Out of Kampar and into the Lost World of Tambun. We purchased a two-night stay at Matta Fair promotional rates. It was around RM300 per night for an Executive Suite at Lost World Hotel , with extra bed inclusive of buffet breakfast for three and entrance to the hotsprings night park.
The four-storey hotel faces the exciting Lost World of Tambun theme park with an incredible view of lush ancient limestone hills in the background. Eight of us arrived in the afternoon to wide smiles and heartwarming welcome. As soon as we parked our car, the concierge rolled the luggage carrier over. The hospitality is amazing and check in was quick!
This is the lobby, decorated with out-of-this-world blue circular sofas. I was so attracted to the UFO-styled sofas that I started googling for where to buy this. When I began envisioning how it would fit into our small apartment, it hit me that, "Oi! Comfy meh? ". I mean what was I going to do with it - curl myself around the thing to watch TV? Lol.
Lost World Hotel Check-In Counter
Lost World Hotel's Cute UFO Sofas
We were most excited to see the spaciousness of the room. It was like walking into an apartment. Two toilets, two TVs, a huge living room
with a proper fridge and a kitchen sink. Basic amenities like a hairdryer, ironing board, electric kettle, safe, it's all
there. What more could we ask for.
Living Room of Executive Suite
A Proper Fridge and Kitchen Sink
The Love Bed
Two TVs? No Way!
Another Angle Of The Room
Dressing Area Next To The Bathroom
Shower Enclosure
Pictured below is the Classical Room which my aunt and cousin stayed in. Compact sized, with basic amenities included plus a minibar. No proper fridge or kitchen sink but as this was a connecting room to our executive suite, my aunt didn't miss out on a thing!
Lost World Hotel, Classical Room
FOOD
The nearest and only eatery I could see, housed within the same building of the hotel, is Papparich. Good thing we brought our own food and snacks because we're complete greedy pigs during holidays. It made for that in between meal before heading to the Night Park because all that exploring the animal kingdom, tin valley, getting our thrills on the roller coaster and swimming tired us out!
We had initially made plans for dinner in town but we each carried that face that said please-let-no-one-insist-on-it. It would cut into our rest time and since we already had an amazing whole day at the park, we were amped up for the night one too - not willing to miss the fire show! But if you insist on going out for dinner, there are places just a minute drive away.
Anyway, on to the buffet breakfast which is located across the road near the entrance of the theme park. It carries both western and asian food. We made sure to eat our fill since there was a 'no outside food allowed' rule in the theme park. Although there are plenty of food stalls inside, you never know if there's a queue that could ruin your mood and if it would burst your travel budget.
The Buffet Breakfast at Lost World Hotel, Ipoh
One last thing, Giant Supermarket is a short distance away, about 1km or more, depending which route you take. FYI, the beer counter closes at 9PM.
That's that on my stay at Lost World Hotel. Wait 'til you read about the fun stuff we did! Lost World Hotel
Address: 1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway, Sunway City, 31150 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone: +6 05-540 8888
I remember this biscuit very well from my childhood. It was the most delicious thing my teeth sank into. Light, crispy, addictive stuff. There is no way I'd leave Kampar without buying a few packets of 'Chicken Biscuits' home. I never hunted for these cookies in KL although there's a high possibility that it is available here - if you ask me, the feeling's just not the same. That's like buying a fridge magnet of Melaka in Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur but never actually visiting the place.
Anyway, after a satisfying meal of chicken curry bread at Yau Kee, we drove to CB Red Label to hunt for chicken biscuits and other local snacks.The shop was little more that a minute away. We parked at the side of the building.
The friendly shopkeeper who invited us in mentioned that they'd been around for 40years.
Why this is called 'chicken biscuit' when it contains no chicken meat remains a mystery to me. It's made with red fermented bean curd (nam yue). We purchased a few varieties - soft chicken biscuits, crunchy chicken biscuits and light & crispy chicken biscuits. Light and crispy, being my favourite, the crunchy ones were a pain to chew into and the soft one was perfect for my old dad.
CB Kampar Chicken Biscuits
CB Kampar Chicken Biscuits - Crunchy One On Top.
See? No Chicken!
We also picked up two bottles of Kampar's famous Se Woh spicy chilli sauce. "Mui yee, buy-lah. Go. Buy.Don't know when we'll be back here again." That's how it ended up in our shopping basket. This chilli sauce is the perfect thing for chicken rice and if you want a dipping sauce with oomph! Strawberry Heong Peah? This biscuit is not made in Kampar but I found it hard to resist because it was in a flavour I had never tried. Was it yummy? Okay-lah. The original maltose flavour remains my top pick.
