Hobbitoon Village – You Can Now Visit Perak’s Own Little Shire
Fans of the movie franchise can spend a lot less to visit a local version of the famous New Zealand attraction. And it’s just over 30 minutes’ drive from Ipoh!
Still, the entry fees are high for local standards.
And so, if you want to know if you should still visit this new attraction, keep on reading!
Reasons To Go
Hobbitoon Village is not difficult to find. It’s on the way to Cameron Highlands from Ipoh using the Simpang Pulai exit route.
There are buses that take visitors there too although the buses do sometimes have trouble getting down the steep road to the base of the hill where Hobbitoon Village is.
Parking is still free, and there are multiple open air car park levels (some still in progress).
Our first impression of Hobbitoon Village is how beautiful they’ve made it look with foreign grasses and plants.
The hilltop location is ideal for the theme they have. And because of its natural elevation, the whole site gets a lot of cool wind which makes exploring the attraction a comfortable outdoor experience.
PS: We still recommend bringing a cap that won’t fly off your head, and putting on sunscreen
From the hilltop restaurant, you can have scenic views of the mountains around too.
There are numerous places to take photos and we found ourselves impressed with the decoration despite having been to the real Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand before.
We think that you don’t have to be a Lord of the Rings fan to appreciate the details they put into making this place photogenic.
Entry fees start from RM20 for kids, and RM40 for adults. The price is the same for both locals and foreigners.
Note: Hold on to the receipt with if you wish to re-enter the place again after visiting the gift shop which is at the exit.
Service is great – the staff from the ticket counter all the way to the hilltop restaurant is friendly and helpful.
Reasons Not To Go
Firstly, the entrance fees are very steep. You could get a nice meal in Ipoh with that kind of money. Or visit 2 attractions in Cameron Highlands instead.
Secondly, there is not a whole lot to do here besides taking pictures.
You can only admire the views, try some homemade ice cream (this is pretty good but costs RM10 per ice cream), or have coffee and food at the hilltop restaurant.
Food by the way, is expensive and only average. Although portions are fair.
The gift shop doesn’t have much on offer either. Nothing they have on sale is related to Lord of the Rings (counterfeit or original). And this should not be a surprise since Hobbitoon Village is not an official extension of the original Hobbiton based in New Zealand.
If it does rain, there’s not much you can do but to wait it out. Most of the pathways are steep (for anyone with knee problems) and none of them are covered.
This place is not wheel-chair friendly unless you don’t mind pushing someone all the way uphill and downhill.
For those that happen to come on a sunny day, it can feel very hot in the middle of the afternoon.
And while most of the decoration follows a Lord of the Rings theme, a few of them look and feel out of place.
Another thing that many find disappointing is the fact that you can’t stay at any of the hobbit homes. You can only enter one of them but it’s small with nothing in it besides a wooden bed frame.
Conclusion
If you like taking photos and don’t mind climbing up to the top for some hilltop views, we think it’s worth visiting Hobbitoon Village. At least once to see what it’s all about.
Our opinion is the same even if you’re not a fan of Lord of The Rings. And if you are, this is not a bad alternative if you can’t visit the real Hobbiton just yet. We didn’t say it’s a replacement, it’s not.
