Lembah Bujang Archeological Museum

Idlan had always been keen on museum. So, I thought on our way to visit my Aunt in Sungai Petani, we should take a detour to Merbok and visit Lembah Bujang. Idlan learned about the place in his History lessons in school. He was naturally curious.

Getting to the place was quite straight forward with the help of Waze. Signage was otherwise poor as expected, but the road was pretty straight forward coming off the PLUS highway in Sungai Petani and driving towards Merbok. Initially we didn't know what to expect as there were not much written about the museum in blogs and the interwebs.

Just a small sign at the frontThese are ancient ....How the whole area looked like in 3DWhen we reached there, we were very pleasantly surprised. The place was clean and the facilities were good. The whole compound comprised of a museum building - one of two as the other one was closed. They had a waterfall with picnic area, which unfortunately during this dry season did not have much in the way of streaming water. There was also a few archeology sites just up the hill from the museum with decently built walkways and steps.

Parking space was ample and well organised. They had toilets and surau next to the car park, shades and chairs to sit on and chill. If you're adventurous, there was a trail leading up to the top of Gunung Jerai from here. I might one day just do that ...

The museum was actually more spacious than it looked on the outsideEach items tell a story and the whole exhibit was well-curatedIs that a cat?The actual museum was air conditioned, and much better than I expected. And the entrance was free. It was opened every day except for Hari Raya. Not many people was there though and Sunday being a working day in Kedah, that was not a surprise. The care taker was really friendly and talked about the museum to me and Idlan.

The artifacts were well laid out and lit. Everything had a label both in Malay and English. Very professionally done. After half an hour in the museum, we then ventured up the hill to some of the temples. Nice green fields, helped by the overcast weather made for a pleasant walk.

Time to venture outsideReaching the topHave to compliment their visitor's facilitiesI must say that I was more than impressed and would recommend a visit to everyone who was interested. Getting there might be tricky due to poor signage, so, it was best to use Waze, or if you were lost, look for Pekan Merbok. If was just up the path from there, around 2 km in. This place would be a site for a quick family picnic, or even the base for a walk up Gunung Jerai. That would be a different kind of adventure and I would be doing a bit more reading before venturing so.

More entries on this trip can be seen here.

Muzium Tentera Darat, Port Dickson

Every time we pass by the camp area on the way to our apartment, we wonder what is there at the muzeum. Idlan always shouted about the big plane at the entrance. And the tanks there as well.

Since it was still early and we had already had our lunch, we decided to stop by. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Keeping up to the army tradition, everything was neat, clean and in order. Since it was very sunny outside, we did not explore much. There is an exhibit about the role of the Armed Forces prior and after Merdeka. There was also a tunnel exhibit on the cruelty of the Japanese Soldiers during the World War. Some details about the Communist activities. 

Outside there is a monument area with names of all the soldiers killed in line of duty since Merdeka. The last names were from 2005. Maybe I did not venture to much. Is it safe to assume that there has been no casualties for the past 4 years? A highly recommended visit should you are interested. The museum is opened from Wednesdays to Sundays every week. And it did not cost me a sen to get in.

The place has so much potential, but I think if the Armed Forces make a bit more effort, it can be more of a success. Take the picture above for example. Rather than leaving the exhibit to rot into a derelict in the carpark, it could've been modified and reconditioned into a stall, selling ice-cream for example. It certainly was warm out there earlier in the afternoon. Another gripe was the maintenance. Bearing in mind that my father-in-law is a retired Army General, my mother-in-law was appalled to find that the toilet was left unattended. It won't flush and the sink was clogged. She was furious. I think somebody need to look into that.

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