Our desire for more greenery led us to Gopeng, a sleepy little town 2 1/2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur and just 20km south of Ipoh, Perak.
Gopeng flourished as a tin mining town and is now filled with eco-tourism and outdoor adventure. Not to be missed are Gopeng’s Gua Tempurung and the Kampar River where one will enjoy caving and whitewater rafting immensely.
So we brought along our four children ages ranging from 2 to 9 years old, and together with my in-laws to Gopeng. We read positive reviews of Adeline Villa in Gopeng and decided to book a night there.
Travelling There
We drove there. Yes, no joke. That was what we did. A 7-hour car ride. But it was necessary to visit our relatives en route.
Honestly, bringing the 28-month twins on a road trip from Singapore to Ipoh was challenging for me. We split the journey into two days. I had to entertain and appease the two of them throughout the ride. I was genuinely thankful for my mother-in-law’s presence to ease my ordeal a little.
If you are thinking of going to Gopeng too, you can consider going by plane too. It will take you just 90 minutes to reach Ipoh (click here to search for the cheapest flight*) and another 30 minutes by car to reach Gopeng.
We drove in from the south and our surroundings gradually became more mountainous. we knew that we were nearing Gua Tempurung. More details on Gua Tempurung are in the paragraphs below.
Our adventure started with driving into the hills
Driving into the kampung to reach Adeline Villa itself was challenging. Before entering the mountains, we were greeted with rows of houses along the road. Some are so nicely built that I have to share them here.
Once we entered the forest, the road became narrow and winding. It allowed only one vehicle to drive comfortably through. Where it was too tight, say when 2 large vehicles met, one had to stop for the other to move.
We learned along the way that we should horn before a turn so that drivers in the opposite directions are aware of our existence. It is definitely not a place to drive into at night as street lights are non-existence.
I haven’t mentioned that Adeline Villa is located amongst the durian plantations. So we spotted a lot of durians hanging from the trees along the way. It was a remarkable experience for the “sua-gu” (i.e. ignorant) city-dwellers like us who have never seen durians hanging from durian trees before. Yet we love eating durians. What an irony.
Adeline Villa
By the time we reached Adeline Villa, all of us were ardently looking forward to a durian-tasting event.
The lady who attended to us “V” was warm and thoughtful. She gave us a room nearest to the canteen in consideration of the young and old we brought with us.
Our Accommodation in Adeline Villa
There are 2 types of accommodations – rest house which caters to corporate team-building and school outings, and a villa for a smaller group setting.
Our ensuite villa was clean and simple, and the bedsheets were fresh and comfortable. Other than hot water for shower and air-conditioning for a good night sleep, the room was kept minimal. In fact, we were told to bring our own towels and toiletries. The toilets would need some upgrading though.
We are not complaining. For RM220 (est SGD80) per night per person for a room that included three sumptuous meals, we didn’t expect so much. And we met the objectives of coming to Gopeng to immerse ourselves in nature, get the kids acquainted with rustic living and spend time with their grandparents.
Around Adeline Villa
Needless to say, the charming resort was surrounded by durian trees and had full of character. The chalets were sparsely located all around the resort, so we had a lot of space to ourselves.
We were entitled to enjoy the durians that dropped near our chalet in the middle of the night. So after breakfast the next morning, we had a mini durian feast. Since these were kampung durians, we did not enjoy the “Mao Shan Wang” standards. Although the durian flesh was thin, it was sweet and fragrant.
With the pavement around the entertainment centre and surrounding the pond lit up, Adeline Villa has a splendid night view. The entertainment centre is equipped with cosy seats, games and beverages for visitors to rest and relax after a day of excitement. Where is the excitement? Read on below.
Lots of Comfort Food in Adeline Villa
There are rave reviews on Adeline Villa’s menu. There are even people who choose Adeline because of the food they serve.
The meals were all buffet style laid out. We were very impressed by the spread, and every dish tasted so good. We even had crabs for dinner! V said they sourced the crabs from Ipoh.
The kitchen staffs were also warm and attentive. They noticed the kiddo guests in the afternoon and added non-spicy dishes, including the kids’ favourite ABC soup into our dinner that night.
Many of the cooks in the kitchen look were the Orang Asli people who have proven to be great cooks.
The chilli crab dish was so yummy, especially the sauce. Buns to accompany the dish was a must, and none were left by the end of dinner.
Free-flow ice-cream for the kids during lunch. And they specially opened up the ice-cream freezer just for us that evening again.
Activities for young and old
The popular outdoor activities that the fit and adventurous went for include white-water rafting, wet abseiling, caving, and jungle trekking. We tried out a few activities.
Whitewater rafting
We took a 10 minutes lorry-ride to the starting point for our rafting adventure. We stood freely at the back of the lorry and enjoyed the breeze along the way. That was already the start of the excitement for my big girl who had never sat in a truck before, let alone standing on the open-air cargo bed.
