Balai Besar (Royal Hall)

Balai Besar ( Royal Hall)  is located along Jalan Pekan Melayu in the heart of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia.

It is one of the heritage and charm of Kedah state, where its original structure was built  in 1735 by Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin Muazzam Syah(1710 - 1787), the founder of Alor Setar, who was also the 19th ruler of the Kedah Sultanate, as the Balai Rong Seri, or Grand Audience Hall .

The Balai Besar was destroyed and rebuilt twice during the period in the Bugis invasion in 1770, followed by Siamese invasion in 1821. It was during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the 26th Sultan that the grand hall was completely revamped to its present look in 1893.

In 1896,  the Balai Besar was refurbished by Kedah State Public Works Department under supervision of  the Architect, Muhamad Bin Lebai Tambi from Penang, for the wedding ceremonies of the Sultan's five Princes and Princesses, held in 1904.

The Balai Besar was also the venue of the installation of a new sultan, namely Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II (1804-1845) and Tuanku Sultan Haji Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on 20 February 1959. 

Source : http://www.correctplace.com/KA5.html 

Masjid Zahir (Alor Setar)

The Zahir Mosque is Kedah's state mosque. It is located in the heart of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia.

The mosque was built in 1912, a contributory effort of YTM Tunku Mahmud Ibni Almarhum Sultan Tajuddin Mukarram Shah. The site of this mosque was the cemetery of Kedah warriors who had died while defending Kedah from the Siamese in 1821. The architecture of the mosque was inspired by the AZIZI Mosque in Langkat town in north Sumatra. This mosque is enhanced with five prime large domes symbolizing the five Islamic principles.

Its official opening ceremony was held on Friday, 15 October 1915 by the late HRH Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah. Tunku Mahmud read the Friday sermon while HRH Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah led the Friday prayer. Behind Zahir Mosque is the Syariah Court building complex and Pre-School for Children aged below 6 years old.

The Zahir Mosque occupies a site of approximately 124,412 square feet (11,558.3 m²). Its center hall (Prayer Hall) measures 62 x 62 square feet (5.8 m²) and is surrounded by verandahs of 8 feet (2.4 m) wide with 4 mezzanine areas. Each mezzanine area is roofed by a dome.The main dome is located at the north-eastern part of the mosque building.

It is one of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia. The state's Quran reading competition is held annually within the premises of the mosque. This mosque has been voted the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world.

Ulu Legong Hot Spring

Ulu Legong Hot Spring is located in Baling district at southern of Kedah state. Apart from relaxation, visitors use to come here to enjoy the natural hot mineral waters that believe to cure skin problems by immersing themselves in one of the available five hot spring pools.

It is approximately at 66 km from Sungai Petani town and 10 km from Baling town. 

The ideal time is at night when the temperature decreases, a nice hot dip in the pools offers therapeutic treatment especially for those with ailments or skin problems as the water content has high properties of sulphur at the best temperature at about 30ºC and 60ºC.

Baling is famed for fruits especially durians (King of Fruits). During fruit season between the months of June and August, a lot of local tropical fruits such as durians, rambutans, dokong, langsat, mangosteens and etc are made available on sales along the hilly roadsides.

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 Location MAP :

View Ulu Lengong Hot Spring in a larger map

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Visitor Information :

Entrance fee is cheap at only RM4.00 per person. Basic facilities provided here are car parking lots, resting huts and toilets. And for visitors who wish to have overnight stay may opt for the chalets.

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Gallery Preview of Ulu Lengong Hot Spring :

Main pool

 
The Hot Spring Pools

Resting Hut

 
Garden Landscapes

Chalets for overnight visitors

 

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Sedim River

Fancy of walking through a rainforest high above the ground and get your adrenaline pumping by rafting through a rapid whitewater ?. 

Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest  is the answer to your dream.

Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest is located at compartment 15 within Gunung Inas Rainforest in Kulim district near Baling. The 36,979 hectare forest was gazetted as Permanent Forest Reserve on 5th Nov 1937.

It has the longest canopy walkway in the world measured at 925 metre long with maximum height of 26050 metre above the forest level. 

Location MAP :

View Sedim River in a larger map

The idea of a galvanized steel walkway is one of  its kind, suspended in air provides safety and thrills to visitors while enjoying the nature walk through the canopy jungle.

The safe design and gradual, "go at your own pace" has allowed many, who thought it impossible due to fear of  heights, to experience the upper reaches of the rainforest and share in the thrill of discovery !.

Visitors will enjoy the spectacular sight of rushing streams of Sungai Sedim beneath the walkway and truly fascinating flora and fauna over the tree top. There are wide range of some 160 species of birds can be found there.


The recreational park is also a favorite picnicking spot for locals and most well-known for its whitewater rapid river watersports adrenaline-pumping activities such as rafting and rubber tubing.

