Ipoh

Understand

Ipoh was the city that tin built, developing into one of Malaysia's major cities after rich alluvial tin deposits were discovered in the Kinta Valley in 1876. Its location as the furthest navigable point on the Kinta River at that time made it a prime spot for the centre of all trading activities, an upstart little village bypassing the already established towns at nearby Gopeng and Papan. Waves of starry-eyed prospectors, many of them Chinese immigrants, came to find their fortunes working the mines and providing support services to the industry. It rapidly grew into Malaya's second commercial and administrative centre after Kuala Lumpur (the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca were administered separately during the British colonial era), overtaking Taiping, the then state capital. World War II hit Ipoh hard, with all mines shut down and left to flood. Even after their reopening, demand for tin continued to drop steadily over the years and production costs rose. It culminated in the debilitating crash of tin prices in October 1985 from cartel meddling which then became the final nail in the coffin for the mines, just slightly over one hundred years after the very first tin rush. Many residents of Ipoh finally left for greener pastures elsewhere, as their forefathers did before them, though the city has been slowly reclaiming its stature since. Food, and not tin, is now the word most synonymous with Ipoh. The post-independence economic decline let the city escape the Brutalist towers of concrete that represent 1970s ideas of progress, and its colonial importance still shines in the grand old buildings, such as the railway station and the town hall, which complement the rows of shophouses. There are surprisingly few tall buildings for a city of its size due to height restrictions for the local airport, hence inadvertently maintaining its sleepy old town charm. However, this is soon to change after a push by the state government for more development projects.

Climate

As in the rest of Malaysia, Ipoh has a typical tropical climate. Temperatures are generally constant year round, with daily highs of around 30-32°C (86-90°F) and nightly lows around 22-24°C (71-75°F). Rain and thunderstorms can also be expected fairly often, along with high humidity. The wettest months of the year are from October to November, while the least amount of rain is seen in January and February.

Visitor centre 1 Ipoh City Tourist Information Centre, Jln Bandar (near the Padang). 9PM-6PM except on public holidays. The visitor centre has a spacious hall with t

Getting there

By plane

1 Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH IATA). Serves only a small number of flights, with a single domestic flight to Johor Bahru on AirAsia, and international services to Singapore on Scoot. For most visitors from elsewhere, the most practical option for getting to Ipoh would be to fly into either Kuala Lumpur or Penang, which have larger and better served airports, and make your way to Ipoh overland.

By train

From 2 Ipoh Railway Station, trains head as far north as Padang Besar (4h) and as far south as Johor Bahru via Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is predictably well served by several trains per day. KTM's ETS service from Kuala Lumpur costs from RM29 (stopping service, about 2 1/2 h) to RM44 (express non-stop, about 2h). ETS service to Butterworth (with a ferry connection to George Town (2 hr) has ticket prices of RM22-33. The train station can get crowded at times and there can be barely any space to sit or stand, particularly so on weekends when the roads around the station are also very jammed.

By bus The main bus terminal is at 3 Terminal Amanjaya, 16 km north of city center, from where buses run to most of Peninsular Malaysia. To get to the city centre (Stesen Bas Medan Kidd) from the terminal, you have to take T30a or T30b (myBAS) from the upper level. It costs around RM2 and runs about every 30 min. To pay you have to have a Touch'nGO card (which can be purchased at the information counter downstairs). Taxi fare will be at least RM20. Most frequent routes are to and from Kuala Lumpur (Terminal Bersepatu Selatan), Singapore and Penang. Larger bus companies like Transnational, Plusliner, Konsortium and Sri Maju provide the most frequent, reliable and safe services. For Taiping and the Cameron Highlands, the local bus station (see Get around) is more convenient. Some bus companies also operate from more convenient locations in the town: mainly 4 Jalan Bendahara. Choice is limited but for Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Butterworth or Singapore, they represent a better option than a trip out of town.

