From the Gamat factory, we made our way to an attraction that promotes agro-tourism.
Located near the Lubuk Semilang Recreational Park, the MARDI Agro Technology Park is owned and managed by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute or better known as "MARDI". It is functioning as a center for technology transfer and information dissemination concerning agro-industry. The major attraction in this agro-park is the vast fruit farm that has over 20 different seasonal and non-seasonal tropical fruit trees such as as Starfruits, Papaya, Guava, Citrus, Mango, Rambutan, Jackfruit, Pineapple and even Durian!
There are several types of tours available for visitors to choose from. We decided to choose the Tropical Fruit Farm Visit package which is a simple and short 30 minutes tour that will bring guests to some interesting spots in the fruit farm with a complimentary fruits buffet. The ticket price for this tour is RM10 per person for a Malaysian ID card holder.
After we purchased the ticket, we had to wait for our buggy ride to arrive in this covered waiting area.
5 minutes later, the buggy ride which seems like a combination of lorry+bus arrived.
We instantly boarded the buggy and after everyone settled in, the buggy started to move and brought us to our first stop of the tour.
Throughout the ride, we were greeted with a scenic view and lush greenery of the tropical fruit farm.
Some of the fruit trees that we passed by.
Our first stop of the tour was at a small cafe where we had the experience to taste assorted types of tropical fruits that harvested from the farm.
The fruits were served in a buffet style and guests were allowed to take as much as they wanted. Some types of fruits will only be served during certain period of months depending on their season. Unfortunately, it wasnt the season for 2 of my favorite fruits, Mango and Mangosteen.
There were Pineapples, Watermelons, Pomeloes, Jackfruits, Rose Apples and Honeydews. All the fruits served were fresh and naturally sweet.
My mum and I also had a fresh Coconut Juice. This juice is not included inside the tour package, so we had to pay it separately.
After we done with the tropical fruits buffet, it was the time for us to get onboard the buggy again and moved to our second stop. There would be a few buggies waiting for the guests in each stop at the same time and guests are free to choose whichever buggy that they would like to ride. So, you dont have to ride the same buggy with the same driver all the time.
Few minutes later, our buggy stopped at an area where many Grape trees are planted.
Here the guide aka the buggy driver gave us some brief explanation about the Grapes and the trees. This Grape Farm provides a great opportunity for many good photos.
A closer look to the locally grown Grapes.
From the Grape Farm, our buggy then took us to our next stop, the indoor Herb Garden. The Herb Garden consists of few covered enclosures where various types of herb and vegetable plants such as Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Chilli, Cucumber and Pumpkin are propagated using a high and advanced technology.
In this Herb Garden, we were exposed to the high-tech farming method that have effectively helped local farmers to grow many herb and vegetable plants originally from cold weather or 4 seasons country in Langkawi under the hot tropical climate.
Besides herbs and vegetables, there are some species of flowering plants cultivated and grown in this garden.
The Herb Garden features a beautiful and soothing landscape.
The Herb Garden was the last stop in our guided tour. After the tour ended, visitors were given a choice to discover and visit other parts of the park on their own if they want to. My parents and I decided to leave the agro park as it was already 3pm and we felt so starving.
We left the MARDI Agro Technology Park and started to look for any restaurant or food stall that located close by. Just only a short drive from the agro park, we found 1 small restaurant located on the left side of the road. It turned out that this restaurant is the famous eatery in Langkawi that went viral among local netizens recently, the "Nasi Arab Kaki Gunung Cafe" or just simply known as "Kaki Gunung Cafe".
The name of this restaurant can be translated as "Arabic rice at the foot of a mountain Cafe", which probably inspired from its location that close to Gunung Raya (Mount Raya), the highest mountain in Langkawi. It is open daily from 11am to 11pm except for Friday.
This restaurant doesnt serve any authentic Langkawian or Kedahan cuisines but it serves a wide variety of Arabic and Western foods with the Chicken Mandi Rice as its main specialty. But please do take note that the service can be quite slow as the restaurant is always full with patrons at most of the time.
