “best for history and culture”, Penang certainly lives up to tourists’ expectations.
However, most tourists might only be familiar with its capital, George Town, located on the island side of the state (which is made up of the said island and the mainland strip called Seberang Perai).
To remedy this, a new campaign called “Not The Penang You Know” was recently introduced by the state.
It highlights Penang’s lesser- known experiences and emerging tourism products, encompassing attractions, accommodations, transportation and more.
“This is not just the Penang you know, it’s the Penang you’re about to fall in love with,” said Wong Hon Wai, Penang State exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, in his opening address at the campaign’s recent launch in Kuala Lumpur.
Wong wants to introduce a different perspective of Penang through the Not The Penang You Know campaign.
Speaking to the media, Wong stated: “We want to introduce a different perspective of Penang.”
He cited the ecotourism draw of Balik Pulau, the many festivals in Seberang Perai and the record-setting Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) as examples.
Wong, who also serves as the organising chairman of PBIM, shared how last year the marathon – which set the record as the longest bridge run in South-East Asia – was held for the first time on the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge aka Penang Second Bridge.
“The run has always been held on the first bridge since 1986. But we moved it to the second bridge last year and we also moved the starting point to Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai,” Wong said.
Doing so has introduced 22,000 runners to a new place to explore in Penang, as Seberang Perai is what Wong called “the future of Penang”.
He additionally wanted tourists to know about Seberang Perai-based festivals like the Butterworth Chingay Parade, Butterworth French Festival, Nibong Tebal Festival and Penang River Festival, as these are part of what composes Penang’s many charming sides.
The ‘dark’ side
When darkness falls, another side of Penang’s natural beauty emerges. There are two of the island’s nature-based attractions that tourists and locals alike can visit to experience this.
First is Entopia By Penang Butterfly Farm, located in Tanjung Bungah, which is roughly an hour away from the George Town city centre. It recently introduced its new Entopia By Night – which is described as “the world’s first biofluorescent garden”.
Open only on Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm to 10pm, the Entopia By Night introductory ticket prices are set at RM35 (adults) and RM25 (children). There is also a dining option, called Biofluorescent Odyssey Themed Dining, priced at RM88 per person.
The second attraction is The Habitat Penang Hill, which is known to conduct evening programmes such as After Dark Special Edition (a one-hour night walk guided by experienced rangers) and Starlight Camping (camping under the stars).
As of last August, The Habitat has extended its business hours, opening from 9am to 9pm daily.
Hidden Wonders Of Nature After Dark allows visitors to see The Habitat in a new light.
Quite literally, as light installation illuminates the nature reserve’s Langur Way Canopy Walk and Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk.
No additional charge applies, simply purchase the standard passes – prices ranging from RM20 to RM60 – and just stay well into the evening to experience the park after dark.
An illustration of the Penang Hill Cable Car.
The future
Among Penang’s new attractions that are opening soon are the Penang River Cruise and the Penang History Museum. Both are expected to begin operations this March.
The river cruise will showcase the state’s beautiful nature, while the museum is set to be an interactive space where visitors will do more than just wander around staring at exhibits. Visitors will instead be treated to an immersive experience where they can learn about the state’s history and the places to go to around Penang.
There is also the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery which covers 0.36ha of land at The Light City in Gelugor. Named after its owner, a renowned artist and entrepreneur, the seven-storey gallery will feature retail stores and restaurants. It is expected to be completed this September.
Accommodation-wise, there are eight new hotels set to open this year, such as Capri By Fraser and Fifth Avenue Hotel, with another six opening in 2026. This includes The Westin Penang and Le Meridien Penang Resort; the Penang Marriott Hotel Queens Waterfront is scheduled to open in 2029.
In terms of transportation, travelling around the island will one day be made easier via the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system that will run through George Town to Bayan Lepas. The LRT route will span 30km, with 27 stations in total.
There will also be the Penang Hill Cable Car, which is a 2.73km monocable line featuring 50 eight-seater gondolas. The long-delayed project finally took off last year and is expected to be completed in Q3 of 2026.
It will start from Penang Botanics Garden, where 1.2ha of land will be utilised for the three-storey Garden Station. Perched 833m-high at the top will be the four-storey Hill Station, set on 1.15ha of land.
