Kuala Kangsar

Last month, hubby and I decided to explore Kuala Kangsar, THE Royal town of the state of Perak. I have heard so many good things about it, I need to see the town for myself. So I told Hubs, "Pack your bag. Let's go!"

Kuala Kangsar...

• is believed to be derived from "Kuala Karong-Sa", which means 99 small tributaries flowing into the Perak River.
• was the first foothold of the British by installing Residents of the Royal Courts in 1870s.
• is the  birthplace of Malaysia's rubber industry.
• experienced the Big Flood @ Air Bah in 1926 which was so severe it swept the royal palace away whilst the whole town was under water.
• has been the home to Perak's royal family since Sultan Muzafar's reign in the 18th century.

Baitul Anor was a former residence of a Perak Prince.  It looks abandoned from the outside and its ground is presently a parking area, but inside, it appears to be a museum.

The beautiful and famous Ubudiah Mosque. Built by a British architect, it was completed in 1917.

Royal Mausoleum, located next to the Ubudiah Mosque.

Istana Kenangan @ Palace of Memories. Built in 1926, it was a former royal residence. This building was built WITHOUT ANY USE OF NAILS. It is a Royal Museum today. Unfortunately we did not get to visit the inside of the building. It is currently under refurbishment until 2019.

Kampung Bukit Chandan. Bukit Chandan was named after an elephant of Sultan Yusuf which was named Kulup Chandan. One day Kulup Chandan ran away and the young prince named Idris tracked its tracks to the foothills of Bubu Mountain. He then met with an old man who told Idris that he was going to be the next Sultan of Perak. Thereafter, Idris must build his palace on a hill by the Perak River and let Kulup Chandan free for 7 days. After Idris became the 28th Sultan Perak, he built his palace on Bukit Chandan and freed the elephant.

There are many interesting looking houses in Bukit Chandan. Some appeared abandoned, even somewhat haunted. However, the architecture of these houses are amazing.

Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery. A former palace turned museum. Completed in 1903, it has a mixture of Renaissance, Neoclassical and Moorish architecture. The roofs were imported from France, the tiles from Italy and the domes from India. This museum honors the life of the 34th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. RM4 entrance free.

Another haunted looking place!!!
An old time restaurant by the name of Yut Loy, a halal restaurant, famous with its steamed BUNS! I read in Google that people go for their chicken buns but I personally prefer its KAYA @ coconut jam. It is the most delicious kaya I have ever tasted in my life; I am not a kaya person, mind you. I actually bought a container to take back to my parents who are living in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Chicken bun

Kaya bun

Old shophouses in Kuala Kangsar

I saw this shop and I was super excited. Look at its doors. A dental clinic!

Kuala Kangsar is famous for its "Labu Sayong". Some call them clay jugs, water gourds, or earthern pitchers. It is in the district of Sayong that this cottage industry bloomed. The specialty of these jugs are for storing and keeping water cool. Apparently there are about 128 labu sayong entrepreneurs today.

Tea time by the Perak River. It was raining by about 4pm and so we decided to grab a bite by the river.  Go local! We ordered Cendol and the famous Pak Ngah's laksa. I looked around and was fascinated to watch groups of men gathering together in their sarongs, sitting crossed-legged on plastic chairs, having cendol and laksa while chatting up a storm.

Perak River

TENKA NOSHOKU Japanese Restaurant in Kampung Baru Jerlun. Jerlun is about 20 mins drive from the town of Kuala Kangsar. This place is a worth a visit, believe me. Started by a local boy who was rubber tapping with his father, decided that he wanted something more in life, learnt to cook in Tokyo and started a Japanese restaurant in this quaint little town. Quality of food served - SUPERB. Price - CRAZY CHEAP.

Cold chicken salad

Sushi with crispy topping

Jerlun tofu. The owner managed to have a little chat with us. He shared with us that the tofu recipe is 100 years old. I also shared with him that I have read his story in Google. Made him pleased. Pleasant and friendly guy.

Loved this to death. Bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes.

Teriyaki chicken wings

Tenka Noshoku after the sun sets. Romantic little place.

Kuala Kangsar downtown early Sunday morning

McDonnell Douglas A4 Skyhawk

An old abandoned house

Persatuan Kiung Chow's beef balls noodles. Served with fish sauce! Pretty tasty.

Kuala Kangsar should be named the City of Cats. I have NEVER seen so many cats in my life, I mean, everywhere we walked in Kuala Kangsar, there is always a cat or 10 lurking nearby. We walked by the Perak River on Sunday morning before hitting the Sunday Market and O M G.... cats everywhere. People actually came to the park to feed the cats.

Sunday Market. It is a HUGE market. I love markets because there is always interesting stuff to see and lots of people-watching too!

Laksa

Preserved fish

Food stalls

Nuts galore. My hubby's weakness! See him pinching a peanut!!!!

An old shophouse

Beautiful wall art

Downtown Kuala Kangsar

Adorable little church

Pavilion Tower. Built in 1920. Used as a resting place for the sultan after his polo matches. Today, it is in a sorry state. When we were there, men were mending the holes and repainting it. I am happy that they are saving it. It is a darling little structure.

The famous and one of the oldest schools in Malaysia - The Kuala Kangsar Malay College 1905. It was a prestigious boarding school for the elites and royal family. It remains one of the top schools in Malaysia today.

An extremely old rubber tree since 1877. How could a tree live this long?

We had an interesting visit to Kuala Kangsar. I am glad we went and learnt more about history. The only photo I didn't take was the beautiful Palace of Iskandariah where the Royal Family is living today. We drove around it and saw the beautiful architecture. It is indeed breathtaking.
I agree that Kuala Kangsar is one of the prettiest towns I have seen. I guess because of its palaces and museums. It makes people daydream.