Tropical Spice Garden

The Tropical Spice Garden was made from an abandoned rubber smallholding on a steep slope above the sea at Teluk Bahang, planted from 1999 with something like five hundred species of spice, herb and tropical plant and laid out along terraced paths and steps down the hillside under retained forest canopy. The spice trail is the core - nutmeg, clove, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and the rest, with the point being that Penang existed as a British settlement largely because of this trade - and there are separate sections for ornamentals, bamboo, ferns and water plants, with sculptures and rest points along the way. A cooking school on site runs classes in Malay, Nyonya and Thai cooking using the garden's produce. The audio guide is genuinely good and worth taking.

What you actually see

• Around five hundred species - spices, herbs and tropical plants on the slope.
• The spice trail - nutmeg, clove, pepper and cinnamon in the ground.
• Terraced hillside paths - steps and walkways under retained canopy.
• A cooking school - classes using produce cut from the garden.

When to go

All year; mornings are cooler on the slope. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The site is steep with many steps and not suitable for limited mobility. It is humid and mosquito repellent is needed. Cooking classes must be booked ahead and cost considerably more than entry.

Nearby

Batu Ferringhi is east; Entopia and Penang National Park are close.