Kuala Kangsar Things to Do

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The Istana Iskandariah is located within a short drive from Istana Kota, Istana Kenangan and the Ubudiah Mosque. It is the official residence of the Sultan of Perak. The Moorish style palace was built in 1926 after the Big Flood of the same year almost swept away the original palace, Istana Sri Sayong, which was located on the riverbank. Its style is reminiscent of palaces in north India. In 1984, the palace was extended with an annex to house the Banquet Hall and Ceremonial Function Hall. A driveway encircles the palace, offering views of it from three sides but trees do get in the way as you can tell by my photos.

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The Perak Royal Mausoleum, also called the Al-Ghufran Royal Cemetery, is located next to the exquisite Ubudiah Mosque. This is the final resting place for much of Perak royalty, and holds the graves of Sultan Abdullah, who was exiled from Perak for his involvement in the murder of JWW Birch in Pasir Salak.

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The Ubudiah Mosque is reputed to be one of the most beautiful mosques in Malaysia and I can confirm that with my own eyes. The word "ubudiah" means "to yield oneself to the will of Allah". Appropriately, it was the name chosen by the then 28th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Idris Murshidul Adzam Shah I when he decided to build the mosque in 1911. He was convalescing in Port Dickson, and there, he made a vow to build a magnificent mosque as thanksgiving for recovery from the ailment that plagued him. Its striking design was achieved by an Englishman, AB Hubbock, who also designed many of the public buildings in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. The mosque, with its huge golden onion-dome, was begun in 1913 but, due to wartime delays and the smashing of imported Italian marble by rampaging elephants, wasn't completed until 1917. Sadly, Sultan Idris never got to see it to its completion, having passed away a year earlier. It's not possible to go inside unless you're Muslim.

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Located in the Istana Kota, the former palace of the Sultan of Perak, this museum showcases some of the personal effects of the current Sultan, Sultan Azlan Shah. On display in a separate building across a fountain from the main building are his royal motorcars (Rolls Royce’s) and patrol cars used in the motorcade when Sultan Azlan Shah reigned as the Duli Yang Maha Mulia (King) of Malaysia. Also on display is his personal Louis Vuitton luggage! Exhibited in the main building are his personal collection of sunglasses, his passport, driving licence, university gown and shoes, sports equipment, suits and other clothing, ceremonial swords, dining sets, and gifts presented to his from foreign dignitaries.

Open: 10am-5pm Sat-Thu, 10am-noon & 2.45pm-5pm Fri. Admission: RM4.

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This impressive palace was built in 1903 during the reign of the 28th Sultan of Perak. It was used as the sultan’s residence until 1954, when it was taken over by the Education Ministry, and turned into the Istana Kota National School. Then, in 1970, it was used as a girls' school, called the Raja Perempuan Mazwin School. Eventually, however, the school also moved out, and the building was left unused for many years until around 2002, when the state museum authorities began restoration work on it and today it's used as the Galeri Sultan Azlan Shah for showcasing the current Sultan's personal affects (see my next tip).

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The Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge was named after the past Sultan of Perak who reigned for a short period between 1916-1918. This concrete bridge takes some load off the older Iskandar Bridge which was built by the British. It was officially opened by Sultan Azlan Shah, the Sultan of Perak, in June 2002.

Now, I've seen some strange sights in my time, and being that Kuala Kangsar is a royal town, the last thing I expected to find right in the middle of town is this fighter plane. Well, actually, the reason why it's here is due to it being presented to the Sultan of Perak in 2004 and as he resides in town then why not put it on display here!

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The Malay College Kuala Kangsar is where the cream of the Malay society received their education. When it first opened in 1905, under the name Malay Residential School, only the children of the Royal Family, high ranking Malay dignitaries and royal court officials were received. At that time, it operated in its original attap premises. The syllabus was a fusion of modern education with knowledge of Islam and Malay culture mixed in. The name of the school was changed to Maktab Melayu, or Malay College in 1909. During the Japanese Occupation in World War II, the school was turned into administration offices and a hospital for the Japanese Imperial Army, who interrogated and subsequently beheaded anyone found to be a traitor. Today, it's regarded as one of the best boarding schools in the country and some of the Malay political and corporate figures hail from this institution.