A Day Trip To Taiping

Travel writing by Ng Jan Rie

Taiping, a town in Perak, was one of the richest towns in the colonial days of Malaysia. It holds several notable landmarks, such as the Taiping Lake Gardens, one of the oldest and most beautiful gardens in Southeast Asia. This town is also known for its natural beauty and cultural significance.

9:00 a.m.

On the morning of 21st October, we arrived at our first destination in Taiping, the iconic Antong Coffee Mill. Taiping is famous for its coffee heritage and Antong is one of the proofs for it. Established in 1933, it is one of the oldest coffee mills in Malaysia.

It was exciting to learn about the heritage and specialties of this coffee mill. Apart from visiting the museum where we could learn about the mill’s history, we were also given the chance to learn about the traditional process of coffee-making and even mix sugar into coffee beans while they were being roasted. It was interesting to see how the roasting of the beans was fueled using wood from old abandoned houses.

_{Listening to the staff about how the coffee was made at the mill.}

During my time there, I also managed to buy and try the coffee produced by the mill. The coffee was sold in an adorable bottle that is shaped like a bear. The coffee’s aroma was rich and bittersweet.

_{Pictures taken in the mini museum. It was only there that I learned that the Antong Coffee Mill was previously one of the houses belonging to Sun Yat-Sen.}

10:00 a.m.

We arrived at our second stop. Founded in 1961, Taiping Zoo is the oldest zoo in Malaysia.

My favourite part was riding the buggy around the zoo. The wind blew past us, making us feel fresh on such a hot day. While we were on the buggy, we saw all kinds of animals, such as Malaysian tigers, orangutans, elephants, giraffes and even a variety of colorful birds. Some of these animals are endangered.

We were captivated by the wildlife this zoo holds during the visit. However, we were also a little disappointed with the number of empty cages we saw and the zoo’s lack of maintenance. I hope that the town would put some effort to help improve this zoo and let the animals have a better home.

2:00p.m.

After stopping for lunch, we moved on to our third stop, Spritzer Eco Park. The headquarter of Spritzer, one of the largest mineral water brands in Malaysia, is located in Taiping. The company opened the Eco Park in 2015 to provide visitors a refreshing green environment that is great for recreation.

We did several activities during our time at the Eco Park. our teachers planned for us to make pencil holders using used plastic bottles and we decorated them into minions using the tools provided. Next, we went mini golfing. The park has a space for mini golf and it has a total of 18 holes to try out. A few instructors were present to brief us on how the mini golf course works. Once we got the hang of it, we started going around and trying out different courses.

_{The DIY minion pencil holder we made.}

_{Playing mini golf.}

After finishing golfing, we went to their souvenir shop and got free golf-ball-shaped Spritzer water bottles. Unfortunately, it started raining when we wanted to explore the rest of the park, so we had to return to our bus and adjourn to our next destination.

_{The souvenir shop along with the free golf-shaped bottle of Spritzer water we got.}

4:30p.m.

Our last destination was the Charcoal Factory, located right outside the mangrove forest reserve at Kuala Sepetang.

The factory is known for using the mangrove wood from the Matang Forest Reserve to make their charcoal. The wood is collected and transported to the factory using several boats during the high tide.

As it started raining again, we did not manage to fully tour the factory and had to run back to the bus. It was only afterwards, when I had returned from the trip, that I could do some research and learn more about the factory on my own. I was very surprised to learn that the factory has been using the same traditional techniques to make their charcoal since the 1930s – all the way back to when the factory first opened. It was also impressive to note that the Matang Forest Reserve is not just the largest, but the best managed mangrove reserve as well in the whole of Malaysia.

_{The place to bake the mangrove wood into charcoal.}

_{The river the wood was delivered by although the time I went there the water was drained.}

We left Taiping at 7pm and returned back to Penang with memories and fascinating facts we received from this trip. From the historical Coffee Mill to the charcoal factory, Taiping has left an incredible mark that we will never forget.

This graduation trip has not only rewarded us for our hard work over the 6 years but has also allowed us to explore, learn, and forge lasting memories. Taiping will forever hold a special place in our hearts as we embrace new beginnings and embark on the next chapter of our lives.

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