I Need More Days in Kedah

Assalamualaikum everyone. The last time I went to Kedah was in 2015, when I transited at a school before moving to Arau, Perlis, to compete in a national paintball tournament. I couldn’t remember much about Kedah, but I was familiar with Menara Alor Setar and a nasi kandar restaurant near the state stadium.

September 2025 marked the second time I had been to Kedah. I aimed to attend a conference and stayed for two nights in Alor Setar. After long hours on the road, the first place I went to was Masjid Zahir, one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, built in 1912, to perform Maghrib and Isyak prayers. I was mesmerised by its architecture, filled with intricate motifs such as pucuk rebung. The main prayer hall was quite small, but the space was extended with verandas. The mosque was entirely made of concrete, with no surrounding landscape space.

We had a quick dinner on the first night. I bought a beef burger and grabbed some snacks from 99 Speed Mart, located just behind Aman Central Mall. The atmosphere was hambar and relatively empty. We checked into a hotel situated between Masjid Zahir and the mall. I was exhausted from the long drive but felt excited to explore the hidden gems of the city.

The next day, we had no specific destination in mind. We randomly scrolled through interesting spots on Google and decided to visit four landmarks: Kraftangan Alor Setar, Masjid Albukhary, an art gallery, and the state museum. Masjid Albukhary was designed using principles of the Islamic Garden, primarily inspired by Persian geometric patterns. A fountain and palm trees were typical Islamic Garden elements found here. We performed Zohor and Asar prayers before heading to the art gallery.

At the art gallery, the exhibitions were mainly contributed by groups of secondary school students from different schools across the state. The theme was collage art, highlighting the pressing issue of climate change under the guidance of several art teachers. Honestly, their artworks were exceptionally striking, well-composed and eye-catching. They were skilful, mature, and creative in combining different media to express their ideas. This signified that the future of art in Kedah is bright and promising.

Before lunch, we planned a quick visit to the state museum, but I didn’t realise how quickly time passed as I immersed myself in the depth of historical information displayed. The museum was divided into sections showcasing traditional Malay lifestyles, attire, the formation of Kedah, war history, sultans, early Muslim scholars, tools, the arrival of Islam, and more. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed. At the ground level, right in front of the main entrance, the miniature 3D diorama depicting Malay life, such as playing sepak raga, was monumental, touching, and vividly presented. I forgot the name of this display technique, but I strongly recommend visiting this section.

We were starving and went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. As far as I can remember, I had visited this nasi kandar restaurant before, and the food did not disappoint. We returned to the hotel, took a nap, and waited for dinner. We had dinner at a restaurant beneath a roundabout, where Menara Alor Setar could be seen to the north. My meal was a simple combination of soup noodles and kopi O panas. Afterwards, we strolled inside Aman Central Mall to find something interesting. There was nothing particularly interesting hahaha, so we walked to a cafe and had coffee before ending the second night of the trip.

We were starving and went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. As far as I can remember, I had visited this nasi kandar restaurant before, and the food did not disappoint. We returned to the hotel, took a nap, and waited for dinner. We had dinner at a restaurant beneath a roundabout, where Menara Alor Setar could be seen to the north. My meal was a simple combination of soup noodle and kopi O panas. Afterwards, we strolled inside Aman Central Mall to find something interesting. There was nothing particularly interesting hahaha, so we walked to SORE cafe and had coffee before ending the second night of the trip.

On the final day, we went to Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, located about 15 minutes from the Malaysia-Thailand border at Bukit Kayu Hitam. The conference began as usual with opening speeches and live performances. I met some friends whom I had previously met at a conference in Phuket. They were friendly and loved sharing knowledge. I presented my slides on Malay cultural landscapes. The session was enriched with insightful questions and meaningful discussions, and overall, it went smoothly. The overall organisation of the conference was average, but reuniting with my friends truly coloured my day.

We needed to rush home as the journey was lengthy. At 4pm, we departed from Sintok and headed back to Kuala Lumpur. I will come back to Kedah soon, Insha Allah.