Ever since the traveling ban was lifted, Biketopia was keen to restart our cycling trips again! This time we decided to cycle from Kampar, a district in Perak all the way to the ever well-known, Ipoh.
Why Ipoh?
Ipoh ranges from vibrant and lively market lanes to ancient cave temples. Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state of Malaysia, and is located at a distance of 197 km from the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. The city is dotted with attractions that offer a unique travel experience to visitors and is famous as a historic city since it was once the centre of the world’s tin industry.
If you are enthusiastic about history, culture and architecture, this city is sure to fascinate you with so many places to explore. Besides, Ipoh is also emerging as a popular choice among foodies due to the wide range of appetising street food options available here.
Before we begin, let me share with you our itinerary to kick-off this cycling journey.
Date – 19 September 2020
It all begins. The most anticipated event is here.
Rendezvous: 0500 @ Sunway Putra
We kicked-off the day as early as 5am in the morning. The group was getting more excited. We rode a rented bus from Kuala Lumpur to Kampar with total estimated time of arrival at Kampar bus station at 7am.
Getting Excited!
Once our bikes were unloaded, we made sure we were ready and started our cycling journey from Kampar to Batu Gajah. The journey was 70km long at the average speed of 25-30km/hr.
Upon arriving, our first stop is to visit Kellie’s Castle. It’s actually a well-known landmark for those who love a good paranormal story. Kellie’s Castle was built by William Kelly Smith a British planter for his wife, Agnes. It was designed to replicate the British Raj palaces in India. He died in 1926 without ever completing the castle. There is even a ‘Kellie’s Castle Lock’ place where you can write down your name and your loved one’s, probably to signify everlasting love.
If you would like to go for a tour around the Castle grounds, it is RM5 per person, and do keep in mind it is unguided which means you are free to explore wherever you want to!
The Final Stop!
From Batu Gajah, we head on to our final stop…Ipoh! The group managed to do some sight-seeing including the unique murals scattered around Ipoh and of course a quick stop at the Ipoh Botani Eco Park.
We technically went ‘mural-hunting’ on our bikes as these murals are scattered across town, so do keep a look out for them!
For our break to cool down for the day, we ate cendol and rojak at the Padang Ipoh Club.
We then cycled to Tambun and had our lunch at Tok Mat’s Shell-A-Bration, a well-known restaurant for its shellout, once you try it, you’ll instantly get hooked!
After we had lunch and took many photos of the group as a digital souvenir, with a heavy heart, we journeyed back in our rented bus to Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. This was a much needed trip for the group who was mostly itching to bring out their bikes and travel the country again, we look forward to our next trip – this time to Terengganu!