Weekendin Singapore Nov '13 | Issue 08 | Seite 118

acrosstheSTRAITS

acrosstheSTRAITS

Rasa Sayang Spa & Resort

Penang Botanical Gardens

An aerial view of Male, Maldive. The capital of Maldives.

The Butterfly Park

Other Attracttions
There’s nothing like a trip to see one of nature’s
most beautiful creations—flowers and butterflies.
But this is no ordinary step out into the garden,
at least not in the case of Penang’s Botanical
Gardens—also known as the Waterfall Gardens.
While housing hundreds of species including
rare trees and flowers, wild monkeys also roam
free in this naturally preserved, well-maintained
environment. Two of the top attractions are
the Lily Pond, for its picture perfect scenery,
and the famous Canon Ball Tree, whose bulbs
can grow larger than a human head. One more
specialty of this magnificent facility is the preservation and drying of mounted specimens,
some of which are now extinct. The Gardens
include The Fern House, Palm Collection, Aroid
Walkway, Orchidarium, Perdana Conservatory,
Cactus House, Bromeliad and Begonia House,
Herb Garden, Fern Rockery, Sun Rockery and
the Formal Garden.
Penang’s Butterly Farm is the world’s first Live
Butterfly Sanctuary. Established in March of
1986, it was meant to serve as a living museum
to educate the local public—and now visiting
Weekendin 116

tourists, about insect breeding. Visitors are often
delighted to find themselves in an exotic “other
world”,