Setting Off from Penang
With the car packed and ready, the journey began at dawn from Karpal Singh Drive in Penang. The first stop was the ferry across to Butterworth, before heading north along the quieter roads of Kedah
North from Penang
Leaving Karpal Singh Drive just after dawn, we took the ferry from Penang to Butterworth and began the drive north into Kedah.
The route followed the old roads through Kuala Muda and Sungai Petani, with stops along the way to explore the quieter places, including the fishing village of Pulau Sayak and the area around Merbok and the Bujang Valley.
Sungai Petani
After a pleasant drive through the paddy fields, we arrived in Sungai Petani, where a breakfast stop gave us the chance to sample some local food and take a look around the town.
Sungai Petani gave us a pleasant break from the road — a little local food, a look around town and a few unexpected sights along the way. From here, we continued towards the Bujang Valley and the waterfalls beyond.
Bujang Valley & Bujang Falls
After leaving Sungai Petani, we headed towards the Bujang Valley, an area rich in history and surrounded by some beautiful countryside. The valley is home to the remains of an ancient Hindu-Buddhist civilisation, with archaeological sites scattered among the hills and plantations.
The falls were well worth the detour, particularly after the recent rain. The nearby archaeological sites add another interesting dimension to the area, making Bujang Valley a place where history, countryside and a little adventure all come together.
The White Elephant — Pulau Bunting Bridge
Continuing towards the coast, we followed Route K1 through small kampungs and the towns of Yan and Yan Kechil. At the crossroads we took the local road through Kampung Pantai and Kampung Sedaka Kechil, where, looking north, we caught sight of one of Kedah’s more unusual sights — the Pulau Bunting Bridge.
The Pulau Bunting Bridge stretches across the mudflats towards the island. Nicknamed the “White Elephant Bridge” by locals, it is certainly one of Kedah’s more unusual sights, standing out against the surrounding landscape. After a quick look and a few photographs, we continued north towards the coast.
On to Kuala Perlis
Leaving the “White Elephant”, we followed the K142 towards the coast, joining the coastal road at Kampung Sala and continuing to Kuala Perlis. By now the weather had turned decidedly wet, and we arrived in town in the middle of a persistent storm.
We checked into the hotel opposite the Ro-Ro ferry terminal and, with the rain still coming down, headed out to find something to eat. As it was Ramadan, many food outlets were closed until later in the evening. The nearby Fresh Fish Food Court was busy with locals after breaking their fast.
Despite the weather, Kuala Perlis gave us a memorable first taste of the north — a busy little port, fresh seafood and the lively atmosphere of an evening during Ramadan. The rain finally eased, but there was more to discover the following morning.
Kuala Perlis — Heading North
The morning was dry, although heavy clouds were already gathering on the horizon. After checking out of the hotel, we found a small Chinese coffee shop for breakfast before setting off again. Our route would take us further north towards the Thai border and the quieter roads of Perlis.
After breakfast, we took a short walk through Kuala Perlis, taking in the mosque, the town streets and a few glimpses of everyday life before setting off towards Kangar and the quieter roads of Perlis.
Leaving Kuala Perlis — Heading for Gua Kelam
Leaving Kuala Perlis in bright sunshine, with heavy clouds gathering on the horizon, we took the local road towards Kangar, passing through miles of paddy fields. Around Chuping, the landscape changes as the road climbs towards the limestone hills of northern Perlis.
Leaving Padang Besar behind, we followed Route 7 in search of local road 1000 and a view of Bukit Mata Ayer. Unfortunately, barriers across the road brought that little expedition to an early end, so we turned back and continued towards Kaki Bukit and the Gua Kelam Recreational Park.
Kaki Bukit has an interesting history as an old mining area, with a mixture of traditional Chinese, Malay and Indian houses. From here, a small road leads to Gua Kelam, only a few kilometres away.
The cave itself is reached by a well-maintained elevated walkway, running for about a kilometre through the limestone. For a modest RM1 admission, it is a fascinating little adventure. The small river flows beneath the walkway, while stalactites, stalagmites, rock formations and small cascades appear along the route. Some of the formations have inevitably suffered damage from the area’s former mining activities.
Emerging from the cave, the route opens into a large forested recreational area. The river continues to wind through the trees, with covered seating areas, picnic spots and well-maintained pathways. Distance markers along the trails are a particularly useful touch.
Gua Kelam proved to be well worth the detour — a fascinating combination of old mining history, caves, forest and running water.
Next stop: Tasoh Lake & Arau
Leaving Gua Kelam, we headed south towards Tasoh Lake, passing through the quieter countryside of Perlis. The lake is surrounded by low hills and rice fields, and the open landscape made a welcome change after the forests and limestone of Gua Kelam.
