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Malaysia Travel Blog – Taman Negara Bako

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:47:38 +0000

Sarawak’s oldest national park was established in 1957, covers a modest 27 sq. km., and is about 37km from Kuching. It’s known for its extraordinary natural scenery, habitats, plants and wild life. Its most significant features are secluded coves and rugged rocky headlands with magnificent steep cliffs that overlook the South China Sea. The sea spray, wave action and the wind have also carved out magnificent sea arches and sea stacks at the base of the cliffs, some rearing above the waves like a mighty serpent’s head.

The attractive sandstone formations appear pink with iron patterns on the cliff. Further inland, waterfalls tumble down into freshwater pools in a tranquil and idyllic jungle setting. Bako contains an incredible variety of plant species and vegetation types, and this is one of the park’s great attractions. At Bako it is possible to see almost every type of vegetation found in Borneo. Bako is also home to approximately 275 rare proboscis monkeys, found only in Borneo. The best times for seeing wildlife at Bako are just after dawn and just before dusk, when the animals are at their most active. Bako is a fascinating place for bird watching, as over 150 species have been recorded here.

Bako’s extensive trail system is made up of 16 colour-coded jungle trails which offer a range of walking and hiking options. The fit and adventurous can opt for full-day jungle hikes or overnight camping expeditions, whilst those who prefer to take it easy can opt for a relaxing forest walk

Bako National Park, 37 kilometres from Kuching, can be reached by 30-minute drive to Kampung Bako and then followed by a 25-minute boat ride. The constant erosion over millions of years, had turned Bako into a picturesque coastline of steep cliffs, rocky head-lands and many stretches of sandy bays. The erosion caused by constant waves at the base of cliffs had carved and created many of the rocks into sea arches and sea stacks. Beautiful sandstone formation featuring pink and iron patterns on cliff faces can be seen along most of the coastline. Many, who have visited the Park commented that Bako National Park is a treasure chest of fauna and flora. Naturalists will be thrilled to find a wide range of vegetations including the varieties of pitcher plants and wild orchids. The varieties of vegetation found in Borneo can also be seen in the Park’s mangrove forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, peat swamp forest and kerangas forest.

Getting There:

By Road
Petra Jaya Bus No.6 and regular minibuses go from Kuching to Kampung Bako, a picturesque fishing village. This public bus, Petrajaya Transport Co leaves from Bus Stop no. 1 at Jln Market, opposite Elektra House for Bako Village (Kampung Bako) every hour from 7am till 6pm and costs a nominal fee of only RM2.50. Alternatively, taxis to Kampung Bako (RM30 per way) or by mini van.

By boat.
From there you have to charter a boat to the Park. The boat ride is an adventure in itself, with the skilled and experienced boatmen riding the surf at high speed, to the delight of most visitors.

Activities and interesting place to go:

Trekking through any of its 16 well maintained jungle trails is an interesting experience. Within the Park, it is not uncommon to see troops of long-tailed Macaques and silver-leaf monkeys along with giant monitor lizards, plantain squirrels, wild boars and mouse deers. The most significant animal in the Park is the bizzare long nosed proboscis monkeys found only in Borneo island.

Swimming, beach combing at low tide and sunset watching are popular activities along the sandy bays of the Park. Bako National Park is truly an ideal place for nature lovers and eco-minded adventurers

Entry Permits & Fees

There is a nominal entry fee for all National Parks in Sarawak. Photo permits are also required. Check with the National Parks and Wildlife Office in Kuching or the Sarawak Tourism Board for the latest fee structure. Day trippers to Bako can obtain a permit and pay any fees at the boat jetty in Kanipung Bako.

Chalet/Resort/Hotel Information:

1. Bako Park Lounge

2. Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon

3. Crowne Plaza Riverside Hotel

4. Holiday Inn Kuching

For more information, kindly surf Sarawak Forestry Corporation at www.sarawakforestry.com You could also contact Tourism Malaysia Sarawak Office at (6082) 246 575 / 775.

Malaysia Travel Blog – Ipoh City

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:14:14 +0000

Ipoh is the capital city of Perak State. It is located north to Kuala Lumpur, about 2 hours and 15 minutes journey by car or 15 minutes journey by airplane. The city is much more peaceful if compared to the busy and crowded Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians vote it as the best place of living after retirement.

Ipoh city in Perak has a rich Chinese culture; the Chinese comprising 70 percent of the total population. The lifestyle here is relaxed and live moves at a quiet pace. This is why for Malaysians, Ipoh is known as a great place to retire to. Ipoh began as a mining town, and many Chinese were made millionaires during this period in the 1920s’.

Gradually, the tin resources were depleted, but rather than become a cosmopolitan city like Kuala Lumpur, it regressed into a quiet and peaceful place. Actress Michelle Yeoh, star of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ was born in Ipoh. Ipoh is also famous for its Chinese cuisine. The ‘Sar Hor Fun’, is a bowl of flat rice noodles served in soup. ‘Tim Sum’ is a collection of sweet and meat dumplings served in little bamboo canisters.

