Note: Don’t like snakes? I don’t recommend this post!
How about you read about my food challenge for 2013 which started in Malaysia or perhaps about the stunning Eastern & Oriental Hotel we stayed at in George Town, Penang?
Landing in Penang, Malaysia after 36-hours of transit – including an 8 hour stop in Melbourne – on about two-hours sleep had me feeling woozy. All I wanted was a shower and a nap, and perhaps a very large glass of pineapple juice; what I didn’t want was to be told that we were off to visit a Snake Temple.
I have a very irrational fear of things with more than four legs, and a very rational fear of things with no legs; but no sooner had I tried to express this than I was being ushered inside the temple by Frankie, our guide for the week, and being introduced to the slithering locals.
Hesitantly walking into Ban Kah Lan temple I expected the temple to be dripping with snakes – slithering across the ground and hanging from the ceiling, thankfully they were confined to the alter area.
At first glance I thought that they were fake – the midday heat renders them still and immobile, and their glossy skin and beady eyes looked like highly shone plastic. Our guide Frankie assured us they were real and explained that the incense leaves them drowsy and docile, and I didn’t want to push my luck to test if they were or not.
Whilst the most common type of snake, and the only one I saw on the day, at the temple is the venomous Wagler’s pit viper, as a sign of gratitude for not removing them from the Hokkien Buddhist Temple after construction was complete, the snakes have never bit anyone and coexist harmoniously with humans since 1850. As such the species have been nicknamed ‘temple vipers’.
If you haven’t had enough of the snakes there is also a snake exhibition next door which charges a small admittance fee but gives you access to see other species of cobra and python, and if you’re brave enough, hold one!
Selemat Tahun Baru/Happy New Year
How are you welcoming in the year of the snake?
Details
Penang Snake Temple (Ban Kah Lan)
Sungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas
Penang, Malaysia
Open Daily from 7am to 7pm
Note: If you’re still a little afraid of being bitten note that the hemotoxin venom which the Wagler’s pit vipers have is painful, but not normally fatal to humans.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I can handle snakes, it’s the spiders that freak me out!
Eek! We can be in the same boat.
Hope you don’t encounter any creepy crawlies of the 8-legged variety anytime soon!
Woahhh, quite a Year of the Snake celebration! Good job the incense was there
Yes, they were pretty scary even if they were subdued!
Happy year of the snake!
omg I couldn’t handle it…give me the year of the rabbit lol
Well next year is the year of the Horse (woohoo! my year!) – hope you can handle them
Hey dear. Great post, great blog! I’m from Malaysia and I’m glad you enjoyed your time there. Happy new year to you too! (Selamat Tahun Baru instead of Selemat though)
Cheers for more to come!
Blast! And here I thought my Malaysian was coming along nicely! Thank you so much for the correction, Kai.
You have a fantastic country! I can’t wait to head back there and explore later this year. Do you have any insiders hot spots?