Taiping has always been known as an attractive little town with its distinct and charming architecture of mostly pre-world war shops houses.
The town itself is overlooked by serene jungle-clad hills, the most famous of them being Bukit Larut.
Founded in 1884 as Maxwell Hill by the British, Bukit Larut is Malaysia’s oldest hill station and is located a mere ten kilometres from the quiet and sleepy old town of Taiping.
Located at approximately 1,036m above sea level, the hill station has the distinction of being in the wettest part of the country and therefore experiences the highest rainfall in Malaysia.
Visitors to Bukit Larut will definitely notice how Bukit Larut’s charm lies in its simplicity.
Rather than being a typical superfluous and developed hill resort, Bukit Larut retains much of its original atmosphere as a colonial hill station.
The hill station is dotted with many rustic colonial style bungalows and almost all of which are surrounded by colourful and carefully tended gardens.
Aside from a tiring climb, the only way reaching the top of the hill is by four-wheel vehicle.
And since no private vehicles are allowed access, the resort authority of Bukit Larut offers transport service for a nominal fee.
Government green Land Rover Defenders are available for visitors at the foot of the hill and leaves every hour from 7am until 6pm.
According to Bukit Larut Resort Manager Roslee Ahmad Rafie, the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) which just took over the management of the hill station from the Larut, Matang and Selama District Office this January 1, is scrambling on a feverish drive to upgrade the place and to add facilities that are much lacking.
The Council he said, is spending RM300,000 for this purpose which includes cleaning up and beautifying the resort which was basically left too its own devices for quite a period of time, with more upgrading to be done at later stages.
“We have six Jeeps to bring up visitors but only three are being used as three others are on standby” he said, adding that the target by MPT soon is to have 10 operating jeeps to transport up to 330 visitors a day.
Roslee also said repair works on Beringin, Angkasa, Permai View and a few other bungalows that have succumbed to the elements, will ensure that there are more accommodation options for visitors soon.
An elevated viewing platform will also be added in to the resort, while a flower garden, orchid sanctuary and strawberry farm will follow next.
MPT also wants to open a few souvenir shops and cafes at the resort and plans to create a 10km cycling path up the hill.
While MPT attends to the changes, Bukit Larut still awaits visitors who will be charmed by its tranquil surroundings.
It is an exciting experience for those who do find themselves sitting in these Land Rovers, as the drive up usually means being flung side to side.
Hearts may also start to race a bit as you watch the drivers of the government land rovers change down a gear or two while skillfully negotiating the steep and twisting road.
Although the drive up the hill may seem like an endless procession of hairpins (72 in all), it only takes about 30 minutes to the top.
Midway to the top the Land Rover will make a brief stopover at the Garden Tea House to let other vehicles driving down pass. What was once part of a tea-estate, the Tea Garden House is a quiet reminder of how coffee and tea were grown on an experimental basis at the hill but was then discontinued due to transport and logistic difficulties.
At this midway point, visitors can already start to get a taste of the magnificent view consisting of the entire town of Taiping as well as the Lake Gardens.
The exhilarating and sometimes heart stopping drive up is more than justified once reaching the summit of Bukit Larut.
Visitors are immediately greeted with a spectacular view of Taiping and the nearby sweeping coast. It is also said that on an especially clear day one may also be able to see Penang Island.
A watchtower and a suspended bridge nearby a bungalow named Maxwell Resthouse is a must stop over as this is one of the place to truly take in the magnificent view.
The summit of Bukit Larut itself is riddled with groves of evergreens and colorful highland flora that beckons to be explored and seen.
Species normally found in cooler climates or European countries are abundant at the hill.
Picturesque bungalows here are surrounded by a wide canvass of roses, dahlias, daisies, pansies, petunias, lupines and marigold abound in profusion. The cool climate also favours golden sunflowers, reputedly the largest variety in the country. To top it all there is a waterfall for cool fun.
Bird life here is plentiful. The best trail for bird watchers is the Gunung Hijau Trail, which spirals up towards the 1,447 metre summit of Gunung Hijau, one of the peaks of the hills.
The untouched mountain forest is also home to smaller fauna such as gibbons and squirrels, while its flora comprises species such as wild orchids, Mountain Giant Fishtail Palm and many species of bracken-like ferns.
Basically there are two activities one can choose to do while visiting Bukit Larut - walking and observing nature or partaking in the British habit of a long ‘constitutional’.
The first choice highly recommended since the vegetation is interesting, changing at about 600m from lowland rainforest to lower montane rainforest.
There are lots of huge trees including the rare Mountain Giant Fishtail Palm, as this area is still pristine and unlogged.
At Bukit Larut, patience and a little luck might reward a visitor with the sight of monkeys, deer, civets, or even clouded leopards.
With the added attractions and upgrading works by MPT underway, this rich and diverse weekend getaway, would be the perfect place for those seeking respite or yearning for the simpler times of yesteryear.