Not too long ago, in one of the Tourism industry get-togethers I attended, I met a Malaysian travel agent who had such an effervescent personality that I simply was floored by all the nice destinations in his country which he described with much gusto and enthusiasm. Rocky Kho is the managing director of Skyzone Tours & Travel SDN BHD headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, and he exudes all the qualities that an effective salesman should have.
One of the destinations he described was Ipoh. I didn’t even know there was a Malaysian city by that name. But when I found out that Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh is from this city, I became interested because I watched her in that James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, and several years later, in Memoirs of a Geisha.
Ipoh is approximately 200 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur and, just like the Philippines, its climate is tropical, with temperatures reaching as high as 32 degrees. It started out as a mining town and progressed into a bustling city when a local millionaire who amassed wealth from mining tin developed large tracts of land. Today, the city is home to many progressive Malaysian businesses.
So, what attractions lure visitors to Ipoh? Gua Tempurung, popular among spelunkers and cave enthusiasts, is one of the longest caves in Malaysia. Part of it has been developed as a show cave with electric lighting and walkways, and tours of different lengths and difficulty are being offered. There are three very large chambers that display spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.
A most interesting attraction is Kellie’s Castle, which was owned by Scottish rubber planter William Kellie Smith who also dabbled in the tin mining industry. He built it to celebrate the birth of his son who came 11 years after his firstborn, a girl. Smith had this fascination with India, so he incorporated many Hindu elements in the structure, making its exterior quite attractive. The building prides itself with having the very first elevator in Malaysia, which goes from the roof of the castle down to the underground tunnels.
Unfortunately, the castle was never finished because Smith contracted pneumonia and died while on a short trip to Portugal. A short time thereafter, his wife and children left Malaysia and never came back. The impressive structure is quite well preserved and was even used for the movie Anna and the King. Spirit questors would be interested to know that the late owner’s spirit has been reportedly seen pacing at night in the second floor corridor, and his daughter, wearing a white blouse and curly hair, still haunts her old bedroom.
Another attraction ideal for families with young children is The Lost World, a water theme park hidden among lush greenery and surrounded by limestone cliffs. Drawing in the crowds for the past 12 years, the park is landscaped with vines, creepers and lush tropical plants to give the illusion of a pre-historic lost world. It features a wave pool, natural hot spring, tube slides and a petting zoo.
Something interesting is the former Hakka miners clubhouse, now the Han Chin Pet Soo Museum. It is a source of curiosity among the locals who never got to enter it during those early years. It became a symbol of the shadowy deals that took place among the tin miners – prostitution, gambling, opium smoking and triad activities. These are shown and explained in detail as you go through the exhibits in the museum, providing an interesting insight into the early history of Ipoh.
And if you really want something exotic, the Rafflesia, the world’s biggest flower, may be found about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Ipoh, and by trekking for another hour-and-a-half more. Named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who led an expedition that first discovered it deep in an Indonesian forest, the Rafflesia is parasitic and gets its nutrients from the lianas it grows on. It is quite fascinating because these “plants” have no stem, no leaves, no bark, and no roots. Neither do they need chlorophyll which is staple to all plants. This five-petal flower has an average diameter of three feet and emits a very foul odor resembling that of a rotting corpse, a terrible way, I must say, to direct tourists to their specific location.
There were many other attractions that my newfound friend, Rocky, described and you can check them all out at www.skyzonetours.com. Better still, if you plan a trip to that neighboring country soon, you might want to contact Rocky directly through rockykho@skyzonetours.com. His zest for Malaysian tourism, which gave me a good grip on Ipoh, already convinced me to schedule a visit to that city soon.
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YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
Paddy, the Irishman, was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn’t find parking space. Looking up to heaven, he said, “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking spot, I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish whiskey!” Miraculously, a parking slot appeared. Paddy looked up again and said, “Okay, no need! I found one!’