Sri Maju 2, 4 & 6 Jalan Bendahara, +60 5 253 5367, fairly decent selection of destinations, including Hat Yai in Thailand. Tickets can be bought via their website and you can pay via credit cards. Lapan Lapan (88 brand), +65 6392 2188 (Singapore number) has services from Jalan Bendahara to Singapore (RM55). Grassland Express, Singapore based company, also serves Jalan Bendahara. Starshuttle runs to Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Jalan Bercham (about RM40 one way).

By car Ipoh is well connected to the North-South Expressway. You can get i

Getting around

Ipoh is split into half by the River Kinta: Old Town on the west side and New Town on the east. Old Town is walkable, New Town less so. City outskirts are reachable by taxis or public buses in a pinch, and your own wheels are best for further outlying areas. Streets were renamed in the 1980s. This can still be confusing as many locals still refer to the former colonial road names. The following list showing the old and new names is useful: Ipoh road names - old and new. Jalan Bijih Timah, for example, used to be known as Treacher Street.

By car The city centre grid layout contains mainly one-way streets. Road maps are available in bookstores, tourist centres and online. Traffic is not as heavy as in other cities such as Kuala Lumpur but the rush hours are usually congested. There is adequate parking but finding a space may require some patience. Car rentals are available.

By bus Local buses run around the city and its suburbs and have a hub called 2 Ipoh Bus Terminal, Medan Kidd (or also bas stesen), which is on Jalan Tun Abdul Razak in the old town (follow the road south from the railway station and past the post office, the bus station is on the right of the first big junction). This is not to be confused with Jalan Bendahara which is in the new town and has long distance services by some bus companies. Ipoh city buses: www.peraktransit.com.my may be useful. Local bus information is not well published but there is a helpful information desk at the bus station. Visitors may find this bus station useful for its services to the Cameron Highlands and Taiping. Useful to look out for is local bus number 94, which heads from the bus station (bas stesen) through the old and new towns to the Sam Poh Tong Cave Temples. It calls at the following bus stops in the new town: Tingat Pasar, on the south side of Pasar Besar; at the junction of Jalan Raja Musa Aziz and Jalan Theatre; and on Jalan CM Yusuf, near the Grand Park Hotel and Sri Maju Bus Terminal.

On foot Most roads have pavements and marked crossings, which makes strolling around the old streets a pleasant experience.

By bicycle There are no hard and fast rules for cyclists, but you are expected to observe road rules at all times. Cyclists are forbidden from riding on the sidewalk but often do. Helmets are optional but not common.

By taxi Prices are by negotiation. It is possible to take the taxi all the way up to Pengkelan Hulu (near the Thailand border, c. RM170 one way, c. RM300 return). Rides within the city should cost around RM5 to RM10. The better alternative to taxi is GrabCar, a South

See

Old Town The heart of Ipoh Old Town lies on the west banks of the Kinta River and is vaguely bounded by the train tracks. A two- to three-hour guided tour of the Ipoh heritage trail starts at the Railway Station at 8AM every Saturday (as of 2015, RM30 per person). Rejuvenated Kong Heng Square on Jalan Sultan Yussuf houses buzzing small cafes and shops.

Historic Buildings

1 Birch Memorial Clocktower, Jalan Dato Segor. Dedicated to the first British Resident Minister of Perak who was murdered by a local Malay chief. The chief's profitable trade in Orang Asli, indigenous tribal folk, was curtailed by the British abolition of slavery. By all accounts he wasn't well-liked personally and the road passing the tower's north side is now named in the killer's honour. It hosts friezes representing the progress of civilization and depicts various religious and secular worthies, but the Prophet Muhammad was painted out as a respect to local sensitivities. 2 Ipoh Railway Station, Jalan Sultan Iskandar. One of the three grand British-built stations on the former Malayan network. ETS trains connect this station, fondly dubbed "Taj Mahal of Ipoh", to KL's colonial beauty, Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (one stop before KL Sentral). The fountains on Ipoh Station square are active between 8PM and midnight. The cenotaph on Ipoh Station Square commemorates the deaths of different wars. 3 Ipoh Town Hall and Law Courts. The two buildings opposite the Railway Station, in neoclassical style. 4 Muzium Darul Ridzuan, Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang. An interesting historical museum of Perak in a former tin-mining tycoon's pretty mansion.

