NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL, PARIS

NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL, PARIS

I visited the awesome Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, in May 24, 2010.

Little did I know that is the 'first and last' time I will see her. 

NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL

On April 15, 2019, massive fire guts Notre-Dame Cathedral – gutting the roof of the Paris landmark and stunning France and the world.

The fire, after burning for fifteen hours, was finally extinguished – it was assumed that the fire was accidental.

The cathedral sustained serious damage including the destruction of the timber spire over the crossing and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling.

POSING WITH A MUMMY OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL

Notre-Dame de Paris means 'Our Lady of Paris' often referred to simply as Notre-Dame. It is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the 'lle de la Cite' in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

The Cathedral is consecrated to the Virgin Mary and considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

Its pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress, its colorful rose windows, and the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration set it apart from the earlier Romanesque style.

NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL

Artwork, relics and antiques stored at the cathedral are – the supposed Crown of Thorns which Jesus wore prior to his cruxifixion and a piece of the cross on which he was crucified, a 13th-century organ, stained-glass windows, church bells and bronze statues of the Twelve Apostles.

STATUE SITTING ATOP THE CATHEDRAL

The cathedral's construction was begun in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, and completed by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries – desecration during French Revolution (1790) and the roof caught fire undergoing renovation (April 15, 2019).

Interest in the cathedral blossomed after the publication of Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) which led to major restoration project between 1844 – 1864.

STATUE IN A ROW

As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris. In 1805, Notre-Dame was given the honorary status of a minor basilica.

The cathedral is renowned for its Lent semons founded by the famous Dominican Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire in the 1860s.

Approximately 12 million people visit Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris.

BEAUTIFULLY CARVED DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL

MAY 24, 2010

FLEA MARKET, IPOH

IPOH: Come Sunday, the locals will throng the Memory Lane’s Flea market just to find something cheap, nice and unusual with a branded tag attached to the goods sold, here.

This Sunday market opens as early as 6am and ends at 1pm, and is patronized by housewives, families, collectors and even tourists who enjoys browsing the uncountable secondhand goods sold here.

TOYS OF ALL SORT

The market, also popularly known as “thieves market” got its unsavoury name because it was assumed that the goods sold were stolen and re-sold to the traders who sells it to genuine buyers.

For someone who lost his shoes, this is a good place to get it back if he is lucky to find it here, and pay a sum for the trader.

VISITORS SOURCING FOR OLD ITEMS

Part time trader who wants to be known as Adam, 28, rejected the idea that traders are selling stolen items.

He says people make that assumption because of the old condition of these items. 

RECORDS, TELEPHONE AND BAGS

Instead Adam believes that most of the items have been purchase directly from the owners who want to discard them, or even give them to the traders.

“Surprisingly, one can get to find something which you can never get anywhere in the market such as a gramophone, walkie talkie, lamps, records and watches.

GRAMOPHONE, CANS, SILVER POTTERY

Another trader, Robert Leong, 50, who sells shoes says there are buyers who came here, to source for used branded-tag goods such as Rolex watch, Italian boots, t-shirts and electrical items. 

 

Meanwhile, a collector who wants to be known as Lee Saw Ling, 60, says that she is a regular at this flea market for the past ten years as she enjoys sourcing for old tea sets, wooden stools and even sewing machine.

PLATES, TEAPOT, SHOES

To date, there are more than 300 stalls selling various items including antique merchandise, records, collectible items, homemade food, toys, pictures and photographs, stamps, coins and communications products.

The flea market is a treasure trove for antique bargain hunters.

The flea market was first set up in Jalan Bijeh Timah and later moved to Jalan Horley in 2003.

TRAYS, SHOES, TOYS

Tourism Malaysia Perak has recently inserted the flea market as one of the popular tourist destination into its Ipoh Valley of Paradise Travel Guide Book.

CONCUBINES' LANE, IPOH

Concubines’ Lane (Panglima Lane) had recently turned into a shopping-and-food haven

Come weekends, tourists will throng the Second Concubines’ Lane (popularly known as Yee Lai Hong) which has recently been converted from a residential place into a tourists attraction, here.

