Penang City Break and Butterflies

Last weekend, my friend and I travelled to Penang for a delightful city-break. Unlike Langkawi, Penang is a bustling island resort of high-rise buildings with flourishing eco-systems and ancient cultures to inspire. It is also home to ornate temples, lively night markets and classic Colonial architecture. 

We were only there a short time, but in 3 days we managed to explore and drive through the whole island. We visited numerous attractions and some famous landmarks, including Penang Hill, Blue Mansion (Cheong Fatt Tze), Kek Lok Si Temple, Spice Garden and Penang Butterfly Farm. 

Though we all have been to Penang Butterfly Farm before, we decided to visit the place once again. It is a great educational place for insect lovers and also the whole family, something that is different, unique and exciting. The enjoyment is maximised by the experience of the in-farm experts who share a common love and deep commitment with the nature. 

We have visited a number of butterfly farms in the country, but Penang Butterfly Farm is the best by far. We are really looking forward to going there the next time we are in Penang!

Butterfly Pals - Visitors to My Garden

One of the many joys in the garden is the profusion of winged creatures such as butterflies. These garden fliers are so fun to look at, it's easy to forget they are working hard for the garden, transferring pollen from one plant to another, fertilizing apace.

And because of the food source in my backyard, these butterflies won't leave, and they are quite entertaining. These beautiful butterflies - Junonia (from the family of Nymphalidae) are year-round residents. They are very common and widespread and are highly sensitive to movement. I see many of them daily, flitting happily among grasses and wildflowers.

But then butterflies, just like other wildlife creatures, do not like being photographed and taking great photos of these airborne insects isn't quite so easy. My neighbours think I am a little crazy as I chase these butterflies around! 

Grasshopper Tales

Love is in the air! My backyard is alive with the sights and sounds, of the start of mating season, with couples of Javanese Grasshoppers (Valanga Nigricornis) leading the way. I spotted 2 pairs mating among leaves and tall grasses and others were sunning themselves under the warm sun. These grasshoppers are often found in forest clearings and shrub thickets, feeding mainly on leaves, and most feeding is done during the daytime. 

Javanese Grasshoppers love sunlight and seek out sunny areas for basking, either at the top of vegetation or on open sites. These giants species however are regarded as agriculture pests as they can cause severe damage to crops, but on the upside, they can be greiled or roasted and eaten as they are high in proteins. Dare to try?