IPOH, Sept 8 — Nestled in Kampung Kelantan, Sauk lies one of Perak’s best kept secret, the Suka-Suka Lake Retreat.

There are the usual trappings of a peaceful set-up — tall trees, greenery, a lake and a chance to live out a typical Malay kampung life for the holiday.

Traditional wooden chalets are located beside the emerald-green lake courtesy of the Chenderoh Dam and make a perfect spot for visitors to wind down.

But the chalets are a story in itself.

Owner Aziz Manaf and his wife Asiah Mohd Ridzuan left nothing to chance.

They transported actual kampung houses from various locations in Perak such as Kuala Kangsar, Lenggong, Parit, Bukit Gantang, Kati and Selama.

Owner of Suka-Suka Lake Retreat, Aziz Manaf, 68, shows the traditional-style chalets on offer at the resort.

"We dismantled the wooden houses and reassembled them here.

"We insisted on having the real traditional Malay houses as chalets, as we wanted the visitors to have an authentic traditional village stay,” said 68-year-old Aziz.

Some of the houses here date back to 1940. They are mostly made of durable wood such as meranti and chengal.

"The houses were refurbished to give a fresh look.”

Aziz and his 54-year-old wife had left the city to set up the retreat some 20 years ago.

Besides indulging in the tranquility, guests can try out the water activities at the lake.

Chickens and cats that normally make the outdoor patio their hangout place add to the picturesque surroundings.

"What visitors can enjoy here is having nature and culture at one go,” said Aziz.

Suka-Suka Lake Retreat co-owner Asiah Mohd Ridzuan, 54, prepares drinks at the dining house.

The resort has eight houses with 12 rooms and packages are priced from RM125 to RM140 per person.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the package.

Meals during teatime are served upon request.

A wooden house has been set up solely for dining.

The food is made up of authentic Malay cuisine.

Among the dishes are lempeng pisang, onde-onde, kochi and other local Malay desserts.

"But, the signature dishes are pajeri nenas (savoury pineapple curry) and lemongrass fried fish. And of course, we have rendang,” said Aziz.

"The visitors will dine together. Sometimes, they follow the traditional way of eating by sitting down on the floor,” he said.

The lake, which was built in 1926, is believed to be one of the oldest man-made lakes in the country as well as in South-east Asia.

Visitors can opt to fish and kayak at the Chenderoh Lake near the Suka-Suka Lake Retreat.

It is also the main attraction of the place.

The Chenderoh Dam generated the much needed hydro-electric power during the colonial period.

However, the long abandoned lake is now a rich haven for fish and lobsters.

Aziz said fishing was one of the main activities there.

There are plenty of peacock bass because someone introduced the fish into the lake eight years ago.

Prior to this, the lake had lots of toman (snakehead fish), kaloi (gourami) and sebarau (hampara barb).

"We still have them in here, but not many as before,” he said.

"And for the lobsters, we believe it was sometime ago a lobster breeder who operated nearby decided to close his business.

"He released all the lobsters into the lake. I think that has contributed to the population surge, but how it gets bigger, I don’t know.”

Aziz says rooms in the chalets are kept simple to match the ‘kampung’ lifestyle.

Apart from fishing, Aziz said the guests can indulge in extreme activities such as caving and kayaking.

It costs RM40 to kayak with a guide who will take guests to see the lotus flowers at the lake.

Each session lasts for about two hours and participants are taught basic kayaking skills.

They also have a four-day, three-night kayaking journey from Chenderoh to Pasir Salak.

"We will bring them to visit various places such as old caves, museum and many more along the trail,” he said. In order to maintain the sustainability of the environment, Aziz said they would not host groups bigger than 25 people.

They have guests throughout the year with about majority of them from Germany, England, Mexico, New Zealand, Austria and Australia.

"We have hosted 130 nationalities so far,” he said.

"The international guests come here as they want to experience kampung life while locals visit this place to reminisce their good old days in kampung.”

Visitors to Suka-Suka Lake Retreat play Malay traditional games such as ‘congkak’. — Picture courtesy of SukaSuka Lake Retreat

Aziz also said they teach guests how to wear sarong. They can play several traditional Malay games such as congkak.

Another view worth taking in, he said was that of the sunrise — viewed from the lake if one signs up for the kayaking session.

He added that the best time to visit the place is between May and June.

"During this period, the lake banks will be filled with red flowers that fall from the trees.

"The phenomena are similar to the cherry blossom season in Japan.

"This is one of the best views in the place.”

Call 019-5093403 to book a stay. Visit its Facebook page for details.