Hulu Langat, City escape. Morning ride

A good ride just out of KL...not as good as some say, but a nice quick fix all the same!

It makes for a good morning ride when you don't have the time or inclination to go too far. You can get to it by following Jalan Ampang out of KL. That in itself is pretty easy to do! Come to the end of Jln Ampang, make a right at the last traffic light and head for Hulu Langat.

Once off Jln Ampang, you'll be surprised how quickly the scene changes from cityscape, over a hill, through a Kampong and you wouldn't know you're anywhere near Kuala Lumpur. The road also changes after the first village and you'll be greeted with a nice twisty bit of tar that is nice and wide. Done a cog or two, and on the gas - you'd think this road is going to lead to something major or wind on for miles like all good Malaysian roads, but it's rather short-lived!

The road winds up a hill that has a rather good view of The City. The Hulu Langat Road runs along the ridge that forms the eastern section of the Klang Valley that contains Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately the day I took my camera along, it was hazy thanks to the Southwest Monsoon that streams the remains of Sumatra's forest fires into Klang Valley.

From this ridge, you've got a great view of the mass of KL. Naturally the Twin Towers are easily identifiable. Continue on the road and you'll make your way past a huge lake that stores lots of water for KL. This is a nice section of tar as well with some really fast flowing corners.

Basically the Hulu Langat area is pretty small, so you can ride most of the roads there in a couple of hours and end up in a small kopi shop for a break. It's quite normal to see a few superbikes there on any given weekend. From the lakeside road, if you make a right turn, you'll be in for the Hulu Langat treat! It's a really twisty bit that leads over from the lake to a small village. It's mainly 1st and 2nd gear stuff and wringing the motor out. The 'Cups' (125cc's) will probably get through this section faster than you will, due to their lightweight nimbleness. This section is short enough to do it a few times within an hour, then find a coffee shop.

It's worth doing and exploring simply because it's so close to KL. If you follow the signs, you'll end up at the Hulu Langat waterfalls and there are some really nice weekend homes in this area. The contrast between city and country is pretty stark and you just won't know that over the ridge lies a huge colourful city.

A good city escape - gotta be done!

Frasers Hill. 2 Day Ride

This makes for a great ride and a good stay. I shy away from Cameron Highlands these days simply because after they improved the road into the Camerons, well, all the crowds go there. It's still a nice place to visit but too many folks, especially on weekends. It was better when the old "hazardous" road was still in operation as it kept a lot of people away.

Frasers, on the other hand, well, if you go up via the normal western approach, you're still confronted with the one-laner for the top ascent. Here traffic flows up/down on alternate hours. This section has countless hairpins but on a superbike, it'll just be too tight. It's still a worthy ride and one thing for sure...there won't be any oncoming traffic!

The first bike I rode into Frasers was my ZX1100 Kawasaki - as you might say wrong tool for the job. The Kawasaki liked the NS Ekspressway but not really the tight twisties of Frasers. The next bike I road into the Highlands was my Suzuki TL1000s. It's thumping Vee-Twin filled each valley with thunder - nice! When I got the Ducati, my friends said it would never run long enough to enjoy - eat dirt, it's done 50,000 miles on Malaysian, Singaporean & Thai roads and never missed a beat. The Ducati might not be as quick on the highway as some of the Japanese machines, but it sure is more accurate on the brakes and that's what counts on the testing back roads! Without the standard issue Brembo brakes, am sure I wouldn't be here today to waffle on!!

On the lower reaches, it's a narrow two-laner, complete with oncoming cars and trucks! The last time I was mid-corner only to be confronted by a huge semi-trailer with a trailer far too big for the road, so take it easy on this bit. It's a nice road that winds up about a 1000m so it gets nice & cool.

The main thoroughfare has big sweeping curves following an undulating path around a huge lake. It makes for a great getaway from city life. Frasers was a British retreat and still has the charm of an English Village, not that I would know what one of those are like but I guess it's something like Frasers!

It's a good idea to go up on the western side and then come down via the back road - out to the southeast. This side is more prone to landslides than the drier west side. I counted 5 on my last road trip, but that makes it so much more exciting. Anyway, they're just small landslides!! Again this is a 2-lane road with tight 1st and 2nd gear corners for most of the descent and you'll feel it warming rather too soon. Once on the lowlands again, there's a few paths you can take so you'll need to look at a map or just follow the GPS. Either way will take you through some small towns and then dump you back on the Karak Highway.

While you can hop on the Karak, I prefer the road which parallels the Karak. This is the old road hidden in the jungle at points about 200m higher than the Highway. There's a big 'H" shaped intersection right where the Highlands intersection MacDonalds is. If you stay on the southern side of the Rest Area, you'll find the old road. It does eventually lead back into KL and makes for a good blast i.e. out of KL...onto the Karak...get to the Rest Stop...peel off and head south on the old road. This route will give you a mix of every type of road, speed and corner as well as some cool weather! The old road gets a few rogue trucks so keep an eye out for them!

Frasers itself is a peaceful place that is so nutrient-rich that every conceivable colour of flower has made its home there. Choice place has to be Ye Old Smokehouse. It's a charming old homestead that the Red Cross used as a retreat for ex-servicemen. Today, it's a great place to stay charmed by the old setting and even has a fireplace.