Se Woh Chilli, Heong Peah (Strawberry and Charcoal), The Shop Address
So there you go, these were the stuff we bought with plans to gobble some up during our vacation in Tambun Lost World. Nothing of the sort happened since I brought many little packets of nuts to snack on, instant noodles and chips. There's no chance of your tummy ever going 'kruuUuk, kruuk' if you travel with me. Lol.
Below is the address of their branch in Gopeng. According to the shopkeeper, this one's bigger and is a good rest area for travelers and tourists.
Although more than a month has passed since Malaysia's 14th General election, the day is still fresh in my mind. Hubs and I woke up early and was at the polling centre by 7.30am. There were tents along the road with people passing out tissue to voters.
It was a cheerful occasion. We made top 10 in the queue. I walked into the classroom and everyone was so smiley. Yup, ours was in a school. "Good morning!"we greeted one another. I stood back as my name and IC was read. My fingers were checked for nail polish. Moving on to the next person, I dipped my finger into the indelible ink, tissuing it dry moments after. Then, I was handed a slip of ballot paper. I marked it in secrecy behind a booth, folded it and put it into the box in the middle of the room. It was over in minutes.
Malaysia GE14 Queue
I had updated my address directly at the SPR office in Kepong over a decade ago so I needn't fly back to my hometown to vote. If I hadn't, I'd be one of those rushing to purchase flight tickets home, keeping my fingers crossed that it'd be cheap and there'd be seats available. Could have easily been a boo-hoo sob-sob situation for me in many ways.
Anyway, I'm glad I did as the election scene in Kuala Lumpur is pretty exciting. There were many eateries offering free breakfast and drinks to voters. Some gave discounts. There are even shops offering free services for the day. So many incentives to do our duty but really, wanting a better Malaysia should be motivation enough.
We were blessed with a free packet of nasi lemak and a cup of teh tarik when we popped into Plan B, Publika for breakfast. Not really expecting anything, we had already ordered bagel and eggs. So it was a pleasant surprise when they placed it on our table seeing that we had already voted - our inked finger being the proof.
Plan B - Nasi Lemak for GE14
Plan B - Bagel and Eggs
That night, we stayed up late to catch the results. We weren't alone. Friends and family whatsapped my phone with continuous updates but then it slowed to almost nothing all of a sudden. The results stopped coming in and it frustrated many Malaysians - we knew that something not bersih was going on!
It was a historical moment for us as news spread that the opposition had pulled off a shocking election win.
Many were glued to the TV the next day awaiting the swearing in of a new Prime Minister, with as many discussing how to remove the indelible ink from their finger online. The ink started out light purple for us and was almost a dark dirty brown by
the time we reached home. My friend Kathy had the answer - clorox.
Stained Index Finger - Indelible Ink GE14
Patriotism demands the ability to feel shame as much as to feel pride.
We should be proud of our country when we have done something to be proud of,
when we have lived up to our own standards.
But the flip side of genuine pride is being able to recognize when we have fallen short,
Some call it 'Golden Pillow Bread', some call it 'Jumbo Curry Bun'. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, a chicken curry bun by any other name would taste as delicious.
Continuing from my previous post on Kampar, where we quenched our thirst on a refreshing tall iced drink - The six of us decided on light lunch after that huge drink. Just a short distance away, is Yau Kee Restaurant, an eatery famous for their curry chicken buns. My cousin mentioned that they sell mutton curry buns too. I would have loved trying that one but there's only so much that my tummy can fit in. Haha!
Surprisingly, jumbo chicken curry buns are a thing in Kampar. Googling for food to try here, I found four places selling it. Besides Yau Kee, there's Kam Ling Restaurant, Jia Kampar and CB Kampar.
Yau Kee Restaurant, Kampar - Chicken Curry Bread
We sat in the air-con area and ordered one to try along with other dishes. Food was served quickly. We counted our blessings that we had stepped in here just before 12PM. A couple of buses stopped in front and soon the restaurant was filled with tourists!
Chicken Curry Bread For The Tourists!
The fried mantou and braised pork belly (pictured below) was pretty delicious but no match for the large curry bread, excitement-wise.
Yau Kee Restaurant, Kampar
Just before serving, the top of the bread is brushed with melted butter. The waitress alerted us to get our cameras ready if we were keen to snap pics of the bread being cut open, which we were. Lol, 'tourist' - I point at myself.
Chicken Curry Bread
Yau Kee Restaurant, Kampar
We dug in excitedly, tearing the bread off the sides and dipped it into the curry. The texture, taste and aroma is reminiscent of bread made in the olden days. It was so satisfying to eat. The chicken curry is a delicious match!
