Try these top tips before heading to Tanjung Bungah in Penang for a nice romantic walk in the park.
The little hillock behind Penang’s oldest Tua Pek Kong temple is beautifully lit at night.
You can experience being transported to Pandora. Perhaps even becoming part of the Avatar tribe.
This is the popular Penang Avatar Secret Garden built by MBI.
You will see trailing LED lights hung from branches of huge trees.
The trees are lit with different hues of color.
It is interesting to watch the colors change.
SmartDory answers some FAQs about Avatar Penang and the top tips before visiting.
How To Get There?
Taking an Uber, you can pin Penang Avatar Secret Garden.
For Grab, you need to pin Penang Garden Car Park (for some reason)
Both rides will cost approximately from George Town.
If you are driving, go early.
In front of the Tua Pek Kong temple, the car park charges a flat rate of RM3 for weekdays and RM5 for weekends.
The area near the UDA Flat is residential, and parking is prohibited.
View of Car Park from the Wooden Deck of Penang Avatar Secret Garden
Is There A Beach?
There are topiaries and stone sculptures to photograph on the beach.
When the sun sets, the garden lights up!
High contrast: White sandy beach with granite sculptures, topiary against a dark skylight makes for challenging photography. Tips: Late afternoon and sunsets times are best for photography.
View of Penang Avatar Secret Garden Topiary
How Long Do You Need?
The Avatar theme garden has changing LED lights, which create an exciting, mysterious atmosphere.
You will need about 15 minutes for a quick walk around.
There are wooden staircases to lead you up and down.
Some parts of the walkway may be dark; watch your step.
Is It Disable Friendly?
The place is not wheelchair friendly.
You must climb the stairs and walk along the walkways to enjoy the stunning lights.
It can get crowded during the long weekends as visitors flock to see the lights.
As there are many stairs, it will not be possible for someone in a wheelchair to go to the top of the hillock.
At the entrance, the steps are brightly lit. It gets dimmer as you climb higher up.
A View from the top from the upper timber deck show quite a long flight of staircase.
Are there Rest Stops at Avatar Penang?
Look out for comfortable wooden benches to rest if you intend to explore the whole park.
There are some small structures for shelter and rest below the hillock.
At the center is a small area for a Chinese Checkers Game Board game.
Getting just the right exposure for holiday photography can be quite tricky, especially with children playing in the dark.
Each type of light gives a different result in photography. The challenge is when there are different types of light sources next to each other.
Would you capture the foreground, the background, human movement, or an iconic structure?
What Is The Best Time To Go?
Go around 6.30 pm for a walk near the beach.
Stone statues are on display. Children play on the sands. Couples, family, and friends take selfies and proceed to the garden as the sunsets.
What’s At The Top Of The Hillock?
Your eyes grow accustomed to the low lights, and your attention to view the garden as a whole.
The entire ground is lit with LED Tulips.
You will notice some Chinese Gods statues. At the summit is a Golden Cobra Statue.
View of Statues in bioluminescent light
The challenge is to photograph the beauty created in the contrasts of a statue’s natural medium against a backdrop of dim lights.
Can I Go During the rainy season?
The best time to view the Avatar-like night lights display is when it is not raining.
Are There Mosquitos?
Top Tips: Bring mosquito repellent if you’re sensitive to insect bites.
What’s For Dinner?
You can go for a seafood dinner at the Sea Pearl Lagoon Café.
The cafe smells great with the aroma of salt-baked crabs and prawns.
Do ask for the price before ordering.
If you’re on a budget, you can order some satay and fried noodles from the hawker stalls.
Salt-baked crabs and prawns are delicious! Top Tip: check the price before ordering.
Anything to Shop
A few makeshift stalls are selling packed drinks and mineral water.
A recent addition is a clothing stall.
Charges to Enter The Park
FREE. There might be a nominal charge of RM1 per person, as reported on TripAdvisor recently.
Any Downside to Real-Life Avatar Penang?
You must be patient to climb up the staircase jam-packed with people.
You may need to wait a while before you can take photos.
Plan and go early if you’re visiting during the long weekends or public and school holidays.
You may find it hot and humid.
With Top Tips For Visitors – What should I bring?
Penang is hot and humid, so consider this when you visit.
The things I recommend that you bring are
- A camera that takes good pictures in the dark
- A tripod for slow shutter speed
- Bring a significant other, some friends or your family.
- Wear White or reflective clothing
- Water
- A small towel
- As the Avatar gardens are near a temple, please be modestly attired.
Great for photo-taking
This is a great place to bring your family for a fun outing.
It can be challenging to take selfies with a smartphone in low-light conditions.
It can be challenging to take photos of your loved ones in low light conditions against a colorful backdrop.
Avatar Penang Status
Yes, Penang Avatar Secret Garden has permanently closed.
The location was at 336, Jalan Tokong Thai Pak Koong in Tanjung Tokong.
Some people point to the pandemic or poor maintenance as possible reasons.
Others just say it shut down for good.
When the Smartdory editor visited in October 2024, the place was vacant and clearly closed.
Blog Disclosure: This blog is written independently. No compensation, such as free meals, monetary payment, or services, has been received from featured establishments. These are some of the old places that the editor visited while exploring Penang.
