A Budget-Friendly Vacation In Malaysia's Perak

From Norshazlina Nor'azman This is the first of a two-part series on Perak state in conjunction with the visit Malaysia Year 2014. IPOH (Perak, Malaysia), Jan 29 (Bernama) -- Those seeking a budget holiday destination should look no further than Perak. So, naturally, you'll ask what's there in Perak? Well, according to its tourism director Kamarudin Yusoff, almost everything! Perak boasts of historical buildings and monuments, national treasures and priceless artifacts, scenic lakes, natural forests, theme parks, hot springs and breathtakingly beautiful beaches. Besides being home to the famous "rendang Tok" and "ikan pekasam" (cured and fermented fish), Perak is also known for other hidden gems found in its districts of Ipoh, Gopeng, Lenggong and Kuala Kangsar. In an endeavour to familiarise themselves with Perak's riches, some media people recently visited the districts as part of a tour organised by Tourism Malaysia and the Gaya Travel magazine. It was a pleasant surprise for them to learn that these locations offered a variety of unique holiday experiences. GUNUNG LANG One of the must-visit destinations in Perak is the Gunung Lang Recreational Park, a mere five kilometres from the Ipoh town. Nestled between limestone hills, the park has a magnificent lake right in the centre. Visitors can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the lake and ride around in a boat by paying only US$0.90 (RM3) for adults and US$0.30 (RM1) for children. They are ferried to a small island with landscaped flower garden that also has a 47-metre-high man-made waterfall. There is a watchtower on the island, as well as a playground, a campsite and a mini zoo with ostriches, turkeys, rabbits and deer frolicking around. The area has been developed as an eco-tourism site, and infrastructure development is strictly regulated and kept at a minimum so as not to disrupt the delicate balance of the local flora and fauna. The boat service operates from Monday to Thursday from 8.00am to 7.00pm while on Friday, the timings are from 8.00am to 4.00pm. On weekends and public holidays, the service runs from 8.00am to 6.30pm. PICTURES WORTH 1000 WORDS You can find a number of 3D murals around Ipoh, behind a row of old buildings at Jalan Sultan Yussuf, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Jalan Sultan Iskandar and Jalan Masjid. Many took the opportunity to click photographs, posing next to the realistic looking murals, which depict the colourful culture and traditions of the people of Perak in their olden days, the current Malaysian culture, and classic children games among others. There are images of children playing hide and seek, waterfalls, the kuda kepang dance, the Indian traditional dance, the lion dance, women sieving tin, rubber tappers and even of Marilyn Monroe posing on a bicycle. Visitors can also savour a cup their tea at any of the nearby stalls and restaurants, which are cleverly decorated with vintage and recycled items, as well as street art. GOPENG'S ANTIQUES For collectors of antique and vintage items, Gopeng can turn out to be a treasure trove during a visit to Perak. The Gopeng Heritage House, located in the middle of the century-old shop cum houses in the Gopeng town, is home to thousands of antique furniture items dating back to the era of the British rule. The red-coloured two-storey shop-house with an attic is only 20km away from Ipoh. One of its caretakers, Sally Tan Bee Bee, 56, said that the house has been divided into many areas decorated exclusively with antique items. These are the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, barbershop and "kopitiam", which serves delicious coffee to visitors during weekends. Not far from the heritage house is the Gopeng Museum, where the main display features the machinery once used for tin mining and rubber tapping. A committee comprising senior citizens of Gopeng manages the heritage house and museum. There is no entrance fee. However, visitors are welcome to donate to help with the upkeep and management of the sites. HOT SPRINGS THERAPY At times, even vacationers need a break from their regular idea of a break. Some relaxation therapy was due after an exhilarating journey around Perak. The Lost World Hot Springs and Spa provided the much welcomed relaxation therapy. Imagine, soaking inside a hot spring and swimming in the mineral-rich water from the nearby mountains. This relaxing activity is also said to be very good for relieving muscle aches, back pain, tension and aiding detoxification. The spa is located at the Lost World of Tambun resort and theme park, and stays open late into the night. There are several types of pools with varying degree of heat such as the infinity pool, sauna cave, Jacuzzi with an hourly geyser eruption and several pools with reflexology stones at the bottom for a foot spa therapy. The water at the spa is channeled directly from the Kopisan River and the hot water vapour is pumped out underground directly in Tambun itself. After winding down at the hot springs, visitors can also enjoy a traditional massage at the spa at reasonable prices. There are also other attractions at the theme park such as a mini zoo, the tiger valley and the Tin Valley. TIN MINING MUSEUM Tin mining is one of Malaysia's oldest and most successful industries. The Kinta Valley in Perak was the world's largest producer of tin ore in the first half of the 20th century. Visitors can learn about it at the Kinta Tin Ore Mining Museum in Bandar Baru Kampar, about 40km away from Ipoh. Admission to the museum, which was opened in Oct 2012, is free. It remains open from 9.00am to 1.00pm from Monday to Friday, and 9.00am to 4.00pm on Saturday, Sunday and all public holidays. --BERNAMA