Tag: foodyfanstravels

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HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley Gopeng in Perak

Looking for a scenic spot to visit outside of Ipoh? About 30 minutes drive from Ipoh town is HOGA, Gaharu Tea Valley Gopeng. When in Gopeng, it is a recommended place to visit, whether you’re on the way to Ipoh or from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur.

HOGA@Gaharu Tea Valley, Gopeng is Malaysia’s first and largest organic plantation of Gaharu or Agarwood – an endangered species.

How to get there

Address: Jalan Sungai Itek, 31600 Gopeng, Perak

Operating hours:

Monday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:15 AM – 6:00 PM

As it’s outside of town, it is recommended to drive, Grab, or hire a van service. 

Since there were 15 of us in a group, we went in a hired van. We continued our journey for the day from Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village to Gaharu Tea Valley. It was a 18 km or about 30 minutes ride.

HOGA, Gaharu Tea Valley

At the base level is the registration counter, assembly area, cafe, and souvenir shop.

There is a shuttle van ride up the hill to 3 featured attractions: viewing stage and hilltop cafe, hugging park, and lover’s park. The van ride costs RM10.00 for adults and RM5.00 for children.

Every 15 minutes, there’ll be a van to shuttle passengers to the next stop. The whole tour experience took about 45 minutes. 

The van took us to the first stop at the top: Viewing Stage and Hilltop Cafe.

At the Viewing Stage and Hilltop Cafe, you get to experience a beautiful panaromic view of the tea valley. See 300 acres with 200,000 of Gaharu Agarwood produced Aquilaria trees.

Then the second stop down was the Tree Hugging Park. There were painted animal-themed trees and trees with motivational quotes and signs. You can hug the trees to destress.

Finally, the third stop down was the Lover’s Park. A colourful staircase takes you down to the central attraction – lover’s tree. See if you can spot 2 trees hugging in love with one another.

Below is a YouTube video about my experience at HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley. Appreciate your support by liking the video and subscribing to my YouTube channel.

Gaharu Tea Valley Cafe

The cafe is back on the ground level where the assembly area and ticket counter are. 

The cafe serves meals and snacks. The chef’s recommendations for meals are Gaharu Platter, Keropok Lekor with Gaharu Sauce & Cheese, Gaharu Chicken & Mushroom Sauce Ramen, and Gaharu Tea Spaghettu with Brown Chicken Chop. Then, the recommended snacks and beverages are Gaharu Waffle, Gaharu Tea Egg, Gaharu Ice-cream, and HOGA Fruit Tea.

I had the Gaharu Ice-Cream Cup. Have a taste of Gaharu ice-cream filled with koko crunch and chocolate dips.

YouTube

During our 3D2N trip in Ipoh, HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley was one of the 10 places we visited in 1 day. Watch YouTube Short below.

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Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village in Ipoh

Looking for a scenic spot to visit just outside of Ipoh? Just 6 km or about 12 minutes drive from Ipoh town is Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village, which is just behind Mirror Lake Ipoh.

It is a natural area combining culture and art displays with recreational activities such as hiking, biking, and more.

How to get there

Address: 22A, Persiaran Pinggir Rapat 5a, Taman Saikat, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Operating hours:

Monday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday
Closed

As it’s outside of town, it is recommended to drive, Grab, or hire a van service.

Since there were 15 of us in a group, we went in a hired van. This is a continuation of our trip in Ipoh from GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm to Qing Xin Ling. You can scroll below to watch on YouTube about the 10 places we visited in 1 day.

Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village

Entry into the village is not free and comes with a fee. You can buy the entrance pass at the entrance. Refer to the image below for the entrance pass rates.

After buying the tickets, you’ve full access to the village. So, here are 6 reasons why Qing Xin Ling was and is worth the visit.

1. Enjoy animals around

There are many tortoises and fishes in the ponds. There are many geese and ducklings around the small lakes too. You can feed and take photos of the animals.

2. Ride a free trishaw

Yes, you read that right! It is free to cycle and ride the trishaw(s).

There are bicycles and trishaws placed around, which you can ride as a couple or in a group of 4 around the village. Enjoy views of the lake, mountain, and cultural buildings while on the ride.