After that yummy lunch, we made our way to CB Kampar, a local snack shop located just a street away. But this is a story for another day, another blog post ;) Restoran Yau Kee
Address: 55 & 57, Jalan Idris, Kampung Masjid, 31900 Kampar, Negeri Perak, Malaysia.
Hours: Closes 10PM
Telephone: +6 05 - 465 1738
Dumpling Day is here and typical me purchased a few to savour. I like joining in the fun! I do the same for Mooncake Day and have my tang yuans on Winter Solstice Festival.
I got these rice dumplings from a roadside stall at Restoran DU Cafe, Dataran Sunway. This uncle sells local kuih and cakes but on this particular weekend, his table was loaded with bak changsand nothing else.
Roadside Stall at Restoran DU Cafe, Dataran Sunway
There are several varieties of sticky rice dumplings out there ranging from sweet to savoury - my favourite is those with meat filling, like the one pictured below.
Sticky Rice Dumpling
Rice Dumpling with Meat and Bean Filling
I don't think I've ever tasted a bak chang I didn't like so I'm warning you now - I should be the last person you think of to ask for an opinion on where to get the best. Haha!
We are like dumplings. We have different ingredients in us. That's what makes us a dumpling. That's what makes us unique - Ryan Hu
It's been a couple of years since mum's passing. My dad, now in his mid-seventies, told me that at first it felt like this loss was his alone. It took awhile but one day it hit him that many people around us have lost their loved ones too. Seeing them pick their lives up gave my dad the strength to keep going.
My brother has been encouraging dad to visit his hometown for the longest time. Dad upped and left the sleepy town of Kampar for East Malaysia in his early twenties, got married and stayed put.
He hasn't seen our Kampar relatives for many years. Anyway, he hadn't been ready until last month when I asked him if he'd like to
join the lot of us on a trip to Lost World of Tambun. Us, being my aunt
and cousins. When he said yes, I arranged for a short stop there. That's how we ended up savouring Kampar's yummiest food.
The first thing we did when we arrived was quench our thirst with tall ice blended drinks at Pusat Penjaja Kampar aka Medan Selera Kampar (along Jalan Masjid), Stall 25.
We ordered mango and dragonfruit.
Ice Blended Mango, Medan Selera Kampar
"No sugar," added my aunt.
"Cannot, cannot! It won't turn out," argued the fierce lady taking our order. She explained that without it, the drink will not hold as high.
"Okaylah, okaylah. Less sugar!" we convinced her with many smiles. She warmed up to us and was soon cracking a few jokes with our gang.
It was hard to resist snapping a lot of photos for this one. I'd never seen a drink so tall. The ice was melting at a pace we could keep up. Also, all we had to do was quickly eat until the top of the glass and then we could take our time.
The sweetness was perfect and the taste of fresh fruit was there. Our gang gave it a thumbs up!
Ice Blended Dragonfruit, Medan Selera Kampar
I read that this place closes in the afternoon so we made sure we were there by 11.30am.
Stall 25, Medan Selera Kampar
Pusat Penjaja Kampar (Kampar Hawker Centre)
Have you had any drinks as tall as this in Malaysia? Let me know so that I can add it to my growing list of places to eat!
EcoWorld doesn't do things in a half-half kind of way. This property developer is known for adding a little magic into their construction projects. I don't mean real magic, of course but small things that make us go ooh and aah or is visually captivating. Expect an environment with art and nature infused in its designs.
I'd been wanting to visit Eco Sky since Hubs had driven pass the area several times on our way to Tesco Selayang. Eco Sky is located right beside this hypermarket. Plus point - don't have to go far to purchase groceries!
Eco Sky is a mixed development comprising three towers of serviced apartments which are about forty floors high each, and 140 commercial units in 4/5-storey buildings that face each other like two giant pieces of macaroni.
Eco Sky, Kuala Lumpur
The place is fairly quiet with few tenants in the commercial units and seemingly empty residential towers; slow-moving because it is priced beyond what most Malaysians can afford.
Eco Sky
Eco Sky
In the middle of Eco Sky is a tiled park with a smatter of trees and a beautiful water feature. Neat, but it was the art piece I couldn't take my eyes off - a red sculpture of a person jumping into the water, apparently in slow-motion.
Let's Go Swimming at Eco Sky
Splash!
Hubs and I took the lift up to the highest floor of the retail lots for a better view of the area. Overall, it was pleasing on the senses and quite the place for a cuppa with the girl friends.
Oi! No Swimming Allowedlah!
Eco Sky Commercial Units
Eco Sky Carpark and Serviced Apartment Tower
It was a hot afternoon so we settled down for a cold drink and ice cream at myNEWS.com. My first choice was actually Donutes, a cozy looking bakery cum cafe with large glass windows but I made a quick u-turn out when I saw the crowd! The ambiance in Donutes was cheerful and all good vibes - I love it ...but cannot sit long-long and ceritalah (storylah).
