Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

“Just so you know, this weekend brought back lots of sweet memories to this Motormouth from Ipoh. The good times spent throughout the three years I was in Ipoh; when we scouted around the whole of Perak for good food, the crazy antics of dining 6 (!!) heavy meals a day, followed by incessant sessions of lectures listened with a half-hearted attempt at keeping the eyes wide open, and the thousands of miles travelled ….. for work, to attend courses, and sometimes …. just for the sake of travelling and having a jolly good time …”

Felda Residence Hot Springs – No elevators, just staircase. But then again, only two floors, so don’t complain ….

AGES ago (3 years, almost), if you have been a reader since then, you must have read about our experience at Sungai Klah Hot Springs, when these new blocks of residences (hotels) were not even built yet. We stayed in individual chalets, complete with a personal hot springs pool (yes, kinda luxurious huh?), right outside our villa with two rooms and a spacious living room.

Not bad for RM600/USD200 per night back then, but seemingly, the rate has increased to about RM900 or more …. so we retracted with tails between our legs and foaming at the sides of our mouth after hearing of the new rate.

The relatively new accommodation at Felda Residence Hot Springs in Sungkai, Perak.

But of course, they have these newer blocks with nicely furnished rooms; catering to the poorer souls with limited budget (read : us). If I were you, I’d continue reading the ramblings ….

Palm Trees as far as the eye can see ….. without the bugs, no worries. Truthfully, call me old school/apek if you will, but I prefer country style of resorts with a dominantly back-to-nature concept more than the spanking new, contemporary and stylishly jazzed up hotels anyday.

And why oh why was I neglecting the Aussie saga by interjecting with this post? Somehow, as of late, my mind’s been plagued by this urge to just stop writing for a very very very long time and then maybe ….. I will discover a new passion. Of course eating’s one of them, still, but maybe the fire has run out and I don’t find myself eager as ever to blog about food discoveries, nor even take the initiative to launch myself on a food hunting spree.

Hibiscus; the beautiful red flower is Malaysia’s national flower. Used to draw this flower almost every other week back in my primary schooling days. Now I wonder if the younger generation has seen a hibiscus that’s not red in colour?

But anyway, this place does bear slight resemblance to Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove at Gold Coast which I have written about in the previous post, hence the similarity.

But it does NOT end there.

This meeting in Australia was my FIRST official excursion for work. And this meeting at Felda Residence Hot Springs was in fact, my LAST one with the old gang back in my old office. Truthfully, this meant a lot. If you had followed my constant excursions to greater Ipoh (places in Perak that you might not even have heard of), you would have realized that throughout the 3 years, we have gone through so many adventures, mishaps and discoveries beyond our wildest imagination.

Yes, there ARE places in Perak that might surprise you; both in terms of the sheer beauty of the surroundings, the torturous ordeal of bumping all around in our vehicles for hours to reach the destination, the unmistakably ‘kampung’ feel when chickens crossed the roads haphazardly and you’d better not run over them, and the most prominent of all …. GOOD FOOD worthy of a (Motormouth’s) Michelin star or two.

If you’re a resident here, then you can enter into the Hot Springs Park (TRAP – Taman Rekreasi Air Panas) for free. Go read this post to see more of the hot springs.

The chalets resembling a countryside neighbourhood more than a swanky resort. Love the elements of nature thrown in for good measure.

This trip to Sungai Klah Hot Springs was more of a holiday for myself, since I have all but passed over my entire portfolio to the new (unlucky) officer. Nothing much has changed, in terms of location, or renovation to the place. The new blocks now cover more grounds, but still surrounded by lush greenery and lots of palm trees. (FELDA runs estates; palm trees plantation projects in Malaysia)

The coffee house named Meranti Coffee House; with in-house meals covered in our package. Seriously, you can’t find food within the vicinity unless you are willing to drive all the way back to Sungkai, or even Bidor.

No bacon, eggs, nor pancakes; but you get traditional home-cooked Malay cuisine here. Nothing too fancy, but still gets the gastric juices going with aromatic whiffs of herbs and spices.

Nasi Berlauk – Rice with dishes; a very typical Malay dinner.

Can’t even remember how the food tasted like, but nothing of gourmet extraordinaire. The bonding mattered most, as deep down inside I had to come to the realization that this WAS my last outing with that same old crazy bunch of (ex)colleagues. Minus FCOE and TallGal of course, since they left in succession a year earlier.

Yes, this comes slightly too late. But I have continuously limited myself with ‘proper’ food reviews as time goes by. I can’t even remember the last time I wrote something nonsensical or purely ramblings from the heart. And from now on, I guess I should just continue what Motormouth has been doing best ……

Eat. Travel. Write. Rant & Ramble.

For more information about Felda Residence Hot Springs; please refer to their website by clicking HERE. Please do not approach me for job opportunities (seriously), bookings and directions. Okay, so I left the directions to this place, but here goes :

From the North-South Expressway (PLUS), exit at Sungkai toll exit. Sungkai is between Slim River and Bidor. From there, you can find the signboards leading to Taman Rekreasi Sungai Klah, or Felda Residence Hot Springs. About 20 minutes or so from the toll exit, so don’t despair if you’re driving for miles without sight of your destination.

FELDA RESIDENCE HOT SPRING HOTEL & SPA
FELDA SG KLAH,
SUNGKAI PERAK.
TEL :05-4388 801/803
FAX :05-4388 805
WWW.PLANTATIONRESORTS.COM

* I was attending this seminar in Hotel Istana this past weekend, and seeing the same old familiar faces, and peers of the same profession got me reminiscing of the wonderful things in life. Let’s stay connected, dear pharmacists.