The lane which was once meant to be residential shop houses for concubines is no longer so, and it is now a shopping haven where people come to source for ‘all things Ipoh’ like biscuits, white coffee powder, tow foo fah (beancurd dessert), coconut jelly, and even handicrafts.

TOURISTS HAVING FUN TIME AT CONCUBINES' LANE

All the shops here open for business are ‘new’ ones, except a long time Wong Koh Kee Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant serving home cooked foor for the past 30 years.

Apart from shopping, the lane is also popular among film makers who choose this particular lane to shoot historical scenes, due to the unique backdrop if offered from these old buildings.

TOURISTS POSING WITH OLD BUILDINGS AS BACKDROP

Tourists here, can also peep into the ‘history’ of the city by strolling down the concubines’ lane which is rich of stories link with concubines of the rich and famous, and a number of vice activities which once took place rampantly in this area.

MURAL ARTS

One can take photographs of the old buildings with a few partially run down buildings, combined with a few refurbished ones which are now running as souvenir shops and restaurants.

The structure of these buildings still remain strong and intact, as well as the designs which then brings back memories of the unblemished ‘wild days’ of Ipoh that had once existed here. 

SHOPPING HAVEN

Before the Japanese Occupation, the three lanes namely the First Concubines’ Lane (Hale Lane) followed by Second Concubines’ Lane (Panglima Lane) and the Third Concubines’ Lane (Market Lane) had their share of brothels, gaming houses and opiums dens. It is believed that whenever an opium addict died, his corpse would be throw out of the window.

However, the two other lanes namely First and Third Concubines’ Lane are retained for commercial purposes, where there are not much activities found here, except for a piece of mural art depicting the lifestyle of Ipoh folks enjoying a cuppa of white coffee, drawn on part of the walls of the Third Concubines’ Lane.

TOURISTS POSING WITH AN ARCHAIC TRISHAW

University student Amieza Fazlin Man, from Selangor and Iqbal Mohd Ilham, from Selangor said that this was her first time visiting the Concubines’ Lane after learning about it, from friends.

Her friend Iqbal Mohd Ilham echoes the same sentiment said that he wants to get a feel of how it is like walking down a lane with a historical past, as he has read stories of these Concubines’ Lane, and want to find it out for himself.

OLD TIMES ICE BALLS

Meanwhile, another tourist Elizabeth Lee who came with her two children from Penang said her children enjoy coming here, as they can buy their favourite biscuits and souvenirs.

ICE BALLS! ICE BALLS!

“No doubt, it is only a lane but it is like ‘walking back in times’ when you walk through the Concubines’ Lane as reflected through this stretch of old buildings,” she said.

KELLIE'S CASTLE

MYSTERIOUS KELLIE'S CASTLE

I have been many times to Kellie's Castle, as it is located only 30 minutes driving from Ipoh.

Normally, my visit to the castle was to bring outstation friends to view the place or for reporting purposes.

Personally, I feel strange whenever I visit the castle – it is so hollow and incomplete and there are tales of ghostly presence, here.

KELLIE'S CASTLE

I had encountered once the ghostly present when I failed to snap a photograph of a room downstairs – as I learn from the tour operator that this particular room is pretty 'frightening'.

Kellie's Castle (Kellie's Folly) is a castle located in Batu Gajah, Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia.

It is situated beside the Raya River, which is a small creek to the Kinta River.

KELLIE'S CASTLE VIEW  FROM ATOP

The unfinished, ruined mansion, was built by a Scottish planter named William Kellie-Smith.

According to legend, it was either a gift for his wife or a home for his son.

HISTORY

William Kellie Smith (1870-1926) was born in 1870 in Kellas, Moray Firth, Scotland. In 1890, at the age of 20, he arrived in Malaya as a civil engineer. He joined Charles Alma Baker's survey firm, who had won concessions from the state government to clear 9000 ha of forests in Batu Gajah, Perak.

With the substantial profits made from his business venture, Smith bouthg 405 ha of jungle land in the District of Kinta and started planting rubber trees and dabbled in the tin mining industry.

POSING WITH THE CASTLE'S COLUMN

With his fortune, Smith returned home to marry his Scottish sweetheart, Agnes, and brought her over to Malaya in 1903. They had a daughter named Helen the following year.

