EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

ALOR SETAR , the tiny state capital of Kedah, is the last major stop before the Thai border. It's a city that is keen to preserve its heritage - witness the many royal buildings and museums - and since Alor Setar has useful transport links to the east coast as well as to Thailand, you might as well spend at least a short time here. The main sights are located to the west of the town around the padang, whose west side is dominated by Masjid Zahir. Behind the elegant Istana Balai Besar (Royal Audience Hall) stands the old royal palace, now serving as the Muzium Di Raja (daily 10am-5pm; Fri closed noon-2.30pm; free) where some rooms have been kept exactly as they were when used by the sultan and his family. On the south side of the square, the grandiose, white stucco art gallery, Balai Seni Negeri (same hours as Muzium Di Raja), displays largely uninspiring works showing the influence of traditional Malay culture on contemporary artists.

South of the padang, across the Sungei Kedah, at 18 Lorong Kilang Ais, Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; Fri closed noon-3pm; free) is the birthplace of Dr Mahathir Mohammed; it's now a museum, documenting the life of the local doctor who became the most powerful Malaysian prime minister of modern times. The Pekan Rabu market, held every day from morning to midnight on Jalan Tunku Ibrahim, is a good place to buy handicrafts and sample local foods. North of the padang, beside the roundabout on Jalan Telok Wanjah, the Nikhrodharam Buddhist Temple is a glittering complex with numerous statues, mosaics and paintings, that shows the continuing influence of Thai culture.