The guide started with an introduction to the basics of whitewater rafting, and the do’s and don’ts especially if we fall into the river.
From upstream to downstream was 10km. With an experienced and humourous river guide, our ride down the river was bumpy and yet safe. Having a little girl with us saved our assess coz the river guides in other rafts with no kiddo intentionally tipped the raft and threw all the passengers into the water.
Halfway through our journey, we stopped to rest and had a swim.
The ride was memorable. Imagine riding in a raft along a river with nothing but towering trees all around you. For a person like me who love the outdoors, the scenery was too beautiful to forget.
My little girl thoroughly enjoyed the ride too. All she did was sit down, hold tight and enjoy the bumpy ride. For her, the ride was more fun than getting onto a roller-coaster, and she asked her daddy if we can go for another round the next morning.
You can have a go at white-water rafting too when you drop by Ipoh. Click here for program outline by Klook*.
Night Trek
Not sure why my hubby signed up for this, maybe it was our much needed romantic getaway from the kids.
Thirteen of us signed up for the trek. We were advised to equip ourselves with torchlight, water bottle, long pants and long sleeves, as well as covered shoes with socks. Hubby and I forgot to bring along our torchlight and had to use the torch function in our cellphone. Wanting to save batteries, we walked a good part of the trek in total darkness.
We were somehow very fortunate. The guide decided to take a new route that night. However, the path up the hill was not well-established, and it was muddy after the rain. Coupled with darkness, we moved really slowly. Many of us slipped and fell.
With the much-dreaded leeches lurking everywhere, I was paranoid and checked my socks every few minutes.
Moving in the darkness, I kept recollecting the ODAC adventures I had with my buddies during our JC days. We had so much fun.
Since we were in the middle of the durian plantation, we stepped onto the spiky durians every now and then. Hubby even brought one back to our chalet to show the kids.
Waterfall
We took a 5-min drive to a nearby waterfall where the kids could have a straightforward climb towards the waterfall. We could only see the bottom of the cascade. Our guide informed that if we ventured further up, we would reach the spot where waterfall abseiling takes place. Hm… not the right time for us.
Caving in Gua Tempurung
We did not attempt caving though it was highly recommended by the second-time visitors who brought their friends to Gopeng to have a go at all the adventurous sports.
Gua Tempurung is one of the top spots to visit from Ipoh. At about 3km long, it is one of the longest caves in Peninsula Malaysia.
There are three enormous chambers which showcase breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites, and unique rock formations. The caves are reportedly not too tricky to explore.
There are several tours which visitors can try out, some of which are more thrilling and will get the visitors’ shoes soaking wet.
Here are some of the photos shared by other Instagrammers.
Klook.com
Verdict
Our trip was nothing but fun, coupled with good food and hospitable staff.
We missed out on the caving due to time constraints. Our big kids could join us for the beginner route actually.
The kids had so much fun with the adventures, eating durians and ice cream, and they luxuriated in the surrounding cool rainforest.
Having no wifi connection anywhere, they roamed about freely within the resort, picking rocks, kicking sand and chasing chickens. I was worried that they were bored, but my son reassured me that he had fun doing nothing. I guess he decompressed quite a bit from our busy city life.
We hope we can find a chance to complete our caving experience. Perhaps someday when the twins are older, we can have another round of thrills in Gopeng.
Lunch in Gopeng
It was lunchtime after we checked out from Adeline Villa. We did some quick research and settled for a restaurant in Gopeng town to fill our empty tummy. The one we selected received good reviews, and indeed, the dishes were fabulous.
Check out Fei Kee Restuarant located at 15 Taman Gopeng Baru, 31 600, Gopeng, Perak.
Click here for the restaurant’s Facebook Page.
By the way, never travel without travel insurance.
Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance Plan will put your mind at ease.
With COVID-19 coverage included, you get up to S$100,000 of medical expenses covered (Gold tier) if you contract COVID-19. If you’re hospitalised for other ailments aside from COVID-19, there is a cash benefit of up to S$15,000.
If your trip is cancelled due to the diagnosis of COVID-19, you’ll also get coverage of up to S$1,000 for the Gold tier and up to S$600 for the Silver tier.
☂️Get up to S$48 Cash via PayNow and a 35% discount PLUS an exclusive Agoda promo code when you apply using the promo code SSVTL35.
☂️Promotion Period: Valid till 30 November 2022
You may also be interested in the following posts:
Hua Hin with kids – 6D5N – November 2022
Khao Yai & Bangkok with kids – 7D6N – June 2019
2019 – 3D2N Melaka with Kids – Itinerary and Food
A Weekend Getaway to Ranoh Island, Batam
Don’t want to miss my posts? Subscribe here to get updates from me.