The city has many limestone caves and hump-like hills waiting to be explored. For example, the Sam Po Tong is a Chinese temple built within a gigantic limestone cave that houses quite a few giant tortoises too. The Kek Lok Tong is yet another temple in a cave that lies in a nearby range.

For a relaxing retreat, Ipoh may not have the cool of the highlands or the warmth of the beach but it does have a lot of heart and feel for visitors to experience.

GETTING THERE:

By car

Take the North-South Highway and turn off at the Ipoh Selatan or Ipoh Utara exit.

By air

Regular flights available. For more information on flights availability, click on to: malaysia airlines

By rail

From Kuala Lumpur, take the Langkawi Express train from KL Sentral. For a time schedule and fares to Ipoh, click to: www.ktmb.com.my

By coach

There are 2 bus stations in Ipoh: Medan Gopeng Bus Station and Medan Kidd Bus Station. The buses arrive at either bus stations. If you need to get from one bus station to the other, don’t try walking, it’ll be too far and if you’re walking during the day, you will either fry under the direct sun or get completely drenched in torrential rain. Neither is good to experience on any day. Take a taxi from one to the other for between RM10 to RM15 one way.

A cheaper wy is to wait for the Ipoh Omnibus Co. bus that shuttles between Medan Kidd and Medan Gopeng. Bus departs every 30 mins or so during daytime.

ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTING PLACE TO GO:

1. The Perak Museum

Let’s begin our journey at a place which will reveal all you want to know about the history of (mostly) Ipoh. The Perak Museum was erected in 1926 by a rich and successful tin miner called Foo Choong Kit. Back then, he built it for his own private domain, and it was told that once forty people were counted to be living in this house. The house did not stay long with the family. In 1950 it was sold to the Perak Government which utilised these premises to house the administrative centre of its Department of Works. It was not until 1992 that this building finally graduated to become a museum.

Have a browse through the museum. You can begin your tour by learning about the early history of Perak. Here you will be introduced to the many characters that moulded the state. Get to know all the important who’s who. Find out who Hugh Low was, and what Swettenham achieved, or whether Clarke made any difference in his policies. There are plenty of pictures of British administrators and rulers who played enormously significant role in the building of Perak and Malaya.

If you are interested in architecture and would like to tour the town later, there is a room which enlightens you with a pictorial guide of most of the important and beautiful colonial buildings in Perak. This may help you later to identify the various buildings in town.

The museum also displays other historical facets, and in particular tin mining and various other industrial and commercial activities that are of importance to Perak.The museum opens all week from 9.30am-5pm

2. Sam Poh Tong Temple

The temple is located 5 km south of Ipoh in Gunung Rapat within a large limestone cavern. Statues adorn the cavern, sitting alongside natural stalactite and stalagmite formations. A vegetarian restaurant, tortoise pond and wishing well can be found here.

3. Kellie’s Castle

The castle was built in 1915 and was never completed as the owner William Kellie Smith returned to England and died there. Many believe the castle is haunted, having many secret rooms and even a hidden tunnel. Still, it makes for great visiting exploring the many rooms of this large mansion while chasing ghosts.

4. Pangkor Island

Accessible from Lumut, the Pangkor Island holds a mix of quaint fishing settlements and white beaches decked with rich vegetation. The warm waters are perfect for swimming and diving while the atmosphere is simply relaxing. Many resorts are available for accommodation on this popular island.

5. Gua Tempurung

The Tempurung Cave is one of Malaysia’s largest at 1.5 km long (though the Mulu Caves dwarfs it by about a hundred times). Visitors can take the scenic route and explore the cave via man-made bridges that are lit up or take the rough trail which will bring them through a stream inside the cave. Be sure to brave bat guano and creepy-crawlies!

6. Bukit Larut

Situated at 1,035 meters above sea-level, Bukit Larut is a pleasant hill offering a cooling retreat from the heat below. Accessible by 4WD vehicles from Taiping, the surrounding hill-top forest is rich in vegetation and wildlife. The country’s oldest hill resort is also located here.

7. Taiping Lake Gardens

One of the most beautiful and oldest lake gardens in Malaysia, the Taiping Lake Gardens was built with scenery and ambience in mind. There is a large lake with paths draped in festoons of flowering plants and cooling trees. The Taiping zoo is located here.

8. Temenggor Lake

Temenggor is one of the largest man-made lakes in Malaysia covering 15,200 hectares. The streams and rivers that dot the lake are rich in fish that will make anglers happy. The panoramic beauty of the lake is also suitable for outdoor recreation such as picnics and trekking.

9. Belum Forest Reserve

Hidden in the north of Lake Temenggor is a large tract of rainforest, which has been gazetted as the Belum Forest Reserve. Practically untouched, Belum hides a wealth of wildlife such as rhinos, tapirs and tigers. Various tour operators now offer trips into Belum to uncover its natural beauty, with permission from the authorities.

