Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Pasar Karat Memory Lane, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Another city, another morning market. This time around, it's the antique flea market in Ipoh. Affectionately known as the Ipoh Memory Lane, this is the place to be in Sunday morning if you want to be immersed within the crowd. 

Welcome to Memory Lane Ipoh

Located along Jalan Horley, right besides The Store supermarket, it might be hard to find some conventional items to buy but if unconventional is what you are looking for, this is definitely where you should be. From secondhand electronic goods to shirts of questionable origins, stamps to minted old notes and coins, ancient plastic toys to antique furnitures, you can find these and many more in this market.

 

 

Some of the antiques and old treasure troves you can find here

Just like the Sunday market in Kota Kinabalu, the road is closed off from vehicles early in the morning untill around noon to make ways for these hawker stalls to open. Between the two morning markets, the items in Kota Kinabalu are more varied compared to this flea market. Yet, you should not brush it off especially so if antique items are what you are looking for. You might find some great bargain here in this Sunday market.

People watching is also a good activity here in the flea market

Info Box

Pasar Karat Memory Lane,
Jalan Horley, Ipoh, Perak.
The market opens from early morning to about 2 p.m. every Sunday.

 

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Kledang Hill, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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The sun has yet to rise and still, people are already gearing up to start the day. The best part is that it is weekend, the days where everyone would slack off and wake up only hours to noon. Welcome to Kledang Hill, Ipoh.

Retirees doing tai chi

Granted, most of the early risers are retirees, uncles and aunties whose staminas are surely better than the young generations but there are young families as well as youngsters. While most of them are here for recreational purposes, some of them are in training, perhaps to prepare them for the upcoming Gunung Kinabalu or Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. I knew I was as I made preparation for Kinabalu.

One of the trails we took

Pavilions for us to rest when tired

Paved road makes driving your cars up the hill a possibility

The trail is relatively easy, a perfect launching ground for beginners. There are a few routes where you can take, each differs in lengths and distances but eventually ends up towards the peak of the hill, fondly known as the RTM Tower. 

RTM tower

However, there is more to Kledang Hill than that as the hill boasts some of the most beautiful aerial views of the city. You do not have to trek them in order to see it for there is paved road for you to take your cars up just for the views.

Aerial view from Kledang Hill

Info Box

Kledang Hill,
Laluan Kledang 1, Menglembu, Perak.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Dragon Path, Kampar

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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This article is a rewrite version of the one published in Virtual Malaysia.

Dragon Path

Hiking is part of the training for the upcoming Mount Kinabalu "expedition" and instead of the regular Kledang Hill, it was decided that we tried Dragon Path in Kampar. Dragon Path is a short enough trail that begins in the middle of the residential area in the old part of the town. About 505 metres, the trail diverges into two routes; one offers few stops along the way while the other, a century tree. Both routes convene before reaching the terminal point.

Map of the trail

Hiking mates

Dragon Path is strictly a training route, in my opinion, for there are little things to get excited for. Perhaps my lack of knowledge on botany hindered my appreciation towards all things green but to my untrained eyes, they looked like typical rain forest trees. Markers are placed on trees and boulders to guide to the terminal station. Boulders and fallen tree trunks might pose slight obstacles but not impossible to walk over it. If rained the night before, the muddy trail might be slippery. Generally, Dragon Path is suitable for beginners. 

Muddy trail this is

Markings on the trees to guide you

In under an hour, we reached to the terminal point. If you're expecting great views of Kampar town, be prepared for disappointment for the last stop is nothing but a flat terrain, surrounded by trees. For a good view of the town, there is an observation platform near the second station. 

Terminal point

Dragon Path did its purpose for us, which was to train our stamina. 

Info Box

Dragon Path,
Kampar, Perak.
There is no entrance fee.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Taiping Zoo, Taiping

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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The first of its kind in the country, Taiping Zoo has become an establishment of sort, popular with day trippers and weekend retreats, especially those of us from the northern Peninsular Malaysia. I myself have visited the zoo countless times, most of it during my childhood. 

Map of Taiping Zoo

Located within the lush green of Lake Garden, this 34 acres establishment is just the right size for a 2 hour adventure. The zoo consists of over 1300 animals of about 180 species. From the mighty animals like tigers and elephants to the aviary kind, you can find it all here at Taiping Zoo.

Photogenic giraffe this one is

See how smitten he was by her

You might notice that most of the animals here were lazing around under the shades of trees or manmade caves, trying to escape the scorching heat. It can be quite a frustration as the very reason of visiting a zoo is to see these animals up close and personal and to interact with them. Or maybe they are mostly nocturnal creatures in which the best time to visit is during Night Safari session.

Animals are lazing around due to the heat

However, if you explore around patiently, you will definitely see something interesting. Tigers trying to out-roar each other over a tigress. A giraffe smitten by a beautiful woman. Our primate cousins swinging around. Patience is virtue and here in Taiping Zoo, you will most likely be rewarded for it as I did during my last visit when I saw all of the above.

You can read more about it here in Virtual Malaysia and do leave a comment or two while you're at it. Click on for more pictures of the animals.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - 3D Arts Exhibition, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

***

This is a shorter version of my article first published in Virtual Malaysia which you can read it here.

Ipoh is a sleepy city, there's no denying that. So, imagine my surprise when I found out about this 3D arts exhibition currently being held in Kwan Yin Tong temple, a venue as unlikely as Ipoh being the host of this exhibition.

Large crowds gathered at the art exhibition

The entrance

There was a steady stream of crowds during our visit. Perhaps it was the pull of the holiday seasons. We paid for our tickets - RM 15 for adults and RM 10 for children - and the fun began.

