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| SKYCAB, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Dataran Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Kuala Perlis Town, Perlis |
" LIFE is what happens when you're busy making other plans "
" My Cuti Cuti Malaysia & Staycation No 30 (Transition to Endemic Phase) free & easy visit together with my travel buddies, KF Wong, Maggie, Thompson Tham & wife, travelling by Thompson's vehicle from KL Sentral to Bukit Mertajam, Sungei Patani, Alor Setar, Kangar, Kuala Perlis, Pulau Langkawi & Taiping; my 63th outdoor trip after a National Lockdown (Movement Control Order / Emergency) imposed by the Malaysian Government on May 6 2021 due to a spike in Covid-19 cases; a National Vaccination campaign is currently being implemented by the Malaysian Government (Phase 1 started in Feb 2021), as at Feb 5 2022, a total of 22.9 million individuals or 97.9% of the adult population in Malaysia have completed their Covid-19 vaccinations; Malaysia is now under the Transition to Endemic Phase starting from April 1 2022, an exit strategy that could allow Malaysians to return to near-normal life after nearly 2 over years of battling the pandemic "
My travel buddies: KF Wong, Thompson Tham + wife & Maggie Lim (a group of 5)
Total expenses incurred (8 days 7 nights): Rm653 (US$137) per pax
-Hotel: Rm229 per pax (twin or triple sharing)
-Food:Rm201 per pax (pool or go Dutch)
-Petrol: Rm58 per pax (quad sharing)
-Highway Toll: Rm23 per pax (quad sharing)
-Parking Fee: Rm11 per pax (quad sharing)
-Ferry (Kuala Perlis > Kuah Jetty & return): Rm42 per pax
-Langkawi Car Hire Rm170 (2 days) + Petrol Rm35 + Parking Rm7 = Rm212 @ Rm42.40 (186km, a group of 5)
-Entrance fee: Paddy Museum Rm5 + Mahsuri Makam Rm12 + Skycab Langkawi Rm30 = Rm47
Exchange rate: US$1 = Rm4.75
Travel itinerary: KL Sentral > Ipoh > Chemor > Bukit Mertajam > Sungei Patani > Alor Setar > Kangar > Kuala Perlis > Pulau Langkawi > Taiping > Sungei Siput > Chemor > Kuala Lumpur (total mileage 1,437km)
Looming rainy season, Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Kew Ong Yeah Sept 26 > Oct 4), approx 1,450km of driving from Kuala Lumpur to the northern most states of Perlis & Kedah, Seberang Perai & Perak covering 9 cities / towns & return; Jalan Jalan (Walkabout) in Dataran Alor Setar (Kedah), ferry crossing from Kuala Perlis to Kuah Jetty, roaming the Eagle Square of Langkawi & cable car rides to the Middle & Top stations, my 1st time visit to Beihai Doumu Palace (Bukit Mertajam) by day & night, the scenic Kek Look Tong (Ipoh) & Taiping Lake Gardens; Makan Makan (Eating) hawker-style food (yam rice, pork leg in black vinegar, Lui Cha, steamed vegetable dumplings, Teow Chew porridge, fried Kway Teow, duck dumpling herbal noodle soup, Mal-Thai fried rice - Pattaya & Chiangmai style, iced kacang etc) & homestay in Bukit Mertajam & Langkawi; the pros & cons of travelling in a group (never mind the petty issues, one man meat's is another man's poison, occasional inconveniences, privacy, time management, team work, cost sharing etc) - these sum up the fabulous outcome (pros outweigh the cons) of my 4th Cuti Cuti (Vacation) Malaysia 8 days trip with my travel buddies (KF Wong, Thompson Tham + spouse & Maggie Lim) to the north-west coast of Peninsula Malaysia - so once again, wishing you a happy travelling, KM before 2022 slips away !
