I had checked on some options for where to go from here and felt like a bit of culture on our way north. Kuala Kangsar seemed like a good place but didn't seem to offer any accommodation So we might have to get there early enough to see the sights before moving on to somewhere to stay. The Transnational bus leaves three times a day to Kuala Kangsar, with the first bus at 9am, and others at 2pm and 7pm. Meant getting up at 6:30am to make the connections. The pink teksi are waiting on the waterfront so no waiting. What we hadn't realised was that the outward bound ferry ticket was for the return journey, so you go straigtht through to the boat without the need for ticket. Straight to the Transnational counter to buy our tickets. RM9.8 to Kuala Kangsar and expected to take about 90 minutes. Plenty of time for breakfast. Two breakfasts and two cups of tea for RM10 total. Good and cheap.
The bus was a really swish one, with excellent seats and quiet. I notied another foreigner on the bus who knew the area, so got some advice on our travel plans. Always helps to find someone for a reality check. Turns out that we could spend a night in Kuala Kangsar at a hotel opposite the bus station (RM 35 to RM50 per night), but there isn't enough in the city to make it worth staying. So our better plan was to just see what we could after storing our luggage somewhere and then move on.
In reality, when we arrived in Kuala Kangsarit the easiest plan was to just grab a taxi to take us around the sights. For RM15 we had a great tour around the Ubadiah mosque and the Museum, driving past the Sultan's palace. It isn't walkable from the bus station and there is little alternative. Bythe way, there is a hotel near to the bus station. Cleverly called the Kangsar hotel. So if you need to stay then all is not lost.
The Ubadiah mosque is beautiful with its gleaming golden dome rood and black and white minarets. Pained in pristine white as usual, it is immaculate and was undergoing further decoration work during our visit.they provide brown cloaks to wear if you don't have proper attire. Indside is lovely with blue stars on the white domed interior roof and a shiny chandelier.
Next up was the Perak museum, which was actually closed for renovation, but we sneaked in through an open side gate and went around taking photos. A striking beautiful place with golden colours against black wood and fret carving to the decorative finishings, it is a great example of Malay work. Almost opposite the museum is the Sultan's palace. He wasn't in residence today as he stays in Ipoh, but the palace isn't open to visitors anyway. It only opens for a few days around his birthday in April. It is a very grand building with its whitehouse style design topped with golden domes.
Adjacent to the museum is a pretty Kampung with typical Malay houses, some of which are 80 years old. They paint them in fancy bright colours and complete with attractive gardens. I love this kind of home, and it is something that i would aspire to own. What is a shame is that they have gone out of favour due to the difficulties in maintaining them. Especially with the risk of an attack from the dreaded termites that are in abundance here.
I have to say that the 'Royal' Kuala Kangsar is a gorgeous place and is nestled in a lush valley. It is fairly flat and would be great to explore on a bicycle if it was possible. Aparently there are no homestays here. That is another shame as it would be ideal.
Moving on we caught our second bus of the day to Taiping costing RM3.9. According to what we had read it seemed worthy of an overnight stay, and was better for accommodation. You know when you arrive somewhere and it doesn't grab you at all. Well Taiping was one of those places. we could find nobody who could tell us where the advertised 'Lake gardens' where. Most locals shrugged their shoulders. One guy pointed us in a direction that we didn't trust. The other tourist attraction is Taiping zoo and night safari. Across from the bus station is the Legend Inn Hotel if you get stuck. A modern loong place. We didn't feel like stopping as it didn't give us good feelings. So we had lunch and decided to get out of here and go to Penang instead. That wasn't as easy as we had expected. We were at the local bus station, and it took a little time to work ot that the long distance buses don't stop here any more, even though the office is still there. The signs are in Bahasa, so you don't know that. Turned out that we had to get another bus, the Red Omnibus company bus No.8 to Kumunting Raya Express bus terminal, which is about 15 minutes away. Only cost R1.2. We had arrived in time to jump straight on to the 2:30 StarMart Express bus to Butterworth (RM7) and that should only take around 1 1/4 hours. Nice bus! I do like travelling in Malaysia. It is a good experience, especially the long distance transport as it is comfortable and the views attractive. Shiera was wiped out by this stage and fell asleep on the bus within 5 minutes of leaving Taiping. 6:30am start and our 7th stage of transport of the day, with another 2 to go after getting to Butterworth.
