Phaya Si Mukda Maha Muni Nilapala Nakharat is a massive 122m-long naga statue found at a Thai temple. — Tourism Thailand website
Ready for a prosperousss new year? As we bid farewell to the Dragon and get ready to welcome the year of the Snake, it is time once again to refresh our travel list.
The snake, which some may also refer to as a “little dragon”, makes for an interesting creature to draw inspiration from when it comes to travel. Unlike its aforementioned fellow zodiac animal, snakes come in physical forms that we can actually interact with in real life.
This translates to a wide array of destinations where we can get up close to various snakes and have plenty of fun getting to know these simultaneously feared and revered creatures (or even consume them, for anyone wanting to try this out ...).
Snake farms and parks are typically where this fascinating reptile is found, for educational and recreational reasons. Temples, too, house them, as they are associated with deities.
Keep reading to discover the places where we can see some snakes this year.
Other than real snakes, Perlis Snake Park also has fun murals to take photos with. — Taman Ular Dan Reptilia/Instagram
Perlis Snake Park, Malaysia
Set in Malaysia’s smallest state is the country’s biggest snake park (as per the Malaysia Books Of Record). Also known as Taman Ular & Reptilia Negeri Perlis, the Perlis Snake Park is spread across 5ha of land located in the state capital, Kangar.
Originally an antivenom research centre under the Health Ministry’s Institute For Medical Research in the 1970s, it was given a new direction as a tourist attraction in 1995.
Open daily from 9am to 5pm, tickets are required for entry, with prices ranging from RM5 to RM10 per person.
Snakes, both real and fake (aka paintings or sculptures), can be found all over the park. Decades after its opening, it continues to be a recreational place focused on snake breeding, conservation and research, as well as educating visitors about the slithery creature.
Happ Reptile Zoo also has a Dinosaur Garden and a petting zoo. — Reptilienzoo Happ/Facebook
Happ Reptile Zoo, Austria
Austria’s largest reptile zoo, Happ Reptile Zoo, is located in the city of Klagenfurt am Worthersee. It is open daily from 9am to 6pm, with tickets ranging from €8 (RM37) to €16 (RM75).
Open since 1976, the private zoo is started by its director Frederick Happ out of his love for reptiles. Snakes that can be found here include non-venomous ones, like the “Smooth Snake” and the Aesculapian snake, as well as venomous species like the Nose-Horned Viper and the common European adder.
The zoo also houses other animals like lizards, arachnids, turtles, fish and crocodiles (visitors are allowed to pet the young crocodiles!). At the petting zoo section, adorable animals like rabbits and guinea pigs frolic.
There is also a dinosaur garden, where visitors can walk among nearly up-to-scale dinosaur displays.
Le Mat, Vietnam
Legend has it that during the Ly Thai Tong dynasty (1028 to 1054) in Vietnam, a young man saved the king’s daughter from a gigantic snake-like river monster. In return for his bravery, he received permission from the king to establish what is now known as the Le Mat village.
In honour of the man, who became the village’s tutelary god after his death, the Let Mat Village Festival is held every year.
Typically held for five days during the third lunar month, the highlight of the festival is the “killing the snake devil” performance, which re-enacts the hero’s legendary tale.
This centuries-old village located just 7km from the Hanoi city centre is also famously referred to as the Snake Village. The reptile does feature prominently here, from the villagers’ professions (as snake catchers and snake farmers) to their meals, where local delicacies consist of snake dishes and snake spirits.
In December 2023, Le Mat was recognised by the Hanoi People’s Committee as an official tourist destination of Hanoi.
Watamu Snake Farm has a diverse collection of East African venomous snakes. — Taylor Ashe Antivenom Foundation
Watamu Snake Farm, Kenya
As per its name, the Watamu Snake Farm is located in the eponymous small town in Kenya.
The farm was founded as a reptile research and education centre in 1980, by James and Sanda Ashe. It is now run by the Taylor Ashe Antivenom Foundation, a non-profit organisation named in memory of James and his protege Royjan Taylor.
Opening hours are from 10am to 4.30pm, with a snake milking demonstration scheduled for 11am every weekday.
Private guided tours are available at KES1,500 (RM52) each for adults and KES500 (RM17) each for children. Additionally, children get to join the Saturday morning kids’ club called Reptile Rangers at just KES1,300 (RM45).
Snake photography and filming with the assistance of professional handlers is another activity available here.
Meanwhile, adventurous souls can join the farm’s snake safari, which allows visitors to see some exotic snake species.
A live demonstration of the venom extraction process at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute. — Saovabha website
Snake Farm, Thailand
Found in the heart of Bangkok in Thailand is the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute. Named after Queen Saovabha Phongsri, the royal wife and queen consort of Chulalongkorn, the institute’s mission is reflective of the late queen’s passion for snake conservation.
Snake Farm is another name for the centre, which also focuses on educating visitors about snakes since it was established in 1923.
The place includes a snake museum, which exhibits preserved snake specimens, and a reptile garden, where visitors can observe snakes and other reptiles.
There are additionally live demonstrations of venom extraction and of skilled handlers showcasing the different snake species’ characteristics.
Thailand is also a good place to learn about another kind of snake, namely the “naga”. While in Malaysia, we associate the word with “dragon”, in Thailand it refers to its guardian serpents.
Naga statues decorate the country’s Buddhist temples, some even having gargantuan versions of them set within the temples’ compound.
Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom in Mukdahan is worth a visit for its impressive naga statue, the Phaya Si Mukda Maha Muni Nilapala Nakharat.
At 122m long and 20m high, this was once the largest naga statue in the country – until it was bested by the new 227m-long and 31m-high statue at Wat Tham Chaeng in Khao Yai that was unveiled in September 2023.
Indian Cobra is one of the reptiles found at Katraj Snake Park. — Pune Zoo website
Katraj Snake Park, India
Located in the quiet suburb of Katraj in Pune, India is the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park And Wildlife Research Centre. The place is divided into three parts: the main zoo, the animal orphanage and the snake park.
The latter is still often referred to as Katraj Snake Park, its name before it was integrated into the zoological park.
Housing snakes like the Indian Cobra, common krait and saw-scaled viper, entry to the snake park comes together with entry to the zoo. Fees range from 10 rupees (50 sen) to 200 rupees (RM10.50). Foreigners are charged 100 sen (RM5.25) per person.
The snake park has an interesting history. It only became part of the zoological park when the zoo was officially established in 1999.
Prior to that, the snake park existed independently since it was founded in 1986 by Neelam Kumar Khaire, a man who, in that same year, famously entered the Guinness Book Of World Records for spending 72 hours confined in an enclosure with 72 snakes – 68 of which were highly venomous.