3. Snap insta lake photos

The lake with the mountain as the backdrop, makes for good instagram shots. You may also want to take panoramic shots of the lake from the cultural houses around the lake.

4. Snap more insta photos

There are lots of signs, cultural artifacts, antique cars, and instagrammable props which you can snap photos of and with.

5. Visit cultural houses

There are olden day kampung houses of the three main races in Malaysia. Lots of antiques and vintage collections in the small houses. 

6. Walk up Memory Lane

Memory lane is an upper area you can walk up to which is quite a nice and shady walk through a narrow walkway slightly uphill. On the lower side you will find different cultures ornaments and on the upper part you need to hike to see more antique ornaments.

All in all, the whole self-tour lasted about an hour.

YouTube

Below is a full brief experience of my tour in Qing Xin Ling. Watch YouTube below.

During our 3D2N trip in Ipoh, Qing Xin Ling was one of the 10 places we visited in 1 day. Watch YouTube below.

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GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm in Ipoh

Looking for some activities to do outside of Ipoh town? Why not visit a Pomelo farm in Tambun? There’s GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm. 

How to get there

Address: 158258A, Jalan Ampang Tambun, 31400, Ipoh, Perak Tambun, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Operating hours:

Monday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

As it’s outside of town, it is recommended to drive, Grab, or hire a van service. Since there were 15 of us in a group, we went in a hired van.

Continuing our journey for the day, it was a 20 minutes ride from Restoran Choong Kee “Pokok Besar” to GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm. Scroll below to watch a YouTube Short about how we visited 10 places in a day in Ipoh (with this pomelo farm included).

GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm

At the front of the farm is the shop selling pomelos and fruits. You’ll notice the entrance to the shop and farm with the GBBS Gerai Buah Buahan Segar signboard.

Entrance to the farm is free. You can just walk-in and do a self-tour of the farm. The paths in the farm are properly routed and easy to follow. 

Pomelos can be are easily spotted on trees. Towards the end of the farm, you can also see some guavas growing.

You can buy some pomelos from the shop to eat at home or at the shop itself. We bought 1 pomelo and shared among ourselves.

Watch YouTube below to explore the pomelo farm.

YouTube

During our 3D2N trip in Ipoh, GoChin Tambun Pomelo Agro Farm was one of the 10 places we visited in 1 day. Watch YouTube Short below.

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Funtasy House Trick Art in Ipoh

Question: “So, what did you do for your holidays in Ipoh?” Answer: “Eat.”

Besides eating and on a food-only trip, there are also other (fun) things to do in Ipoh. You can take photos with the murals at the Mural Art’s Lane, visit temples, explore Kellie’s Castle, tour museums, etc.

For some fun, family activity, there’s Funtasy House Trick Art. It is an attraction featuring more than 20 illusionistic rooms and artworks for trick photo sessions. 

How to get there

Address: 16, Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh, Perak

Operating hours:

Monday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Getting around Ipoh is fairly simple; either you take the bus, take a taxi, Grab, or walk. If you’re driving, there are lots of parking lots nearby to park your cars. Even though the parking lots are nearby, you may have to walk a fair distance to the location. 

After breakfast at Ming Court, the van chauffeured us to Funtasy House. Hence, we’re back at the Concubine Lane area.

Funtasy House Trick Art

As the name goes, it is a mix of fun and fantasy. The arts play a trick on the camera lenses. 

This modern art museum is not hard to miss with it’s colorful pink, blue, and green colored sign.

It is a ticketed entry, hence you’ve to pay to enter. Tickets cost RM15 per person for Malaysian adults between 13 to 59 years old. Then, for Malaysian senior citizens, aged 60 and above, are charged RM10 per entry.

It’s a fun place to be with family and friends. 

There’s food-related, cultural, sci-fi, and fantasy-themed wall illusions. On the floor, there are markings telling you where to stand exactly and to snap the photos. On the walls, are sample photos of how the illusions will look like on camera.

YouTube

During our 3D2N trip in Ipoh, Funtasy House was one of the 10 places we visited in 1 day. Watch YouTube Short below.

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Mural Art’s Lane in Ipoh

Like Penang, one of Ipoh’s attractions is the Mural Art’s Lane. See Penang Street Art: Murals and Sculptures.