Arriving in Butterworth is easy as the bus stops at the ferry terminal and we walked straight on to the waiting ferry (RM1.20), which left within a few minutes. I like ferries as you get a glimpse of the city from a nice vantage point on the way in. It doesn't take long and we landed. All of the buses waiting outside go to the Komtar complex, so it doesn't really matter which one you jump on. We got one part way to the old Chinatown and walked the rest of the way. I aimed for my normal preferred area around Jalan Muntri, and we were sorted with a room within a short time for RM37 a night at the Star Lodge. There is a lack of really nice accommodation here, so you have to accept some rough edges.
Shower and a fresh set of clothes and time to hit the streets before darkness. Took Shiera on a quick tour of part of the town. This is my fourth visit and so i have got familiar with where everything is by now. Evening dinner at the Red Dragon food court, which must rate as the best in this part of town for choice and value. A bit chaotic at times, but good.
Friday 18th Jun - After a good night's sleep we had breakfast at the Western Oriental Cafe...first time i had managed to get muesli in a while, and then hit the town for some sightseeing. The 101 bus stops just around the corner, and for RM2.80 we went to the last stop on the northern side of the island at Teluk Bahan. I had stayed here on a past visit, and it is the entry point to the Penang National park. One of the lovely features of the area adjacent to the entrance is a rickety old jetty that goes a few hundred metres into the sea, as it meanders and dips it's way. At times it looks like it is about to collapse, but it is surprisingly strong still, as it carries motorcycles to the end. Shiera is a bit nervous and it was hilarious to see her creeping along it as if she was going to fall in at any moment.
The national park is free, and there are many trails to take. We opted for the Monkey trail that follows the coastline and finished in a swim on the Monkey beach at the end. Lemurs were swinging through the trees at the beginning section, plus we saw some fairly large water monitor lizards and plenty of butterflies. After a bit more trekking onto another section, where a saw a snake, it was time to head out and stop for some fruit. 2kg of Rambutan for 5 Ringgits is good value and we also stopped at a local resto for a curry and rice washed down with a lovely Indian milky Masala chai. Fantastic stuff!
On my last visit i was astonished to find the enormous Mutiara hotel closed down due to some finanial mess-up/tax paying problem. After about 7years from closure it is still mothballed and being security monitored. A shame, and someone must have cried tears when it was forced to close. The section of beach in front of it is white and almost empty, apart from the local kids playing in the sea. Time for us to munch on our Rambutan and watch them playing before we hit the road again, and walked to the Tropical Spice Garden.
We arrived a little late and had only 45 minutes to see the place, so they only charged us 10 ringgits each instead of the usual 12. No guide was available, but we were ok to go around on our own as they have plenty of signs.
Next on the agenda was Ferringhi beach for a walk in the sand, and dodge the horses. Then, Finally the night market. It is enormous and stretched a couple of kilometre, or so it feels, along the road. Loads of arts and craft souvenirs, clothing and watches/jewellery etc. Bought some things at a great bargain that we will send to the Philippines, and got worn out. We had walked for miles today, and our legs had given up! Caught the bus back to town and headed for my favourite Maharajah restaurant by Jalan Leith for a fantastic evening meal. Time to collapse after a shower and let our feet cool down.
Over the next few days we explored the areas around Little India and Chinatown and made a visit to the awesome Wat Kek Lok Si. Bus 203 from Komtar station for RM2 each. This place is set on a slope in the Air Itam area and is a must to visit. Rambling over various levels, it is a work of art in Chinese temple design. The ultimate is the statue beneath the largest pagoda in South East Asia. It is still under construction and you can pay a fee to have your name painted onto a tile that will adorn the roof of it. Getting up and down the final stage is a small furnicular railway RM2 each way. As is the case everywhere, the entrane to the temple is a long stretch of stalls. The prices are really cheap and we bought a few things. They seemed more prepared to haggle than in town, and would even run after us droping their price all the time. They must be desparate i reckon, as most tourists ignore and walk past.
As i have been considering Malaysia as a home as part of the MM2H Program, i did some research and went to see a company for some advice. Will be returning here after Thailand, so plenty of time to ask more questions.
Off to Thailand tommorrow, but more of that in the next posting
