This was a choice 'find' - stumbled over it while heading south out of Ipoh! It makes for a great overnight stop that's for sure. You'll appreciate the silence here just so that you can can listen to your ears ring after all the engine and wind noise!
Seemingly I do like my peace and quiet and this place has to be one of the best I have so far encountered. Drive in and you won't feel like leaving! It's about 20 minutes south of Ipoh on the old No. 1 highway to KL. Its well sign-posted so fairly easy to find. It is a little hike off the main road but persist as it's really worth it!
Clearwater makes use of three small lakes - all ex-tin mining pools. It's also the site where Anna and the King was filmed - and you thought it was filmed in Thailand! (well, some bits were) But on the Clearwater Lake, you'll see Anna's summer palace!
The Sanctuary is in reality a golf resort with a well-known golf course strung out between the lakes. I've already inquired, but no boats are allowed on the lakes as they fear pollution, which is fair enough. A stroll around Clearwater will give you an idea how fresh the air is.
There are villas right on the water's edge and you can even fish from your balcony. I've seen some of the catches there and a 5 or 6 kg fish is not out of the question! Instead of molesting the inhabitants of the lake, I can just see myself motoring out into the middle of the lake in total silence and reading a book!
There are still some old dredging machines lying around and they are really massive iron structures that now make impressive art pieces! I'm surprised they haven't been knocked-off and melted down in the scrap yards! Mind you, it would take quite a piece of machinery just to pick up a small piece!!
The Villas at Clearwater follow a Bali theme, but thankfully they've been rendered in a way which blends in nicely with the local surrounds. I've seen other places in Malaysia where Bali Villas have been transplanted lock, stock and barrel and to me, that's an odd thing to do! In this case, the terrace style with the balconies overhanging the lake is clean, tidy and tranquil - perfect!
I've always liked Ipoh town. I know the whole of Malaysia raves about the food in Ipoh and I have to say...it is good, but you do have to know where to go and don't go late or it'll be all gone. Yes, I have friends who drive to Ipoh (3 hours) with the excuse of playing golf but we know it's just cover for eating!
I'm due to take my electric punt to Clearwater and introduce them to the modern delights of silent, clean electric power...going to need a long extension cord - kidding! The little aluminium punt has a MotorGuide car-battery driven motor. It's an uncanny feeling to move effortlessly along and have no noise. More on that next month!
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