Thanks to Tourism Malaysia and MOTAC Perak, I was once again in Taiping, indulging in its serene heritage trails and the laid back peaceful nature of the town… It is just no wonder this town has been said to be the most age – friendly town in the whole of Malaysia…

The (not so new) New Club of Taiping is one of the oldest clubs in the country…

“The New Club” came about when the then British Resident decided to limit the club membership to Perak Club to higher ranking officers and miners but not to planters…. Because of this, several senior Perak Club members resigned and formed the “New” club back in 1892….

The New Club might be pretty historical and old, but it boasts a whole load of facilities for its members from from golfing, swimming, gym etc. etc…

We had the opportunity to dine at the restaurant there… And boy, was the dishes just superb…

The Kari Udang Roti was prawn curry served in the middle of a breaded bowl.. The bread being more of a mantou kind of texture….

Then there were the 4 season beans, making up of French beans, long beans, etc… Sumptuous Marmite chicken and Sweet and sour fish…

Address – 1, Jalan New Club,
34000 Taiping, Perak

If you ever find yourself in Taiping, you really cannot miss visiting the gorgeous Taiping Lake Gardens… This lovely landscaped park, is said to have been modelled on London’s Kensington Park and other royal parks in Britain, was created from abandoned tin mines….

The magnificent raintrees that arches from one end towards the other end of the Gardens’ water’s edge are about 120 years old… And they are simply stunning, and picturesque….

You can see both youngsters and the elderly going about on their activities here… The elderly seem to thrive here in this town and they keep themselves busy at the Lake Gardens and other places….

Malaysia’s first ever Telegraph Museum, can be found here at Jalan Stesen in Taiping… And there are more than 50 artefacts which you can just explore from the telegraph, submarine cable from the 1870s, a massive stone grinder, old clothing and many items from between the 18th century and the year 2012..

It is only apt that the Telegraph Museum is set up in the very building that housed the first Post and Telegraph office in then Malaya in 1883…

Here visitors can learn all about the history of telegraph communications system, including its introduction and how the technology has contributed to the development of the country.

I think I was most astounded and piqued by the 1870s submarine cable, which was the earliest cable in the world… Can you believe this cable used insulation material made from the Gutta Percha tree extract!!!!

There are also the transmitter and reception tools as well as other peripherals related to telegraph system. And while you are there why not dress up as a telegraph officer and get into the spirit of sending off a telegraph message or two…

Address – 2664, Jalan Stesen, 34000 Taiping

Antong Coffee Mill is said to be the oldest mill in Malaysia, having been around since 1933…

But what made this 84 years old historical mill even more interesting besides preserving their traditional way of making wood-roasted coffee powder till this day is the fact that it is began operations and is still in operations at what was  Chen Cuifen’s (1873-1960) villa…

In case you are wondering who Chen Cuifen is, she was known as “Forgotten Revolutionary Female” and “The first revolution partner” and she who is said to be the concubine of Sun Yat-sen…. The house is partially an office and also open for visits from the public…

Antong Coffee Factory sources its coffee beans from both Malaysia and abroad…. The coffee beans are roasted in ovens fuelled by recycled wood and mangrove logs before molten sugar is mixed into the pot together with the coffee beans and apparently other secret ingredients are aded to give the coffee mix its distinctive flavour….

Visitors are welcomed to taste various brews of Antong’s coffee which are  available in self-service dispensers for sampling…

They have black coffee, white coffee (coffee made from white coffee beans), mocha and also durian-flavoured ones and honey lemon… Don’t forget to buy some back..

Address – No. 8A, Assam Kumbang, 34000 Taiping Perak

We also visited the huge grey scale mural painting of Amelia Earhart, the first woman who attempted to fly solo around the world, this mural painting has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as “The Biggest Outdoor 3D Mural Painting” since it is one of the murals that has been fully painted across the entire wall of a shophouse at Jalan Abdul Jalil…

The mural is about 14.6m tall and 27.4m wide and painted by six artists over three months using weatherproof paint…

It is said that Amelia Earhart had stopped at the Tekah Aerodome here on June 20, 1937 to refuel during her journey…

So we had lunch at the Asam Pedas Restaurant in Kemunting before leaving Taiping…

Here in this simple shop house selling mixed rice, you can indulge in a number of local favourites such as Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (Stingray), Gulai Masak Lemak Telur Itik (Duck Egg) , Ayam Goreng Berempah and Anak Taman Goreng…

There are also other interesting menu consisting of Kari Ikan, Tauhu Jepun, Rendang Ayam, Sambal Tumis Udang dengan Petai, Sup Kepala Ikan, Sambal Tumis Sotong, Ikan Goreng, Keli Goreng, Sepat Masin Goreng, Masak Lemak Pucuk Paku dengan Tempoyak, Pecal, pelbagai sayur, pelbagai ulam, Sambal Machang, Sambal Tempoyak, Jeruk Maman….

For refreshments, we had some Amra juice with sour plums…

Frankly speaking, the food was pretty delicious and fulfilling… So yes, it is worth another visit or two of course.. And highly recommended if you love local flavours…

Address – 10, Persiaran Kamunting 2, Kampung Jana Baharu, 34600 Kamunting