Living in the crowded city of Kuala Lumpur, we sometimes find it difficult to set some time to go on a vacation. The reality is, we can’t a afford to set aside 1-2 weeks of vacation every 2-3 months HAHA. So, what do we do?

Staycation.

1-2 (or 3) nights anywhere in Malaysia. In fact, we have even simply stayed within Kuala Lumpur and simply enjoyed the nearby attractions. Last December we went to Avani Resort Sepang.

Recently however, we went to Lost World of Tambun, Ipoh, Perak. It was my previous company’s event, and a great opportunity to bring the kids out for some fun. We stalked the website, and our initial expectation was that there were many different parks there.

Ipoh is the capital city of Perak. It’s not as big and as busy as KL but it’s still vibrant with activities and culture. This would be our first time having these kind of staycation as opposed to our usual beach destinations. It’s always either beach or big cities for us.

They had several parks such as water park, petting zoo, amusement park, adventure park and few others.

However, once we got there, it turns out that all of these parks are integrated into one, including the hot springs and spa. I thought it’s such a wonderful idea, because that means, there’s always something for everyone!

Sara riding a donkey at the Petting Zoo.

Unfortunately, due to bad weather, the tiger show was postponed to an hour later, but we couldn’t wait anymore. Sara just couldn’t wait to swim.

The hot spring was very nice, especially since it was raining that evening and it was pretty cold.

I really love the idea of the integrated theme parks. Everybody is in their swimming suits/trunks walking around the petting zoo. One minute we could be enjoying an amusement ride and the next, dipping into the water with the kids.

Although our tickets was until night for the Hot Spring Night Spa, we didn’t stay, as we figured the kids would exhausted. They even fell asleep in the stroller on our way out to the car!

Ipoh is no stranger for good food and cafes. Hence, we went out for a hunt for some late-night eateries. Ipoh nightlife is not as vibrant as the city, but that only means it was easier to find cafes that were open till late. We found Plan B cafe which turn out to be popular there. The food was great if not amazing. and we were not even hungry because we already had our dinner. hahahaha. Unfortunately our adventure had to stop there as the kids were really fussing – they were really tired.

As usual, our ritual on check out days – swimming! After breakfast we brought the kids swimming.

Swimming works wonders for the kids. They get so tired, it’s becomes easy to put them for nap/sleep later which is otherwise a battle.muahaha!

Checked out, and off we go!

As always, every time we pass Perak or anywhere near Ipoh, we try to make it a point to visit one of our favourite place to eat – Tasik Raban. We only ever come here for lunch – and we have to get here early. They serve fresh fish, and our favourite dish is their grilled fish a.k.a ikan bakar. Their marinade is simply delish!

However, on the day we went there, the fish was slightly overcooked and it was a bit dry. It could just the one we picked. Hopefully their standard have not changed. However, the marinade was still fantastic, and would definitely come back again.

So that’s it, our adventure in Ipoh. I would say there is still many things to discover in Ipoh. The food, the culture. In Malaysia, the vibrant food itself can be the main attraction of the place, so it’s no wonder people would take long hours of journey just for food.

Overall, it was a good staycation. It was quick, journey was not too much, no annoying sand trail to follow us home. The kids had fun, the hotel stay was good, good food, great company. What more can you ask for?

For full review of our adventure, check out this Vlog!

P.s, This post is an entry for Traveloka (https://www.traveloka.com/en-my) #TravelokaMY #MYTravelAdventure.