In 1909, Smith built his first mansion 'Kellas House', which was so unique that it was even mentioned in the London Financier newspaper on Sept 15, 1911.

THE RUINED WALL IN KELLIE'S CASTLE

William Kellie Smith died at the age of 56 of pneumonia during a short trip to Lisbon, Portugal in 1926, William's wife was devastated and decided to move back to Scotland, construction on the castle was never competed by Tamilvanan workers.

Kellas House later known as Kellie's Castle was sold to a British company called Harrisons and Crosfield.

LUMUT & SITIAWAN

LUMUT & SITIAWAN

Lumut is a coastal town in the Manjung District, Perak, – on the west coast of Malaysia.

Lumut in Malay means moss, lichen or seaweed. In its early days, the beach was said to be rich in moss.

This small town is situated 84 km from Ipoh, 12 km from Sitiawan Town and it is the main gateway to Pangkor Island.

LUMUT

It is noted for seashell and coral handicrafts. This once little known fishing town has since become the home base of the Royal Malaysian Naval and the site of the biggest naval shipbuilder Boustead Naval Shipyard, in Malaysia.

It has little attractions except there is shopping activity (at the jetty), Teluk Batik Beach and a Yatch Club, here.

Sitiawan Town – the name comes from the meaning Loyal Friend, and is a region in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia.

Primary industries within Sitiawan are rubber glove factory, palm oil, mineral ore, fishing, prawn farming and shipbuilding. Residents here, are also involved in swiftlet bird breeding activities.

 

SITIAWAN SETTLEMENT MUSEUM

Sitiawan has more tourist attractions compared to Lumut namely Tua Pek Kong Temple, Vietnam Farms (beer in company of Vietnamese ladies), Churches and the Sitiawan Settlement Museum.

Do not miss out the Foochow dishes which has heritage value – red rice win vermicelli, kompiang (buns made with a type of unleavened flatbread stuffed with pork and baked in a clay over, buns), Go-row (a thick sweet and sour broth cooked with fish maw), beancurd soup and fried oyster.

Get one bottle of Kampung Koh sauce which is one of the finest chilly sauces.

CAVES OF KINTA VALLEY

THE BEAUTY OF KINTA VALLEY CAVES

Perak has the highest number of caves in the country, and the unique sight is the many cave temples, built inside or in between the limestone hills or over a cliff with the hills as the backdrop.

Each cave temple, some of which were built in the 1800s, has its own story to tell.

KWONG FOOK NAM TEMPLE

Besides, the state is also proud of its 505-million-year-old limestone hills which is a ‘gem’ found in the Kinta Valley including the uncountable rock formations found inside the caves.

Of recent, the state government has gazetted the limestone hills as a national geopark by 2017, covering three districts mainly Batu Gajah, Ipoh and Kampar featuring waterfall, limestone hills and hotspring.

SAM POH TONG

LIN SIN TONG, was built in 1960 by a retired contractor Loh Chee Min who originally planned to erect the temple for housing his Tai Pak Koong deity. It was said that while he was scouting the area along Jalan Gopeng in the 60s, where he found crystal clear water flowing in this area. He thought it was a good omen, and proceeded to build a temple here.

LIN SIN TONG

The Lin Sin Tong temple is now an eye-catching cave temple where one will not missed while driving along Jalan Gopeng.

LIN SIN TONG

There is an impressive Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) surrounded with celestial beings like the God of Wealth, God of Longevity, Monkey God and Drunken Monk in the garden.

Other attractions include the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, deities from popular Chinese folklore characters, a painting of the ‘Eight Immortals’ and mystical dragons.

GODDESS OF MERCY

NAM THEAN TONG, is a beautiful limestone cave temple framed by stalactite and stalagmite formations, is believed to be the oldest temple in the Gunung Rapat area.

It was discovered by a priest Kuong San Teik in 1867, and visitors are encouraged to climb the 138 steps staircase to the top, which gives a bird eye’s view of Ipoh City.

