Lost Word of Tambun - Sunway City Ipoh

Enjoy entrance to the Lost World Petting Zoo, playing house to 4000 animals of 55 species available for petting and daisy frolicking. Featuring Ruby the Raccoon, Rabbit Wonderland, an aviary of 500 birds, Tortoise Kingdom, a glass tunnel of snakes, the Rainforest Trail and Rock Canopy, the petting zoo promises educational experiences mixed with animalistic games of charades.

Saphira Lair

Infinity Pool

Kellie's Castle

Construction of this unique castle began in 1915. However, it came to an abrupt halt with Kellie's sudden death in 1926. The solitary castle, looks almost surreal in these wild plantations of Perak, it projects a strong personality and an aura of mystery.

How to get there:

Kellie's Castle is located near Batu Gajah, and is about 20 minutes' drive from Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The unfinished, ruined mansion, was built by a Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith.

Kuala Kangsar - the Royal Town

Despite its reputation as the Royal town of Perak and only about 40-50 kilometers from Ipoh city and almost the same distance from Taiping, I didn't have that many chances to give it a visit so often. I think I've only been to Kuala Kangsar about 5 times before. Most of the visits I made there were for its famous laksa and 'labu Sayong'. There are plenty of other attractions in Kuala Kangsar in addition to the Royal Palace (Istana Iskandariah) such as Ubudiah Mosque, Malay College (Perak's top premier school, sometimes known as Eton of the East), Abdul Jalil Bridge, Istana Hulu, and many more.

Ubudiah Mosque, Kuala Kangsar

Lumut and Pangkor Island - All about sun, sand and sea

About 80+ kilometers east of Ipoh, Lumut town is a gateway to the beautiful Pangkor Island. Recently, Lumut was made official as the naval township with the biggest base of the Royal Malaysian Navy located there. Previously a fishing village, Lumut still benefits from the sea. Fishing and tourism are two major sources of income to the small township. Pangkor Island, which is located about 40-minute ferry ride from Lumut jetty, is now a popular tourist attraction in Perak, as well as the country. There are several most beautiful beaches in Malaysia there. With a blend of white sandy beaches, variety of seafood, and Dutch colonial history, Pangkor is definitely a strong magnet in Perak's tourism industry.

Esplanade, Lumut

One of the beaches, Pangkor Island

Ipoh - the Limestone City

Located in the middle of Kinta Valley, Ipoh city is surrounded by limestone and karst landscape. This city used to be a center of tin mining activities in the early 20th century. The capital of state administration was then transferred to Ipoh from Taiping. The latter was also producing tin ores in Larut Matang district. Since the mining industry was controlled by the Chinese miners, Ipoh city is now has more influenced by the Chinese cultures especially in food and delicacies. Ipoh Char Kuey Teow, Ipoh bean sprouts, and Ipoh Hor Fan are among others. Ipoh White coffee also made its name popular after the city.

View at the Limestone City

Kek Lok Tong Buddha temple, Ipoh

Taiping Zoo and Night Safari

This is the only zoo in Perak and the main attraction in Taiping town. It is also the oldest animal park in Malaysia. I had a few visits to the zoo before especially during my younger age but haven't been for the night safari just yet. The 34-acre zoo is located within the Taiping Lake Garden and closed to Maxwell Hill, the highland that makes Taiping the wettest place in Malaysia. It houses over 180 species of animals. At night, visitors will have the chance to get close to the nocturnal species which are more active when it's dark. There will be a tram that takes visitors around the enclosures. For those with steady feet, maybe walking is for you. It's not that huge anyway.

                                 

   Entrance tickets:

• Daytime zoo: RM12 (per adult) and RM8 (per child)
• Night safari: RM16 (per adult) and RM10 (per child 3-12 years old), tram included.

Orang Utan Island - off Bukit Merah Laketown Resort

Orang Utan, the native primate of Malayan and Borneo jungles is one of the most endangered species in the world. This small island in Bukit Merah Laketown Resort is made purposedly to develop detail researches on orang utan as well as a rehabilitation and breeding center for this exotic ape. At this Orang Utan Island, visitors are welcomed to see orang utans living their lives and free-roaming in a near-natural wild habitat of them. If you're interested in adopting any of the orang utans there, feel free to ask.

