Things To Do In Alor Star

I like Malaysia alot for it’s diversed culture. You will find other countries in this World that has a mix of races and so on, but nothing can compare to what we have here in Malaysia. I’ve been to many parts of the world, UK, Australia but at the end of the day, I always enjoy coming back to Malaysia. One of the great things that you can get here is the tourism and the effort the goverment puts in order to market us. In my blog, I feature some of this place that you can visit in Malaysia, all place I always visit first before writing about them. You can view the Place I’ve visited in Malaysia.

Towards north of Malaysia, there’s a town called Alor Star (used to be know as Alor Setar between 2004-2008). Alor Star also happens to be the capital of one of Malaysia’s state, namely Kedah. Alor Star is famous for the distribution of manufacturing and agriculture products such as Paddy. Below is the list of the things that you should visit if you happen to go to Alor Star Kedah, in no particular order. If you haven’t yet booked a place to stay, you may want to try Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Alor Star, one of the top 4 star hotel in that location.

Kedah State Art Gallery

Kedah State Art Gallery

The Kedah State Art Gallery holds a good collection of paintings, photographs, musical instruments and handicrafts. It used to house the office of the Sultan, the state treasury, audit office and the British Adviser residence in 1912 but was converted to its present day gallery in 1983.

Pekan Rabu

Pekan Rabu Alor Star

Pekan Rabu or literally translated as Wednesday market, is located near the government offices in Alor Setar. Eventhough it is named such, they market is open every single day. Pekan Rabu is open from morning till night. Many goods are be available at a bargain including crafted products and delicious tidbits. Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Tun Maharthir was once a trader at the Pekan Rabu.

Menara Alor Setar

Menara Alor Star

Standing at 165.5m tall, the tower is a modern landmark in this old city. Menara Alor Star is the second tallest tower in Malaysia and ranked 19th tallest in the world, functioning both as a telecommunications tower and a tourist attraction. The tower’s platform allows visitors to a breath-taking view that stretches from Gunung Jerai to the Straits of Malacca.

Golden Jubilee Park

The Golden Jubilee Park in Alor Star was built in commemoration of the Kedah Sultan’s golden jubilee celebration in 2008. The park took seven months to be completed, was designed with a beautiful landscape comprising a golden jubilee landmark, sculptures of Kedah’s rulers, fountains, a mural wall, man-made lake, jogging track and skating rink.

Batu Hampar Waterfall

Batu Hampar Waterfall (aminzaki Photo Copyright)

This place is roughly about 30KM drive from Alor Star. This Recreation Park can be reached easily from Yan. Just outside Yan there is a junction where you take right to Batu Hampar. The falls are not spectacular but the stream is nice and quiet.

The Birth Place of Tun Mahathir

A visit to Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad‘s birth place will give you a different perspective of the life of this revered leader. He was born in Alor Star on Dec 20, 1925 at No 18 Lorong Kilang Ais, off Jalan Pegawai. His home has been seen as a historical building and was restored by the National Archives in 1992.

When visiting this place, you will be able to view items from his childhood to his schooldays to the time he became a doctor. There are photos, furniture and other household items. You can even take a look at his old bicycle. Just Amazing

It is open on monday to saturday from 9 a.m to 6 p.m.

The Paddy Museum

The Paddy Museum

The Paddy Museum is an important tourist attraction in Kedah as the state is known as the Rice Bowl state of Malaysia due to its important economic contribution to the country. It honours the history, culture and significance of paddy farming in Kedah and is dedicated to the hardworking and simple paddy farmers, whose blood, sweat and toil have contributed to the objective of achieving self sufficiency in the rice industry.

The Paddy Museum opens daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It closes for Friday prayer from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m. on Fridays. Admission fees are RM3 for adults and RM1 for children while school groups are charged RM1 per person. Each camera brought in will be charged a RM2 fee. (This details was derived from VirtualTourist)

So peepz, remember to visit these place during your visit to Alor Star Kedah. Drop me a comment with your experience and photographs.