NAM THEAN TONG

SAM POH TONG, built in 1912, is popular among tourists who come to pray to the statues of Buddha and other deities, feed the tortoise or take a walk in its landscaped garden which was awarded as the Best Landscaped Garden in Malaysia in 1993.

SAM POH TONG

KWAN YIN TONG, a 108-year-old temple which houses 100 Goddess of Mercy statues, was originally named Chin Hui Sze founded by Reverend Ho Poh.

It was much neglected until devotees decided to do something about it.

In 1986, the temple authorities received approval from the state government to preserve it as a cave temple as well as to turn it into a tourist attraction. 

KWAN YIN TONG

Later on, the temple become popular for organising a hive of activities to encourage devotees to perform a variety of rituals such as touching an ‘unmovable stone’ for good luck, ‘fixing padlocks o a chain’ to enhance love between lovers and married couples, a ‘wishing tree’, and the Chap Goh Meh (Chinese Valentine’s Day) which falls on the 15^th day of the Chinese New Year.

DECORATIONS IN KWAN YIN TONG

KWONG FOOK NGAM, is a cave temple built inside a well preserved Malaysian Natural crystal limestone cave, founded by a monk, named Wei Chia in 1884, in Kampung Kepayang. 

KWONG FOOK NAM

 

The temple was opened to public in 1993. Visitors here can view its 20 natural rock formations in the shapes of animals, deities and human figurines. Among others, the stalagmites and stalactites are in the shape of a rabbit, snakes, a tapir, bear, dragon and a meditating Buddha. Highlight is the majestic elephant figurine formed by stalagmites, popular among visitors to this cave.

KWONG FOOK NAM

SRI SIVA SUBRAMANIAM TEMPLE - a ‘must see’ Indian temple, established in 1900 located in Kampung Kepayang. It is also known as the second Batu Caves Temple and it houses one of the unusual rock formation is that of an elephant figurine.

SRI SIVA SUBRAMANIAM TEMPLE

PERAK CAVE TEMPLE - In 1926, Chong Sen Yee and his wife Choong Chan Yoke who came from Jiao Ling, China discovered this cave. On approval by state government, they started to plan development and raised funds via donation to build Perak Tong. 

PERAK TONG

After 50 years, this cave temple has become one of the best cave temples in the country, as the temple underwent refurbishment from time to time.

There is a present of a 40 feet Buddha statue coupled with natural limestone wonder decorated with statue and deities and a piece of calligraphy writing by Chong, himself.

Visitors can climb the 450 steps to the top of the limestone hill for an overview of the city.

PERAK TONG

KEK LOOK TONG, was initiated in the 1960s as ‘Tien Hou Gong’ by the late Chooi Ah Kee who was an iron mine operator, located in Gunung Rapat.

KEK LOOK TONG

In 1982, his son presented over the prayer section of the cave to a non-profit organisation, Kek Look Seah which oversees the development of the cave temple incorporating shrines, deities, celestial and statues.

The cave temple was a winner for landscape awards particularly accolades from the state government for non-Muslim houses of worship.

GUA ANAK DATOH – is located within the vicinity of Lost World of Tambun. It is a small cave – which takes one hour walk through is sufficient for visitors. 

GUA ANAK DATOH

GUA KANTHAN is one of the most visited caves in the Kinta Valley and is nicknamed “The Cathedral” because of its impressive size. 

It is located in Gunung Kanthan, near Chemor and is the northernmost limestone hill in the Kinta Valley. The cave is impressive because of its huge size and that it has a river following through. 

 GUA KANTHAN OR THE CATHEDRAL

If visitors are there at the right time on a sunny day, they will be impressed by a shaft of sunlight beaming through the back chamber. 

The cave is also home to cave fauna, bats and invertebrates. Its most important inhabitant is Liphistius Kanthan – a trapdoor spider and it is endemic to the cave, having been found nowhere else. Liphistius Kanthan is listed on the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Bill 2012 as a protected species.

GUA TEMPURUNG - is one of the largest limestone caves in Peninsular Malaysia, located near Gopeng. The cave itself is about 2 km in length – made up of five huge domes, well-lit interior boasts elegant formations of stalactites and stalagmites. The 5 domes are Golden Flowstone Cavern, Giant Cavern, Tin Mine Cavern, Universe Cavern and Battle field Cavern. There are rock formations such as snake, Goddess of Mercy, face and animals among others. Also a fine river cave, the underground river passage runs for 1.6 km through the hill. One can either choose a guided river or non river adventure tour upon reaching the reception.

