Perak is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia and is famed for its rich cultural history. Also known as the Land of Grace, Perak’s history traces back to long before the British colonial period when Perak was known for its tin mines and rubber tree plantations.

The archaeological discovery of the Perak Man, a skeleton that dated back to 10,000 years ago reveals that Perak was an early Hindu-Buddhist kingdom, followed by other minor kingdoms before the arrival of Islam.

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Perak is a Malay word meaning silver. It is probably associated with tin mining activities as Perak had one of the largest deposits of tin during that time. Perak earned several accolades in recent years, which include Lonely Planet’s ‘World’s Top 10 Must Visit Region’ (2017), Green Destinations’ ‘Top 100 Sustainable Destinations’ (Taiping, 2018) and Lenggong Valley as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

My ‘driving across Perak…’ expedition took four days and three nights. It was an interesting trip to drive across Perak, jumping in and out of the car to soak up what Perak has to offer. 

 

Day 1

I started my trip before sunrise. It was a smooth drive and took about 45 minutes to an hour from my home in Penang to Bukit Merah.

Upon reaching Bukit Merah, I went directly to the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, a 7000-acre freshwater lakeside resort. There are several ‘parks’ within this resort. The waterpark spans across an area of 11 acres and is believed to the largest water-themed park in the northern region. There is also an eco-park where visitors can take an education tour of the 3-acre eco-friendly park. The activities in this park include nature trail, tropical trek, pets park as well as the skycycle where visitors can hand pedal the skycycle along a unique 200-metre mid-air track over the tropical rainforest.

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However, what I really came here for is the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island. It is a 35-acre island that nestles within the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. This eco-tourism attraction began in the year 2000 with only three orang utans. The orang utans have not only grown in number (more than 20 today) but the place has also grown from merely a sanctuary for orang utan to a place where visitors get to experience first-hand awareness and education about orang utan.

To go to the Orang Utan Island, I had to board a lake cruiser. Upon reaching this island, I could see a few orang utans swinging from tree to tree. There is a walk-through semi-circle tunnel made of steel. From inside the tunnel, I could see more orang utans roaming about freely among the trees.

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It was an educational experience for me as I have learnt something new about orang utans, which are in fact very intelligent. From Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, I headed south. I took the Kamunting / Taiping Exit and drove all the way to Kuala Sepetang.

The old name for Kuala Sepetang is Port Weld. It is a fishing village and was once the nearest harbour to Larut tin mining area.  In fact, tin ore was exported via Port Weld in the past. On the way there, I passed by some swiftlet houses, which are meant for the collection of bird’s nest. I don’t know why it is called bird’s nest when it is actually solidified saliva of the swiflets.

There are also fishing villages slightly out of Kuala Sepetang main town. The fishing villages will be bustling with activities when the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. What do we do at a fishing village? Eating seafood, of course.

After a hefty lunch of fresh seafood, I searched for the much talked about charcoal factory. The Kuala Sepetang charcoal factory is believed to be the largest of a handful of charcoal factories in Malaysia. It is a family business and the present owner is the third generation. Believe it or not? This factory is operated solely by hand. Not a single machine! I was informed that about 60 percent of the charcoal from this factory is exported to Japan. I learnt that charcoal is made by smoking the wood at high heat in the kiln for up to a month. This is to remove the water content in the wood. Although any wood can be made into charcoal, the species that can withstand heat the most are Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora mucronata, which are available in the mangrove swamp at Kuala Sepetang.

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It is already in the afternoon when I finally completed my learning tour of the charcoal factory. From Kuala Sepetang, I drove to Taiping.

Taiping is a city in Larut, Matang and is the second largest city after Ipoh in Perak. From 1876 to 1937, Taiping was the capital city of Perak but was replaced by Ipoh.  In 2019, Taiping was recognised as among the top three sustainable cities in the world by the 2019 Sustainable top 200 Destination Awards. It is also known as the place with the most rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia, with almost double the average annual rainfall in the peninsula.

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Upon reaching Taiping, I headed for the Perak Museum as there is a lot of history about Taiping and Perak for me to learn.

The Perak Museum is the oldest museum in Malaysia. It was founded in 1883 and is housed in a heritage building opposite the prison. The museum started as a repository of a collection of ethnological, anthropological and zoological articles during the tenure of Sir Hugh Low as Resident of Perak from 1877 to 1889.

