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How to Visit Penang Snake Temple
Located about 3 km from Penang International Airport, the Penang Snake Temple was built to honor Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist monk and healer who lived about a thousand years ago in Fujian, China. He was deified after his prayers succeeded in ending a terrible drought in Fujian.
Legend has it that during his life, the monk liked to give shelter to snakes, which were believed to be his disciples. After the Penang Snake Temple was completed in the 1800s, vipers had allegedly appeared out of nowhere and made the temple their home.
How to Get to Penang Snake Temple
Penang Snake Temple is easy to get to. You can take a Grab/taxi, catch the free shuttle bus, or rent a car. If you’re driving from Georgetown, follow the signs to Bayan Lepas and the airport.
The temple is only about 10km (25 minutes) from Georgetown. When you get closer, you will see brown tourist signposts pointing the way. There is a free parking space in front of the temple.
Do bear in mind that there is not much else to see or do near the temple, as it is mostly surrounded by factories and a highway.
Considering its location that’s close to the airport, you might want to fit it in on your last day before flying out, or right after arrival, on your way from the airport to the city.
Penang Snake Temple Opening Hours
09:00 – 17:30 (opens every day)
Penang Snake Temple Entrance Fees
- Temple: Free
- Snake Farm: RM5 (Adult) / RM3 (Child)
What to Expect at Penang Snake Temple
For a place with a sinister-sounding name, the Penang Snake Temple is actually pretty tranquil. There are no serpents slithering around the floor waiting to attack the first gullible visitor who dares set foot inside the temple.
Instead, most of them are coiled around what looked like coat racks. The snakes apparently wander around the temple at night, eating offerings left by visitors, and by daytime they are too knackered to do anything other than sleep.
On top of that, the temple is filled with sacred smoke from burning incense, which is purportedly used to lull the snakes to sleep.
As a safety precaution, there are warnings not to touch the sleeping snakes. But don’t worry — although they still have their fangs intact, they have all been de-venomed. You’re welcome to try your luck. Please refer to the disclaimer at the bottom of this page if you have any doubt.
Off to one side, there is a small room where you can take pictures with pythons and vipers. During my visit, there were two pythons kept in a glass case, but the owner kept having to take them out because they were very popular with the visitors. Even small kids were taking pictures with them.
The cost for one photo was RM30 (two for RM40). I haggled and managed to get 1 printed photo for RM20. Although they had their own photographer with a professional camera, they would also help you take pictures on your phone, so you would have digital copies.
Other attractions at the Snake Temple include a 600-lb bell brought from China during the Manchurian Dynasty, a hall dedicated to Guan Yin (The Goddess of Mercy), a couple of wells, and a snake farm said to contain 50 species of snakes.
Final Thoughts on Penang Snake Temple
I don’t like any kind of reptiles, but surprisingly this temple didn’t gross me out that much. I think I would have an issue if it had been a ‘lizard temple’ instead.
The highlight was putting the python around my neck. Earlier in the day, I had completed the world’s highest rope-course challenge at Komtar. So, since I had already challenged my fear of heights, I might as well go one step further and challenge my fear of snakes.
I could have also taken a viper along with the python, but the viper seemed very active and eager to explore new territories, I dared not put it anywhere on my body.
Holding the python wasn’t that bad. At least the skin was dry, not slimy, and it was not too heavy either, maybe 2 – 3kg tops. I could feel its pulse where I was holding it. Or maybe it was its heartbeat — I’m not sure where a snake’s heart is supposed to be.
But apart from that, it didn’t move at all.
Penang Snake Temple
Address: Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Phone: 04-643 7273
Have you visited the Penang Snake Temple? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Tengok Reptilia ni rasa macam sejuk. Bukan rasa geli atau takut. Rasa macam fragile betul spesis ni. Tapi sekali dia gulung manusia, kita bleh kalah. Hebat betul. Itulah ciptaan Allah s.w.t kan. Masing-masing ada kelebihan tersendiri. Hehehe.
Setuju, masing2 ada kelebihan sendiri. Kalau saya tengok reptilia, saya yang jadi seram sejuk.
omg so brave! hahaha i nak pergi pun takut! tapi hari tu memang dah dekat dengan our hotel but masa tak ada tak sempat nak pegi. will visit here soon! thanks for the sharing
Hehe, not so scary pun sebenarnya, sebab semua ular tu macam tidur. Takde yang merayap merata2.
