A Visit to the Rice Bowl of Malaysia

This school holiday, our educational road trip was to Kedah. The state of Kedah is known as the rice bowl of Malaysia. Its where the main supply of rice in Malaysia comes from. I wanted to show my sons the paddy fields and how paddy is cultivated. Most off the journey after you cross the Kedah border, you will see fields of paddy. It absolutely was so beautiful and peaceful. Being a city boy, I’ve always cherished scenes such as this. Some areas were being replanted and some were being harvested.

Places of Interest Around Alor Setar

Alor Setar Tower

One of the must visit place in Alor Setar is the Alor Setar Tower. The tower is over 500 feet above sea level and gives you a 360° view of the Alor Setar Town. It is really breezy up there. We even bought their tower shaped Mineral Water bottles for souvenirs. The view of the padi fields and Gunung Jerai Mountain was awesome. The read my review on the Alor Setar Tower please click here. Alor Setar Tower – “Alor Setar Landmark”

Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohammed

Another place that I was anticipating to visit was the house that our legendary two time Prime Minister grew up. The house of Doctor Mahathir Mohammed. But alas it was closed for renovation work. Maybe next time. 

Muzium Padi Kedah – Paddy Museum, Kedah

Being the rice bowl of Malaysia, Kedah has of course a Paddy Museum. Displaying all things related to paddy from planting to production. Right up to the different products derived from rice. When you visit the museum be sure to go up to the second floor first. What beckons you is a 360 degrees auto rotating floor with a 3D mural of the surounding landscape. You will have a view of beautiful paddy fields and the famous Gunung Keriang. This 360 degrees paranomic view mural is the going ons surrounding the Paddy Museum. To see my review on the Paddy Museum, visit Muzium Padi Kedah – Paddy Museum, Kedah

National Science Centre North Regional Branch- Kedah, Malaysia

Discovered this place from a Sightseeing Brochure at the Holiday Villa Alor Setar.Another hidden gem in Malaysia. Its not even listed on Tripadvisor’s “Things to do in Kedah”. It is a science centre similar to the Petrosains in Kuala Lumpur only smaller. Its located just next to the Paddy Museum. This kind of place is a great learning experience for kids. Here there is a lot of interactive displays where kids can participate. Click here for my review on National Science Centre North Regional Branch- Kedah, Malaysia

Where to stay in Alor Setar, Kedah

There are alot of accommodation in Alor Setar but I guess most of them are four star and below. There’s the Grand Alora, Royale Signature, Starcity, Holiday Villa and more. We stayed at the Holiday Villa which was in the oldtown of Kedah. The reason we chose Holiday Villa cause the Holiday Villa Subang and Cherating was well maintained. There was nothing much to write about the hotel. The hotel room was clean and sufficient. The deco and furniture was rather dated and old. Check in and out was fast. You will find a mall next door but what I discovered only sell handphones. There is also a McDonalds in the Mall. That’s where we had our breakfast on our first morning in Kedah. For the second day, we had breakfast at Pekan Rabu. In case you are in Alor Setar come here for breakfast, there’s something for everyone. From the local dishes to even egg and sausages. Taste was also nice. Pekan Rabu food court was really busy, so you had to pay immediately when your food or drinks turn up.

Verdict on Holiday Villa Alor Setar.

Rooms were clean and adequate. Its not five star but you cannot expect much for RM150 nett. Check in and out was really quick without much hassle. For food you need to drive out. My advice is avoid eating in the hotel coffee house. Food was rather badly cooked. So after the first day, we opt to eat out. Met some locals they recommended staying at Alora Hotel. According to them its in a modern area with food stuff just walking distance from the hotel.