GUA TEMPURUNG

6TH MILE TUNNEL – the tunnel was discovered in 2006, got its name from the sixth mile of a village located at is both a former abandoned tin mining areas as well as a communist hideout. The 700-m tunnel was dark and quiet, is definitely a cave tunnel where one need to walk knee-deep mud, swimming across a shallow pool before continuing to walk through chest deep water inside the tunnel. Along the way, you can experience story about history and learn about mining artifacts and the stalactites in the making.

SIXTH MILE TUNNEL CAVE

BATU CAVES – is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor. The limestone forming Batu Cages is said to be around 400 million years old – the cave entrances were used as shelters by the Orang Asli tribe. It takes its name from the Stone River, which flows past the hill. The cave is one of the most popular Tamil shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam, in Malaysia. Batu Caves is also centre of rock climbing development in Malaysia, where it offers more than 160 climbing routes. So far, the cave has 272 concrete steps painted in extraordinary color scheme where visitors can have a walk up the caves using these steps. 

BATU CAVES

 

PENANG ISLAND

PENANG ISLAND

Penang, the Pearl of the Orient, is one of my favourite local destination in Malaysia.

As a little girl, I have been visiting this island for as long as I remember ‘it’ as an old fashioned island popular for its glorious food and once a tax free shopping (Free Tax Zone Policy) destination.  

TANJONG TOKONG BEACH GARDENS

 

Little did I know, that ‘she’ (Penang) will soon grow up to what she is today, having attained city status in 2014 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

E&O HOTEL

Apart from scoring heritage values, the island was listed in Lost Angeles Times as one of the 16 Must-Visit Destinations in 2016, followed with No. 1 Ranking in Forbes’ as the Ten Best Budget Travel Destinations for 2016, as well as No. 4^th Ranking in Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities to visit in 2016.

HIGH COURT

Penang boasts a number of notable firsts - it is first to have two bridges linking the island to the mainland, the first in the country to set up a Free Trade Zone in 1972 and the first UNESCO World Heritage Site for Culture in Malaysia in 2008. 

JAMES RICHARDSON LOGAN STATUE

To me, it is a mixture of feelings when I see Penang transformed gradually where it had achieved much benefits in terms of economical growth, construction, heritage values and getting recognised by the World.

KAPITAN KELING MOSQUE

On the other hand, it loses its simplicity lifestyle made up of no traffic jam, cheap shopping and less human congestion in the city, which are prominent keys in the past years.

CHOO CHAY KEONG TEMPLE

HISTORY

Penang was first under the control of the British East India Company, but it was only after the Penang Riots in 1859 that Britain instituted formal rule over Penang as a colony of the British Empire. It was earlier known as George Town and has over 200 years of story and culture, reflected from the existence of historical and architectural buildings, as well as culture practices handed down from previous generations. It is the first British Straits Settlement, established in 1786 by Captain Francis Light.

TRISHAW IS A POPULAR SIGHT!

HERITAGE TRAIL

Do start your day with a Colonial Heritage tour either going on foot or by trishaw around Light Street, and walk towards Penang Road. Get a free copy of a discovery passbook (English version) from the Tourist Information Centre before embarking on a walk around city centre.

CHEONG FATT TZE MANSION

Around the Lebuh Farquhar and Light Street areas, one will find interesting age-old buildings such as Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Convent Light Street School, Supreme Court building, Advocate James Richardson Logan statue, St George’s Church, Cathedral of the Assumption, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, City Hall, State Assembly Building, Queen Victoria Clock Tower and the Fort Cornwallis.

YEOH KONGSI

One must also not missed taking a stroll along Penang’s second oldest road built in 1786 named Beach Street (Street of Banks) which houses financial institutions surrounded with magnificent colonial architecture buildings. 

