5D4N Trip to Ipoh & Selama, Perak 16-20 December, 2021

DAY 1  (Thu. 16 Dec., 2021)

My wife Soh Ai, our eledest son Wai Kit and I left home at 8.15am with Wai Kit at the wheel. The traffic was quite heavy and we reached Rawang Rehat & Rawat (Rest & Recreation) stop at 10.15am for our belated breakfast.  We had 3 sets of ayam penyet (RM26.70), hot mutton (RM14.90) and mutton soup (RM11.90).

At 11.10pm we stopped by Red Mountain Sun Yin Loong White Coffee (红泥山新源隆白咖啡主题馆), a modern and wooden interior café located at Jalan Lahat, Bukit Merah Industrial Area, Ipoh for lunch. There were quite many visitors patronizing this café and photo-taking of the environment was an attraction. We ordered 2 glasses of SYL white coffee (RM4.50 each), 1 kopi c (RM4.50), 2 plates of different chee cheong fun (RM9.00 each), 3 pc. homemade caramel custard (RM5.00 each), sticky rice with kaya (RM4.00), paper wrapped chicken wing (RM3.50), total RM54.00.  

We left Sun Yin Loong at about 1.20pm and proceeded to the Lost World Hotel of Tambun, Sunway City, Ipoh where Wai Kit had booked a double-bed room at the hotel including tickets to Theme Park for 2 pax.

It is reported that Lost World Of Tambun is an action packed, wholesome family adventure destination. This self-contained wonderland is cocooned by lush tropical jungle, natural hot springs, breathtaking limestone features of 400 million years of age and seven amazing attraction parks making it the ultimate day and night destination for a unique eco-adventure excursion for visitors of all ages.

Lost World Of Tambun offers not only a “lost paradise” that promises fun and wholesome experience for all ages but also a conducive learning environment with a range of fun educational elements around the park. It is said to be the only theme park in Southeast Asia with natural hot springs coupled with an array of attractions and rides.

We reached Lost World Hotel at 2.45pm and checked in with an extra bed charged at RM105. An additional ticket to enter the Theme Park is RM48.00 after 35% discount.

We visited the Theme Park from 6.15pm till 9.30pm amid drizzling for the most part of the evening.

The theme park features Water Park, Amusement Park, Lupe’s Adventure, Haunted Chambers, Tiger Valley, Luminous Forest, Calopia, Tin Valley, Hot Springs Night Park, Crystal Spa, Swan Lake, Animal Care Centre, Petting Zoo, Hippo Kingdom and Adventure Park.

We walked around for sight-seeing and I was particularly impressed with the Luminous Forest.  Taken many photos in the park and enjoyed the outdoor Fire Show despite standing in the drizzle. I also soaked my legs in the hot spring pool (40⁰ to 45⁰ C) for about 20 minutes. It was a mishap that Wai Kit’s mobile iPhone malfunctioned because of exposure to drizzle while taking photos of the Fire Show.

Red Mountain Sun Yin Loong White Coffee (红泥山新源隆白咖啡主题馆)

Arriving at Sunway Lost World of Tambun

At the hotel reception lobby

Map of Lost World Theme Park

View of our hotel room

Room keys and breakfast coupons

Entrance to Theme Park

Fire Show

DAY 2  (Fri. 17 Dec., 2021)

In view of the malfunction of Wai Kit’s iPhone and hence the inability to use MySejahtera to scan for checking-in, he decided not to take breakfast at the hotel and wanted get his phone fixed first.

Soh Ai and I took buffet breakfast at the Garden Cafè attached to the Theme Park. Food and beverage were simple. I was told that walk-in buffet breakfast would cost RM20 per pax.

We checked out from the hotel at 9.30am and Wai Kit drove to a phone shop with the help of Google.  He found out that it might not worth repairing his iPhone and decided to buy a new one instead as he had already in mind to do so.  Soh Ai contacted her Ipoh friend Mike Boo who suggested that Wai Kit could buy a new iPhone at Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall where there is an iPhone chain store “Machines”.

While Wai Kit bought his new iPhone 13 at the Machines and needed time to transfer data from the old phone to the new one on the spot, and Soh Ai called Mike Boo to pick up to have lunch with Boos’ wife, I contacted my 3^rd cousin sister-in-law to fetch me to pay a visit to my 4^th aunt (92 years old) currently residing in Private Residential Elderly Home Care at Taman Pertama, Ipoh.  

I bought a packet of seedless green grapes (RM15.65), a tin of Quaker oatmeal instant (RM8.90), 1 litre Summerfield low fat milk (RM7.50) and 5 pcs. Of hot dog buns (RM4.90) at Jaya Grocer of Ipoh Parade as a gift to my aunt.

