There are times when I obtain the resolve to go somewhere just because of a picture that I’ve seen. That pretty much led me to Taiping, Malaysia; a seemingly nondescript town in between Penang and Ipoh. Taiping – translated in Chinese as “Everlasting peace” – is not a tourist town, with its claim to fame being the rainiest city in Peninsular Malaysia. This has benefited the town with an extremely verdant vegetation, the kind that even others from the tropics would envy over. As for me, all it took was one picture of the beguiling Taiping Lake Gardens, with its lush greenery and calm waters with almost perfect reflection for me to get smitten.
the spectacular raintrees which taiping is known for
Coming from Singapore, there is actually a direct 10-hour bus to Taiping but I came here from Ipoh, where I arrived by air. From Ipoh, Taiping is a manageable 1-hour drive through some of the most breathtaking highway scenery in Peninsular Malaysia.
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