Ditch Your Screens and Enjoy Some Outdoor Fun at ESCAPE Ipoh & Its New Military Obstacle Course

We were recently invited to try out ESCAPE Ipoh’s attractions, including its newly launched ESCAPE Platoon, a unique, military-themed teambuilding programme based on a military-based obstacle course.

An escape from the city's hustle and bustle

ESCAPE Ipoh is nestled in the lush greenery of Tanjung Tualang, around 30km away from Ipoh. Its remote location is perfect for helping you unplug and reconnect with nature and providing a refreshing escape from the digital world.

The theme park is located near the historic Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No.5 (TT5), Malaysia’s last surviving mining dredge. Meanwhile, the park is built around a massive lake, which you can explore on a leisurely boat ride or via a canoe.

The location exemplifies ESCAPE’s commitment to integrating its parks with nature rather than changing it, something we discovered is very important to them during our talk with Dato’ Sim Choo Kheng, the founder of ESCAPE.

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Fortunately, there are multiple transport options around the entire area, including e-bikes, bicycles, and e-scooters for rent, so you can take it easy and simply go from ride to ride without breaking a sweat.

During our visit there, although it wasn’t classed as an attraction, we loved simply zooming around the lake on the e-scooters which was so thrilling!

For those who prefer to make it a mini-vacation, ESCAPE Ipoh has BASE CAMP, where guests with multiday tickets can sleep without additional charges.

BASE CAMP consists of various tents conveniently located near the parking area in a fenced area of ESCAPE Ipoh with 24-hour security and illuminated walkways.

They provide tents, toilets and showers, BBQ pits, and even a karaoke stage. All you need to bring along is your own pillow, blanket, air mattress/bedding, toiletries, food and drinks, chargers, and power banks.

ESCAPE Platoon - Military Obstacle Course

Although ESCAPE Ipoh was launched earlier in 2024, the immersive ESCAPE Platoon was just recently launched as the next phase of the theme park.

The ESCAPE Platoon brings aspects of military life to civilian life, incorporating battlefield scenarios and military drills designed to reawaken survival instincts, which are crucial for thriving in the workplace.

Participants in ESCAPE Platoon will develop essential teamwork, character, and leadership skills, preparing them to succeed in both personal and professional challenges.

The revamped obstacle course, known as Obstacleplay, features two difficulty levels: Beginner and Advanced. It also includes various physical drills from the Platoon programme, adding a heightened realism to the experience.

Other activities in the ESCAPE Platoon include obstacle course drills, rafting, aerial challenges, and commando cookout.

Although you can enjoy the obstacle course as part of your ticket to ESCAPE Ipoh, we highly recommend coming to ESCAPE Platoon in a big group to test your teamwork and coordination skills!

Rides & thrills

No trip to ESCAPE Ipoh is complete without trying all its other activities. The park has over 15 different rides and attractions!

ESCAPE is famed for its Monkey Business and Flying Lemur attractions, staples at its ESCAPE Penang park, so we tried those first.

We were strapped into specialised harnesses and jackets explicitly made for many of the attractions at ESCAPE. Monkey Business consists of multiple rope courses of varying difficulties and levels. You could try out two paths, A or B, with three different challenges.

We tried the B1 and B2 during our visit, which were fun and not too challenging overall. However, the Flying Lemur, where you’d have to zipline over the lake, was a mental challenge for someone afraid of heights.

Despite the time it took to prepare ourselves to perform the zipline and the nerves we felt, we were glad we did it!

Although we would’ve loved to try all the other paths and difficulties, we unfortunately ran out of time.

With only a bit of time left, we decided to try the Marine Academy. Remember the game show Total Wipeout? This is precisely that but with much less intensity. This was one of our favourites, and we could’ve easily spent hours here.

The Marine Academy featured various obstacles and passages you could go through to avoid falling into the water (it’s impossible not to).

Some of the other rides they have include:

• Slip N’ Slide – A brand-new water slide debuting at ESCAPE Ipoh, where visitors glide down a water slide on a water board and stride across the lake.
• Bouncer – A floating airbag where one person jumps on one side to launch another person off the other side into the air and into the lake.
• Water Sports – Relaxing water-based activities such as kayaking, pedal boats, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) over the lake.
• Slingshot - A massive slingshot which shoots you high up into the air.
• Tubby Racer - Slide down an enormous ramp on tubbies.
• Zip Coaster - Ride through the jungle.

ESCAPE Ipoh offers various package options, including one-day tickets (starting from RM124) for adults and multi-day experience tickets, such as two days and one night (starting from RM140 for adults) and even three days and two nights (starting from RM168 for adults).

For more information on ESCAPE Ipoh and tickets, visit the website or their Instagram page.