**I set a target to finish up my road trip posts before the end of May, so here we are! This entry marks the last stop on my 8-day road trip which covered Kuala Lumpur – Pangkor – Penang – Ipoh – KL.

Departing from Penang after an awesome 5D4N stay, we encountered trouble on our way to our next destination, Ipoh, as the oil pressure lights on my dashboard lit up about two hours into the drive. We stopped at a rest area to check for leaks, but I couldn’t see any with my naked eye, so we decided to power on, albeit at a slower pace.

It was around 5pm by the time we found a workshop near Tambun. After a quick check, the guy said there were multiple leaks, which pissed me off as I had just done an overhaul on my car before the road trip, costing upwards of RM2,000. He suggested I leave the car overnight, giving me a ball park figure of about RM800 to ‘fix everything up’. In the end I just told him to top up my engine oil so I could at least make it back to KL the next afternoon.

*Some mechanics in Malaysia are notorious for ripping off first time customers if they know you’re not local. If I had paid the amount and realized later there were further problems, it was unlikely I’d make the trip to Tambun again.

We checked in to a hotel, took a quick shower, then drove a short distance to Lost World of Tambun – a theme park by day and hot spring spa by night with a mini petting zoo. I’ve always enjoyed my visits here, which is why I specifically put Ipoh as the last stop on my itinerary rather than driving all the way back to KL from Penang. The entrance price has increased significantly since my last visit, now costing RM70 for MYKAD holders – almost triple the price of when they first opened in 2016 (back then tickets were just RM22). Despite the steeper entry price, I still think it’s worth a visit if you’re in Ipoh, as there aren’t too many hot spring retreats like this in Malaysia.

There are plenty of lockers available near the shower room. You purchase a locker wrist band that comes with a bar code, which you can use to unlock your unit by scanning the code on a nearby machine. We got a small locker, which was enough to hold two towels and a backpack. The souvenir shop nearby also sells waterproof pouches if you’d like to bring your phone or other electronics with you to the hot springs area. If you’re feeling hungry, there is Ipoh Street which features a row of stalls selling snacks and light bites.

Aside from the hot springs area, you can take a dip in the surf pool as well, which has normal temperature. It was a Sunday, so the place was not too crowded. It was relaxing to be in the cool water as we admired the views of majestic limestone hills surrounding the theme park.

There are about a dozen attractions in the hot springs area. The Emerald Lagoon (pictured above) is suitable for families with children, as it has a lower temperature compared to the smaller pools. Heavy jets of water provide a strong massage if you stand underneath the spouts. There are also a couple of private gazebos where you can get massages, although these need to be booked in advance via the Lost World website.

Once the sun had set, we ventured to the smaller pools, which are named after gemstones, like Amethyst and Sapphire. These have pretty high temperatures of around 40 degrees Celcius. It can be painful to just jump in right off the bat lol so what we do is soak our feet first, then gradually the other parts of the body once each part has acclimated.

Hot spring water does wonders for relaxation, as I could feel the tension seeping out of my muscles as I soaked, especially around the shoulders, since I was driving for long hours. We spent short intervals in each pool, not more than 15 minutes a time, to avoid overheating our bodies.

We soaked about 2 hours, then got ready for the night show, which is held near the petting zoo area adjacent to the hot spring pools. We passed through a large wooden arch ala Jurassic Park, then past a walkway lined with thick foliage and Tiki-themed decor, before coming to a stage.

After a short wait, the host came out to hype up the crowd, followed by dancers and fire twirlers who performed exciting tricks with spinning pois, creating glowing patterns admist the dark backdrop of the night sky. The highlight of the show was the fire master, who performed jaw-dropping stunts such as encircling himself in a ring of flames and smoke, as well as fire breathing.

We didn’t have a lot of time left after the show concluded, so we hurried through the petting zoo to look at some animals. Not much has changed since my last visit: the raccoons and guinea pigs are still there, as are the goats and the tapir. The enclosures are well kept and clean, and the animals don’t look stressed, so kudos to the management.

The park staff were already turning off the lights at 9.30pm and ushering guests out (the park closes at 10PM), so we didn’t get to explore the zoo as thoroughly as we liked. Oh well, at least we said hi to the tapir.

The Lost World of Tambun Hot Springs and Spa is open from 6PM to 10PM daily. Tickets can be purchased online at their website, or at the walk-in counter.

Address: No. 1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway 1, Sunway City Perak, Ipoh, 31150 Ipoh, Perak

**I thought I’d have a good night’s sleep after the spa, but our hotel room didn’t feel right. I kept waking up to weird nightmares. Ended up tossing and turning till the wee hours of the morning before exhaustion finally set in, so I got like two hours of sleep lol.

And that concludes my 8-day road trip! It was a great experience, albeit tiring, and I’d love to do another one, but perhaps to the south of KL this time. I hope you enjoyed reading the series as much as I did writing them.

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