Zoo Taiping & Night Safari

Taiping Zoo established in 1961, it is the oldest zoological gardens in Malaysia. There are a lot of happening events at Taiping Zoo, like the successful Night Safari, which allows visitors to observe norturnal animals from 8:00 to 11:00pm all year round.

Officially known as Taman Mergastua Sultan Idris Shah, Taiping Zoo covers 14.4 hectares (34 acres) of land within the sprawling Taiping Lake Gardens, at the foot of Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut). At last count, there are 1300 animals of 180 species at Taiping Zoo. To create an environment that is sensitive to the animals' natural habitat, Taiping Zoo is gradually introducing new open concept enclosures.

Visiting hours at Taiping Zoo are 8:30am - 6:00pm daily, including public holidays. Entrance fee is RM12 for adults, RM8 for children. Entry for cameras and video cameras is free of charge.
While for Night Safari visiting hours 8.00 to 11.00 p.m Open every night including Public Holidays and the visiting hours from 8.00 to 12.00 a.mOn Saturday nights and eve of Public Holidays. Entrance fee is RM16 for adults, RM10 for children. Entry for cameras and video cameras is free of charge.

For the latest information on Taiping Zoo, visit its official website at http://www.zootaiping.gov.my/

Maxwell Hill Taiping (Bukit Larut Taiping)

Bukit Larut which was formerly known as Maxwell Hill is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. It was establised in 1884 by William Edward Maxwell, Assistant British Resident of Perak to cater for the needs of the colonial officials who need a break from the heat of the lowlands. At 1,250 m above sea level, Bukit Larut's daily temperature ranges from 10 °C to 25 °C. Besides being the oldest hill, it also holds the record as the wettest place in Malaysia.

In a clear day, you will be able to see a panoramic view of the west coast of Malaysia from Penang down to Pangkor Island. Nature lovers will appreciate the daisies, tulips, pansies, marigold, roses, dahlias, petunias and sunflowers that are planted here.

Bookings for accommodation at Cendana Bungalow, Beringin Bungalow, Rumah Hijau and Bukit Larut Rest House can be done at the bottom of the hill. However, it is always better to book in advance before going by calling the Bukit Larut Recreational Area Office.

From the foot of the hill, the journey up to the summit is by government Land Rover. The roads up the hill is steep and narrow with 72 sharp bends, so make sure you sit tight as the vehicle cruise up the hill. The Land Rover operational hour is from 8am to 5pm daily with a frequency of 1 hour. Fees is about RM5 for adult and RM3 for children. Booking to take the 4-wheel drive can be done at:

Bukit Larut Recreational Area Office

TaipingPerak Darul Ridzuan

Tel : +6 05 8077 241/243

Taiping Lake Garden

Taiping Lake Garden is one of the oldest parks in the country. Set up in 1880 to beautify the former mining area, it is a scenic place with lots of flowers, trees and shrubs which in turn form a nice habitat for a variety of birds and insects.

To escape from the rush of city life, take a stroll or jog around the lake in this beautiful setting at any time of the day. There is a recreational popular spot for families to have an evening stroll and jog around. Beside that it also have water activities here as well like boat peddling and lake tour on speed boats.

I personally feel that everyone should visit this park because it is really one of a kind such a nice & peaceful place. Being there was a really great experience.

TAIPING'S MANY FIRSTS

Taiping had the first of many things, like the 1st railway in the country, 1st hill resort, 1st telegraph office, 1st turf club, 1st golf course etc etc. Below is a complete list.

