West Malaysia loop ride

One area that needed improving from the last West Malaysia Loop Ride was the accommodation plans. We had a tough time in Penang because the place we intended to sleep over was fully booked. Yes…I did not call ahead and book because I wanted the plan to be fluid…and that caused us almost two hours of searching around in the dark for a place to sleep!

So now that the route has been planned, it is time to get the accommodations sorted out. The simple thing to do is to Google the destinations, look for a suitable hotel or guest house, give them a ring and its done. Unfortunately, this task is not as easy as it seems!

Our first stop is actually quite easy. The town of Temerloh happens to be a rather big one with plenty of places to explore for accommodations. However, the second place is quite the opposite! Dabong is more of a kampung (village) than a town…and accommodation options are VERY limited! This leaves Tanah Rata and Melaka. It is quite easy to find places in Tanah Rata…but Melaka…even though it is a huge town with many options, the fact that we will have our bikes with us makes this task much tougher.

The criteria is quite straightforward. Clean. Affordable. Safe. Secure parking. So the clear accommodation options, at the moment, are Hotel Green Park or Hotel Seri Malaysia at Temerloh, Father’s Guest House or Gerard’s Guest House in Tanah Rata. I do not have any real options for Dabong right now…and I am unclear which would be best in Melaka for the bikes.

Dabong options are scarce. There is a guest house at the base of Gunung Stong but there is no way to make a reservation. So it is a hit and miss. The nearest alternative is to trek up Gunung Stong and camp but that means leaving the bikes in an un-secured location. The next best option is to travel up to Jeli (another small town) or to Kuala Krai. So this is still very much up in the air at the moment.

Options in Melaka are plentiful! However, many of them do not have parking at the hotel itself. Most of the parking places are located in back alleys, some are gated…while others are not. The Hotel Puri, for example, while an excellent hotel if you drive there, is not suitable because the parking area is located one street away, blocked from view. Many other hotels do not even have a dedicated parking lot. And those that do (like The Equitorial) costs quite a bit more. So there is still more to be done before this can be confirmed.

There are other things that need to be handled too. Confirming the participants, preparing the bikes, performing a shakedown ride, acquiring the gear, planning the service stop among others. So no time to waste…let’s get cracking!