Overnight visitors may opt to stay at Bintang Sedim Villa beside the Tree Top Walk that offers a tremendously, adventurous and challenging nature-based outdoor activities waiting to be scheduled at your  choice.

Visitor Information : Toilet: 30 Cents                                   Parking Fee : Car for  RM 2.00 /                      4WD for RM3.00                                              Admission to Tree Top Walk : RM10 (Adult) /                                         RM10 (Child)

Contacts : SPA Travel Sdn Bhd No.15C, Bgn PKNK, Jln Tunku Abidah 09000 Kulim, Kedah, MALAYSIA Tel : +604-4901588 Fax: +604-4919588 Office Hour :                              9.00 am - 5.30 pm (Sundays-Thursdays)

For a complete Virtual Tour, visit Sedim River - Tree Top Walk / Whitewater Rafting.

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Tanjong Dawai

Tanjong Dawai is a small fishing village located in Kedah state of Malaysia. It is approximately at 30 km from Sungai Petani town.

The place is usually pretty quiet on weekdays, while fishermen busy unloading their catch onto wagons at Tanjong Dawai habour. During weekends and holidays, it is packed with visitors from outstation as far as from Kuala Lumpur and Johor.

Tanjong Dawai is famous for its seafood and dried marine products such as ikan bilis (ancho-vies),belacan (fresh prawn paste), cincaluk (fermented shrimp) and  salted ikan talang (queen fish).

Among the favourite items  to Tanjong Dawai visitors are salted ikan gelama,  ikan tamban, dried shrimps, keropok ikan & udang (fish& prawn crackers) and cuttlefish at an unbelievable prices.

Apart from the seafood delicacies, there are 5-minute boat rides board from its jetty to the popular picnic spot, Pantai Merdeka just across the river mouth of Sungai Merbok.

Location MAP:

View Tanjung Dawai, Kedah in a larger map

Gallery Preview of  Tanjong Dawai Village:

 
The signboard entering Tanjong Dawai town

 
Balai Polis Tanjong Dawai (Tanjong Dawai Police Station)


SJK(C) Choong Cheng, Tanjong Dawai 

 Tanjung Dawai Chinese Temple

 
Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjong Dawai

 

Tanjong Dawai town

 

Wide variety of dried marine products available at shops
 

 Arked Tanjong Dawai (Tanjong Dawai Arcade facing the sea)

 
Inside the Tanjong Dawai Arcade 

Jeti Tanjung Dawai 
 

Visitors taking boat rides to Pantai Merdeka 

(Viewing from Tanjung Dawai Jetty boarding area) 

 
Fishing activities along the coast 

  
 
Masjid Haji Zainuddin (Haji Zainuddin Mosque)

 
Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (LKIM)
Pelabuhan LKIM ( LKIM Habour) 

Basket of fish, fisherman busy unloading their catch

Tasik Beris

Beris Lake (Tasik Beris) is a large man-made lake located in Sik district, Kedah. It was formed as a result of the construction of Beris dam. It is about 77 km from Sungai Petani town.

This "concrete faced rockfill" dam situated in a narrow valley of  Sungai Beris 1.6 km upstream of  the confluence  between Sungai Muda, designed to regulate flows in Sungai Muda basin to augment water available for irrigation of  paddy/upland crops, domestic and industrial water supply and other uses.

The RM360 millions cost dam is targeted to meet the present and future water needs of Kedah, Perlis states and as well as Penang island. Beris Lake was originally a village called Kampung Sungai Batang, contained in this village is Kampung Kuala, Kampung Baru, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Paya and Kampung Besar.

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LOCATION MAP :

View Beris Lake in a larger map

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When Beris dam and lake were in the process of construction,  a  few villages listed above had been submerged to make way for the project. Villagers involved were compensated and relocated to a well-planned township named Bandar Baru Beris Jaya (BBBJ) which is about 10 kilometers from the Sik town and 5 kilometers from the Jeniang town .

 
At the entrance of the Beris Lake Resort, there is a restaurant called D'Puncak Bris Restaurant built high above the picturesque lake . Take a right turn down the hill slopes, you will see  plenty of chalets provided by the resort along  your way to the lake.

 



There are also a lot of resting huts available for picknicking and fishing activities.  Visitors can have a boat ride or peddling kayak around the scenic lake. It is a peaceful and relaxing spots for anglers that last for hours.

 

Visitors will enjoy the breeze and  windy atmosphere surrounded by lush greenery and stunning landscapes of  Beris Lake. 

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Visitor Information                                              Contacts
  Car Parking Fee : Free                                              D'Puncak Bris Lake Resort
  Admission : Free                                                         Tasik Beris
  Boat ride around the Lake:  RM10/person         08200 Sik
  Kayak :  RM10/hour                                                 Kedah Darul Aman
  Picnic : RM5/Family                                                Tel: 013-4290084
  Fishing : RM3/Unlimited hours

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