Penang Tropical Fruit Farm: everything you need to know

• Instagram
• Facebook

Take a guided tour and discover your new favourite fruit at Penang Tropical Fruit Farm. Home to the largest collection of fruit in Southeast Asia, this is a calm and picturesque place overlooking a less-visited part of the island.

The tropical Penang climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of fruit and, hidden away in the northwest corner of the island, you’ll find Penang Tropical Fruit Farm, home to the largest collection of fruit in the whole of Southeast Asia.

Over the 30+ years the orchards have been in operation, the list of fruits grown here has gradually increased, bolstered by imports from around the world. It’s now a relaxing and informative place for tourists to visit, not only to learn about the different types of fruit, but also to taste and sample honey and fruit enzymes, all in a stunning location 800ft above sea-level.

It may be in a difficult location for those visitors staying in George Town, but it’s one of our top recommended things to do in Penang, and worth the trek to the other side of the island, especially if you combine it with a visit to Entopia or Penang National Park.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Should you click to purchase, it is at no additional cost to you, but we receive a small commission.

Arriving to Penang Tropical Fruit Farm

Located here on the other side of the island to George Town, there’s no escaping the fact that Penang Tropical Fruit Farm is a long way from everything else on the island. It even feels like a trek from ESCAPE and Entopia, which themselves are far removed from most of the other tourist destinations on Penang Island.

It’s easy enough to get a Grab to the Tropical Fruit Farm and, unless you have your own vehicle, it’s the only option as the buses don’t make it this far. Getting away from the farm is a different story, but more on that later.

The spacious car park is at the end of a very steep hill and is right outside the reception area. Here you’ll find a friendly welcome at the ticket windows, where the staff will explain the various ticketing and tour options to you.

How much does it cost and what are the opening hours?

Most visitors to the farm take the thirty minute guided tour of the orchards and surrounding area. It includes a ride in the back of a truck to and from the reception area.

The tour is priced at RM28/18 for Malaysian adults/children and RM48/38 for non-Malaysians (children aged 4 and below are free). If you want to add on the fruit juice and fruit plate at the end of the tour, it’s an extra RM10 per person.

There’s no need to book in advance unless it’s a public holiday, school holidays, or if you’re a large group. But you can book online via Klook.

Klook.com

Guided tours run from 9.00am to 5.00pm, seven days per week (last admission 4:30pm) and include the tour itself, enzyme tasting, honey tasting and multiple fruit samples throughout the tour.

Tips for visiting

• Bring a hat and sunscreen as there are some exposed sections on the tour.
• It’s fairly accessible as you’re taken by truck from the start and finish. For the most part, the tour stays on solid tarmac, so it’s manageable for people with limited mobility or if you wanted to bring a pushchair for little ones (although a back-carrier would be better).
• English is the default tour language, but Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Malay and Indonesian guides are usually available on request.
• Apply any mosquito repellent before you arrive as the farm tries to be as chemical-free as possible.
• Drinks and snacks are available before and after the tour.
• Plan to have lunch afterwards as the views from the cafe area are beautiful.

After your tour

After the tour has finished, you can try some of the fruit enzymes you saw being made earlier on the tour. There are seven or eight to try and they have quite a kick to them, no doubt the result of the multi-year fermentation process. They’re available to buy afterwards if you need a new health regime in the morning: they promise to help with everything from high blood pressure, cancer and bowel movements.

The farm also produces their own tasty honey, which you can try in the shop. The coffee-flavoured one was particularly popular with our group.

If you decided to pay the extra RM10, you can now grab your fruit juice and plate from the counter. We’d recommended taking it out onto the terrace to soak up the views while you enjoy the different pieces of fruit.

Eating and drinks afterwards

The onsite café offers tasty meals, including Western and Malay dishes. It’s a relaxing place to spend time after your tour and you can also order tea, coffee, juices and other soft drinks.

What’s nearby after your visit?

The Tropical Fruit Garden is relatively close to ESCAPE, Penang National Park and Entopia. Everything else is quite a distance from here and you may have some problems getting a Grab for the return journey. Unless one happens to be dropping someone off, you’ll probably need to ask the staff to book you a taxi the old-fashioned way.

We were quoted RM70, which is substantially more than a Grab would have been (RM30-40) but, unless you fancy either a long walk or a long wait, you might need to accept defeat and pay up.

Final thoughts

The Tropical Fruit Farm is worth visiting just for its location, hundreds of metres above sea-level overlooking a quiet and undisturbed part of Penang Island. But once you’re here, the friendly guides bring a passion and experience to their tours, and you’re guaranteed to learn something and (probably) come away with a new favourite fruit.

Despite some difficulty with getting a ride home, a visit here, especially one combined with lunch on the terrace, is a relaxed and memorable stop on any Penang itinerary.