Going on vacation doesn’t always have to include a whole host of activities to keep one occupied. Sometimes its nice to get away just to relax and do nothing but laze around and sleep. And that’s exactly what I did. 3days and two nights of complete bliss where half my time was spent eating, watching tv and sleeping. Taiping may not be on top of your list but trust me; this small town is a really good getaway if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
If you don’t already know, Taiping is located in northern Perak, about 302km from KL. The town is so small that it literally takes two rounds in your car for you to know your way around. Besides relaxing we did do a “couple” of activities that Taiping is famous for. The first was a visit to the Taiping Night Safari. I’m not exactly a zoo visiting kind of person but I sure did enjoy this one. There’s just something exciting about journeying in the dark looking at dangerous animals in not so confined cages. You can choose to walk or take a guided tour on the tram which is what we did as it was really dark and drizzling. (P/S: Taiping is nicknamed “The Rain Town” and boy did it rain the whole time we were there)
Next was Maxwell Hill, one of the oldest hill stations in Malaysia. It is about 1250m above sea level and if you want to get to the top, a short 30 min drive in a land rover (which you have to hire) will take you there where the view is excellent. We decided to hike up instead of waiting for a ride seeing as there were many others hiking up. Sadly we only managed a measly 2.5km before we gave up. 2.5km of trudging up an extremely hilly slope might I add! We also made a short trip to the Burmese Pool but I got put off watching people take their bath in the natural stream complete with their shampoo and bath soap!
When it comes to food, there’s really nothing much I can think off that Taiping is famous for. But I do suggest you give the hawker food a go. We had a good time pigging out on grill fish, carrot cake, popiah, satay and so much more!
Anyways, we didn’t really take many pictures because we were busy relaxing. But I did snap a few shots of the place we stayed, Sentosa Villa, a luxurious resort where you can literally breathe in the clean, cool refreshing air. The villas are surrounded by lush greenery, flowing streams and ponds and you are guaranteed to wake up fresh and relax every morning. If you plan to take a trip to Taiping, this is THE place you should stay at. The free breakfast we had was nothing to shout about, but the view more than makes up for it. And the rates are pretty cheap as well. So if you are looking for some peace and quite or some downtime to get your creative juices flowing than I STRONGLY recommend you check this place out.
Sentosa Villa
Jalan 8, Taman Sentosa
34000 Taiping Perak
05 8051 000
Taiping has some good kopitiams with great food at uber cheap prices. It's well known as a sleepy town that's perfect for an idyllic retreat and also for it's resident ghostly inhabitants dating back to colonial times and before!
ReplyDeleteGhostly inhabitants? Now that's something i would love to encounter :) but yes, some might find the idea of retreating to a sleepy town boring, but i think its the perfect stress free retreat everyone needs. .
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