The Haven Ipoh ; Your Secret Ipoh Retreat

If we're connected on social media, you will definitely know that i had a secret get away to Ipoh last weekend. And since i havent exactly seen Ipoh before, might as well experience it first hand and share about my trip. And in this post, im proving to you that even on weekends, there is always time for a moment to unwind and relax in the surroundings of nature.

I decided to travel to Ipoh by taking the ETS (Electric Train Service) to Ipoh from KL Sentral and it roughly took me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach. Who knew that you could be in contact with nature at about just less than 3 hours away from KL? If you enjoy nature, the train ride passes through some really nice sceneries which you can enjoy along the way.

The reception area.

Once we reached Ipoh station, The Haven Ipoh had a shuttle which picked me and a few friends up, and brought us to the hotel. We didnt even have to wait, because the minute we arrived the station, they were already there before i could say 'Jack Sparrow'. So efficient! The ride from the station to the hotel took us around less than 20 minutes, and once we reached, it was check in time!

The Haven Ipoh, is located in Perak's tallest and most top rated luxurious resort Condotel, and has a one of its kind in the world where you get to live within the surroundings of an untouched scenery of nature, and yet still be within the city. Operated by Best Western International (BWI) family chain of hotels, which is also the worlds largest, under its 'Premier' 5-star status, definitely one the of the finest eco-resort by Best Western.

Gradient tones to blend in with the surroundings.

The Haven Ipoh is among the first developments in the country to harvest all available renewable energy resources which includes rainwater harvesting, solar energy and windmill turbine, within a sustainable budget to reduce carbon footprint. Even the colours of the building was carefully thought of where the exterior starts with green, to match the green surrounding, then which gradually changes to blue to match the colour of the sky. Wait till you see the interior!

The bedroom area. One with a TV. 

Another bedroom, but without the TV.

Single bedroom

The dining and living area.

The kitchen fully equipped.

A safebox and iron for your convenience. 

The view from our room on the 12th floor.

We were offered to stay in their 2+1  Bedroom Lakeview Suite which was very spacious with a breathtaking view. If you're coming in a group of 5 or a maximum of 6 people, this Suite would be just the perfect size to have a bonding session with loved ones to spend time together. And you dont even need to worry about the space. With a spacious living room and dining room, youre free to move around without feeling cramped. This room includes 3 bathrooms, where the master bathroom has a bathtub, and the 2nd room has a shower, with 1 more public bathroom for public use.

It would be a dream to wake up every morning to such a magnificent view of the their iconic 14-story centrepiece, 280 million year old limestone outcrop "Rockhaven". The hills in this particular site are rare geological features, which can only be found in a few locations in Southeast Asia. So without wasting any more time, i decided to go downstairs to explore more of The Haven Ipoh.

Fatin enjoying the Scenery.

The outdoor amphitheater. 

A dinosaur to signify how old RockHaven is.

The alluring jogging track

It gets greener when youre down in their park, with a jogging track, a meditation deck facing the lake, an amphitheater and also a dinosaur to blend in with this pre-historic centre piece. haha. And dont worry, the dinosaur wasnt real, but if youre planning to bring the kids out, this would be an experience they would never forget.

The kids pool provided with a slide.

Jacuzzi area.

If you havent realized, the pool is in a shape of a seahorse.

And if you prefer being in the water, then they have tons of options to enjoy the pool. From jumping into a hot water jacuzzi, to a relaxing jacuzzi with the view of the lake, and not to forget about the kids, a slide to play around with. Whats there not to love about infinity pools? ;D And after so much activities in one day, we got a little hungry. To our convenience, they even had a restaurant which serves you authentic Ipoh dishes so you dont have to worry about food.

Kerabu Chicken

Kerabu Fsh

Laksa Ipoh.

Chicken Rice.

 The famous Ipoh Steam Chicken.

Blueberry Cheesecake.

