Cruisin' in Malaysia

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The views from the sea-facing rooms are great and the local restaurant offers good variety of meals. Prices, at around 120-150 RM per room (ask for special deals or discounts), are quite reasonable.

Several beautiful temples are located in this area - the Chen Hoon Teng temple is the oldest surviving chinese temple in Malaysia and is kept in the usual colorful and ornate style. Not to be outdone, the Kampung Hulu mosque is described as the oldest mosque in Malaysia. If you want ancient, Melaka is apparently your place.

A funky place for your souvenir shopping is "Orangutan", a small art shop run by a local artist Charles Cham, offering original print t-shirts, paintings etc.

Except for old-time colonial buildings and chinese mansions, Ipoh's most interesting feature lies in its cave temples. Set in the limestone hills surrounding the city, the caves have been a target of worshippers for centuries and many have been converted to temples, spectacular for both their natural and man-made beauty.

A prime example of such is the Sam Poh Tong Temple, a buddhist place of worship just south of town. The colorful gardens outside provide a tranquil resting place. The caves lead into a natural courtyard, with a large pond, where myriads of turtles crane their necks up toward oggling tourists, in eternal expectation of a quick snack. A crowd of sellers outside the temple can provide you with greenery suitable to a turtle diet.

Hungry stomachs can find nourishment at a small vegetarian restaurant, but for a real taste explosion, pick up some local fruits at the small market a few steps from the temple. The locally grown pomellos (a citrus fruit the size of a small melon) will provide you with refreshment for half your remaining journey--and enough sticky juice to cover half your car!