Taiping 2007

Following our enjoyable trip to Pangkor and finally landing on the mainland, we had to make our way back north.
We couldn't resist to stop by and admire the serenity and peace at the famous state of Taiping which is proud to house the beautiful Taiping Lake and many other attractions.


I love the way the tree branches reach out to the lake....it's natural:D


We decided to go for a quick boat ride around the lake and enjoy the enchanting peace of the surroundings.






The beautiful lake which is similar to its city counterpart; Tasik Titiwangsa.


A manmade fountain stood somewhere in the lake

You can spot a colorful playground as well

Nice trees painting a perfect picture of the serene and green nature around the lake


Don't this tree reminds you of the Korean dramas: Autumn in My Heart and My Sassy Girlfriend?:D




After an enticing time at the Lake Gardens, we drove around the to check out their other attractions.

We came to this quiet area which happened to be the Taiping War Cemetery which laid all the brave soldiers who fought for their country to rest here.







The next stop was at the famous Maxwell Hill or the highest dampness density area in the whole Malaysia (Bukit Larut).

This place is famous among the fitness conscious hikers:)


A really nice and quiet state particularly if you are an avid fan of nature:)

Pulau Pangkor 2007 - Part 1

Earlier this year, I took a short 2 days escapade to one of our little gems located off the west coast shore and residing on the waters of the Perak state.

Pulau Pangkor (Pangkor island) is a small island which will take an hour's boat ride from the jetty in the small town of Lumut. The island itself is not as huge as one would imagine of its counterparts with likes of Penang or Singapore. In fact, Pangkor was a small and quiet fishing village where the residents on the island practically know everyone and I even heard that this island spans for a circumference of 20 kilometres from one end to the other!


This peaceful fishing village has lots more to offer besides its beaches as it was also pretty famous for their home specialty of the Fish Satay.

One should not miss out the opportunity to visit the Satay factory which and purchase a few packs for families and friends.


The fish satay is a processed biscuit-like pieces of preserved and marinated fish. The fish will be dried and preserved before being processed (flattened) through the machine to be packed as snack items (junk food) for sale. The exact process and preparation is not detailed here but it does include the marinating of the fish into preservatives and additives to make it tastier.


With a rented car to drive around the island, one can practically make a stop at your own leisure at the few spots on the island. A trip to an island will never be complete without a stop at the sands and sea.


Surrounded by the sea, there are several spots for the beaches in Pangkor which one can lay back and relax.





The sight of the open ocean and the abundance of sand that falls onto the toes upon stepping onto the beach can bring the feeling of relaxation and freedom from the world.




The island also has its tale to tell through the historic landmarks which have sized up the background of the island from the early days.
One such place which one should not miss is the Dutch Fort (Kota Belanda) which spins a simple story yet significant in its making.

Small in size but not to be overlooked in comparison to the famous forts of Cornwallis, A Famosa, this fort was also one of the defense points during those invasion days.







An interesting spiral-like maze on the grounds


The fort is supposedly in ruins but the walls and the structure of the fort seems to stand strong after all these years.

Every fort (big or small) will have their storekeeping cell for their weapons.

A view of the whole fort



Another interesting place to visit is the oldest Chinese temple on the island; which was hidden in the midst of the island.

Fu Lin Kong temple was the pride of the Pangkor residents. Though tucked away from the main town,this little temple attracts the crowd from the whole island's Chinese population during the auspicious occasions of the deities' celebration and also during Chinese New Year.





This little temple is just like any other Chinese temple but with attractions such as the Mini Great Wall and also a huge destiny rock.

The original Wonder of the world has commanded so much admiration that miniature replicas of it are created all over the world; and Malaysia is also included in their show.










Turtles to symbolize longevity. They are typically found in most Buddhist temples where ponds are built for people to release the animals to freedom as a sign of a good turn/deed done to ensure lives are lived freely.


There are other unique structures and pagodas in this temple.






The flight of stairs to lead to the Rock of Destiny


The HUGE rock of Destiny. The Chinese Character carved on the wall is "Yuen" or Yuan in Mandarin which literally translates as Destiny or Fate. I believe it is a rock where lovers come to pray upon:)


Time for a break from walking. Little shady huts and stools made of rock were located around the whole temple grounds.


Feels like I am in China:)





Another rock with inscribed Chinese character


Guess what is this?

It was actually donation boxes:)

Really creative huh!

To be continued in next Post...