10. Lata Iskandar

On the road leading up to Cameron Highlands, the Lata Iskandar waterfalls will greet you half-way. A spectacular drop of mountain water that forms a shallow pool, many people heading up to the hills just can’t resist taking a dip. Many Orang Asli (Aborigines) settlements are located around the falls, offering handicrafts and plants taken from the surrounding forest for sale

IPOH FOOD:

1. House of Mirrors (Thean Chun) – Caramel Custard & Ipoh Kuey Teow

The creme caramel here is to die for and if you get there any later than the normal lunch hours, most often they would have sold out. The Ipoh Kuey Teow here is pretty good too and is one of the better places to savour this if you’re there for lunch. If you so choose to have Ipoh Kuey Teow for dinner, then there are a couple more places that are equally good if not better to choose from. However, these other shops only open for dinner and are located in Ipoh New Town, which we will touch upon further on.If you have difficulty locating this kopi tiam (coffee shop), it’s the one that has its walls lined with large old mirrors.

Location: Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh Old Town. Open mornings and afternoons only

2. Kong Heng – Pork Satay

This old Kopi Tiam ( one of the oldest food places in Ipoh) is ever so popular with the locals and tourists alike. Every time we visit this eatery, it’s a tussle for tables. The main dishes that customers go for here is the pork satay. The old man who runs this stall has a habit of thrusting plates of satay at customers. Just eat as many sticks of satay as you can o want to and the remaining sticks of satay won’t be accounted for. Only pay for those that you have eaten. The laksa is also pretty good here but not as good as some in KL or Penang. Check it out though.

Location: Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh Old Town. Next to House of Mirrors (Thean Chun). Open mornings and afternoons only.

3. Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong – White Coffee

This is one of many coffee shops that sell white coffee in Ipoh. The difference is that this place is popular for just that – white coffee. The next two coffee shops Xin Yuan Foong and Xin Yuan Hoong is also popular for a bit of breakfast and a cup of delicious white coffee. Ipoh is reknown for its white coffee which can now be found in many coffee shops in Malaysia and they are even prepacked for sale in supermarkets and other sundry outlets.

Location: Ipoh Old Town, just walking distance from Kong Fatt Textiles. Open for breakfast and lunch.

4. Sin Seng Fatt – Curry Noodle

This place is a little bit more difficult to find but is worth the while. Apparently, the curry paste is so good that it’s packed and sent to franchisees in Hong Kong!

Location: Jalan Market, Ipoh Old Town. Open mornings and afternoons only.

5. Sin Yean Lee – Fried Kway Teow

The petite sized char kway teow here is pretty good and great value for money. However, you may have to order quite a few plates to satisfy the pangs.

Location: Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh Old Town. Just a little way from Thean Chun. Close to the road junction – a corner coffee shop.

CHALET/HOTEL/RESORT INFORMATION:

Hotel Eastern, Jalan Raja Musa Aziz. The hotel is located close to Ipoh Old Town in one of the most pedestrian friendly areas of the city

Majestic Station Hotel Ipoh, located above the Ipoh Railway Station. One night stay from RM88 inclusive of a buffet breakfast. Located in the heart of Ipoh, it is a close walk to the many historic colonial buildings including the Ipoh Town Hall, St. Michael’s Institution and Padang Ipoh.

Seri Malaysia Hotel Ipoh, Jalan Sturrock, off Jalan Tambun.

YMCA Ipoh, Jalan Raja Musa Aziz, beside D.R. Park.

Grand Park Hotel, 19 Jalan Bendahara, tel:60-(0)5-2411333 A genuinely nostalgic colonial mansion in the middle of town. The building is typical of the English colonial family mansions that can still be occasionally found in the former suburbs. The original grand design is also reflected in the large upstairs double rooms to the front of the building as well as the foyer and public spaces around the building. During the 1950′s it was converted into a hotel later in the 60′s and 70′s also served as a popular restaurant on the ground floor. It is located opposite the Sri Maju bus station which services buses to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. It is centrally located and convenientaly in walking distance to many eating places and the hub of the old town. Another attraction which can be found around this area are several 1950s deco cinemas whose unique architecture remains a legacy to the birth of Hong Kong cinema. A uniquely malaysian experience. Rooms available from RM40 upwards.

Hotel Ipoh City, Jalan Dass, off Jalan Horley, rooms frm RM90 upwards. Conveniently located close to the colonial buildings of Ipoh Old Towm.

Hotel Fair Park Ipoh, Jalan Kamaruddin Isa. Conveniently located close to the Ipoh Stadium and Sporting Complex.

Hotel Grand View Ipoh, 36,Jalan Horley. Loacted right outside Memory Lane’s weekly flea market. Rooms available from RM79nett

Sun Inns Hotel Ipoh, Sunway City Ipoh. Located at Sunway City Ipoh in Tambun area. It is a close walk to the Lost World of Tambun Theme Park and Extreme Park.

Fresh Hotel Ipoh,Taman Mas,Falim Ipoh.It Is about 10km from Ipoh town.