"It is not how much we HAVE, but how much we ENJOY, that makes happiness" - Charles Spurgeon
Feeling happy? I bet you would, if your quaint little hometown has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Happiest Cities in Malaysia. Who would have thought that a sleepy, growing city with humble beginnings would garner such international acclaim!
Mental and physical health, as well as the environment play very important roles in determining how any Malaysian city or town gets picked to qualify for this coveted list. And we Taipingites are one happy lot, finding happiness and pleasure in everyday routines - whether in our work, our relationship with neighbours, taking part in community activities and events, playing with our beloved pets or spending time rejuvenating our souls with an awesome cup of teh tarik ;)
Mind you, our beloved Raintown also made the top three spot in the 2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Award. Yeah, we're THAT cool.
What's not to love about Taiping?
To start off, the fresh and invigorating air quality sure helps, where you don’t feel the need to run into the nearest air-conditioned building. And since we have a local hill resort nearby (Maxwell Hill / Bukit Larut), lots of greenery in the Lake Gardens and the surrounding suburbs, our local daily temperature is still within comfortable limits.
Awesome, lip-smacking, mouth-watering food varieties. So many choices to tease your taste buds, a foodie’s road trip around Taiping will never disappoint! It’s hardly surprising, as we have various types of restaurants, street stalls, food courts, cafes and kopitiams that have been around for a while and have earned their loyal patrons.
Besides those around town, the locals also love to venture out to the outskirts - cheap and fresh seafood at Matang village or a hot spicy bowl of curry mee which can be found in Kuala Sepetang, a thriving fishing village approximately 15 kilometres away.
A more relaxed way of life - one where you don’t need to wake up too early to go anywhere. As everything is pretty much within 10 - 15 minutes’ drive away, people can take their time getting ready or even catch an extra half hour’s worth of beauty sleep.
The significantly cheaper cost of living compared to most big cities. This is why our little Taiping is fondly referred to as a “Pensioner’s Paradise”! You don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket to enjoy great food and a tranquil lifestyle to suit your needs.
Feeling "closer" among community folks. As with smaller cities - with fewer communities, everyone is practically somebody you know, or related in some way to someone you know. People still interact with their neighbors, and friendly neighborhood activities still exist as we foster closer ties with those we see every other day.
A slowly but surely developing city, Taiping not only maintains its old world charm, but recent years have seen many new establishments mushrooming up all over town. Modern cafes such as Triple Shot Bed & Coffee, Double Tap, The Mask and Yinn's Pattiserie are popular hangouts among the younger crowds.
Reasonably priced items on their menu are the main draw, especially during the weekends and public holidays.
Taiping is also home to three (yes, count them - three!) shopping malls which cater to the urban and chic population, offering many popular brands in food & beverage, entertainment and retail.
Taiping Sentral Mall, Aeon Mall and Taiping Mall are all favourite spots to hang out and spend time with friends and families. You can practically get almost anything and everything here!
Amidst Taiping's blooming tourism industry, we have also welcomed an impressive number of chic, low-density hotels. Worth mentioning is the contemporary Sense Hotel which offers a casual and comforting night's stay at a great location for a reasonable price. Find the best rate at www.sensehotel.my.
All this and so much more give Taiping its personality and appeal. Not to mention having the largest collection of "firsts" in a single town, but that's another story in another blog!