Boasting a long and illustrious history in the spice trade, Malaysia has always been a key player with regard to exporting valuable spices to western countries for ages. Malaysia’s potential to be a global force in this regard was discovered decades ago and was exploited by the Dutch and the British. Melaka and Penang were two of the major cities where these spices were grown and traded from. Visitors in search of interesting things to see in Penang will have plenty to be happy about as the Tropical Spice Garden is situated at Jalan Teluk Bahang.

The Tropical Spice Garden is a beautiful patch of lush green vegetation in the heart of Penang that not only is one of the most frequented tourist attractions in the city but is also a spice garden where some of Asia’s most treasured spices are grown successfully. Originally, this garden was a rubber plantation which was abandoned by its owners. Later, the property was bought by Bertam Consolidated Rubber Co. Ltd. which enabled David and Rebecca Wilkinson to come up with a plan to give the garden new purpose and a second chance. Today the Tropical Spice Garden promotes eco-tourism in the country and has been able to attract the attention of many a traveller, both local and foreign.

Although the garden was revitalised, the designers and the landscapers were extremely careful to not disturb the natural feel of the site and were able to retain most of the old rubber trees in the designing process which took approximately 1 ½ years to complete. In total there are three Garden Trails, namely Spice Trail, Ornamental Trail and the Jungle Trail, where the visitor will be able to witness an excess of 500 plant varieties by taking a leisurely 30-45 minute walk through the garden. The Cycad Room, the Sugar Terrace, the Croton Wall and the Bamboo Garden are but a few of the Garden Rooms located here which deserve the visitor’s attention.