Travel Highlights:
1) Ipoh, Perak
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| Kek Look Tong, Ipoh, Perak |
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| Foh San Restorant, Ipoh , Perak |
2) Chemor, Perak
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| Guan Yin Temple, Chemor, Perak |
3) Bukit Metarjam & Butterworth (Seberang Perai), Penang
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Beihai Doumu Palace
Bukit Mertajam, Penang |
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Butterworth Art Walk
Bagan Luar, Butterworth, Penang |
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St Annes Church
Bukit Mertajam, Penang |
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Pek Kong Cheng Temple
Bukit Mertajam, Penang |
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| Bukit Mertajam Oldtown, Penang |
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| Kew Ong Yeah, Bukit Mertajam, Penang |
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| Taman Rimba, Bukit Mertajam, Penang |
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Mengkuang Dam, Seberang Perai
Penang |
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Hut N Pelajaran (Education Forest)
Air Itam, Seberang Perai, Penang |
4) Sungei Patani, Kedah
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| Street Art, Sungei Patani, Kedah |
5) Alor Setar, Kedah
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Pekan Melayu Pekan Cina
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Jeti Pekan Cina
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Street Art, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Kedah State Art Gallery
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Muzium Diraja Kedah, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Dataran Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| The Main Hall, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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The High Court Building
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Masjid Zahir, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Nobat Hall, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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The Big Clock Building
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Aman Central Mall
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Menara Alor Setar Tower, Kedah |
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Kew Ong Yeah (Nine Emperor Gods)
Street Procession, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Rumah Kelahiran Mahathiar
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Tugu Phlawan (Heroes's Monument)
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Pekan Rabu, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Wat Nidrodharam, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Alor Setar Beginnings, Kedah |
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Hai Choo Tua Pek Kong Temple
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Rumah Tok Su,
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Taman Jubli Emas
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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| Gunung Keriang, Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Gunung Keriang Recreation Park
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Paddy Field, Gunung Keriang
Alor Setar, Kedah |
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Paddy Museum, Gunung Keriang
Alor Setar, Kedah |
6) Kangar, Perlis
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| Street Art, Kangar, Kedah |
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Taman Rekreasi Tasik Melati
Kangar, Perlis |
7) Kuala Perlis, Perlis
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| Kuala Perlis Town, Perlis |
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AL - Hussian Mosque
Kuala Perlis, Perlis |
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| Kuala Perlis Waterfront, Perlis |
8) Langkawi, Kedah
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Ferry Crossing Kuala Perlis
> Kuah Terminal, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Kuah Jetty, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Jetty Point, Langkawi, Kedah |
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Dataran Lang (Eagle Square)
Langkawi, Kedah |
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MAHA Tower, Kuah
Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Kuah Town, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Chenang Beach, Langkawi, Kedah |
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Chenang Walk, Langkawi
Kedah |
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| The Datai Forest Habit, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Teluk Yu Beach, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Tanjung Rhu Beach, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Makam Mahsuri, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Laman Padi, Langkawi, Kedah |
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Perdana Quay, Telaga Harbour Park
Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Oriental Village, Langkawi, Kedah |
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| Langkawi Cable Car, Kedah |
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Langkawi Cable Car
Middle Station, Kedah |
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| Langkawi Cable Car - Top Station, Kedah |
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| Komplek Kraf Langkawi, Kedah |
9) Taiping, Perak
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| Taiping Lake Gardens, Perak |
Day 1 Friday Sept 23 2022 - the start of our group's visit from KL Sentral > Ipoh (visited Kek Look Tong & Foh San Restaurant); after the Ipoh visit, a stopover in Chemor for a lui cha lunch & a walkabout in Chemor town, Perak before heading to Bukit Mertajam for an overnight stay.
Travel Itinerary: KL Sentral > Foh San Restaurant > Kek Look Tong, Ipoh (approx 206km); Ipoh > Chemor > Bukit Mertajam, Penang (approx 362km, thanks to my travel buddy, Thompson, a skilful driver with confidence in long distance driving & I knew we were in capable hand)
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KL Sentral > Foh San > Kek Look Tong
(approx 206km) |
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Ipoh > Chemor > Bukit Mertajam
(approx 156km) |
1) Gunong Rapat, Ipoh, Perak
2) Gua Kek Look Tong, Ipoh, Perak - one of the most scenic cave temples in Ipoh, my last visit was over 20 years ago !
3) Cave Interior, Kek Look Tong, Ipoh, Perak
4) Garden with reflexology footpath, The 18 Guardian Lohan, sculpture of plants, birds & animals, Gunong Rapat, Kek Look Tong (back), Ipoh, Perak
5) Foh San Restaurant, Ipoh, Perak - an established dim sum restaurant in Ipoh, skipped having our dim sum lunch in Ipoh & instead had a Lui Cha lunch in Chemor, located 18km from Ipoh city.
6) Makan Makan (Eating) - our group lunch in Kopitiam Sembilan Tiga Dua, Chemor, Perak, each of us savoured a bowl of Looi Cha soup served with rice (Rm5.80 = US$1.20), made of oolong tea, various roasted nuts & seeds, mung beans & crushed puffed rice, this was the best Lei Cha I had ever eaten in my home country !
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| Lui Cha Rm5.80 (US$1.20) |
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| Taufu stuffed with meat @ Rm2 (US0.40) |
7) Guan Yin Temple, Chemor, Perak - a 121 year old temple set up by Chinese immigrants working in limestone quarries in Chemor.
8) Chemor Town, Perak - a main town in Kinta District, Perak
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