Sometimes it is nice to get away from the hassle of the busy city life and head to the countryside. Even better if you can just pack your bag, jump in the car and after only a couple of hours of driving there you are, enjoying a tender countryside breeze. If a weekend in a secluded spot without organised activities sounds too simple, you might want to check out Perak Agrotourism Resort (PATRO). We visited recently and had a wonderful combination of a relaxing countryside break and an active holiday with kids.
Accommodation at PATRO
PATRO has ten beautiful chalets. We were especially delighted by the condition and beautiful interiors of the chalets, compared to those typical, worn chalets we are used to during our holidays. They are clean and modern, and equipped with AC.
The chalets are all located by a little lake and the silence of the countryside at night is just amazing. We had packed headlamps for kids and they enjoyed little adventurous evening strolls in the dark around our cottage. When the kids go to bed, adults can sit outside and enjoy the beautiful night sky with thousands of stars, something you cannot do back in the city.
Photo: Hani Saleh
To ensure the silence and serenity of the resort cars are not allowed in, but have to be parked at the secure car park by the entrance. All the traffic inside the resort is taken care by electric buggies. Our kids enjoyed the buggy rides and insisted on taking a buggy even if the activities we took part in were within a walking distance!
Photo: Hani Saleh
Activities at PATRO
PATRO is an excellent destination if you are looking for an active weekend. They offer different kinds of agrotourism activities, such as taking part in chilli cultivation at their chilli farm or making your own salted eggs at the egg farm. Horse riding lessons can be taken at their small stables that have a few horses and ponies, and if your small ones just would like to walk a few rounds on a pony, that is possible too. Our kids loved the riding.
Photo: Hani Saleh
You can also hire bikes and go for a nice, long bike trip with the family – there are several routes crossing the fields and lakesides. If you’d rather ride something that has an engine in it, they do have ATVs and a dedicated track. Other activities on offer include paintball, paddle boats, petting zoo, fishing and cayaking. Some of the activities are free but most come with an additional charge, that varies depending on the activity.
Photo: Hani Saleh
Food at PATRO
The lakeside cafe caters to visitors but be prepared, food is quite basic and there is not much variety. If your kids are not too keen on having nasi lemak for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would suggest packing some snacks and drinks. The rooms have small fridges, so you can easily store small eats for the hungry family members.
Overall we enjoyed our weekend a lot. PATRO is a great location for company outings as well – that is why we ended up spending our weekend there. For such outings or bigger groups there are additional activities on offer. During our trip we tried batik painting, visited local dodol facility, learned how to make proper mango salad (under the mango trees!) and saw how local clay vases are made. Driving around Tanjung Tualang was also a very enjoyable experience, beautiful nature and local country living. We even spotted two big hornbills sitting on a branch not too far from the road!
Photo: Hani Saleh
Getting to PATRO
PATRO is located in Tanjung Tualang, about 2 hours’ drive from Kuala Lumpur to the North West. The resort is a bit difficult to find as there are no signs on the roadside, but just when you are losing hope the entrance appears literally in the middle of the fields.
For more information, visit their website.