As my 3^rd cousin brother 源琨 visited his mother on a daily basis, he did not join me to the visit. His 40-year old daughter Stella (happened to be on leave that day) drove her mum and I to visit the Elderly Home Care.

I had a good chat with my 4^th aunt who looked cheerful and with good spirit. That was the beginning of the 3^rd month since she was admitted to the Home Care after experiencing discomfort from the booster shot of vaccination earlier.

After the visit, we went to 源琨’s house and together we went for lunch at Restoran Sun Tuck Kee (新德记炒粉小食店) at the tourist street of Ipoh town. We had 3 dishes of different types of noodles, meat balls, braised chicken feet and bean sprouts.  

After lunch, as we walked back to our car, my cousin showed me the iconic tallest building in the centre of Ipoh city, namely The Octagon (八角楼), rebuilt from a two-storey round market into the present 23-storey luxury condominium in 2016. Quite a landmark building indeed!

Stella dropped me off at Ipoh Parade where I rejoined with Soh Ai and Wai Kit for our continuing journey to Selama, Perak.

We left Ipoh at 3.00pm I took over the wheel and we reached Rantau Panjang, Selama Perak at 5.00pm.  The main purpose of this trip was for Wai Kit to visit his 84-year old grandmother, as he would be going to Bangkok on 1^st January, 2022 on his company’s assignment to develop business there and would not be at home during the coming Chinese New Year.

View of Lost World of Tambun Theme Park in the morning

A pose with a hotel reception staff

Garden Cafe for buffet breakfast

My buffet breakfast

Ipoh Parade

Foodstuff I bought for my aunt

Wai Kit working on his new iPhone 13 at the shop

Main entrance to Ipoh Parade

Visiting my 92-year old aunt

Stella Mok advising her grandma how to deal with the foodstuff

My 3rd cousin brother's house

A pose with my 3rd cousin brother 源琨 (one year older than me)

Our lunch venue - famous for noodles in Ipoh 新德记炒粉小食店

月光河

Our lunch

A group photo

The Octagon Ipoh  八角楼

Just arrived at Rantau Panjamg

Soh Ai's primary school classmate Ah Boon

Night fall at Rantau Panjang

DAY 3  (Sat. 18 Dec., 2021)

In the mornning at about 11.30am, my wife and her mother and I drove to the newly opened Kedai Serbaneka Zon Jimat at Pusat Perniagaan Ixora, Selama, Perak for shopping. We bought a total of 23 itmes of daily supplies (many costing only RM1.90 or RM2.10) for RM75.60.  We really returned with our arms full so to speak.

In the evening at 5.30pm, we left Rantau Panjang and went to Selama town for dinner but found the restaurants closed.  We went to Serdang, Kedah and patronized Restoran Fong Ting Siew ( 峰亭秀海鲜楼).  We ordered Thai style steamed fish (泰式白须公蒸鱼 RM48.00), Yam with meat sandwich (五香芋头扣肉 RM28.00), Dragon grass with sprouts (青龙伴豆芽 RM10.00), Fried squid (炸苏东 RM15.00).  The total bill including rice and beverage came to RM112.50.  

Kedai Serbaneka Jimat at Selama Perak

My mother-in-law and wife selecting daily necessities to buy

Restaurant at Serdang, Kedah

Wai Kit and his Grandma

Thai style steamed fish 泰式白须公蒸鱼

Yam with meat sandwich 五香芋头扣肉 (pic right)

Fried squid 炸苏东

DAY 4  (Sun. 19 Dec., 2021)

It was raining non-stop this morning and didn’t stop till about 3.50pm. In fact, it has been raining everyday for the past few days.

Our initial plan was to leave Rantau Panjang and return to K.L. today.  But we received news of KL/Cheras flooding and fearing traffic jam along the North-South Highway, we decided to stay on for another day.  Wai Kit can work online the next day and after he finishes his office duty at about 5.00pm, then only will we embark our homeward-bound journey.  

This was the very first time that our visit to Rantau Panjang was prolonged for another day!

A view of Jalan Besar, Rantau Panjang

DAY 5  (Mon. 20 Dec., 2021)

It was not raining this morning and news about Cheras flood having been receded was enlightening to me. At least, we were able to return home today.

We left Rantau Panjang at 4.45pm after Wai Kit finished his work. Due to heavy traffic on the highway, we managed to reach Tapah only at 7.30pm for dinner.  We had our dinner at Restoran Jin Chen (金城餐馆) near Tapah Toll. Bought some foodstuff from the restaurant before we left.

After dinner at 8.25pm, I took the wheel and with fairly heavy traffic condition on the highway, we finally returned home at 10.45pm, concluding our 5D4N outstation trip.

Monday morning roadside market 

Just left Tapah toll

Restaurant at Tapah