We managed to find an empty table and ordered 3 plates of Chicken Mandi Rice once we settled down. Almost 15 minutes later, our foods arrived. The Chicken which marinated with different spices for overnight tasted so juicy and succulent. It was placed on top of aromatic yellow rice and came with some other condiments. Overall, the Mandi was really a good meal and worth waiting for.
Besides the Mandi, we also had a plate of Lamb Kebabs which was equally appetizing!
After the wonderful lunch, we left the restaurant and drove our car to the next attraction which also based on agro-tourism, the Buffalo Park. Getting to this place is very challenging as it is located in a remote village with lack of clear signage. The road leading to the Buffalo Park is small and uneven making it quite difficult to be accessed by a big vehicle. If you are afraid of getting lost, I would highly advise you to get a cab, Uber or Grab instead of driving on your own. Alternatively, you also can rent a motorbike or bicycle which seems a more appropriate mode of transport to move through the isolated village area.
With the help of Google Map and some luck, we managed to arrive at the Buffalo Park safely.
The Buffalo Park is actually a Buffalo Farm that is run by a family. They decided to open the farm to the public so that visitors will be able to observe and learn the process of raising more than 100 Water Buffaloes that called the park as home.
We paid the entrance fee which only costs RM2 per person for Malaysian citizen and later we were invited to taste the park's signature welcome drink, a fresh Buffalo Milk!
We walked past the ticketing counter/reception and came to this open-air large barn where the Buffaloes were enjoying their feast.
The Water Buffalo is a large bovid and native to China, South Asia and South East Asia. They are commonly raised as livestock for their meats, milks and as a mode of transportation. In Langkawi, the Buffalo once played a very important role in agriculture. Although many local farmers have switched to a more modern farming technique nowadays, the Buffalo was heavily used by them to plough the muddy paddy fields in the past.
The baby of Buffalo is called a "Calf" and is born orange. Usually, it will stand right after birth and start eating the grass at the age of 1 month.
This remarkable creature is looking so much bigger in real life than in photos.
Visitors are allowed to feed the Buffaloes using their hands.
All the grasses and hays here are grown and harvested by the Buffalo Park itself.
The Buffaloes are actually live freely in a large open field located next to the barn. The barn is functioning as a feeding place for them.
Besides watching and feeding the Buffaloes, there are some other interesting activities available in the Buffalo Park for guests to try such as the Buffalo Riding, Cart Riding and taking photos with the Buffalo while dressed up like the locals.
Visitors can watch the live process of making the Buffalo Milk Cheese from behind this glass wall.
There is a small cafe located near the ticketing counter that sells various products that specially made and manufactured by the Buffalo Park such as Buffalo Milk, yogurt, ice-cream, Mozzarella and Feta Cheese. Customer also can purchase a fresh Buffalo meat from here.
The cafe provides a serene view and calm environment of the farm.
The Buffalo Milk Ice-Cream is 1 of the hot selling stuffs in this cafe.
The Bufflo Milk Ice-Cream consists of different flavors to choose from such as Strawberry, Vanilla, Corn, Yam, Chocolate, Coffee and Plain (natural Buffalo Milk flavor). I had the Strawberry flavor.
The other famous thing in this cafe is the Buffalo Steak which considered as the main highlight for everyone who visiting the Buffalo Park.
As we just had our lunch at the previous restaurant, we only ordered a plate of the Buffalo Steak to be shared by 3 of us. Around 10 minutes later, the steak was served and it came with Coleslaw and Mashed Potatoes as sides with a generous amount of Black Pepper Sauce.
The Buffalo meat tasted quite chewy and definitely much tougher than the average Beef meat. Nevertheless, the steak was cooked to perfection and tasty.
We also didnt forget to purchase some other items to be brought back home such as the Riccotta Cheese and a Coffee-flavored Buffalo Milk.
We left the Buffalo Park when it was almost 5pm in the evening and made our way to the airport for our flight back to KL. That was the end of our short 3 days and 2 nights trip in this beautiful legendary island.
The details of the return trip will be covered in a separate trip report. Until then, see you guys next time!
Goodbye Langkawi!