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There are four galleries in Perak Museum. They are the nature gallery, which emphasises natural history. There are skeletons of an elephant as well as a tiger in this gallery. There are also other taxidermied animals. In fact, it is like a zoo with stuffed animals. The second gallery is the cultural gallery which features handicrafts of Malaysia, especially woven bamboo items from Perak. There is also a gallery on the indigenous people, where information of the indigenous people or Orang Asli of Malaysia is on display. This gallery also exhibits the traditional earthenware pottery and utensils of these people. Lastly is the outdoor exhibits featuring vintage cars and vehicles that were used in the past.

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After a taste of history and traditions, I took a five-minute drive, passing by the Lake Gardens to the Taiping War Cemetery.

The Taiping War Cemetery was set up by the British army after the defeat of Japan. The Allied soldiers who were killed in the battlefields at numerous places during WW2 were brought and reburied at this cemetery. The cemetery is divided into the Christian cemetery on the south-eastern side of the road while the Muslim and Gurkha cemetery is on the opposite site.

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After paying my respect to the fallen heroes, I headed to my next destination which takes only five minutes to reach.

Nestled within the Lake Gardens, the Taiping Zoo is believed to be the oldest zoo in Malaysia. Established in 1961, it is home to more than 2000 animals from 180 local and exotic species on its 36-acre site. The zoo opens during the day as well as at night. As such, during the day, we can observe the animals in their open-enclosure. Alternatively, if we take the night safari we will see the nocturnal animals in this zoo.

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The Taiping Zoo is set in a natural setting with streams, lakes and flora that provide a unique advantage. It is also located at the foot of Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut), making it more special.

There are plenty of rest houses near Taiping Lake Gardens. Therefore, I just checked into one for the night.

 

Day 2

Early the next morning, after breakfast at one of the coffee shops in Taiping town, I proceeded with my journey to Kuala Kangsar. I decided to use the ‘kampung’ road to Kuala Kangsar, passing through villages and houses. This took me about 45 minutes to an hour.

Kuala Kangsar is the royal town of Perak. It is named as such because it is located at the downstream of the Kangsar River that flows into the Perak River. This town has many firsts - the first rubber tree planted in Malaysia - by English botanist, Henry Nicholas Ridley. Kuala Kangsar was the place where the first Malaysian scout troop was established.

Upon reaching Kuala Kangsar, I headed straight to the Ubudiah Mosque. The Ubudiah Mosque is considered as one of the most beautiful mosques in the country It was designed by an Englishman, Arthur Benison Hubback, an architect with the British government at that time. He also designed other important buildings in Malaysia, such as the Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur railway stations.

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The construction of the Ubudiah Mosque began in 1910. However, construction work was halted during World War 1. The construction of the mosque was finally completed in 1919. The structure of the mosque is built according to the Indo-Saracenic architecture. It has a central golden dome accompanied by four minarets and several turrets, all topped with small golden domes.

From the Ubudiah Mosque, I took a 10-minute stroll to the Galeri Sultan Azlan Shah. If anyone is doing a research or is writing a paper on Sultan Azlan Shah, this is definitely the place to go to. All the records and artefacts of Sultan Azlan Shah can be found in this gallery. Sultan Azlan was not only a ruler but was also an avid hockey player.

The gallery is housed in the first concrete palace in Perak. Known as ‘Istana Hulu’ or “Istana Kota’, it was built in 1889. Construction of this palace took four years and completed in 1903. It was used as a royal residence until 1954 when it was converted into a school. In 1996, the school shifted out and the building was converted into a museum / gallery. The Galeri Sultan Azlan Shah was officially opened in December 2003.

My next stop is Menara Jam Kuala Kangsar or the Kuala Kangsar Clock Tower. It is located right in the centre of the town and serves as a roundabout. It is about 5 to 10 minutes’ drive from where I left my car near the Ubudiah Mosque.

The clock tower was installed in the late 1930s in honour of the coronation of King George VI. In 1957, in conjunction with the independence of the Malayan Federation from Britain, the clock tower was re-dedicated to Malaysia’s Independence. During its 50^th Anniversary, a golden dome was added to the initial turret clock at its top with four clock faces facing each side. This was to commemorate the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip to Kuala Kangsar.

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Admiring the beauty of this clock tower from inside my car, I proceeded to Setiawan, a coastal town about one-and-a-half to two hours away from Kuala Kangsar by road.

