Taiping Off The Beaten Path

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Have you ever wonder how baking was done when there was no electricity back then?

Well, there's one bakery at Simpang (5km from Taiping) where they still bake using brick oven.

The bakery is not far from the traffic lights at Simpang. You can even buy fresh baked bread loaves, buns and biscuits.

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Bukit Larut is the oldest and most natural of all the hill resorts in Peninsular... Established in 1884, the hill station was for the British Resident and his European staff members and their families to escape the oppressive heat of the lowlands... In those days access is only by foot... Access now is by government-owned 4-wheel drive vehicles... The road from the foothills to the Telekom station at the 1,367m Bukit Caulfield is 12.8km... The 4WD takes 30-mins to reach the hill station at the 6th mile (at 1,036m) and another 10-mins to reach the highest rest house, the Bukit Larut Rest House... Visitors can also trek up the hill and this will take about 3 to 4 hours...

The forest is alive with many small animals such as monkeys, gibbons and macaques scurrying squirrels, chemeleons, sun bears, panthers, barking deers, clouded leopards, civet cats, slow loris, flying squirrels and countless species of butterflies and moths... Snakes are rare in the hill...

There is really absolutely nothing to do in Bukit Larut but for a queit relaxing holiday, away from the city lights... Or just take leisurely walks in the cool mountain air... At niht, the view of Taiping town's twinkling lights can be seen from the hill...

For acccommodation, there are 6 government-run self-catering bungalows and a single cafe-restaurant providing facilities for visitors... Nest, a Methodist Church-run bungalow offers attractive packages for group as well as families at RM50 per person for full board and lodging... Cendana Hut is a privatised bungalow within the compoundof the tulip farm and nursery... The Bukit Larut Rest House has 4 large bedrooms, a kitchenette and a spacious sitting-dining area... Nest Bungalow can be contacted at +605-805-1461 and Cendana Hut at +605-806-2777... The playground with a suspension bridge, watchtower and camp site is 20m away... 15-mins walk downhill is the 90-years old Sri Kaliamman Temple with Hindu devotees coming for spirtual meditation in the clouds...

Being an old town with hills, there are many Chinese cemetries in Taiping.

Many Chinese families thus in early April during "Qing Ming" or "Cheng Beng" go on an annual pilgrimage to Taiping to visit their ancestors tombs.

Offerings of paper are burnt for the deceased. Modern versions include mobile phone, credit card, passport, DVD player, money made from paper.