A Day Trip To Hulu Selangor On Christmas Day

A group photo of us at Serendah Waterfall

On Christmas Day, December 25, 2017, my wife Soh Ai and I joined my cousin brother Pan Mok Weng, his wife Penny Lim and another friend Molly Yeoh to Rasa, Serendah and Batang Kali in the district of Hulu Selangor for a day trip of enjoying food and sight-seeing.

The location of Rasa, Serendah and Batang Kali we went this day

Soh Ai and I left home at 9.10am and we drove to Taman Puchong Utama.  We reached Pan’s house at 9.45am, 15 minutes ahead of the appointed time of 10.00am.  Traffic was very smooth!

We went in one car driven by Pan at 10.00am and arrived at Kepong to pick up Molly at 10.30am. 

Pan took the newly opened Rawang bypass with elevated bridge to go to Rasa (叻思).  We reached Rasa town at 11.30am and had lunch at Restoran Sin Hoe Huat (新和发酒家), Taman Rasa Jaya, Rasa.  We ordered claypot mutton (羊肉煲, RM 25), soy sauce steamed fish-head (酱蒸鱼头, RM 30), char siew pork (叉烧, RM 18) and vegetable (清炒树苗, RM 8).  All the dishes were very delicious and it was really worth our trip to travel so far (about 84 km from Puchong) for food there.  All-in cost including rice and drinks was RM 91.50.

Main road of Taman Rasa Jaya

The shop front of Restoran Sin Hoe Huat

Claypot mutton

soy sauce steamed fish-head

char siew

green bean and pumpkin drink

A pose at the restoran

Soh Ai buying some petai after lunch

Petai sold at RM 10 per bundle

After lunch, we wanted to visit the 100-year old building “Grand View Garden” (叻思大观园) also known as haunted house. But it was not open for public admission.

We then proceeded to Serendah (双文丹) where we visited the Perigi Tujuh (七仙井) and Serendah Waterfall (双文丹三夹瀑布).

Perigi Tujuh Serendah (Seven Wells)

Scenic seven wells

There are seven spectacular larger circular vertical water drainage culverts placed in the river in  Perigi Tujuh and it is really amazing as water keeps flowing into the “wells” and being discharged through the nearby dam.  There were hardly any tourists there when we visited.

But the 8.5 ft high Serendah Waterfall was full of tourists when we visited at about 2.30pm.  There were plenty people having picnic and playing with water.  Parking was only RM 1 per car.  It was observed that the road entering the place is very narrow, passing through jungles and Orang Asli’s timber houses.

Serendah Waterfall

Pic from right: Pan MW, Penny Lim, Molly Yeoh, Soh Ai and the blogger  

We wanted to have coffee and other refreshment at Yee Kee Kopitiam, Kampung Dato' Harun, Serendah which is known to offer different hawker delights, but we arrived at the destination, it was closed.  What a big disappointment!

Batang Kali specialty

The next stop was to purchase Batang Kali specialty of Swee Len Food Industries (瑞麟饼家) --  LaoHuei (蓼花) and MuaLao (麻蓼) cookies made of glutinous rice, sesame seed, sugar, maltose and vegetable oil at its house No. 65, Kampung Bukit Chandang, Batang Kali as its business shop was also closed.

  

At 3.30pm, we stopped over at a packed road-side Thai food stall (with no trade name) for tomyam meehoon and roasted pork ribs.  The business was a brisk as many foods were sold out but customers kept coming.  We didn’t manage to order any drinks despite taking 3 bowls of very very spicy tomyam meehoon and a plate of pork ribs costing us RM 39.50.

tomyam beehoon (ultra-spicy)

roast pork ribs

Thai food stall by the road-side

We returned to Kepong Baru at about 4.50pm and had tong sui (sugar water) at K.T.Z. Food (Fruitti Stall).  Pan took red bean fuitti (RM 5.95) Penny, Molly and I took peanut butter while Soh Ai waterchessnut (each RM 2.65).  The total cost of food and beverage of today’s trip amounted to RM 147.55 and shared among us roughly RM 30 per pax.

 

Fruitti stall at Kepong Baru

After sending Molly back amidst drizzling, we returned to Puchong Utama (no rain along the way) for me to pick up my car.

Soh Ai and I left Puchong at 6.00pm and it was raining cats and dogs near Seri Kembangan.  There was little rain near BSL and we arrived home at 6.35pm, concluding an enjoyable day outing, many thanks to the invitation of Pan ad the good company of Penny and Molly!