Besides eating only after eating (eventually), take a walk through this lane and explore a part of Ipoh.

How to get there

Getting around Ipoh is fairly simple; either you take the bus, take a taxi, Grab, drive, or walk. If you’re driving, there are lots of parking spaces around. 

Continuing our journey for the day, we walked from Plan B to the Mural Art’s Lane. We crossed the Jalan Sultan Iskandar Bridge over the Kinta River to get to the other side of town.

Mural Art’s Lane

The paintings were painted on old, heritage buildings. The paintings highlight the many cultures and life of Malaysia: lion dance, children skipping rope, family art, etc.

The Mural Art’s Lane is located at the back lane between Jalan Sultan Iskandar and Jalan Masjid. Search “Mural Art’s Lane” on Google Maps or use Masjid Panglima Kinta as the landmark. 

Murals can also be found around Jalan Market that area.

YouTube

During our 3D2N trip in Ipoh, Mural Art’s Lane was one of the 7 places we visited in 1 day. Watch YouTube Shorts below.

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Hard Rock Hotel Penang Review

Booking.com

Along the beaches of Batu Ferringhi is the first Hard Rock Hotel in Penang, Malaysia which opened it’s doors on 19th September 2009.

Upon entering the car park, you’ll be greeted by a huge Hard Rock Penang guitar at the entrance. If you can’t play the guitar, at least you can strike a rock-star pose with the giant guitar monument.

Then just at the entrance of the hotel lobby, look down on the ground and then up. On the ground, you’ll see a reflection of the Hard Rock Hotel logo. Above is like a rain shower of lights projecting the logo and the lights change colours every few seconds.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang is a 6-storey hotel with 250 guest rooms and 11 types of rooms. The hotel has the largest free-form pool in Penang. The swimming pool consists of sand islands, three water slides and private poolside cabanas.

Here is a sneak peak of a room directly facing the swimming pool.

Here’s some sneak peek of a room while we were in Penang back then.

Overlooking the bed is a picture of John Lennon, illuminated by the purple light from beneath.

The room was fitted and decorated with an LED TV, a handy smartphone to make international calls, and a bedside lamp with it’s own fingerboard and real guitar strings.

In the bathroom is a picture of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.

All pictures taken are throwback to my visit at Hard Rock Hotel Penang in 2014 and 2018.

You can book a room in Hard Rock Hotel Penang through the link below. Do note that for any booking made, I’ll receive a referral from the completed booking.

Booking.com

Credits to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Rock_Hotel_Penang

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Toya Kanko Hotel Review

Booking.com

Toya Kanko Hotel is in Toyako Onsen in Hokkaido, Japan. At the foot of Mount Usu is where you will find most of the area’s hotels and shops, a visitor center, the sightseeing boat pier and the bus terminal.

Toya Kanko Hotel offers elegant rooms. The hotel comprises 131 rooms. WiFi throughout the accommodation is available. Some rooms offer a heating system, a safe box and a wardrobe with views of the mountain. A tub, a hairdryer and free toiletries are featured.

At レストラン「湖畔」 restaurant all guests are invited to enjoy Japanese cuisine. The outdoor bar is a nice spot for relaxation. Boyotei and Sobakura are situated about 200 meters from the venue. A private pool is featured onsite. Toya Kanko Hotel offers sport activities, such as tennis and table tennis.

You’re welcome to use the link below to search and book a room in Toya Kanko Hotel. Do note that I’ll earn a referral from any completed booking made.

Booking.com

How to get to Toya Kanko Hotel

From Tokyo, you can reach Lake Toya by flying to Chitose City’s New Chitose Airport, and then jumping on a local train from there. You can also ride the shinkansen all the way from Tokyo, a journey completely covered by the JR Rail Pass.

If you’re coming by car, it is:

  • about 2 hours from Sapporo
  • about 1 hour and a half from New Chitose Airport
  • about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Hakodate

Coming from Sapporo, we took the train from JR Sapporo station down to Toya station. It was a 1 hour and 52 minutes, or 163km train ride.

Toya Station

From Toya station to Lake Toya, it was another 15 minutes bus ride. The bus stopped at Toyako Onsen bus terminal, where we continued on foot (4 minutes or 300 meters) to the hotel.

