Most people find butterflies to be incredibly beautiful, and you simply need to visit the Butterfly Farm in order to get the chance to see hundreds of these gorgeous creatures. This is one of the most unique and interesting places in Malaysia as there are not many butterfly farms in the world, or in the region. In addition to being a tourist attraction, the Butterfly Farm aims to educate visitors, whether they are tourists or locals, and it also contains a research center.
When the Penang Butterfly Farm was first established in 1986, it was the very first of the tropical butterfly farms to be set up within a tropical region. Today, the farm covers around 0.8 hectares and is located in Teluk Bahang, at a distance of around 17 kilometers from Georgetown. It is very close to the strip of tourist hotels at Batu Ferringhi, providing easy access for visitors.
As this became one of the more popular places to visit in Malaysia, similar butterfly farms started to appear in other nearby countries and regions, including Singapore, the Cameron highlands, and Malacca. Internationally, butterfly experts and researchers respect the Penang Butterfly Farm as more than just one of the tourist attractions in Malaysia; they also respect it as a top butterfly breeding center.
The farm hosts around 4,000 different Malaysian butterflies and to make it one of the more exciting things to do in Penang, these butterflies come from 120 different species. The most exciting butterfly in the collection is probably the Rajah Brooke’s Bird wing, part of the Papilionidae family. This butterfly was discovered by A.R. Wallace in 1855 in Borneo. Other rare and exciting butterflies you can see during your visit include the Yellow Bird wing (Troides helena) and Indian Leaf (Kallima paralekta), the first of which is endangered. In addition to butterflies, the farm also hosts, at least 300 plant species as well as a larger number of insects.
Within the farm, you will find the Insect Museum, the Mini Zoo (which hosts small insects and reptiles), the aRt & ARtifact Gallery, and a Caterpillar Club designed for children.
Penang Butterfly Farm was first established back in 1986 by David Goh. He was inspired by the owner of the Stratford Butterfly Farm, Mr. Clive Farrell. The Stratford Butterfly Farm is located in William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon and Mr. Farrell encouraged Mr. Goh to start a farm for tropical butterflies in Malaysia, leading to one of the most popular things to do in Penang for visitors.
The Penang Butterfly Farm is found in Teluk Bahang, specifically at number 830 on Jalan Teluk Bahang, the road. The Butterfly Farm is open every single day of the year, with the exception of the Chinese New Year Even, when there is a half day. They open at 9am and close at 6pm, with the last entry at 5pm. Adult admission is RM27 and children pay RM15.
During your visit to Penang Butterfly Farm, it is important to be careful. When you enter the enclosures, you will need to watch where you step and carefully check your clothing and hair before leaving to ensure there are no butterflies or other insects attached. As the Butterfly Farm is also a research and education center, preserving it gives us the best opportunity to learn more about these beautiful insects.
