Adventure page

Yolanda's visit, October 2012

Another visitor from Holland. This time Yolanda, the sister of my friend Paul. She had been in Malaysia already two times, but never yet visited Taiping, Kuala Kangsar and the Cameron Highlands. So it was no problem to organise a short trip for her: one night in Suka Suka on the border of lake Cenderoh and one night in the Lutheran Mission Bungalow in Brinchang, two favourites of mine

After a coffee break at the Tapah rest area, we arrived around lunchtime in Taiping where we had a "Prima" lunch with George. The Lake Gardens were beautiful as usual. We had a drink in Jenny's house, which gave grandfather George and grandmother Yolanda the opportunity to admire each others grandchildren..:-)

Coffee break at Tapah

Lunch in Taiping with George

The Taiping Lake Gardens

One of the rain trees

One for the album

Brother and sister

Looking at pictures of grandchildren

In front of my "third home"
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Entrance of Suka Suka

Our chalet

On our way to Kuala Kangsar I showed Yolanda the columbary of the Hokkien Cemetery, where I am planning to have my "third home" in the (hopefully far) future.

In Suka Suka we got a friendly welcome by Aziz and Aziyah. It is a perfect place to relax and as usual Aziyah had prepared a delicious dinner.
Aziyah showed us a shrub with flowers that are white in the morning, turning to red later. Interesting.
The chalets in Suka Suka have been rebuilt by Aziz from old Malay houses. On his land you can see piles of wood and tiles, he still has a lot of work to do..:-)

One of the bedrooms

Yolanda enjoying the view

Will this ever be a house again?
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Aziz is rearing his own fish
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Orchids in de garden
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Decorative leaves

The dining room of Suka Suka
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Teatime

This was a white flower in the morning!

Evening atmosphere

Aziah is a very good cook

Ready for dinner

Enjoying the food

Next morning

This flower turns red later

Nice orchid

Cenderoh lake from Suka Suka

Breakfast

Some of the breakfast dishes

Reading time

Aziz, Aziah, Paul, Yolanda
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View of Cenderoh lake

The next day, after breakfast we drove to Kuala Kangsar where we visited the Ubudiyah mosque and the old Royal Palace. I have been there so many times, but never went inside. This time we did after first getting dressed properly. Don't laugh! The Royal Museum was used as a palace from 1931-1933 while the present palace was built. It is closed for renovation for many, many years already. Nothing has been renovated, really a shame.

We took the Simpang Pulai road to the Cameron Highlands and first went to the Boh Sungai Palas Tea house, near Brinchang, beautifully located in the middle of the tea plantations. There we had lunch, with tea and scones and cakes...:-)

Ubudiyah mosque, Kuala Kangsar

Inside the mosque

Don't laugh!

The main prayer hall

The ceiling

The Royal Mausoleum

The old Royal Palace
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In the tea plantations

The Sungai Palas Tea House

Inside the tea house

Tea with scones of course

VIew from the tea house

Another view

Tea fields, so green!

A tea flower

When I say that the lady caretaker of the Lutheran Mission Bungalow is not an easy person, that is an understatement. A larger contrast with the hospitality of Aziz and his family at Suka Suka is hardly thinkable. I had warned Paul and Yolanda that the lady could be very unfriendly, and this time it was even worse, she almost did not let us in, although I had booked in advance. When I insisted that I had booked, she took us grumbling to our rooms.
We thought it better not to ask for a pot of tea...:-)

The gardens of the bungalow are well-kept and the view is about the best you can have in present-day Cameron Highlands, which are increasingly spoiled by development. For our dinner we went to Brinchang, wher we had a traditional steamboat dinner. The next morning, after an English breakfast, I had a quick look at the Moonlight Bungalow, from where Jim Thompson disappeared in 1967. It has been for sale for years, but now renovation has started.

After a visit to a plant and strawberry farm, it was time to go back. We took the new road from Ringlet to Sg Koyan and Raub, where we had a delicious lunch in restaurant Sentosa. A name to remember!

The Lutheran Mission Bungalow

Enjoying the view

Giant hibiscus flowers

And many others
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Cool temperatures

Even cold!

The traditional steamboat dinner in Brinchang

English breakfast in the LMB

The Moonlight bungalow under renovation

Visiting a flower farm

Of course with strawberries

Sentosa restaurant in Raub

Colonial style interior

Lunch

As we were a bit early we stopped for a while at the Chamang waterfall near Bentong. It is a powerful (and dangerous) waterfall, almost every year people drown here. Finally we visited the Batu Caves, where Yolanda had not yet been. It is a tough climb up the many steps, and you have to be careful with the many monkeys, never keep food visible in your hands!

Well-spent days, full of variety.