1 Open tin mining activity in the peninsula (1844).

2 Hill resort - Maxwell Hill (1844)

3 Swimming pool - Kolam Renang Kemahkotaan (1870).

4 Mosque - Masjid Tengku Menteri (1870).

5 Rest house (1870).

6 Artillery warehouse (1870).

7 Magistrate court (1874).

8 Balai penghulu (1875).

9 Resident's house (1877).

10 Port - Port Weld (1877).

11 English school - Central School Kamunting (1878).

12 Police force team (1879).

13 Government offices (1879).

14 Telegraph and post office (1880).

15 Lake gardens - Taman Tasik Taiping (1880).

16 Hospital, private and government (1880).

17 Club - New Club (1880).

18 Railway station and warehouse (1881).

19 Museum - Muzium Negeri Perak (1883).

20 Market building - Taiping Market Square (1884).

21 Prison - Penjara Taiping (1885).

22 Railway track - from Port Weld to Taiping (1885).

23 Turf club - Perak Turf Club (1886).

24 Anglican church - Old Saints Church (1886).

25 English girl's school - Treacher Girls' School (1889).

26 Clock tower - Menara Jam Besar (1890).

27 Esplanade - Padang Esplanade (1890).

28 Malay newspaper - Seri Perak (June 1893).

29 English newspaper - Perak Pioneer (July 4, 1894).

30 Tamil newspaper - Perak Verthamani (1894).

31 Armed Forces - Malay States Guides (1896).

32 Teaching college - Maktab Perguruan Melayu (1898-1900).

33 Ceylon association (1899).

34 Punjabi association - Khalsa Diwan Malaya Association (1903).

35 Indian association (1906).

36 Recreation park - Coronation Park (1920s).

37 Airfield - Padang Kapal Terbang Tekah (1930).

38 Golf course.

39 Library - Perpustakaan Merdeka.

40 Fire brigade.

Getting Into Taiping

By Road

Most people go to Taiping by road. Taiping is accessible from the North South Expressway. Coming from the north, you use Exit 148 to Kamunting, while coming from the south, you use Exit 146 at Changkat Jering. There are buses to Taiping from Penang (Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal) and Kuala Lumpur (Puduraya).

By Plane

There is no regular commercial airport in Taiping, so the closest are Penang International Airport and Ipoh Airport. Penang is 1½ hours away on the road, depending on traffic situation, while Ipoh is an hour away.

By Train

The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM, official website) operates train services linking Taiping to Butterworth in the north, and Kuala Lumpur in the south. Check the KTM website for details.

Taiping Town Background

Taiping is the second biggest town in Perak after Ipoh Located to the north of the state, the name Taiping is made up of two Chinese characters 太 (tai - 'great') and 平 (ping - 'peace'). Taiping was established during the tin mining age. The discovery of tin deposits in the area in the 19th century attracted settlers from China, who were organised into two feuding groups around the Cantonese Ghee Hin(義興) society and the Hakka Hai San (海山) society. And saw much of the activities associated with that ore. When the seat of Perak's administration moved to Kuala Kangsar in Upper Perak in 1877, Taiping became the administrative capital of Perak. It was only after the Second World War had ended, in 1945, that the state administrative capital was moved to Ipoh.

Taiping is basically a two-street town. The two main roads in Taiping are Jalan Kota (Kota Road) and Jalan Taming Sari (Main Road). Cutting perpendicular to these two main roads are cross roads to form a grid. This town plan dates from 1880, when a massive fire destroyed much of the old town, giving the British authorities an opportunity to re-plan the town. The Larut Matang District office is located at the northern end of the town while the Indian Muslim Mosque at the southern end. Taiping can easily be explored on foot. To get to Taiping, it is advisable to drive.

TAIPING HOMESTAY

House Rental:-
· The rental RM250 per day or RM1500 per month.
· There might be a surcharge during Public holiday / CNY.

A new double storey terrace house with fully-furnished and renovated house located at hillside of Taiping.
· About 5 - 10 min drives to Taiping's town area to have a great visit to Taiping Lake Garden, Museum, Zoo & Night Safari, Maxwell hill and etc.
· Adjacent to shopping areas (The Store, Tesco, Taiping Sentral)
· Nearby with numerous of bank, petrol station and etc.

The house is suitable for occasion especially:-
· Friends or relatives visit during wedding event.
· Family vacation.
· Student education visit in Taiping.
· Relatives visits from outstation.
· Business trip / work for short term in Taiping & etc.

House Detail Conditions:-
· 4 Bed Rooms: 3 bed rooms with (double bed, air-con and ceiling fan). 1 bed room with (single bed & ceiling fan).
· 3 Bath Rooms: 2 bath rooms with electrical water heater & 1 bath room without electrical water heater.
· 1 Living Room: Consist of (Sofa, TV and Coffee Table).
· 1 Dining Room: With a comfortable dining table & chairs.
· 1 Kitchen: Consist of (Refrigerator & Cooking Stove).
· 1 Car park: The car porch able to park 2 cars.

Reservation booking is now available:-
· If you are interested, please contact:-
· Mr. & Mrs. Teh: (05-8069153 / 012-5379263).
· @ Call / SMS Mr. Danny (012-5619732).
· @ Email to danny981@hotmail.com for more details.

Homestay Application Form:-
Please download the Microsoft Word file from below link & fill up your particular information and send to my email as stated above.Thanks

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24375713/Taiping-Homestay-Application-Form