My destination at Setiawan is the renowned Tua Pek Kong Temple at Pasir Panjang. According to the locals, the temple has been around for more than a hundred years.  However, it has gone through changes in recent years. Many new structures have been added to attract visitors and tourists. Among the attractions are a dragon tunnel, a pagoda, huge statues of Kuan Yin, Tua Pek Kong, other Taoist deities as well as animals. All of these statues face the sea. In addition, there is a landscaped garden with artificial rocks, more sculptures and koi ponds.

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Since Lumut is nearby, I decided to drive to Lumut, which took me only about half-an-hour. Upon reaching Lumut, I stopped at the Chinese temple, known to the locals as Kong Hock Keong or Guang Fu Gong Temple. The temple was established in 1889, making it one of the oldest temples in the area. The principle deity is Kuan Yin or Goddess of Mercy.

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From the temple, I crossed over to the Lumut Jetty Terminal. The jetty terminal is situated on a 3.8-acre site. It comprises a complex building encompassing the ferry terminal, ticketing counter, restaurants, shops and public amenities. The Lumut Jetty Terminal is strategically situated at the banks of Manjung River and is the passenger terminal for ferries plying Lumut and Pangkor Island.

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It has been a tiring day and I decided to put up for the night in one of the many hotels in Lumut.

 

Day 3

As usual, I woke up early, all eager to see more of Perak. After a quick breakfast in Lumut, I started my journey to Teluk Intan. I used the route along the coast and reach Teluk Intan about an hour and a half later.

Teluk Intan is a town situated on the banks of Perak River. The town centre is almost surrounded by a giant loop of the Perak River. The town was known as Teluk Anson during the British rule. It was named after a British official who helped to establish the town in the 1880s.

The main attraction of Teluk Intan is the pagoda-shaped clock tower. As the tower leans to one side, it is popularly called the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan. Although there is quite a number of heritage buildings in this town, the leaning tower is the main crowd puller.

The Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan is a 25-metre tall clock tower. The structure was constructed in 1885 by a local Chinese man. The purpose of this structure was to store water for the use of the people during the dry season. However, the structure began to lean on one side because of the soft soil it was built upon.

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The tower is three-storeys high and used to house a large steel water tank on the upper level. However, from the outside, it looks as if there are eight floors in this tower. The clock was imported from London and was paid by the local people The turret clock chimes once every fifteen minutes. 

From Teluk Intan, I drove to Batu Gajah. My first stop at Batu Gajah is the Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge 5, also known as TT5. After about one-and-a-quarter hour on the road, I finally reached my destination. TT5 is an old tin dredge owned by the Perak State Government. In 1913, the Malayan Tin Dredging (MTD) introduced the first tin dredge to the country. By 1940, there were 123 dredges. The decline in the price of tin resulted in these dredges shutting down operations.

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Today, only one of such dredges remains. Known as the Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No. 5, it was built in England and brought in to this country in 1938. In 1963, it went through upgrading works. TT5 was operational until August 1982 when it was eventually shut down. In 1997, the Malaysian Mining Corporation donated this 4,500 tonnes dredge that is supported by a 75 metres long, 35 metres wide and 3 metres deep pontoon to the Perak State Government, which turned it into a tourist attraction.

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Visiting TT5 gave me the understanding of how the tin-bearing soil is scooped and passed through an oscillating drum, jigs and screen for extraction of tin. And finally, how waste material is spewed through chutes at the rear end of the dredge.

From TT5, I drove over to Masjid Toh Puan Besar Hatijah. The drive took only about 15 minutes. The original mosque was built of wood in the 1930s. In the 1970s, the mosque was rebuilt using concrete. It was known to the locals as the Batu Gajah District Mosque.

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In 2006, Sultan Azlan Shah, the 34th Sultan of Perak ordered that the mosque be rebuilt to accommodate 1,500 to 2,000 worshippers. Construction of the mosque began in October 2008 and completed in April 2013. It is named after Sultan Azlan’s mother, Toh Puan Besar Hatijah binti Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad.

My next destination was none other than Kellie’s Castle, which is about 10 minutes’ drive from Masjid Toh Puan Besar Hatijah.

Kellie’s Castle is actually an uncompleted structure that features a combination of Mughal-Moorish, Indo-Gothic and Greco-Roman architecture. It is believed to be the only one of its kind in Malaysia with such a fusion design. The castle sprawls across elevated grounds. It is fronted by the Raya River that flows into Kinta River.