5 Padang Ipoh (Ipoh Green). This immaculate lawn near Jalan S.P. Seenivasagam was planted by the British during the colonial period as the cricket ground for the Ipoh Club, then a whites-only establishment. Today, it still serves as the main cricket ground for the Royal Ipoh Club (re-named from the Ipoh Club after the Sultan of Perak was admitted as the club's first non-white member), and is also used as the club's football (soccer) ground when not in use for cricket. The surrounding historic buildings include the mock-Tudor style Royal Ipoh Club, FMS Bar, HSBC Building and the magnificent St Michael's Institution secondary school. 6 Han Chin Pet Soo (Ipoh World), 3 Jalan Bijih Timah. Appointment only, closed M. A painstakingly restored Hakka Miners' Club that documents the activities of tin miners far away from home with cash to spend. Opium smoking, gambling and prostitution were some favourite vices and are shown in all their glory throu

Do

Sports

Cricket: Royal Ipoh Club (at Padang Ipoh). Founded in 1895, this is the club's football and cricket ground. (updated Sep 2023) 1 Caving at Gua Tempurung. Gua Tempurung is the largest limestone cave in Peninsular Malaysia. Located close to the North South Highway's Gopeng Exit, it provides the opportunity to explore in detail the insides of a limestone cave. You can choose to experience a short tour of the cave or adventure into the far end of the cave by walking off the walkways and in the cave river. The wet adventures have you wading in the cold underground water, squeezing through holes and sliding over smooth rocks, but require at least 8 people to start. RM6-22. (updated Jul 2015) White Water Rafting, Kampar River. Get wet and wild with nature on the Kampar River, a 12-km ride down big rapids, taking 1½ to 2 hours depending on how high the water level is. The rapids have some of the easiest grades for beginners and are a good choice for family bonding. Transport from a set location (usually Gua Tempurung) to the river is usually provided by the guides and participants also get a briefing on safety, paddling and rafting techniques. Radak Adventure and Nomad Adventure are two such companies in the area. RM100-200.

Hiking 2 Bukit Kledang, Menglembu. Trek up one of the many trails up the Menglembu-Kledang Hills (these are the hills you can see to the west of Ipoh with the radio-TV masts on the top) to enjoy the awe-inspiring view of the limestone outcrops that surround Ipoh. If unsure of how to get to these trails, just ask the many locals who trek up daily in the early mornings and late evenings. If you have a GPS, hikes can either start from 101° 1.813'E/4° 34.577'N or at 101° 1.638'E/ 4° 34.312'N where the paved road to the summit begins. Most trails are open and hot (take a hat and water) but much of Trail 4.9 is through shady forest. There are interesting plants and some wildlife (long-tailed macaques, pig-tailed macaques, leaf monkeys, and siamang) to be seen if you are lucky. 3 Ulu Geroh. Be an ecotourist and experience the rainforest here. This is an Orang Asli kampung about one hour's drive into the hills east of Gopeng. The last half of the ride is along a rough road (4x4 preferred) through rubber, durian and oil palm plantations to the village on the edge of the rainforest. Guides from the Orang Asli community take visitors to see the parasitic Rafflesia flower (the largest flower in the world) and the Raja Brooke's Birdwing butterfly as well as other forest bugs, plants, etc. There's also a small but beautiful waterfall. You

Buy

Ipoh is inexpensive by Malaysian standards. Most tourists will better appreciate the offerings of KL or Bangkok but Ipoh offers some interesting specialties, which predictably revolve around food.

