The big banyan tree at Kuala Selangor

Continued from Baby Al-Rasyid at the Selangor royal mausoleum, Bukit Melawati.

Next we went down the hill of Bukit Melawati and head towards another hill called Bukit Keramat. After going around the area we entered a hotel resort we lies a big banyan tree.

Since small I have always been fascinated by such trees. It has been a while since I saw one this big.

There was one in Muar about as big which used to be my favourite playground for about two years. A good friend once came into two weeks comma and had to stay for a total of one month on the hospital bed after falling down from one of the branches, after following me playing the daredevil negotiating our way across the branch to its lower end. Even then I never stopped climbing up and down the tree, at times sitting on top the highest part accesible (should be about 20-30 feet off the ground) alone at dusk. For the record this is the 696th article in this blogspot.

Baby Al-Rasyid at the Selangor royal mausoleum, Bukit Melawati

Making another round of excursions between the northern trip stories...

The recent Wednesday me and family went up Bukit (hill of) Melawati in Kuala Selangor again and visited the Selangor royal mausoleum.

It is the first time me and wife brought baby Al-Rasyid here.


For information here lies the tombs of Selangor's first three Sultans...


Check how the tombs are positioned...

The royal mausoleum which lies on one side of Bukit Melawati overlooks the Kuala Selangor old town.

You could see a number of graves outside the main building still within the compounds of the royal mausoleum.

Entrance to the main building.

Al-Rasyid somehow found these grounds calming. He was seen standing, sitting in fact lying on the grass quietly with a serene face that seems to indicate he was happily feeling around a peaceful aura...

Around Alor Setar

Continued from The limestone hill called Gunung Keriang.

From Gunung Keriang we went to Alor Setar city centre and stopped at the Alor Setar tower...

Around here are a number of historical buildings. Among it is the Sultan Abdul Hamid gallery which used to be the Alor Setar high court.

In the middle of this picture is the Balai Nobat, the place for keeping royal instruments.

Hmm... these should be some monuments build it time for the proclamation of Alor Setar as a city 2003.



This is the Balai Besar, the hall for public functions built in 1735, the same year Alor Setar was made the Kedah centre of administration.

And this is the Masjid Zahir, the royal mosque built a century ago. For old articles related to or on Alor Setar check out these...

Alor Setar at last!

A typical day in Alor Setar?

Views on top Alor Setar's telecommunication tower...

New trip to the North - places in Alor Setar revisited...

Alor Setar and on

The limestone hill called Gunung Keriang

Continued from Revisiting the Kedah royal mausoleum in Langgar.

After visiting the royal mausoleum we went to a number of places before heading to this hill outside of Alor Setar...

Called Gunung (mountain of) Keriang it is quite an imposing presence which could be see from the city itself.

Gunung Keriang is known for its abundance of crystals.

It is a limestone hill with many caves, you just got to know where to find the crystals.

Here's the wife posing with baby Al-Rasyid in front of a cave.


Situated at lower ground, I couldn't find any crystal here. Why? First explanation, maybe there's just none here. Second explanation, if there's some, it would probably have been taken or chipped away by traders.

Anyway this limestone hill is quite huge.

It is situated on quite a large tract of land and like I said before there's many caves.

There's also gardens for people to rest and enjoy the surroundings.

Observe. There's also caves at the upper levels and I understand that's where crystals could be found in abundance, if you dare to take the risk climbing up.

Anyway let's watch the rest of the pictures without comment ya. Just observe where the caves are, where the crystals could be found...