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Well, there are snakes but not temples. Just one temple. And it is none other than the Snake Temple in Penang. Of course, it actually has a cooler name – Temple of the Azure Cloud or Pure Cloud Temple. Devotees make trips to the temple every year during the birthday celebrations of the resident deity, Chor Soo Kong, a Chinese monk, and a healer that was said to have given shelter to the snakes.

After the completion of the temple, the snakes automatically appeared. It is as if they knew that this was their home as well. Around the temple, you will see pit vipers everywhere. While the wild pit vipers are venomous and dangerous, those in the temple are rather docile.

They say that the incense in the temple keeps them calm but as a precautionary measure, their venom are removed anyway. So, don’t worry, but don’t go around poking them too.

Walking to a different section, you will need to pay to get into a snake farm of sorts. Lots of snakes in display here and since I was there on a Monday, once more, lots of space and room for me to shoot the snakes.

No macro lens, so I had to make do with my trusty 35mm.

There were quite a number of species on display, some venomous, some not. Too bad I forgot to jot down their names. It would have helped me keep track of the snakes I have photographed. Not in the wild, but protected by a piece of glass, of course.

I didn’t get a glimpse of the King Cobra, but it was still fun seeing the rest of the slithering residents of the Snake Temple.