Local specialities Pastries like Ipoh fragrant biscuits (香饼 or heong pang), traditional flaky biscuits containing a sticky sweet malt paste, are always popular. Handmade examples are rare though the factory-made ones are longer lasting and handily packed for souvenirs. Malaysia's best pomelos (柚), a citrus fruit with massive rind and mild taste, are reputedly from Tambun, about 10 km north of the city centre. Pottery is also produced for export. If pots are your bag, try Jalan Kuala Kangsar. Coffee beans specially roasted with palm-oil margarine, better known as white coffee, originated from Ipoh. The packet versions are not particularly special and are sold throughout the country anyway.

Ipoh Fragrant Biscuits aka Heong Pang (香饼) 1 Seng Kee Food Trading, 177 Lorong Gunung Rapat 3, ☏ +60 5 3120972. Still making heong pang in the traditional manner in the backyard of their house, and worth a look just to see the masters at work. The biscuits are broiled to a crisp in giant clay jars over a carefully managed coconut husk fire, then cooled and packed into pink translucent bags tied off with a rubber band. They usually last a week before going soft. There's another cottage factory called 189 Heong Peah the next road over on Lorong Gunung Rapat 5 too. RM7 for a packet of ten. (updated Sep 2015) 2 Yee Hup, 151 Jln Sultan Iskandar, ☏ +60 5 2423200. The family-operated business started at home in the 1980s, before becoming a corporate company pumping out biscuits by the truckload from industrial sized electric ovens. The convenient branch in town usually has varieties not found elsewhere. RM9 for a packet of ten. (updated Sep 2015)

Egg Tarts 3 Hong Kee Confectionery (鸿记饼家), 14, Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar, ☏ +60 17-592 8303. 7AM-2PM, closed on Fridays. Family business famous for their Cantonese-style egg tarts. Come early as possible to avoid disappointments. RM1.6/piece. (updated Jun 2017)

Pomelos 4 Chin Pomelo Farm (Gerai Limau Tambun Chin), 158258A Jln Ampang, ☏ +60 5 3120972. There are two types of pomelo to try, sweet (pale cream flesh) or sour (pink flesh). They vary on ripeness, depending on whether they're meant to be eaten fresh or for prayers. Starfruits and guavas are also grown on the farm. Closer to town, a bunch of pomelo stalls open in front of Sam Poh Tong. About RM15 a pomelo. (updated Sep 2015)

Traditional markets

5 Memory Lane (Pasar Karat)

Eat

When tin mining died out, food sustained Ipoh and made the city bustle once more. Like everywhere in Malaysia, the local food is dirt cheap and sublime. Loads of people come from all over just to fill their bellies, creating a headache of congestion during weekends. Quite a few locals already avoid the most famous stalls, whether due to dropping standards or the unrelenting crowds. Some specialities to look out for include: chicken and beansprouts (芽菜雞), Ipoh kai see hor fun (怡保鸡丝河粉) and salt-baked chicken (盐锔鸡). Due to its Cantonese-majority population, Ipoh is also a very good place to have dim sum.

Budget Early-rising Ipoh loves breakfast and brunch, and has scrumptious treats and coffee to match. Egg tarts are a popular Western-styled dim sum dish that made it off the cart and one can get white coffee (also see #Drink) or soybean milk to wash it down.

1 Sin Meng Kee Products, Jalan Datuk Onn Jafar 34 (corner with Jalan Foo Choo Choon) (in front of the Central Market (UTC Perak)). 6:30AM-5PM. Excellent Chinese vegetarian restaurant, there for more than 50 years. Very large options of food, mostly rice with toppings. Amazing mock meat and mushrooms. Self service. You will be charged after you finish putting food on your plate by someone checking what you got. Large range of drinks and take away also possible. RM7.5 for rice with two toppings (Dec 2017). (updated Mar 2023) 2 Choy Kee Bakery (才記餅家), Kampung Simee & 218 Lebuh 3, Kampung Simee. 5AM onwards. A little out of the way for most tourists, retaining their authenticity. They sell Chinese breakfast pastries like prawn fritters, pork buns. They are best known for their flaky custard egg tarts. Operates from a stall in the market from 5AM-11AM, after which, they operate from their bakery at Lebuh 3. (updated Mar 2023)

Rice noodles The rice noodles (sar hor fun or kueytiao) found in Ipoh kai see hor fun and other dishes are particularly light and silky smooth, said to benefit from their preparation in mineral-rich spring water that flows through the limestone hills. Add clear chicken and prawn soup with chicken shreds, prawns and spring onions, and kai see hor fun can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Chu cheong fun is similarly springy and delicious. Popular noodle dishes like yong tau foo and hor hee are also worth a try.

