Nature

Penang is rich with nature attractions, as much of the island landscape is still covered with lush rainforest, mangroves and wetlands. The Penang National Park is the biggest nature destination, followed by smaller recreational forest parks in Bukit Mertajam and Bukit Panchor. Day trips on boats to nearby islands such as Pulau Jerejak and Pulau Aman provide even more excursions in verdant rainforest. Finally, visitors and tourists can explore the rich mangroves and wetlands of Penang in Sungai Tukun, which is in Teluk Bahang.

The Penang National Park, or Taman Negara Pulau Pinang, was once the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve. It was gazetted in 2003, becoming the smallest national park in Malaysia, covering an area of 2,565 hectares. The park occupies a lush landscape of hills, forest and beaches, covering the entire north eastern tip of Penang. It is unique among other national parks for having a rich diversity of ecosystems, including mangroves and wetlands.

The Penang National Park is located in Teluk Bahang, and can be reached in 45 minutes from Georgetown City. At the park entrance, registration is required for visitors but it is free to enter. An alternative to exploring the park's many beaches is through boat rides on the sea, taken from the Kuala Sungai Pinang entrance in Balik Pulau. Kuala Sungai Pinang is a mangrove estuary that provides a second gateway into the park by boat.

Bird watching, biking, hiking, camping and other nature activities are some of the popular things for visitors to do. From the entrance, several trails lead to remote and pristine beaches in the park. The Muka Head Cape at the tip of Taman Negara has a historical lighthouse that sits on a 227 meter hill.

Nearby are the pristine Monkey Beach and Teluk Ketapang. Monkey Beach is a popular beach which, true to its name, has a lot of monkeys living in the area. Teluk Ketapang which lies at the opposite of the cape is a beach named after its many sea almond trees. Pantai Keranchut is another popular beach which has an exciting meromictic lake, which is a lagoon by the beach that fills with both salt and freshwater two times a year over six months. The top layer retains the fresh water while the bottom is where the sea water resides, being denser and warmer.

At other times of the year, the entire lake is empty and caked in mud. The turtle hatchery is also located here, since Green and Olive Ridley turtles land on this beach annually to lay their eggs. One other beach in the park where the turtles come to lay eggs is Teluk Kampi, another beautiful place to visit. The park is rich with flora and fauna, so spotting wildlife such as eagles, monkeys, wild boars, civet cats, mouse deer and even pangolins is possible along with many different types of plants. The Teluk Bahang Recreational Park, 32 hectares in size, is also part of the greater national park area.

Pulau Jerejak is a 362 hectare island that lies between Penang Island and the mainland. Historically, it was believed that Sir Francis Light, the founder of Penang, first stepped foot on this island before making his way to Penang. Although he had many plans to develop Pulau Jerejak, they never came to be, as the island became a ground to confine lepers, tuberculosis patients and others with contagious diseases.

After the war, Pulau Jerejak was made into a penal colony, where hard core criminals were thrown, earning it the nickname 'Alcatraz of Malaysia'. Eventually, it was closed down and Pulau Jerejak was turned into an eco-tourist destination in 2000. Today, a resort sits where the prison used to be, providing holiday opportunities and nature activities in the surrounding forest. Pulau Jerejak is still draped with rich rainforest, some of the trees belonging to the precious dipterocarp variety, a source for timber. Popular herbal remedies are made from some of the plants that grow here, such as Tongkat Ali, a famed local aphrodisiac. Some parts of the island are covered with mangrove swamps, which are great places for bird watching activities. Migratory species and birds of prey such as the white bellied sea eagle can be spotted here easily. Other wildlife inhabit the forest of the island, including monkeys, squirrels, snakes and monitor lizards.