Forest Bathing at The Habitat Penang Hill

At The Habitat Penang Hill, guests may now experience the rain forest through a new experience called forest bathing. The word is actually a literal translation of the Japanese shinrin-yoku, which has nothing to do with bathing, but rather, describes the experience of reconnecting with nature.

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, the concept of forest bathing came about to allow largely city folks to reconnect with nature and the environment. This is beneficial as a way to reduce stress. People who undergo forest bathing is shown to have an improvement to their blood pressure level, along with a reduction in stress.

On 28 June 2020, my wife and I had the pleasure of joining a few other guests to a forest bathing experience at The Habitat. The session was conducted by the staff naturalist Low. We were joined by Siti Hajar and Yusoff, both from Tourism Malaysia.

Low giving us a briefing at the start of the Forest Bathing session (28 June 2020)


Our forest bathing started with a briefing session where Low introduced to the concept, of how it developed in the highly stressed society of Japan, and has since been embraced elsewhere in the world. In Penang, The Habitat Penang Hill is the perfect choice for individuals to experience forest bathing.

Forest bathing at The Habitat is a holistic approach to wellness through immersion in the natural forest. It comprises reawakening each of our senses - our sight, our hearing, our sense of touch, our sense of smell, and our sense of taste.

Instead of rushing through The Habitat, we are encouraged to slow down, to truly appreciate the forest for its trees. Before the start of our forest bathing session, we were given a checklist where our stress level was recorded. This was to be compared to our stress level after the session was completed.

Forest Bathing at The Habitat Penang Hill (28 June 2020)


Low led us along the forest trail at The Habitat. We stopped at various points so that he would share with us about the flora. Although Penang Hill is not a very big place, it is home to an astonishing array of plants and trees.

We were taught not only to rely on what we see, but also to what we touch. Of course, we need to be told which plants could be touched and which not to. This reconnection with nature means touching the foliage and even feeling the bark and trunks of giant trees.

Forest Bathing at The Habitat Penang Hill (28 June 2020)


Hugging the tree (28 June 2020)


A groundcover at The Habitat with painted leaves. (28 June 2020)


At about half way through our forest bathing walk, we arrived at a location where yoga mats were laid down on the ground, allowing us to lie down and simply relax and enjoy the sight of passing clouds over us.

Lying on the ground to admire the clouds. (28 June 2020)


Watching the clouds. (28 June 2020)


Going some stretching exercises on the yoga mat. (28 June 2020)


While it is quite normal to admire the sight of the forest, it is quite another to experience its voice. For the forest is not silent. At any time of the day, we could hear a cacophony of sounds from an orchestra of wildlife "musicans" whose music engulf us. The insects, the birds, the various mammals, even the trees and leaves, each contribute to the sound of the forest.

It is not a silent forest here. (28 June 2020)


Tree trunks and epiphytes. (28 June 2020)


The next experience we had was for our sense of smell. We were served various aromatic herbs and spices for which we were told their names. It was a discovery to many of us that the forest yields such a wide range of plants and trees with a huge variety of aromas.

Our final forest bathing experience is an indulgence on our sense of taste. To this, we sat on a mat while enjoying tea and various items. The items have been carefully selected according to taste, such as sweet, bitter, sour, and so on.

Low led our group to experience our sense of taste. (28 June 2020)


My wife with a tray of items selected for their taste. (28 June 2020)


My wife and I enjoyed the Forest Bathing experience at The Habitat Penang Hill. For people who are jaded with the stress associated with city living, it offers them an opportunity to unwind and reawaken their senses.

Participate in Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing is available at The Habitat for RM138 per person, but for a limited time, it is only RM88 - for the first 88 participants! For more details, contact The Habitat at 04-826 7677.

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