3 Dai Shu Geok (Big Tree Foot), 652 Jln King, Pasir Pinji, ☏ +60 12-524 5408. 8:30AM-5:30PM. Sells a variety of noodles accompanied by a large selection of yong tau foo, vegetables stuffed with fish paste. Soup base is also variable, from the normal clear chicken soup

Drink & nightlife

Ipoh has a small and still growing night scene. Bandar Baru Medan (behind the Kinta City Shopping Centre) has been the usual haunt for supper for the last decade or so, albeit with a large turnover of pubs and bars. The newer nightlife area is around New Town and Greentown, and also the revitalised Lorong Panglima in Old Town, a narrow alley once notoriously known as Concubine Lane, where rich businessmen used to house their mistresses back when the tin mines were booming.

White coffee Ipoh white coffee was invented here: to reduce the bitterness of coffee roasted in the European style without adding sugar (as during the roasting of Kopi-O), beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine. The result is a mild tasting kiddies' version of what Westerners would call real coffee. A few genuine Chinese coffee shops that sell Ipoh white coffee are located opposite the Kinta Heights flats in the old town.

1 Nam Heong Coffee Shop, 2 Jln Bandar Timah. 6AM-6PM. This Chinese coffee shop is the home of the famous "Ipoh White Coffee" and has links to the big OldTown coffee chain too. The egg tarts are fresh out of the oven, all sweet and flaky. Also serves fried rice noodles and other local eats. Meals from RM3. (updated Sep 2015) 2 Sin Yoon Loong Coffee Shop, 1 Jalan Bandar Timah. Located across the street from Nam Heong Coffee Shop, they are rivals in the "White Coffee" business. A favoured breakfast location among locals, they also serve good kaya cakes, which are sponge cakes with coconut jam. Meals from RM3. 3 OldTown White Coffee, 3 Jalan Tun Sambathan (on the Padang, opposite the Tourist Information Office), ☏ +60 5 2435833. 9AM-12:30AM. Chain of coffee shops selling Ipoh's very own white coffee in comfortable surroundings. The first outlet actually began in Ipoh Garden South. Reasonably priced but uninspiring snacks. A rarity in Ipoh but standard in all branches is free Wi-Fi. Coffee RM3.50.

Bars and pubs For those more inclined to clubbing, Sensation of Sound on Jalan Yang Kalsom and House Music Club on Jalan Sultan Idris Shah are open for business, although a little quiet and empty on weekday nights.

4 Bricks and Barrels, 28-30 Jln Lau Ek Ching, ☏ +60 5 2555181. 4PM-1AM. A self-fashioned gastrobar, the place is a good place for families to dine during evenings in the quieter restaurant section before the nightbirds come in to chill around the open alfresco area. They serve pizzas, roast pork and ribs and German bratwursts among others (non-halal obviously), and the bar does draft beer, shots and cocktails. 5 Miners' Arms Bistro, 8-10 Jln Dato Maharaja

Sleep

Hotels in Ipoh tend to be tidily kept yet long faded establishments, but the new energy in the city has sprung up a lot more choices. Bigger hotels will be found in Ipoh New Town, Greentown and also near the theme park in Tambun, while boutique hotels have set up shop in Old Town or big colonial bungalows. There is a cluster of budget hotels around Jalan Ali Pitchay in the new town area just off Jalan Sultan Iskandar.

