Real Life Avatar Penang with Top Tips For Visitors
For a nice romantic walk in the park, try these top tips before heading to Tanjung Bungah in Penang. At night, the little hillock behind Penang’s oldest Tua Pek Kong temple is beautifully lit. 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 FAQ 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 reasons) Both rides will cost approximately from George Town.
If you are driving, go early. The car park in front of the Tua Pek Kong temple charges a flat rate of RM3 for weekdays and RM5 for weekends. The area near the UDA Flat is residential and parking is not allowed.
View of Car Park from Wooden Deck of Penang Avatar Secret Garden
Is There A Beach?
There are topiaries and stone sculptures to photograph on the beach. When the sunsets, 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 maybe a little dark, do watch your step.
Is It Disable Friendly?
The place is not wheelchair friendly. You need to 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 lots of 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 upper timber deck show quite a long flight of staircase.
Are there Rest Stops at Avatar Penang?
Look out for comfortable wooden benches along the way 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, there is a small area for a game of Chinese Checkers Game Board.
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. There are stone statues on display. Children play on the sands. Couples, family, and friends take selfies and as the sun sets, proceed to the garden.
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 the natural medium of a statue against a backdrop of dim lights.
Can I Go During Raining Season?
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 will need to be patient to climb up the staircase jam-packed with people. You may need to wait a while before you can take photos. Do plan ahead 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 keep this in mind 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 is in the vicinity of 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 the colorful backdrop.
Opening Hours
Top tips: The lights come on at 7.30pm and turn off by 11.30pm
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