One week in Western Peninsular Malaysia

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After I returned to Singapore after a 18-month job in the UK, I have 2 weeks of rest before I would start work, so I went for a one-week holiday in Malaysia. Here is a summary...

Day 1 (08 Feb) - Auntie Yeo, my mum's friend, bought a house in Ipoh and she invited us to stay with her. We boarded the bus at Singapore in the morning and arrived at Ipoh in the late afternoon. Auntie Yeo's house is very big and modern. But the location a bit "inconvenient". The nearest shop is at least 1km away...

Day 2 - We rented a car in Ipoh (I'm the one who drove) and we helped Auntie Yeo buy electrical items, groceries, furniture, etc etc.

Day 3 - My mum and I drove around Ipoh while Auntie Yeo stayed at home to supervise some repairs and renovations.

Day 4 - My mum, Auntie Yeo and I went to "yum cha" in a traditional Chinese restaurant (the Dim Sum there is very nice! There are lots of variety and some types of Dim Sum are already extinct in HK!). After that we went to Cameron Highlands.

Day 5 - My mum and I drove to Penang and Taiping and managed to have lots of good food.

Day 6 - My mum and I returned the car and took a bus to Kuala Lumpur. We managed to visit quite a lot of places within one day, including KLCC, Merdeka Square, Little India, Chinatown, Central Market, etc. Originally we wanted to go up KL Tower as well, but the new admission fee was so shockingly and disgustingly expensive that we dun want to go up anymore. (Our Lonely Planet book dated 2007 said the fee was R20. But now the fee is R38. The fee increased R18 in one year?)

Day 7 (14 Feb) - Early in the morning we took a bus to Melaka, where we had a half-day walk. Then we took a bus back to Singapore.

In general, I enjoyed the trip very much. Now I'm looking forward to plan my next trip to somewhere else in Southeast Asia!

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Photos

Day 1 - Singapore
We witnessed a Thaipusam parade on Serangoon Road on our way to the bus terminal.

Day 1 - Ipoh
View of the limestone cliffs when we approach Ipoh

Day 2 - Ipoh (1)
The colonial-style Ipoh train station

Day 2 - Ipoh (2)
St Michael Institution, a school with colonial architecture

Day 2 - Ipoh (3)
The car I rented in Ipoh (It's a Proton Wira - a Malaysia-made car)

Day 3 - Ipoh (1)
Old chinese shophouses

Day 3 - Ipoh (2)
Sino-Portuguese style shophouses

Day 3 - Ipoh (3)
Alley-way of a row of shophouses

Day 3 - Ipoh (4)
Delicious chow-hor-fun (fried rice-noodle), Ipoh style!

Day 3 - Ipoh (5)
A herd of cows eating grass along a major road

Day 3 - Ipoh (6)
Perak Tong - A limestone cave converted into a Buddhist cave temple

Day 3 - Ipoh (7)
The interior of Perak Tong

Day 3 - Ipoh (8)
My mum paying respect to "thousand-arm Guanyin"

Day 3 - Ipoh (9)
2 stone benches advertising Chinese medical pills

Day 3 - Ipoh (10)
After living in the UK for 18 months, I'm pretty amazed to see a Tesco superstore in Ipoh...

Day 3 - Ipoh (11)
Gek Lok Tong, another Buddhist cave temple

Day 3 - Ipoh (12)
A nice and refreshing garden behind Gek Lok Tong

Day 3 - Ipoh (13)
Sunset at Ipoh

Day 4 - Ipoh (1)
Me and Auntie Yeo at Foh San Restaurant

Day 4 - Ipoh (2)
Interior of Foh San Restaurant (My mum commented that Foh San looks like a 1960s Hong Kong restaurant)

Day 4 - Ipoh (3)
Dim Sum!!!!! Foh San offers some traditional Dim Sum which are extinct in Hong Kong, such as Tai Pau (big bun), fishballs, Lap Cheung Kuen (Wax-sausage wrap), etc