Take The Path Less Ordinary

All Malaysians who didn’t sleep through history classes with tell you that the region of Larut-Matang-Kuala Kangsar is where the song of history hit high notes again in 19th century and it is THE place where Malaysia’s foundation of wealth originated.

After demise of Malacca Sultanate in 15th century, Malaysian history laid low for the next few centuries. It was the discovery of tin that fueled its comeback. Let us take you on a journey that backtracks from 19th century tin mining heydays to the very spot where a Malay kingdom emerged from riverbanks of Kuala Kangsar in 1528 A.D.

Surprisingly, it was an elephant that sparked the revival.

When Long Jaafar’s pet elephant wandered off into the jungle for a stroll in 1848, history took a new turn when it returned with tin ores on its body. The discovery slingshot the region of Larut Matang into limelight and hordes of prospectors and foreign interest came pouring in to have their fingers in the pie. The tin rush bestowed the region with Malaysia’s many firsts (the railway station is one of them) and spurred quaint English-planned town Taiping that strung work and play together.

How Taiping earned its name is just as interesting.

It took a lot of bloodsheds during the Larut War before warring factions decided to put their arms down and agreed upon the name Taiping - meaning “eternal peace” - to commemorate the 1874 reconciliation treaty signed in Pangkor Island. Thankfully, after a century, Taiping is still living up to its name.

Today, many scenes around the region are still locked in the past. Go where few have gone before and learn in-depth about Malaysian history happenings and multi-culturism that survived to this day, hands on with a local expert.

Quick Itinerary Glance

9.00am – Pick up at hotel. Introduction, trip and safety briefings.
10.00am – Catch a glimpse of the riverside Ubudiah Mosque and royal palace, the epicenter of the only Malay kingdom descended directly from the 15th century Malaccan sultanate.
11.00am – Visit Ngah Ibrahim fort and learn about Larut Matang’s rich tin mining past.
12.30noon – Stand in awe before a temple with ornate roof made entirely of porcelain culinary and kitchenware
1.00pm – Lunch in Taiping’s casual market
2.00pm - Perak museum visitation
4.00pm – Take a drive around Taiping’s breathtaking lake gardens and soak up a myriad spread of English colonial leftovers while your guide drip feeds you with behind-the-scene tales.
5.00pm – Return to Ipoh / hotel.

Key Detail & Cost

Duration: 1 day, 9am - 5pm, 8 hrs.
Group Size: 2 - 7 people (min. 2 persons)
Season: January - December
Price: RM290 per person valid for Jan-Dec 2010 bookings

This excursion departs from Ipoh, a town some 200km north or 2hrs bus ride from capital Kuala Lumpur. We can pick and drop off at any taxi/bus station or hotel around Ipoh.

Price Includes …

- Breakfast and lunch with assorted offerings of local traditional food
- English-speaking history savvy guide.
- Entrance fee to all places in the itinerary
- Private transfer to all destinations & activities.

Trail tales

Ubudiah Mosque - Start the day on the right footing by journeying into the heartland of one of the oldest Malay Sultanate royal town in Malaysia.

Located in the banks of Perak river, Kuala Kangsar styled itself with breathtaking palaces, countryside charm and of course, the iconic Ubudiah Mosque.

Ubudiah (left) is often regarded as the most beautiful and revered mosque in Malaysia

Completed in 1919, not many know its Moorish architecture was a masterpiece mooted by the English. Designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, who was also responsible for Ipoh Railway Station, its construction was temporary halted during World War 1 and again later when the crown prince’s pet elephant strolled over and cracked the imported Italian marble floor. Built during the reign of 28th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah I, it was believed that the mosque was a token of thanksgiving for the recovery from an illness.

Ngah Ibrahim Fort - Built as the administrative center and home of Larut’s richest man in the heydays of tin rush, today, its interior has been converted into a rural museum that showcase tin mining artifacts, Malay crafts, weaponry and World War 2 leftovers.

After the fort, take a short walk to Capt Speedy’s Mansion and see how expatriates in the past work, live and play. Being thousands of miles away from homeland, the English went to make their stay as comfortable as possible by adapting local home design that is suited for the heaty tropical weather.

Culinaryware Temple - Taiping’s best kept secret is a temple that is crowned by ornate roofing made entirely of porcelain culinary wares like saucers, cups, spoons, pots and plates.

An old tale has it that the villagers were so poor they could not pay for decorative roofing works to complete the temple. In the end, everyone chipped in with whatever they could find in the kitchen and gave the temple its striking features today.

Worshipers make visits to the temple to practice a form of religion called Taoism, where idols of saints, deities and spirits are revered with offerings like fruits, joss sticks and cakes. Taoism does not fall strictly under an umbrella or a definition of an organized religion. The Three Jewels of Taoism are compassion, moderation and humility and they assert that man must place his will in harmony with the natural universe.

Century old Raintrees (Samanea Saman) mark the age of Taiping. Touted as Malaysia’s most beautiful lake garden, the 200 acres recreational garden’s history can be traced back to 1880 when Colonel E.S.F Walker came up with the brilliant idea of turning an ugly tin mining wasteland into a breathtaking park.

Blessed with daily morning sun and afternoon rainfall (Taiping being the wettest town in Malaysia), flora and fauna thrive well and a good collection of local tropical plants can be viewed here.

Rare architecture - Historians in the know will tell you that Taiping has one of the rarest collection of Nyonya Peranakan Cina baroque shophouses in the country. While visitors are veered to touristy Penang and Malacca for Peranakan anecdotes, Taiping remains the hub for those who appreciate untouched accolades.

From an anthropological standpoint, Peranakan’s highly stylistic houses are an evolutionary masterpiece that best portrays racial intermesh not found anywhere else in the world. The frontage may be as narrow as 7m but it is not uncommon for a shop house to have a length up to 35m while “hoe giak” (rich) households may live in houses with length up to 100m with an ancestral praying hall included. To ventilate its long interior, “khim cheah” or an open courtyard at mid section which forms an air well is a distinct feature of a Baba Nyonya home.

Peranakan is a term use to describe a sub-ethnic that came about from cross-marriages between Chinese and Malay people in the olden days. Peranakans speak a twang of Chinese that is peppered with Malay words. Although they dress like Malay and cook lip-smacking curries with local spice and ingredients, they are still tied to the tradition of Chinese culture.

English church - Established in 1886, the All Saint’s Church was the busiest place on Sundays in 19th century. As soon as the English set foot in Taiping, they wasted no time in building an Anglican church to mark their religious belief. If one combs the cemetery yard flanking the church ground today, many names made famous by history books can be found on tombstones.

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Trip type - Travellers can expect a day of easy-going walks and ride in our air-conditioned vehicle. The field trip is suitable for the young and old as needs for safety and steadfast guidance are kept firmly in mind. Couples, families and friends travelling together will have a good balance between activity and relaxation.

What to bring & wear - Relax and dress down in T-shirts, shorts and sandals. Store personal essentials and water in a small bag. And most important, bring an open mind.

History you can taste - Most local food has recipe that spans back for centuries. Lunch will be enjoyed in a Taiping town center most famous, and possibly the oldest foodcourt in Malaysia. The good eats are traditional handmade Nyonya Kuih (local dessert), Char Koay Teow (fried flat noodles), Ice Kacang (shaved ice cocktail) and Satay (meat skewers and peanut sauce).


Other good reads


1. Travelling to Ipoh by public transport
2. Get to know Ipoh as a place for holiday stopover between KL and Penang
3. Malaysian History - A country of mixed parentage for 500 years
4. Ethnicity and races in Malaysia
5. Our list of outdoor trip packages