I Scream For Ice Cream
The public toilet is located in a hidden tunnel next to the red bench with the sign 'The Deck' above it.
Eco Sky Public Toilet
Eco Sky Public Toilet
We left feeling like this would be a great place to stay seeing how we could lepak downstairs.
The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the illegally parked cars on both sides of the inner road leading to Tesco and the daily traffic jam that is Jalan Kuching's (?) trademark.
In case anyone's keen, Maybank has a Rent To Own scheme (#HouzKEY) for this property starting from RM2.6k per month. More about Maybank's #HouzKEY here and here.
Train to Butterworth and back. ETS, short for Electric Train Service, is currently my favourite way of traveling. No more worrying about getting bus drivers with an adrenaline high on the road and braving the menace of traffic jams. That, and how we have to hold off our toilet needs until we reach a rest area; Plus how boring to remain seated the entire journey!
The ETS has given me a freedom I find refreshing.
KTM ETS At Butterworth Station
I took my ride from KL Sentral. The waiting zone was on the upper floor. When it was nearly time to board the train, the ticketing assistant approached us and held up a placard with train details. Everyone assembled in front of her. With card held high, she herded us like tourists a floor down, leading us to the boarding area.
Boarding The ETS To Butterworth, Penang
Ten minutes into the journey, a train conductor checks our ticket and gives it a stamp of approval, for real.
Platinum tickets gets me to Penang in the shortest time at 4 hours with the least stops made in between. Passengers get a drink and snack/s. I was given a bottle of soybean drink on my first trip down. On the more recent trip, they gave us a bottle of mineral water, a cookie and a packet of nuts. [Update 01/06/18: Snacks and drinks will not always be provided. It's a 'your lucky day' thing!]
No snacks or drink was provided for free on the Gold ticket train I
hopped on once - this ticket is priced cheaper and takes a longer travel
time.
Platinum Tickets Train Snacks
What. The. Hard-boiled eggs, char siew pao, pulut panggang, a huge tin of peanuts. I turned to look at the group of happening senior citizens seated across the aisle who seemed to be having a picnic on the train. Food is a little pricey here and runs out quickly, so it's best to bring your own which was what our cheerful neighbouring passengers did.
There is a total of 6 coaches, 3 toilets and 1 FnB bar. More than enough overhead luggage compartment above the seats and a dedicated section for larger bags.
KTM ETS Toilet
This is the most spacious one on board to accommodate wheelchair users.
I love going to the FnB bar as an excuse to stretch my legs and enjoy hanging around the connecting area near the glass doors. These doors open with the press of a button located in the middle. Watching the scenery made the journey peaceful and zen-like. I could have done that from the comfort of my seat but my itchy legs wouldn't have allowed it - gotta walk or stand a bit.
KTM ETS FnB Kopi Centre
There's sandwiches, noodles and rice.
For those who can't let go of their electric devices, there is a power socket below each pair of seats where you can charge phones or power up laptops. It must be said though that it is difficult to reach in the tight space we had between seats. I saw a sweet young chap volunteering to assist an uncle with it.
3-Pin Socket Below
There's a tray table for each seat like those on aeroplanes. If you're traveling in a group, there are seats that face each other, just for 4 or 8 if you take the ones across too. The best thing about these seats is the large shared table in between - I'm thinking monopoly and a host of card games.
Tray Table
The air-con is really cold and many people had their sweater on along with a cup of hot milo or coffee in their hands. I was already dressed in warm clothes when I boarded the train so I didn't have to go digging my bag for a long-sleeved anything.
Eh, what's that on the wall? A secret trash bin! Not so secret now that I've noticed it. This is my lepak spot on the train.
KTM ETS - The Bin and My Lepak Spot
When we arrived at Butterworth station, we hopped onto the free shuttle bus service heading to the ferry terminal. Even though it was within walking distance, construction work of a new building made it difficult and unsafe to access on foot.
The ride across by ferry to Penang island took a mere 15minutes.
KTM ETS Butterworth Waiting Area
KTM ETS Butterworth Waiting Area
I was impressed that train was punctual in leaving and reaching our destination. On my second trip however, there was a 15-30 minute delay due to construction works of a new track in Kuala Lumpur. It was going slow as a safety measure when it passed this area.
A short footage of the scenery I saw on my train ride on the earlier part of my journey back to KL:
Tickets can be purchased online (http://www.ktmb.com.my/ktmb_ui/) but I have yet to try this. I get mine from KL Sentral.
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