Teenage orang utan at the Orang Utan Island

Entrance tickets:

RM15 (per adult) and RM10 (per child)

Sungai Klah Hot Spring

Located in Batang Padang district of Perak, this hot spring recreational park is nestled in the lush forest, green hills with mountain streams added with surrounding oil palm trees of FELDA plantation. Set up in a local's true village environment, Sg. Klah hot spring offers several pools of hot water treatment which can be good for your skin rejuvenation and overall health.

View at Klah Hot Spring

Entrance tickets:

RM10 (per adult) and RM8 (per child)

Perak Herbal Garden - also known as Taman Herba

Located on a 22-hectare land in Kampung Kepayang, Gopeng, this is a place to get some information on local herbs for medicinal, cosmetics as well as aromatherapheutic purposes. Make sure to take on guided tours to get benefit of some important information on the herbal plants available at this park.

                                  

Herbal plants, Perak Herbal Park

Entrance tickets:

RM2 (per adult) and RM1 (per child)

Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve - the World's best-managed mangrove swamps

Located in Larut district in Taiping municipality, Matang is all about mangrove swamp. It covers more than 40,000 hectares of world renowned well-managed mangrove swamps and habitats to species of birds and marine life. Rent a boat and a guide to explore more of this swamp. Just don't forget to look around when approaching those mangrove trees as snakes can always be seen hang out on tree branches but I doubt there are crocodiles around.

Mangrove park, Matang

               

Other treats: 

Other than mangrove trees, visitors to Matang can also enjoy the scenery of fishing village of Port Weld as well as old-school charcoal ovens used to produce charcoal from mangrove trees. Also famous in this area is Mee Udang (Prawn Noodles), a spicy yellow noodles in broth of fresh prawns.

Gua Tempurung (Tempurung Cave) - the largest limestones cave in Peninsula Malaysia

Located not very far from the capital Ipoh, this wondrous cave complex offers visitors a breathtaking gallery of stalagmites and stalagtites with its 5 huge domes and they are the largest in Malaysia. Spelunkers out there, be ready to get wet and dirty when you go for the most extreme tour deep into this great show cave not only in Perak, but the whole country and every moment of it will be worth remembered. I personally in supporting this Visit Perak Year campaign have given a visit to this cave weeks ago and had a wonderful caving experience but due to some constraints, I didn't manage to go for a complete tour of the cave. Read my experience here.

Gua Tempurung, Gopeng

Tour fees:

• Tour #1: Golden Flowstone - RM6 (adult), RM2.50 (child), RM3 (senior citizen)
• Tour #2: Top of the World - RM9 (adult), RM4.50 (child), RM3 (senior citizen)
• Tour #3: Top of the World + Short River Adventure - RM11 (adult), RM6 (child), RM6 (senior citizen)
• Tour #4: Grand Tour - RM22 (adult), RM11 (child), RM6 (senior citizen)

*Child aged 6 to 12 years; **Senior citizen aged 60 years and above

Royal Belum State Park - one of the World's oldest rainforest

Covering more than 300,000 hectares of tropical rainforest, this 130 million plus year-old tropical paradise is offering visitors the nature at its purest and unspoiled state. This is the home of more than 3,000 species of plants and plenty of animal species including 14 of the world's most threatened mammals such as the Sumatran Rhino, Malaysian Tiger, Malaysian Sunbear, Malayan Tapir, and Asian Elephant. This is definitely a place to be for ecotourism lovers. Rent a boat and explore what Belum rainforest's real treasure. Also get to know the aborigines of Jahai people from Negrito tribe if you stop at the Orang Asli village located nearby.

Part of Royal Belum State Park

Other treats:

Other attractions not far from Belum State Park are Tasik Banding (Lake Banding) and Temenggor Dam, a hydroelectric power station. En route to Belum, do stop at Lenggong for Kota Tampan Archaeological Museum to witness the skeleton of 'Perak Man'.

How to get there:

On North-South Expressway, exit at Kuala Kangsar interchange. After the toll booth, get on the ramp ahead and go straight to Grik. Then, get onto the East-West highway to Banding.