Road Trip Day 1: Arrival at Ipoh Octagon Penthouse Suites

We've done countless road trips to Malaysia but I don't think we've done a road trip quite like this one! 😆

We will be covering 7 destinations in 9D8N, with 5 adults and 7 kids in 2 MPVs! Here's our itinerary:

Singapore >> Ipoh >> Cameron Highlands (day trip) >> Genting Highlands >> Negeri Sembilan (stopover) >> Port Dickson >> Melaka >> Muar (stopover) >> Johor Bahru (stopover) >> Singapore

There are so many things you can do, and I've compiled some of the kid-friendly attractions on road trips in Malaysia here for your reference!

The 7 Lee kids were so excited because this was their first overseas trip together! It so happened to also be Malaysia's general election, hence we decided to wake up at 4am, leave at 4.30am and head to Tuas 2nd Link by 5am to avoid the crowd. 

It was the right decision because we cleared customs before 6am! As we were still early, we decided to just stop over at Pagoh RNR (see my previous post) for breakfast instead of our usual Yong Peng (which was not open so early). The food was so-so, but the RNR was along the way and meant that we could just pump petrol and be on our way without having to make a significant detour to Yong Peng.

After our stop over, we drove for about 4.5 hours to Family Food Court (previously known as Woolley Food City) for lunch. It was super crowded because many Malaysians returned to their hometown for the elections. By the time we got a table and our food, we were so famished that I forgot to take pictures of the food (you can read my previously post for the photos)!

Our accommodation host, Verve, sent us a WhatsApp message at lunchtime to share the details of how to check into our apartment at Ipoh Octagon Penthouse Suites (booked via Agoda).

We chose this apartment because it can accommodate 10 adults! At S$350 per night, it's perfect for our group of 8 adults/kids above 12 and 4 kids under 12.

Our penthouse apartment was located on the 22nd (highest) floor of the building. There were 2 bedrooms on the top floor and 2 bedrooms on the lower floor. Each bedroom came with their own bathroom! That's 4 bathrooms altogether! This was one of the main reasons why we booked this apartment: no need to fight over the use the bathroom! 😉

The bedroom on the lower floor nearest to the kitchen was not a master, but surprisingly had an ensuite bathroom with a washing machine in it. The washing machine was useful, but the shower head had some water leaking whenever it was turned on.

The master bedroom on the lower floor was very spacious and also came with an ensuite bathroom. The bathroom had a bathtub, but the bathtub was missing a rubber stopper so I couldn't fill it up with water.

There were also 2 single mattresses with accompanying pillows and covers in the master bedroom on the lower floor. The mattresses could be laid out on the floor for additional guests. Both my older kids slept on them and felt that they were of acceptable comfort.

The first bedroom on the upper floor was the only room without an ensuite bathroom. However, the bathroom was right next door to the room, which was still very convenient for the kids to access.

The master bedroom on the upper floor is about the same size as the one on the lower floor, with a similar size bathroom and bathtub. Both rooms on the upper floor had direct access to the balcony.

All the rooms did not come with wardrobes. Instead, each room was furnished simply with a rack, hangers and many shelves.

The apartment has a functioning kitchenette with a water dispenser, microwave, kettle and fridge. There was also a large dining and living room for the family to hang out and sleep.

The large balcony on the upper floor offers us a nice place to chill and enjoy the views of Ipoh!

From our balcony, you can also spot Ipoh's famous food street where Restoran Tuck Kee (address: 61, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia) is located. Very famous restaurants and shops are within walking distance from our apartment, and we're spoilt for choice every day!

It is a must to eat at Tuck Kee and they are famous for their moon hor fun and fried squid, though we usually order our dinners to go due to the long waiting times to get a table.

We spent the rest of our first night hanging out at the balcony (before it was turned into a makeshift laundry area as there was no other space to hang out clothes). 

The apartment building had a pool but we never used it because we didn't have time! However, the two teenage boys used the gym every day and they described it as well-equipped and spacious.

We turned in for the night in preparation for the theme park tomorrow! 😁🤩

Continue to >> Road Trip Day 2: Lost World of Tambun

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Visit MADPSYCHMUM TRAVELS for the rest of my posts on road trips in Malaysia 

as well as other travel itineraries! 

Do also check out my recommendations on kid-friendly activities in Malaysia!

You can also follow my travel adventures on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumtravels! =)