Alamak kita lak jadi seram.. takut sket dengan ular ni.. Tapi satu tempat yang menarik untuk dikunjungi kalau ke penang.
Saya pun takut sebenarnya, tapi tak pernah pulak dengar ada insiden ke apa 😀
what a beautiful temple. hope it gets preserved for a long time!
Yes, I hope so too! 🙂
Suddenly your post reminds me of naagin and I just saw a naagin recap episodes before reading your post. 🤣
Had to google what that is. I’m a bit of a katak bawah tempurung when it comes to entertainment 😀
No. Thank you.
No snake for me.
I applaud you for your bravery and I will take your words for it.
No snakes please
Hahaha this comment made me laugh. But kudos for your honesty. I think I would have had the same reaction if it had been lizards instead of snakes.
dekat sangat dengan rumah mak. dari kecil dok pi sini. banyak gerai2 depan tokong ulaq ni so selalu pi makan situ hehe
Oh ye ke? Tak perasan pulak ada gerai2 makan kat depan tu.
Wah seronoknya. Belum sempat lagi nak ke lokasi ni. Bolehlah nanti masuk dalam plan bila bercuti dekat penang nanti. 🙂 Terima kasih berkongsi ya. 🙂
Sama-sama. Semoga berkesempatan nanti 🙂
Dah lama tak sini. Pergi pun masa kecil dulu. Kalau saya, tak mampu nak dukung ular tu sebab takut dan geli haha
Mula2 saya imagine kulit ular tu basah dan berlendir, rupanya kering, so takde la geli sangat 🙂
Pergh snake punya tempat..kalau nad tengok boleh, pegang tak maula.. Hehhee. Menarik baru tau ada dekat pennag. Boleh belajar berkenaan snake
Tapi kat temple ni takde la banyak sangat educational info pasal snake, kalau setakat nak tengok dengan lebih dekat, boleh la. 🙂
Alahaii.. seram plus geli pula sisyat dengan snake ni 😅.
Tapi dlm hati nk tengok. Pegang tu kena pk 2x jugak ni. Hehe
Takpe, kalau takut nak letak atas bahu macam tu, cuba sisyat cuit2 je dia dulu. 😀
Tak pernah lagi ke taman ular di sini. Kalau pergi ni anak-anak mesti suka
Kalau anak2 yang minat reptiles la 😉
I was staying at penang aty age 17 years old. But i never go to snake temple until now hahah..how sad i am..after this will plan to go there
Memang macam tu la lumrah kita kan, bila benda ada kat depan mata, kita buat tak endah, sebab hari2 nampak. Macam saya yg duk kat KL ni la, tak pandang pun KLCC, KL Tower tu semua.
Adoiii kalau Sis ni dah lari 1000 langkah dah oii…memang tak masuk leee gayanyaa hahahahahha…takuttt..
Hehehe, jangan la lari, sis. Diorang tak kejar pun, tido je. 😀
I heard about this place from my sisyer. But never been there. Should visit one day when i go to penang
Yes, you should! I don’t think there’s anything quite like it anywhere else in the world.
Tgk tajuk pun dah seram.. AM mmg rasa geli geleman n scary skit bila bab ular nie.. xsangggup nak menapak masuk.. tapi anak jantan AM kemain lg suka siap leh pegang n letak kat leher lg kalu bab ular ni..
Kalau bawak dia datang sini, mesti dia suka kan? AM kena tunggu kat luar je la nampaknya 😛
Been there before back in my university time, maybe I should revisit again in near future..
Yup, maybe you should — see if there are any changes.
Sounds so interesting but I don’t think I’ll able to go there. My fear of snakes makes me shiver the whole body. I think my husband would love to do this kind of activity.
Can recommend it to him then. I don’t like reptiles in general, but I still would rather touch a snake than a lizard 😀
Errr… Seriously i tak berani tengok. Apa lagi duduk dekat. Huhu. Rasa nak muntah tengok kulit die. Sebab i geli. Salute lah u berani pegang macamtu
Hehe, i pun geli jugak, especially kalau ternampak sarung yang tinggal selepas dia bersalin kulit tu. Nasib baik aritu takde.
I blm sampai lg sini.. wah.. very intresting l pun xtakut pegang ular
I pun geli geleman juga mula2, tapi lama2 ok 🙂
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