Kellie’s Castle is believed to be inhabited by entities from another realm and was the film location of several blockbusters, which include Anna and the King in 1999 and Skyline Cruisers in the year 2000.

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Kellie’s Castle was built by William Kellie-Smith, who came to this country from Scotland in 1890. He worked as a civil engineer but later started his own rubber plantation.  He also ventured into mining.  He named his rubber plantation Kinta Kellas Estate and his tin mining company, Kellas Tin Dredging Company, after his hometown Kellas in Scotland.

He went back to Scotland to marry his sweetheart and brought her here in 1903. They had a daughter and lived in their first mansion, the Kellas House, which now in ruins, standing behind the unfinished castle. He eventually had a son in 1915.

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In 1926, Kellie-Smith went to Scotland and on the way back, he had to detour to Lisbon, Portugal.  While in Portugal, he contracted pneumonia and died there at the age of 56. His family remained in Scotland and sold his properties in Malaya.

Today, the castle has been restored and refurbished to become a tourist attraction. After a tour of Kellie’s Castle, I took a leisure 40 minutes to an hour drive to Ipoh to put up for the night.

 

Day 4

After three nights on the road, it is time to go home but there are three more places in my ‘to visit’ list.

Ipoh is famous for its dim sum. So after a hearty dim sum breakfast, I proceeded to my first destination for the day. It took me about one-and-a-quarter hours’ drive down south the Lata Kinjang Waterfall.

Lata Kinjang or Kinjang Waterfall is one of the tallest and best known waterfalls in Peninsular Malaysia because it can be seen as you drive along the North-South Highway. I had to take the Tapah exit and drove up north along the trunk road. I had to be careful and followed the road signs towards Chenderiang village.

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Lata Kinjang is a vertical fall and has tall cascades. There is a suspension bridge at the start of the main cascade from the bottom. There are paths on both sides of the cascade but I did not attempt to climb up. I was told that the view of the surrounding landscape is spectacular from the top of the cascade.The North-South Highway can be seen from there. There are also numerous trails around the area, which is the habitat for the Orang Asli.

After soaking in all the beautiful views of nature at this waterfall, I started my journey north to Sam Poh Tong. The drive took about an hour.

Sam Poh Tong is a cave temple. It is located at Mount Rapat. Back in the late 19^th century, a Buddhist monk from China discovered the cave and made his abode there. The monk lived there for 20 years till his passing.

The temple was constructed in 1912 and new structures, especially the present facade were added in the 1950s. Sam Poh Tong means the Cave of the Triple Gems, which refer to the Buddha, the fully enlightened one; the Dharma, the doctrine or teachings of the Buddha; and the Sangha, the monastic order of Buddhism that practises Dharma.

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There is also a crematorium and a columbarium within the grounds of Sam Poh Tong. The columbarium is a four-storey block where ashes of the departed are stored in urns. There is also a beautifully landscaped garden with a large fish pond. The pond is decorated with artificial rock formations that resemble the Huang Shan mountains in China. There are also Japanese stone lanterns and pagodas in this garden.

The final destination in my ‘to visit’ list is Gunung Lang, which is less than half-an-hour drive from Sam Poh Tong, towards the north.

Gunung Lang is a recreational park that was first opened to the public in the year 2000. Covering an area of 30.35 hectares, it is one of the limestone mountains in the Kinta Valley, Perak. About half of this area is immersed in water. Other than Gunung Lang in the backdrop, there is Gunung Bilike next to it.

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The main attraction here is a man-made cascading waterfall from atop a limestone hill. There is also a two-kilometre long boardwalk over the swamp. Of course there are lookout towers to give visitors a bird’s eye view of the area. The views at this place is not only awe-inspiring but give a sense of peace and serenity.

Back in 1880, a Malay tin miner founded and explored the area for tin ore.  Eventually, the area became a tin mining area. However, the tin mining activities caused damages to the landscape of the area, turning it into swamps and lakes.

In the case of Gunung Lang, it was recently designated as an area for conservation under the Ipoh Local Plan Study, 2020. Hence the place is to be conserved for eco-tourism, research and education. The distinctive limestone formation at Gunung Lang as well as its proximity to Ipoh attract visitors.

Well, after spending three nights and four days on the road across Perak, it is time for me to head home. It has been an interesting, educational and enjoyable trip across Perak for me.