Personally loved the Kerabu chicken and fish because im a fan off sweet-spicy-sour dishes. Hehe. But  the highlight of Ipoh would usually be their Ipoh Chicken Rice, where what makes The Haven Ipoh different would be that they serve the best type of chicken which are entirely organic with no hormones or chemicals. And i was also told that their meals are all cooked without Ajinomoto, which guarantee's one of the best healthy meals that you can have in Ipoh. As much as people would always say that healthy food doesn't taste as good as junk food, this was an exception. I even managed to get online since they had wifi provided with optic fibre speed! And believe me, i was impressed with the speed despite being so far away from the city. With such a heavy dinner, i completely dozed off once i reach my bedroom for the night. Zzzzz.

The next morning

Me doing some Yoga Poses. hehe

Their badminton court.

Ella working out to lose some calories after our heavy dinner last night. hehe

The gym facilities surrounded by green sceneries.

They even have a playground for the kids.

Woke up the next day and decided to catch the sunrise which had a lovely scenery to enjoy. I decided to do some yoga poses in the morning to enjoy the atmosphere and the weather, because it was just so relaxing to be in peace. They even had a tennis court and gym for those who cant miss out on building some muscles even on holidays. What i love about their gym would be that the gym is not air-conditioned, and they actually encourage you to sweat as there are windows which can be open. Nothing beats working out in the environment of green sceneries and a lake to motivate you to look as beautiful as the scenery. hehe

Cuisines.

For every room booked, they provide free buffet breakfast which varies from asian to western cuisines. So i guess you could tell that i 'kind-off' overdid myself with my helpings. But what do you expect? With all that workout in the morning, that really got my appetite running! hehe. I was also approached by the manager of 'Cuisines' who said that their Nasi Lemak is one a kind, which definitely was different than your usual Nasi Lemak. So be sure to try their Nasi Lemak if you happen to be there.

Even though it was a one night, 2 day stay, it was definitely a memorable journey to Ipoh. Personally it felt like i was re-connecting back to nature, and it truely felt peaceful for being away from the concrete jungle. So if youre looking for a luxurious get away, why not consider The Haven Ipoh ? hehe. Before we left The Haven Ipoh, we decided to  try out their mediterranean ala-cart lunch.

The Haven signature fruit cocktail

Moutabal and Hummus & pita bread. 

Chicken Shawarma.

The Lebanese Taboule Salad.

Swish Tawook

Aglio Olio Spaghetti.

Creme Brulee.

The mediterranean ala-cart lunch menu was super yummy! It reminded me of my recent trip last year in Turkey. Cooked to perfection, you can never go wrong when youre dining at their restaurant. With tummy's full and ready to leave, it was really sad to say goodbye to such an amazing place. Will definitely make another visit soon as im looking forward to their 'The Haven Captivating Adventure" activity which will start in another 2 months from now. With so many challenges from rope traverse, wall creeper, rope bridges, gecko trail, vertical ladder, narrow descent, woobly log, flying fox, rock climbing and more, how can i resist?! Hehe

One of the most ideal places for a family or even for a group of friends to catch up with. They even have team building courses provided for company trips too. What is better than bonding time around nature right? hehe. There are absolutely so many reasons to love The Haven Ipoh! For more information on the hotel, be sure to visit their official website at www.thehavenresorts.com. Also visit www.bestwesternhaven.com.my or www.facebook.com/thehavenresort for more details on this amazing place.

Thank you to the team from The Haven Ipoh for having me there and not to forget for the amazing hospitality too. Your services are superb! Did you also know that The Havens has achieved 33 first for the state and 12 for the country? With 28 prestigious awards, (and more to come) its no doubt that The Haven Ipoh has been loved internationally and locally. Psst, they're even in the running to win the Best Eco Resort Award by Going Places, the in-flight magazine for Malaysian Airlines.

Good luck to that i do have high hopes that you'll win! :)

Well readers, thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions. Theres just too much to share that i might have missed out some details. hehe.

Much love,
Sara xx