ACHEEN STREET MALAY MOSQUE

The streets are interconnected to Little India-Armenian Street-Lebuh Acheh-Lebuh Chulia-Lebuh Bishop-Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Pasar where it is easy for tourist to walk about and discover more architectural styles buildings of the 1800s namely Nagore Dargha Sheriff Shrine, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Acheen Street Malay Mosque, Choo Chay Keong Temple, Khoo Kongsi, Cheah Kongsi, Yeoh Kongsi, Tan Kongsi, Sun Yat Sen Museum, Teochew Puppet Museum, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Goddess of Mercy Temple and finally Chew Jetty.

PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Nagore Dargha Sheriff Shrine

One of the most striking attractions at Armenian Street would be the old colonial houses dotted along the street around this UNESCO World Heritage site. The designs reflects influences from Chinese, European and Dutch.

ARMENIAN STREET SHOPS

Here, tourists will be fascinated by a range of unique wrought-iron caricatures with anecdotal descriptions, and mural arts with humorous illustrations, found along Armenian Street. Some of the popular street art included one drawn by Ernest Zacharevic in 2012 namely “Kids on Bicyles”, “Boy on Chair”, “Trishaw Man”, “The Indian Boatman”, “Lion Dance”and “Old Motorcycle”.

BOY ON THE CHAIR STREET ART

The other worth seeing heritage site is none other than Kek Lok Si or the Temple of Supreme Bliss Towers located atop a hill, overlooking the Ayer Hitam town. 

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE

It hailed the largest Buddhist Temple complex in Southeast Asia. Its main pagoda, the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, comprises seven tiers, which combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design and a Burmese crown.

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE

The temple took 20 years to build and was built entirely from donations, is an mixed of styles and dedications is remnant of the influencing forces of its interesting heritage and past. It also features shrines, sculptures, gardens, 12-zodiac animal symbol and a turtle pond.

GODDESS OF MERCY STATUE

Nearby, it is recommended that tourist should take a furnicular train at the oldest British hill station in Southeast Asia to arrive at Penang Hill (Flagstaff Hill). The hill, which located at 833-metre above sea level boasts a 1.6km nature trail, a canopy walkway, butterfly bank, ginger grove and a Hindu Temple. 

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Another worth visiting is the Botanical Gardens also known as Waterfall Gardens because of the cascading waterfall nearby. It is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun. The gardens occupy a 29 ha site in a valley described as an amphitheatre of hills covered with lust tropical rain forests. It is Penang's unique natural heritage, being the only garden of its kind in Malaysia.

As such the garden is a popular recreational spot for jogging walking, jungle trekking and aerobics.

BOTANICAL GARDENS

The garden also housed thousands of monkey where visitors can get close to the monkeys living, here.

P. RAMLEE HOUSE

Take a look into P. Ramlee House is the former home of iconic Malaysian actor, director, singer, composer and movie producer Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr P. Ramlee. Now a musem that celebrates his illustrious career in the Malayan film and music industry, is lcoated at Jalan P Ramlee.

THE CHOCOLATE BOUTIQUE

FOOD

Glorious food is no exception as one of the main attractions in Penang. George Town was once ranked World’s No. 1 Best Food Destination in 2014 by the Lonely Planet. The ‘must eat’ lists start-off with Malay Food (nasi lemak/Malay rice/satay), followed with Chinese (fried kuay teow/ fried oyster/curry mee/ popiah/lobak/ prawn mee/assam laksa/ koay teow th’ng/loh mee/duck porridge/ nyonya kueh/ice kacang), Peranakan cuisines as well as Indian food (roti canai/pasembur/nasi kandar/mee rebus/banana leaf rice). Popular hawker food are plentiful at Gurney Drive, Lorong Selamat, Chowrasta Market and Komtar areas.

POPULAR DISHES AT  LORONG SELAMAT

COASTAL TRAIL

Do not leave the island without going for a detour along the coastal area at Batu Ferringhi where one gets to see the golden beaches, hotels and resorts and the Tropical Spice Garden. 

BUTTERFLY FARM

Other attractions include Craft Batik, Entopia by Butterfly Farm, Tropical Fruit Farm and ends with nature reserve of sea turtle hatcheries at Teluk Bahang.

BIRD'S VIEW OF AYER HITAM TOWN