PLACES

Kroh Hotspring And Riverside – Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, Malaysia

By Phil Foo

I love traveling to faraway places, away from the beaten touristy paths. One of the places here in Perak, Malaysia is Pengkala Hulu. Pengkalan Hulu the border town between Malaysia and Thailand. Crossing the border from here, one will arrive in Betong, Thailand, the southernmost district of Yala Province.

Being in a border town, Kroh Hotspring and Riverside is one of the places to stay at that is near the border. There is a reason why I think that this is an important thing. You see, the journey from Pengkalan Hulu back out to bigger towns in Perak is quite a long drive. While I wasn’t driving during my visit, I felt the strain of the journey in my back.

[ The hot springs comes from a natural spring that flows beneath its grounds… ]

The Chalets

Kroh Hotspring And Riverside has chalets and rooms to accommodate visitors to the area. The chalets and rooms are basic. However, they come with comfortable beds, air-conditioning, a toilet with bathroom, tables, and chairs. Good enough for a stay and rest. One other plus point is that the place situated in a place with not much traffic and is near a secondary forest. Great place to get away from the noisy city.

Of course not all is roses. Personally I felt that the room needs further cleaning before guests checks in. Being someone sensitive to dust I found my skin itching, and nose stuffy. Then there is the issue of insects. But situated where they are, insects are expected. However, I had an issue with ants on the bed which is something that drives me crazy. Then again, being situated near nature, ants do come. It is after all their territory. Perhaps “ants chalk” will discourage them from coming into the rooms and chalets; something for the owners of the place to consider.

The room in my chalet.

An explanation on the hot springs.

Now we head to the toilet cum bathroom. First thing I noticed is that there are not enough hooks to hang clothes and towel. Great for those who love puzzles; solving what to do to hang clothes and to ensure they are clean. Not good for those who are not. One other complain I have is that of the sink in the toilet where the drainage leaks onto the floor; something that drives me crazy.

Maybe it is just the chalet allocated to me and my fussy mind. Being an ex-hotelier I have been trained to look for issues. Maybe that is why. But it is good to highlight these. So I did. I spoke to the owner the next day. I found out that they just acquired the place and improvement work is ongoing. My hope is that they do look at our feedback and do what’s needed.

The living room of my chalet.

Nature’s Assets

There is more to Kroh Hotspring and Riverside than just a place to stay at. As the name suggests, there is a natural hot springs here within the grounds of the resort. The hot springs comes from a natural spring that flows beneath its grounds. This hot spring is in itself an attraction here. Children enjoy playing in the hot water. Well, not boiling hot but hot in a comfortable way.

Should you visit and find the water uninviting because of its murkiness, note that the water is natural and is not filtered. Hence, sand and things that are usually found in ground water are too in the waters of this hot spring. While it may not look clean, it really is as clean as nature intended the water there to be.

The chalets. Two units here. There are more chalets available.

One more good thing about the hot spring there, or hot springs in general; their healing and soothing properties. Those with joint pains, skin issues, etc. will find some respite from these ailments while soaking in the hot water. The mineral rich water is also said to be good at detoxing and rejuvenating the skin, helps with circulating blood and other important fluids, and relaxes a “noisy” mind.

A River

At the fringe of Kroh Hotspring And Riverside flows a river. Personally, I don’t see myself going into the waters of this river as it does not look clean enough to my standards. But those who don’t mind can do so. To me, the river is more of a place to cast out my line and hopefully catch a fish. Anyway, as I was standing there at the banks of the river, I was thinking how nice it will be to float on the river in a canoe, following the flow downstream. So, if the owners are reading this; why not do so?

Photographers Fun Spot

Photographers, especially those that enjoy shooting nature will have lots of finger and arm exercise here. There are various species of birds to photograph. There are many insects that will keep macro photogs too busy to even eat. Those who enjoy photographing people too will have a field day photographing kids playing in the hot spring. Here is a bonus. Hot springs have steam coming off the surface. You know what to do, photogs.

The river.

A Place With Potential

Kroh Hotspring And Riverside to me, has a lot of potential especially on the nature and adventure vacation genre. They just need to do up the place a little more and the place will be awesome. If they fix the sink, add more hooks in the toilet cum bathroom, up their cleaning standards, and keep the ants out of the room; I definitely will come back for a longer stay.

Well, that is just me. If you don’t mind these things, then do consider staying at Kroh Hotspring And Riverside. It definitely has hidden jewels lurking about. Also, I was told that one can try Malaysian Thai cuisine when staying there. One just need to request the owner to help organize a delivery. I did not get the opportunity to try out the food out. Perhaps on my next visit.