Holidays: Cuti-cuti Ipoh

Even mummies and daddies need a break from the kiddos. So off we went to the lovely town of Ipoh for a short getaway.

Why I loved this little holiday ... besides the fact that it was with my BFF ...

• It's so near (just an hour's drive away) — no need to hop on to the plane
• It has lovely natural caves and hot springs
• It has a mixture of old and new buildings
• Good food and everything conveniently nearby

We booked our stay at the relaxing and exclusive Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat by the Sunway Group. And it was everything we had hoped for ... and more. It was relatively pricey, by Ipoh standards, but sure beats going all the way to Bali for some villa luxury.

Courtyard

Picturesque pool that we didn't get to use

Buggy to bring us around

We couldn't decide between the Water or Garden Villa options, so we stayed in both :-p

For a cheaper price, there are few complaints about the Water Villa. But thank God that we were offered an upgrade for our second night, so of course, we said yes.

Here's a brief comparison between the Water Villa (left) and the Garden Villa (right):

Sitting area are generally the same size

Bedrooms too

Main difference is the size oft he pool ... you get a larger outdoor pool for the Garden Villa (right)

Although you do get a nice lake view for the Water Villa

The whole resort is a sight for sore eyes, from the hot steam rising, to the majestic limestones — made me so proud to live in beautiful Malaysia.

Then and now ...

Hot Dipping Pots with a View

Mirror effect

Picturesque

Natural Fish Spa

Steamy in the morning

The caves are alive

Stairway to heaven?

View from the top

We enjoyed breakfasts and a dinner at the resort, and also had the opportunity to sample local cuisine outside.

Choice of Breakfast eggs

Refreshing fare at the Pomelo

Coffee at Jeff's Cellar 

 Of course, Ipoh food was a-calling ...

One of the many touristy (pricey) but still yummy Ipoh Chicken Rice stores

Famous Funny Mountain Tau foo fa

Italian dinner at Mariani's

Tiramisu and more

Burps & Giggles ... one of the new fancy outlets at the gentrified old shoplots of Ipoh town

As we didn't want to spend too much on the resort's spa services, we took a short drive out to a center in town. Not too shabby, and easier on the pockets too.

We also had free tickets (included in our hotel package) to the neighbouring Lost World of Tambun, which is part of the Sunway Group. It was a very quiet on the weekday, which made for a lovely morning stroll. Read more about it in the next post :-)

Overall it was a wonderful time to refresh and rejuvenate surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. Thank you, Jesus!