Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill) Taiping 1 Jun 2016

We woke up early in the morning and heading to Bukit Larut for the tickets for the Land Rover 4WD to go up to the hill.

We did pack some ‘Loh Bak’ yesterday night during we have our dinner at the food court just next to our hotel, for this morning picnic! Even though it was cold, but I think should be alright, because the ‘Loh Bak’ mainly are fish cakes and some fried stuffed meats.

Bukit Larut or original name Maxwell Hill is one of the hidden and unknown gems to travelers who are looking for a retreat at a hill resort.

Located just approximately 9 kilometers from Taiping Town in the northern state of Perak, no other towns or cities in Malaysia can boast of a hill resort in such close proximity and accessibility as Maxwell Hill.

Although Maxwell Hill may be relatively unknown compared to other more popular places like Cameron Highlands, Frazer Hills, Genting Highlands and Penang Hill, it is Malaysia's oldest and smallest high resort, founded in 1884.

Maxwell Hill was named after Sir William George Maxwell, who was appointed the Assistant Resident of Perak in 1875, not long after British Resident J. W. W. Birch's murder.

At that time, the British were sourcing for rehabilitation and relax resort away from the tropical heat for its senior officers and also the wives of the officials and other high-placed gentlemen.

Bukit Larut stands 1,035 meters above the sea level and it is only accessible by two methods – by the government-owned four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles or by foot. Private vehicles without permit are prohibited from going up the hill; one of the reason is because of its dangerous cliff for inexperienced drivers.

The journey, 13 kilometers from the foothill to the top of Maxwell hill using the 4WD takes around 30 minutes. However, people are free to walk or hike through the many hiking trails up the hill, which can take up to three to five hours, depending on the stamina and ability.

We reached there early, and we were having our breakfast at the Malay food stalls just outside the sales counter office of the Bukit Larut. We had our nasi lemak and Milo.

Daddy went to the ticket counter to queue for the tickets. A return journey up Bukit Larut costs an economical RM10 for adults and RM5 for children.

Only tickets on the same day are sold and pre-reservation is not available. The ticket goes on sale at the ticket counter located at the foothill at 8 a.m.

However, there was already 4 families in the queue even before it is opened. We can see the tickets get snapped up really fast, and even more so during this school holiday season.

The 4WD operates daily and leaves every hour, from 8.30am. to 5pm. Of coarse, the operation schedule may change according to the weather condition and safety considerations. We were eagerly waiting for our turn for the 4WD.

The road up twists and turns through lush green tropical virgin jungle and lofty hills, with a total of 72 steep hairpin bends that adds to the thrill.

Along the way, we could see clusters of hikers conquering Bukit Larut. The journey up the hill will go pass three huts, popularly used by the trekkers as a resting spot before they continue their hike.

As the jeep takes us up the lengthy and headache-inducing hill road, the air gradually becomes cooler and you will hear the chirping sound of birds, squirrel and monkeys.

We can get to see different things as the jeep climbs higher, and one will certainly be impressed with the huge trees growing perpendicularly up from the ground and a few cascading waterfalls. Besides the captivating scenery, there was also the smell of fresh greenery all along the way.

If there is one thing that all of us would never forget on a visit to Bukit Larut, it would be roller-coaster ride like on the 4WD.

Honestly speaking, it was really hard to describe as a mixtures of scary, exciting and fun journey. It is pretty extreme to some, but a great and joyful experience to the others. Daddy was almost felt like throwing out at the end of the journey!

Sitting on the 4WF, we can feel that the driver is attempting to do a Tokyo Drift on the narrow road with the maximum speed up the hill. We were literally thrown all around the jeep! If we hadn't kept the tightest grip on the steel handles, I guess we would have gotten thrown into the cliff! However, the drivers are experienced and confident, they know every nooks and corners of the steep and windy road. It was indeed a scary but exciting thirty-minute ride, which caught us to scream and laugh at the same time as our buttock were slipping off the seats!

Midway to the top is the Tea Garden Guest House. Initially, I was thinking like the driver might stopped here for awhile for us to go down to visit The Tea Garden Guest House. The jeep did not stop, with a closer look I can clearly see it is now an abandoned building. Such a waste of the nice structures which was developed.

As the jeep whizzed up to the top, we continued to enjoy the cool, jungle air brought in by the morning breeze through the lush shady forest.

Our amazing roller-coaster ride was a well-worthy ride as we were welcomed by the fresh and cool weather at the peak.

As we arrived at the top of the hill, we can see that there is actually nothing much here but the cool and fresh air and the clear blue sky.

There are several centuries-old cottages at the top of Bukit Larut and in the old days, they had their individual personalities and names to suit them.

Today, most of these names have been localized and renamed, among them – The Hut (Cendana), The Cottage, Treacher (Tempinis), Watson's Rest House (Beringin), The Federal Bungalows (Sri Angkasa), Speedy's Chalet (Rumah Rehat Gunung Hijau), The Nest and The Box.

All of them are still standing although few have been renovated to suit the current visitors.

I think there used to be a small operated café there as we still can see the building itself and the dining chairs and tables around.

The others unfortunately, are in various stages of deterioration like the Tea Garden Guest House.

We were taking some photos and find a place where we can sit down and have our picnic. It was relaxing and fun too.

Along the way, we can see the plants on the hill also a bit different from the plants we saw at the foothill. There is a big children playground, and a timber wooden bridge linking to a high tower.

It is a great place of sight seeing and here, you will find the best panoramic view of Taiping Town. On a clear day, it is possible to see an enchanting view of the West Coast of the peninsular stretching from Penang to Pangkor Island at the summit of the hill.

Besides, there are many natural jungle trails which provide the opportunity to discover Bukit Larut untouched natural beauty and a close observation of the hill's various species of flora and fauna.

Bukit Larut features groves of evergreen and a wide canvas of vibrantly colored flora and fauna. Roses, dahlias, daisies, pansies, petunias, lupines, and marigolds abound in profusion here.

The cool climate also favors the rare mountain giant fishtail palm, many species of bracken-like ferns, and also the golden sunflowers which is reputedly the largest variety in the country.

The timing is just right after we wondered around the hill, around 11.30am the jeep came and brought up the 2nd batch of visitors here. And it is time for us to go down to the foothill. This time, we choose a different type of jeep whereby it was an open type. It was more fun and thrill than during we came up!

Bukit Larut is indeed an ideal destination for those wanting to escape from the heat and humidity of Malaysia's lowlands. Although it is the smallest hill compared to other hill resorts in the country, it still retains much more of the atmosphere of its colonial origins and offers a natural peaceful and quiet sanctuary for weary souls.