Frasers comprises just a few roads pretty much in a ring fashion. So you really can't get too lost (well, not for long) unless you wander off into the rainforest that is thick and lush! What's there to do? Soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the peace and absorb all that nature has on display. I did chance upon some professional bird watchers, but for the love of me, I can't figure that 'sport' out! !

Lost World of Tambun, Ipoh. 2/3 Day Ride

Another good find on the roads around Ipoh! Make it a 3 Day Ride so that you can take in Ipoh Town, Clearwater Sanctuary and Kellies Castle plus, you just might want to jump in the hot springs at The Lost World after a long ride!

Tambun, or rather, the Lost World, is quite a place! It's nestled amongst some really nice limestone cliffs 20 minutes north of Ipoh Town and easy enough to find as it has become a Sunway development. The Needle of Ipoh is located here. The Needle is a really sharp rocky outcrop that is located within the confiines of the LOST WORLD. It's a challenging and popular rock climbing venue.

The Lost World is a theme park that features a nice natural hot spring pool. There are two other redeming features here:

One - the limestone valley and

Two - the tigers!

The real lost world however is just outside the gates of the theme park. Sunway has built some really nice residences here and surprise, surprise, foreigners have bought all the properties with the best views of the limestone cliffs! It's a beautiful setting and, as a holiday home, it will be hard to beat - there's just something so majestic about cliffs in your back yard! It's a sight that few places can boast (although I have found another one very close to KL, but more about that later in another post).

Malaysian property developers, especially the reputable ones, have progressed in their work when compared to the developments of a few years ago. Sure, there are still the shoddy guys but there is a good movement towards better quality. The choice properties of the Lost World are going to be the 7 homes on the upper ridges of the valley - whoever buys those is going to be buying a real treat, overlooking a multi-million year old valley.

Across the road from the bungalow development is a small valley that narrows to a pond. Lying on the water surface of the pond is a floating rope. The rope leads to a cave entrance that can't be seen until you're at the entrance itself. This leads to 6 mile tunnel. During the Communist incursion, the rebels used the cave as a hiding base but the tin miners also knew about the cave and their handiwork can be seen clearly in the cave.

Tigers - one of the good things Sunway has done is to create a natural enclosure using the limestone valleys and a moat. Of all the animal enclosures in Malaysia, this is the best one. The handler is also passionate about his charges and it's really good to see the big cats respond to him.

I had no idea what to expect when I first heard about the Lost World but have to say that I'd like a bungalow lot there overlooking the cliffs. It's worth the ride or drive, especially via the old highway.

Kellie's CASTLE. 2 Day Ride

Depending where you depart from - Singapore, make it a 3 Dat Ride minimum, KL well up and back with an overnight will be just nice! This was an amazing find while digging around the backroads surrounding Ipoh... You'll see why Ipoh has become my favourite Malaysian town!

Take one Scottish Castle and mix it with inspiration from the Taj Mahal and plonk it on a hill south of Ipoh... It's an interesting beginning. Over 100 years ago a young Scotsman found his way into Malaysia and by way of hard work and good luck became a member of the rubber plantation elite. He built a beautiful homestead which was a bit ravaged and occupied by the Japanese in WWII.

Inspired by a trip to India, he returned full of good ideas, one being to build his own 'Taj' for his wife. Construction of Kellie's castle was well underway when he succumbed to disease while back in Europe so he never had his dream completed... It's an incredible shame!

Today the Castle still sits proud on a poromotory overlooking his estate. For the princely sum of RM4 you can venture into and all over the Castle. To do so is a real treat and to think that it was one man's dream. Indian labourers toiled away to build the castle and I would imagine many artisans were imported just to get the job done.

There's a structure that would have been Malaysia's first lift had it been completed, although I would not have liked to be the man who had to hand crank the lift up and down! The castle is a true castle with escape tunnels and alleyways everywhere.

From the roof, you can survey the estate and thankfully they haven't installed guard rails as that would surely spoil the architecture. In fact, there are only a few restricted areas in the whole building. Perhaps it is the fact that Kellie's spirit is still seen gliding down these harrowed hallways that keeps it safe!

Architecturally, when you have a closer look, you'll notice an eclectic mix of Scot and Indian design that seems to work well perched on a hill near Ipoh!

For more than 10 years I've past the Kellie's Castle sign on the highway but never ventured in as I had always thought it would just be some guy's KTV Pub! But one day recently while passing through and with a bit of time on my side, I ventured in and what I found absolutely amazed me. I'll go back for sure and catalogue Kellie's dream.

To find Kellie's Castle you need to be on the old KL - Ipoh highway, not the North-South Ekspressway! It's about 20 minutes south. You'll pick up a signboard and just follow the trail! When I can, I hop off the NS Ekspressway and choose to use the old backroads as it's far more interesting and see, you'll find stuff like this.

What has become real handy is my new Altina GPS - why, it even has Kellie's Castle preloaded! I bought the GPS for RM 1400 and it's become a real handy tool. At first I was a bit skeptical that the roads wouldn't be accurate - WRONG! It's really good and, with it, I've discovered even more great paths through Malaysia.

Kellie's Castle is worth the visit and you can stay in Clearwater which incidentally is only 15 minutes by road from Kellie's. Plus, you can savour some good Ipoh food while you're there...more coming.

Clearwater Sanctuary, Ipoh. 2 Day Ride

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!