Japanese Style Room
Japanese Style Room
Yukata (Japanese Pajamas)
Direct view of Lake Toya from hotel room

To search for an available room in Toya Kanko Hotel, you can use the link below.

Booking.com

Private Dinner at Toya Kanko Hotel

At our stay here, we had a private dinner of pork, cooked seafood, fresh raw seafood, desserts, and passion fruit at the hotel.

Booking.com

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Christ Church Oxford

This is a throwback post to my trip in Oxford in 2016 and photos posted go back to then.

Located at St Aldate’s street on the grounds of the University of Oxford in Oxford is Christ Church. 

Christ Church sits in approximately 175 acres (71 hectares) of land. Its grounds contain a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower (designed by Sir Christopher Wren), Tom Quad (the largest quadrangle in Oxford), and the Great Dining Hall, which was the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War. 

Tom Tower

Tom Tower is a bell tower in Oxford, England, named after its bell, Great Tom. Great Tom, housed in the tower, is the loudest bell in Oxford.

Tom Tower is over Tom Gate, on St Aldates, the main entrance of Christ Church, Oxford, which leads into Tom Quad. This square tower with an octagonal lantern and facetted ogee dome was designed by Christopher Wren and built 1681–82.

Tom Quad (Great Quadrangle)

The Great Quadrangle, more popularly known as Tom Quad, is one of the quadrangles of Christ Church, Oxford, England. It is the largest college quad in Oxford, measuring 264 by 261 feet.

In the centre of the quad, there is an ornamental pond with a statue of Mercury.

Great Dining Hall

Christ Church Cathedral

This Medieval Gothic and Romanesque cathedral – Christ Church Cathedral – of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, serves Christ Church college and the local parish. This dual role as cathedral and college chapel is unique in the Church of England.

The nave, choir, main tower and transepts are late Norman. There are architectural features ranging from Norman to the Perpendicular style and a large rose window of the ten-part (i.e. botanical) type.

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Oxford University Museum of Natural History

This is a throwback post to my trip in Oxford in 2016 and photos posted go back to then.

Located on Parks Road in Oxford, England is the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, or sometimes known simply as the Oxford University Museum or OUMNH. It is a museum displaying many of the University of Oxford’s natural history specimens.

In the main court, you’ll find a parade of skeletons or also known as the skeleton parade, which is one of the Museum’s most photogenic displays. Even just a quick glance at the line-up reveals some of the great diversity of evolutionary adaptations of these large mammals.

In the middle aisle, you’ll see a Sperm Whale Jaw (Physeter macrocephalus), Iguanodon, and Tyrannosaurusrex skeletons.

On the right aisle, there were a lot of exhibits on display which you can touch and you’re encouraged to touch them.

On the left aisle, there were a row of skeletons.

Through out the museum there were a lot of other exhibits.

Pitt Rivers Museum

The Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford in England. The museum is located to the east of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and can only be accessed through that building.

For more information for your visit to the Museum, below is a downloadable map and guide.

Oxford-University-Museum-Map-and-GuideDownload

Normal Opening Hours

Monday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Entry is free. However, if there is a group of 10 or more visitors (including educational and commercial groups) – booking is required in advance.

Book a travel and tour ticket on Klook below

Book a ticket on Klook

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Radcliffe Camera @ Radcliffe Square in the University of Oxford, England

This is a throwback post to my trip in Oxford in 2016 and photos posted go back to then.

Sited to the south of the Old Bodleian, north of the Church of St Mary the Virgin, and between Brasenose College to the west and All Souls College to the east in the University of Oxford is Radcliffe Camera.

Circular in design, positioned in the heart of Oxford, and separated from other buildings; makes Radcliffe Camera a focal point of the University of Oxford. It was designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–49 to house the Radcliffe Science Library.

To the south of Radcliffe Camera is the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. St Mary’s possesses an eccentric baroque porch, designed by Nicholas Stone, facing High Street, and a spire which is claimed by some church historians to be one of the most beautiful in England.

Then to the east of Radcliffe Camera is All Souls College. It is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England.

Book a travel and tour ticket on Klook below

Book a ticket on Klook

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