Alor Setar, capital of Kedah

Hi all,

I just came back from a short trip to Alor Setar (7-9 July 2017), a town located in northern Malaysia. I was actually there for work but decided to extend my stay and explore this town. At the same time, it is also a good time to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Basically Alor Setar is a small town, accessible by foot unless you want to visit Gunung Keriang (Keriang Mountain). The city is located one hour from Penang as well as Bukit Kayu Hitam, the Malaysia- Thailand border.

Now let’s go

The first attraction I visited was the birthplace of Malaysia’s 4^th Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad (Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohammad). The house was designated as a heritage site back in the 90s and entrance is free! It is located at Lorong Kilang Ais, Off Jalan Pengawai Seberang Perak with several entrances available but the main entrance is located near the Michelin tyre shop. If you are walking from Aman Central, it takes about 30 minutes. Opening times are 10am- 5pm (Tuesday- Sunday) and 10am- 12pm, 3pm- 5pm (Friday). Closed on Mondays.

Main Entrance

Inside there are a number of memorabilia such as documents on the childhood of our 4^th Prime Minister such as his numerous newspaper articles, kitchen utensils as well as wedding photos. No photo taking is allowed inside the house.

Tun Mahathir's favourite bicycle

Nearby this heritage site is the Gemilang Burger stall (just opposite), a hangout place for the locals. It starts at 5 pm and I reckoned that if you are traveling by foot, you can visit the above- said place in the late afternoon and head to the burger stall after it closes in order to save time. The stall operates until the wee hours in the morning I think.

Burger stall at Medan Kota

Now, there are several types of food available but I chose what I believed was their signature dish, the Double Plate, a plate with a piece of chicken patty (beef also available), sausage, lettuce, salad, egg and fries. It costs only RM 6 which is affordable in my opinion.

On the 2^nd day, I head out to SK Kim Restaurant located beside of Sentosa Plaza to try its famous SK Kim Hokkien Noodles (It is actually Prawn Noodles) for breakfast, there were patrons already there and it opens from 7 am till 11 am so, be early. At RM 4.50 for a large bowl, it is cheap considering the identical amount will cost me almost RM 7 to RM 8 in Kuala Lumpur.

Notice the SK Kim Restaurant ?

Also do not forget that there is a famous Kaya Puff sold in Alor Setar and it is usually available in coffee shops including this SK Kim Restaurant when someone will be approaching you in case you are interested with this snack. Don’t miss it.

Having filled my stomach, I then decided to head to another historical site in Alor Setar, the house where Malaysia’s 1^st Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman resided, called Rumah Merdeka or Independence Home. This place is a little secluded from the city centre but located not far from the restaurant stated above (Approximately 10- 15 minutes, depending on your pace).  Entrance is free (Yes!) and operation hours are 10am-5pm (Saturday- Thursday) and 10am-12pm, 3pm-5pm (Friday). Closed on Mondays and as usual no photography is allowed inside.

Rumah Merdeka is located beside of the Hotel Royale (notice the signboard ?)

Rumah Merdeka

Compared to the birthplace home of Mahathir Mohammad, this house is larger and more comfortable with air condition, cushions as well as a private reading room for Tunku. Apparently, there was another house in his garden back in the day, used as a police quarter but it has since been demolished.

After absorbing some historical facts, I then headed to the Gallery of Sultan Abdul Halim, the only Sultan in Malaysia that became Malaysia’s King (Agong) twice in history (as of 2017). Inside, lies a plethora of memorabilia related to the Sultan including his personal collections, attires, watches, cell phones as well as photos with foreign dignitaries. Entrance is free by the way and it opens from 10 am- 5 pm daily except on Fridays. Since this is an exhibition, I have no idea how long this will last so it is best that you visit it as soon as possible before they close it.

After lunch, I decided to head back to the hotel to rest and utilise the swimming pool until night. Then after enough exercising, it is time for dinner which is a plate of Wan Tan Noodles costing me RM 4.50 (again, cheap). Also there is a night market at the base of the Alor Setar Tower.

On the final day, I decided to take it easy and had a final swim before checking out. After doing so, it was lunchtime and I went to arguably the most well-known restaurant in Alor Setar, Nasi Lemak Ong. It is located just opposite of Sentosa Plaza and opens from morning until 3.30pm daily.

The food is actually not cheap and it costs me RM 11 for two side dishes. Anyway, the taste is decent and it is recommended one patronise this shop at least once during their visit to Alor Setar.

After filling up my stomach, I head to Wat Nikrodharam, a Buddhist Temple with Siamese features and architectures in it. Being historically a part of the Siamese kingdom before being ceded to the British back in the early 20^th Century, it is not a surprise to see some Siam heritage surviving in the northern states of Malaysia till today. The temple complex is actually not huge and it comprises of a few buildings. If one is staunch Buddhist, you can come here and offer your prayers.

Finally, in the evening, I went to the hawker centre in Jalan Pintu Sepuluh to buy some cheap and delicious food such as the Beijing Chee Cheong Fun as well as some Wan Tan Noodles. The Chee Cheong Fun is notably good with dry shrimps in it and the sauce has a sweet taste in it. Price is also decent with RM 4.00 per box. I hurriedly made my purchase before heading to the airport to catch my flight home. By cab, it takes about 15-20 minutes to the airport.

Verdict: Overall, Alor Setar is a suitable place if you want to escape from the hectic city life. In terms of affordability, I can say it is a cheap town as I only spent a mere RM 138.10 including a single night accommodation plus all the delicious and sumptuous meal (excluding air ticket and cab fare). In terms of accessibility, you can travel to most of the destinations by foot without even depending on a public bus as it is mostly congregated in the city centre.