From Tasoh we continued south on Route 7, then Route 9 towards Arau, the Royal Town of Perlis and our home for the next two nights.
Arau is a small town with a rather grand claim to fame. It is home to the Royal Palace, Royal Mosque and Royal Museum, and the town’s royal connection is evident around the centre. We had hoped to photograph the palace and mosque after dark, but unfortunately that didn’t work out.
Our base was the Sanctuary Garden Hotel in Jalan Pauh. It was a modern, comfortable hotel with a surprisingly homely atmosphere. The reception and lounge areas were spacious, with plenty of places to sit, a small library and walls decorated with nostalgic photographs and pictures.
The Final Day — Wang Kelian and Northern Perlis
After a night of rain, the morning was bright and clear. Breakfast at the Sanctuary Garden Hotel was quiet, with most of the other guests having left very early.
Our departure was a little later, as we planned a drive towards Wang Kelian via Kangar, with hopes of visiting the vineyards and the Reptile & Snake Farm.
Leaving Arau for Kangar via the R11, we found it to be a pleasant, quiet road, with many fine views towards the mountains and Bukit Perlis. Unfortunately, our plans for visiting some of the attractions were to prove rather disappointing. The vineyard appeared to have been abandoned, the Snake and Reptile Farm seemed firmly closed, and numerous other ventures — homestays, retreats and forest resorts all the way towards Bukit Ayer — also appeared to have been abandoned.
It seemed such a shame to see so many good ideas slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. Buildings, chalets, roads and pathways were disappearing beneath the vegetation, giving the whole area a rather sad, forgotten feeling.
Come on, Perlis Tourist Office — let’s get these ventures back on the tourist trail! This is a lovely area with plenty of potential, and it deserves another chance.
After retracing our route on the R11, we turned onto the R121 towards Kampung Tasoh, then right towards Wang Tangga and the mountain road through the thick rainforest to the Thailand border crossing at Wang Kelian.
The border post itself is relatively small but surprisingly busy. On the Thai side there is a Sunday market, while on the Malaysian side there is a duty-free outlet and a smaller market. It makes for an interesting place to spend an hour or so, browsing the stalls, shopping and sampling a mixture of Thai and Malaysian food.
Chuping Sugar Plantation
Leaving Wang Kelian behind, we took the R7 eastwards, then followed local roads towards the Chuping Sugar Factory. It was easy enough to find, taking the R16 and then the right fork onto the R1002 towards the sugar production area.
On reaching the factory, there wasn’t much happening. A man on a tractor stopped and told us that the factory was almost closed and that there was very little sugar cane around now, with only a few small farms remaining. I’m not sure how accurate that was, but the area certainly seemed very quiet.
We decided to explore anyway and took an unsurfaced track in search of some sugar cane. The single-track road seemed to go for kilometres into the middle of nowhere, but we did find remnants of the old plantation, with some sugar cane still growing wild in an otherwise rather empty landscape.
After about half an hour we reached a gate that looked as though it was almost falling over. We decided that going any further might mean wandering onto private land, so we turned around and headed back towards the factory, which was visible in the distance.
It turned out to be a worthwhile little detour. Although there was little sign of an active sugar industry, the drive through the old plantation roads gave us a glimpse of a very different side of Chuping.
Once back on the surfaced road, we headed towards Arau. A nice warm shower, a little rest and some thought about dinner seemed like the next sensible plan…
The Journey Home — and Looking Back
Dinner that evening had to wait until the day’s fasting had finished. A very busy shopping area, just a few minutes from the Sanctuary Garden Hotel, provided the venue. A hearty local Char Kway Teow was enjoyed, washed down with Assam Boi.
Another good night’s sleep at the Sanctuary Garden was followed by another pleasant breakfast. We packed our things, said farewell to the friendly staff and headed home.
I can recommend this small hotel. The staff were attentive, the rooms clean and airy, and although the food was basic with a limited choice, it was very good. Its lcation also makes it a useful base for exploring the attractions and scenery of this northernmost state of Perlis
Leaving Arau behind, we followed the K3 and K5, running roughly parallel with the North–South Expressway, and eventually arrived back in Penang.
Looking back, our visit to Perlis was a success, although the weather and the timing of our trip during Ramadan meant that we weren’t able to experience as much of the local food and attractions as we’d hoped. On our next visit, we’ll try to avoid the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Perlis is a wonderful little state, and it was a shame to find so many potentially interesting places seemingly having slipped from the tourist trail. I hope the Malaysian tourism authorities will give Perlis more promotion — it certainly deserves it.
And, as soon as we arrived back in Penang, I was already thinking about the next state to visit.