It was quite an interesting exhibition and peoples of all walks of life were having an amazing time. They were all laughing at the amusing paintings, posing along with it just for fun. Some of the interesting paintings are gorillas breaking the door, giraffes licking the public, God of Wealth giving out gold ingots, and so on.

Too many words will spoil the fun. Therefore, enjoy the pictures.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Street Arts, Gopeng

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Tin mining was a vibrant industry back in the old days and many towns were born and flourished out of it. However, the collapse of the sector in the 1980s caused many of these towns to remain stagnant and many of the locals were migrating to other places to find a better future. Gopeng is one such town.

Gopeng town

During those times, Gopeng was a lively town, bustling with both locals and foreigners, all eager to get a piece of wealth from the mining business. Now, it is just another sleepy town, full of older generations, lacking in youngsters who seek exciting city lifestyles.

The most interesting piece of them all, in my opinion

Walking along these heritage shophouses definitely brings up the feeling like you are in the UNESCO Heritage Site of Georgetown, Penang. However, instead of refined and restored buildings, these Chinese-influenced architecture houses are more rugged and less pristine. Some even in a dilapidated state. All these somehow make it more authentic.

Children in a kampung house

Another similarity between these two places are the street arts. Gopeng has the local artists paint the town with images related to local lifestyles. While it has yet to receive the level of coverage as in Penang, these street arts deserve a mention or two for we need to support and encourage local artists.

An auntie who works in a makeshift stall selling noodles. A mak cik selling petai and durians in a wooden hut. Children shooting bottle caps on the floor. The art pieces in Gopeng are familiar to us all Malaysians and they often brought back memories of the old days.

Children shooting bottle caps

Most of these paintings are located close to one another and they can all be found within 10 minutes.

Perfect for the Chinese New Year spirit

Info Box

Street Arts in Gopeng,

Jalan Pasar, 31600 Gopeng, Perak.

Hotel Review - Teratak Riverview Resort

The journey to Teratak Riverview Resort was an adventure itself. Our buses were too big for the narrow road leading to the resort, leaving us no other option but to board on the lorries and trucks provided by them. For the outsiders, this whole scene definitely looks like smuggling of illegal immigrants, with us all standing at the back of the lorries and trucks. 

Teratak Riverview Resort

Humans and luggage were of little difference

It was a bumpy ride, to say the least. We constantly had to look out for branches and leaves in order not to get hit by them. Didn't I say it is an adventurous journey right from the start?

When we reached the resort, somehow, the air seemed much fresher. Maybe it was, what with the close proximity to the Selangor River and being surrounded by forest. It was definitely refreshing to be away from concrete jungle I'm used to.

Soaking in the river

Ipoh - Burps & Giggles

I was slightly early on purpose as I wanted to give a thorough exploration of the cafe before the meet up. Armed with my faulty Nikon, I began clicking the shutter button, capturing anything that fancied me. Since its opening in August 2012, I've only been in for a total of 3 times, inclusive of this latest venture. Back then, I was based in the capital city and my trips back hometown didn't involve leisure hours in cafes.

If you doesn't look properly, you might have miss it

But the third visit is as good as any to begin taking in its foods and decors. While I have yet to really taste all its offerings, at least I can say that I am very much delighted with its quirky and interesting concept. As for the delicacies, I just tried their cappuccinos twice (mocha on my first visit) and chocolate cheese cake. The former is a standard cup of caffeine while the latter is a subtle taste of goodness.

Berry Berry

Cappuccino

Chocolate Cheese Cake

But I wasn't here just to taste the food. I was meeting up with Adam, a fellow blogger who, together will be going to the #TSBreakAway contest organized by Tourism Selangor. Since we were the only 2 participants in Ipoh, why not get to know one another before this coming Saturday? We ate, we chatted, we discussed about the upcoming event. An hour plus later, we left.

Marilyn wishes to see you again

Personally, I quite like the cafe, mostly for its ambiance. While the foods are rather overpriced by Ipoh standard, it will not stop me from coming once in a while, sipping caffeinated drink, with a book to pass the time. Continue reading for photos of its many interesting decorations.

Taiping - Taiping Zoo

Hello, readers, however few you may be.

Sorry for the lack of updates. My laptop has officially been certified, leaving me no other means of posting any entries. Using my phone to do so seems like such a tedious work, so, I rather wait until I bought a new laptop. Or like now, when I borrow my friend's laptop for a night. Anyhow, I'll just post new entries whenever I found a way to do so.

Back in last month, I followed my friends to Taiping for a day trip. The purpose was to go exploring the Hindu temples around the town. In between the temples hopping, we also stopped by some famous places in Taiping such as the Lake Garden, Maxwell Hill and Taiping Zoo.


RM 12.00 per adult



I had been to the zoo quite a number of times and I always find the animals in the zoo rather inactive. They would just laze around the cages, either sleeping off the afternoon or just laying there doing nothing. The same scenario happened for this visit and the animals were just motionless. Well, can't really blame them since the weather that day was freaking humid.

It was such a hot day that we can't blame them for not moving...

 Not all the animals were inactive. Some are still giving us quite a show. One particular giraffe was interacting with us visitors, giving off some very striking poses. The tigers were at one point roaring out loud, possibly arguing who's going to go into the manmade cave. They were even attempting to fight until the hot weather demotivated them, I presume.

Hello, handsome!



These two tigers were having a fight off!

And the losing one being exiled to far end...

Flamingos!



This camel is sponsored by AmBank...

Taiping Zoo is still a nice place to bring your families and children to get up close with nature. Its close distance to both Penang and Ipoh gives the zoo an added advantage for those living in these cities. Besides the Taiping Zoo, there is also a night safari that you can consider going. I have yet to go for it so, maybe, I should. Someday.