This story about attractions and things to do in Perlis is written by one of our contributors, Ili Norizan. Some parts of the article may have been edited for length and clarity.
Small in size, big on adventure. That’s Perlis for you. I was there many years ago on a school trip and was mesmerised then as I recently was when my sister and I decided to head way up north for a little R&R - away from the big city hustle and bustle.
Our journey started the moment we left our relative’s house in Sungai Limau, Kedah. Now, we thought it wouldn’t be much of a change in scenery but we were wrong because Perlis was out-of-this-world mesmerising with its vast paddy fields spread as far as the eyes can see and jutting limestone hills that stood as a beautiful backdrop.
We arrived on Sunday, August 9th at D’solo Chalet Perlis. It's a quaint little wooden chalet which we found on Airbnb, thanks to some recommendations I got on Twitter which only said it’s in the middle of the paddy fields, and that it came with horses, so of course, we were sold!
Credit: D'Solo Chalet Perlis on Facebook
It’s a basic unit with adequate homely comforts and the hosts were gracious, warm and friendly.
We arrived and made ourselves at home. As my sister prayed inside, I stayed outside watching the horses grazing the greens surrounding the chalet.
There’s a seating area and a rickety wooden hut right in front where I sat enjoying the cool breeze, drinking up the scenery and just completely forgetting my woes or the scorching hot sun shining so brightly above.
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For anyone feeling a little adventurous, there are pellets sold should you want to attempt to feed the horses. Horse riding activities are also available but due to the RMCO, they are currently closed to the public.
In the afternoon, after we had freshened up, we decided to check out Timah Tasoh lake that made a cameo in Yuna’s Forevermore music video. It was just a few minutes drive from our place and the road led us through one of the most ethereal landscapes we have ever seen - which explains why Perlis was once known as Indera Kayangan.
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The lake itself was accessible by a small road that led to a T-junction. Turn left you’d come to a bit of clearing and shallow area where locals would go for a dip. Turn right you’d come to a cemetery and a small path into the lake. If you go straight you’d find yourself on a shaded shore where people flock for photos.
After a quick look around, we decided to head on out to find a place for dinner before returning to our little chalet. We had a Thai-style meal at this little restaurant called D’Qrua Thai Cuisine which we stumbled upon by chance. The food was good, the ambience pleasant - a perfect pre-sunset dinner situation.
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When we arrived back at the chalet, there were some locals gathered around to take photos with the horse. The sky by this time had started shifting colours as the sun began to set beyond the horizon. But nothing prepared us for what Perlis had in store at night. At a little after 1030pm, we sat outside our chalet to stargaze - brilliantly twinkling stars scattered on a black shroud - it was just like magic!
While it was just technically a 1-day-1-night excursion that was scenic from start to finish, we swear we immediately wanted to go back again someday because obviously Perlis is not so small after all.
Find more of Ili's travel adventures on her Instagram @anti_ili.
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