Budget

1 Abby By The River, 55-57 Jln Sultan Iskandar, ☏ +60 5 2414500. Right next to the bridge on the Kinta River and can be spotted by its brightly coloured facade. A little bare, but rooms are fairly new and serviceable. Free Wi-Fi. Dorms from RM30, rooms from RM90. 2 D Eastern Hotel, 118 Jln Sultan Idris Shah, ☏ +60 5 2543936. Refurbished rooms are basic albeit spacious. Traffic can get pretty noisy from the main road since the soundproofing isn't great. Includes parking space. Rooms from RM100. 3 Grand Park Hotel, 19 Jln Bendahara (opposite Sri Maju bus station), ☏ +60 5 2411333. A centrally located, nostalgic Chinese family mansion. Original Chinese decor is reflected in the connecting upstairs patio, the foyer and the large upstairs double rooms to the front of the building. Converted to a hotel in the 1950s, it also had a restaurant in the 60s and 70s. Rooms from RM50. 4 Hotel Ipoh City, 18 Jln Dass (off Jln Horley). Furniture is old but rooms and bathrooms are clean. Breakfast can be had in the hotel's Chinese restaurant. Rooms from RM90. 5 YMCA Ipoh, 211 Jln Raja Musa Aziz (beside D.R. Park), ☏ +60 5 2540809. Has two dormitories, one with ten beds and another with five, as well as smaller private rooms. Air-con not guaranteed. There's a small cafeteria with not many choices nearby, since it's a little out of the way from town. Dorms from RM20, rooms from RM50. 6 CheckedInn, 24 & 26 Medan Stesen 19/6, Station 18. (From Medan Kidd bus T35a / b RM1.40 to Tesco, walk 2min. to the hotel.), ☏ + 60 5 321 84 69. The neighborhood is not interesting. Here are many eateries and some nice bars. Laundry: Pusat Dobi 24 hr. Medan Stesen 18/2 300 m. away. From RM49 single A/C free WI-FI. (updated Nov 2017) 7 City Hostel Ipoh, 1A - 41C, Medan Perhentian, Medan Kidd, ☏ +60 3-5037 8296. Semi-private, tiny, but clean single rooms (thin walls that don't reach the ceiling) offer much more privacy than dorms. Powerful air conditioning, several shared showers/toilets (kept quite clean) and a large kitchen/common area on each floor. The hostel is usually not too crowded, mostly Malaysian guests (some staying long term), but some foreign backpack

Go next

Cameron Highlands is Peninsular Malaysia's most famous highland destination, known for its vegetable, strawberry and tea farms as well as its cool weather and beautiful scenery. There is a toll-free road to Cameron Highland close to the Simpang Pulai Exit off the North South Expressway. The journey up is just about an hour long. Taiping is about 1 hour north on the North South Expressway. Some of the most scenic views of mountain ranges and rain forests can be captured on the stretch of highway between Ipoh and Taiping. Taiping town is one of the oldest and most historic in the country. Bukit Merah, a family eco-tourist destination by a lake. Home to the largest water theme park in Northern Peninsular Malaysia and the only Orang Utan Island in the country. Penang is a 2-hour bus ride or drive away. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site with some good beaches and great Malaysian food. The buses are notoriously late, so consider a train for roughly RM10 more. Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital is just a two-hour drive by car, 2 to 2.5 hours by ETS train, or at least a three-hour journey by bus. Pangkor is a 2-hour drive and ferry ride away. It is a quiet fishing village island with many beautiful beaches. This not very well-known island is significantly quieter than other more popular islands in Malaysia but still provides a wide selection of accommodation for backpackers and budget travellers as well five-star hotels and world-class resorts for those with money. Belum Temenggor Forest Reserve is the largest rainforest in the Malay Peninsula, 3 hours' drive along federal road 4 leading to Kelantan. Hat Yai, the southernmost city in Thailand, is roughly five hours away with a combination of train to Padang Besar and a 50-baht bus or train ride. Singapore, the island city state, is an hour away by plane, somewhat longer by bus or train but with convenient overnight timings.