Lonely Planet Nominates Perak As “Top 10 Best Region In The World To Visit In 2017”.

Perak has been nominated as the “Top 9 of 10 Regions in the World” to visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet.

The other regions include Choquequirao (Peru), Taranaki (New Zealand), The Azores (Portugal), North Wales (United Kingdom), South Australia, Ayse´n (Chile), The Tuamotus (French Polynesia) and Coastal Georgia, USA while the Skellig Ring, Ireland was ranked number 10.

Lonely Planet is the world’s largest travel guide publication and had just published its nominations for “Best In Travel 2017’ list.  The list consists of four categories , countries, cities, regions and value.

The dictionary defines a Region as an area, which can be geographic and part of a country and yet is uniquely distinct from another area.

Unlike Lonely Planet’s nomination of Ipoh as the “Top 6 of 10 Asian Destinations to Visit in 2016” in June, this latest nomination covers the whole state of Perak. 

State Tourism Director Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said it was a pleasant shock but also an honour as the nomination would boost promotion efforts for Visit Perak Year 2017.

“The recognition will certainly attract domestic visitors and promote us to foreign tourists” said Nolee.

A flip through Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel 2017’ page describes of Ipoh’s vintage style Old Town and Pangor Island as a sunbathers paradise.

The page described the states adventure locations as majestic landscapes with a tapestry of mangrove swamps, jungles and beaches beckoning one to jump in to swim, hike, raft, and get marvellously sweaty guaranteeing exhilaration. 

It also gave examples of the locations  of the Royal Belum State Park, Gopeng’s Tempurung Cave and Kampar River’s miniature water sport hub as well as Ipoh’s sacred cave Temples.

Adventure at Gopeng, caving and white water rafting 

The nomination for ‘Must Visit Region’ is certainly fitting. 

Perakeans who love food and adventure know well that Perak has a good network of roads which allows for day trips to most corners in the state.

Take a drive to Taiping and stop over at Kuala Sepetang coastal town for lunch 

This could include a round of golf at Taiping and followed by a seafood lunch at the coastal town of Kuala Sepetang or visit the last Tin Dredge at Tanjong Tualang and follow it up with a visit to the Kinta Tin Mining Museum at Kampar with a delicious fresh water prawn lunch in between.

Visit the Perak Man at Lenggong or view cave paintings in Ipoh 

Or if you want to go back in time visit the resting place of the 11,000 years old Perak Man at Lenggong or if time is a constraint visit the 3000 years old prehistoric rock painting at Tambun in Ipoh City itself.

If we include the locations as described by Lonely Planet the list of interesting sites is endless befitting the state’s tourism tagline ‘World of Wonders’.

View the history of Tin via the Last Dredge, check out the Tin Museum at Kampar and have a fresh water prawn lunch (inset) in between. 

The nomination has been made. For sure the influx of visitors will materialize.

 The difference now is instead of Ipoh and specifically Old Town being flooded with visitors the rest of the state will get to share and showcase their lifestyle and cuisine to visitors.

JAG