Is Ipoh worth visiting?
We spent 2 full days in Ipoh, the capital of Perak state. It was enough to make it our favorite stop on this trip through Malaysia.
I knew I would like this town the instant the bus started its descent into the valley that surrounds Ipoh. We could see the city in the distance, but what stood out was the countryside – green and lush and dotted with huge limestone outcrops.
Accommodation: We stayed at the Sarang Paloh Heritage Stay which is a good place if you want to be in the old town. But, if you can, stay at the the Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat. A Very special place.
Downtown Ipoh
There’s a charm to Ipoh. The downtown core is small and easily walkable. On one side you’ll find the Railway station, High Court and Town Hall, all large colonial-era buildings built during the time Ipoh was one of Malaysia’s richest cities (tin mining made it rich). The area has wide sidewalks and tree-lined streets. Walking a bit west, is the “real” downtown. There you’ll find a few blocks of Chinese shophouses, mansions, and a few quaint alleys full of shops, cafés and restaurants. And if you like street art, they have that too.
You can see all of the highlights of the downtown core easily in a day’s outing. One recommendation: take the tour to see Han Chi Pet Soo. It was a clubhouse for rich Chinese mine owners, a place where they drank, smoked opium, and do what guys do when they’re drunk and high. The tour is free (but a 10 Ringgit donation is appreciated). It’s one of the most fascinating tours we’ve taken and once you’re done you’ll be familiar with the history of the mine owners in Ipoh. Pre-book the tour here (again, it’s free. Pre-booking is just for scheduling purposes). You should also visit Concubine Lane, a touristy (but pretty) lane of boutique shops, cafés and restaurants. It’s one of 4 lanes where the rich mine owners housed their mistresses (ie. concubines). It was also infamous for its opium, prostitution and gambling dens.
Want to see a beautiful mosque and more street art?
A few blocks from downtown, over the Kinta river, is the Panglima Kinta Mosque. Right there is a small alley full of street art.
There was a tranquil, peaceful air to Ipoh’s downtown. It feels like a provincial town. We enjoyed it.
Accommodation. The Sarang Paloh Heritage Stay is recommended for a stay in the Old Town. Alternatively, very close to town but in the beautiful nature surrounding Ipoh, stay at the Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat for a luxury spa experience (it’s where we want to go the next time in Ipoh).
Cave Temples
But the highlight for me is the nature surrounding the city. The limestone outcrops dotting the landscape remind me of parts of Southern Thailand. In the background are green mountains ranges. The scenery is spectacular.
Within the limestone outcrops are many Buddhist Cave Temples. When I had heard of them I imagined having to climb into a cave to see a bunch of statues (like some of the cave temples in Northern Thailand). The cave temples in Ipoh are nothing like that. They have large staircases leading to huge caves with cemented floors. Within those caves are ornate statues, fountains and paintings.
We visited 2 cave temples: the Perak Cave Temple and the Kek Lok Tong Cave Temple. A few photos:
We only had time to visit 2 cave temples. But there are supposed to be over 30 in the Ipoh area!
More to See
There’s a lot more to see and do in the region. We only had 2 days so the above is just a sample. As I say, the geography was a highlight. But we also met some really nice people: a Chinese Malaysian who helped us call a Grab taxi when my phone was running low, an Indian driver who had worked as an engineer and had travelled to Canada (he had a lot of tales to tell), an older Malay man on a bike who warned us about taking care of our camera when exploring street art in the alley behind the Panglima Kinta Mosque (he told us that drugs are a problem and there’s been thefts). He followed us around, keeping an eye to make sure we were ok. Foreign tourists are still a novelty here and we found the people very friendly and welcoming.
Below: The Banjaran Hotsprings (we’re going to stay here the next time in Ipoh!)
Some more more attractions in Ipoh and Perak State.
Georgetown (Penang) is impressive but we didn’t love it while Melacca has lots of colonial character and is very photogenic. But for us Ipoh – with it’s natural beauty and friendly people – was our favorite place on this trip through peninsular Malaysia.
Have you been to Ipoh? What’s your favorite place in Malaysia?
Related: 12 Surprising Places to See (that you may never have heard of)
Related: Why Prachuap Khiri Khan is our new favorite town in Thailand
Related: A detailed guide to Malaysia
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Looks very nice. Rarely hear about this place.
Really liked the vibe and the people.
Never heard of Ipoh. Love those cave temples though. Very impressive. I was in Malaysia a few years ago but the only place I visited was Penang before going to Sumatra. Thinking of going back and seeing more of Malaysia .Ipoh would interest me. I also hear that they’ve got some easy expat visas in Malaysia.
I actually saw some pretty slick brochures (maybe at the tourist office? I can’t remember) promoting Ipoh as an expat destination. Also heard from the Indian taxi driver I mentioned that foreigners are moving to Ipoh. So I’m guessing it’s up and coming…but I have no numbers. Found this browsing the internet: http://www.expatgo.com/my/2016/08/11/reasons-ipoh-great-place-to-live. As a place to live I would easily choose it over Georgetown. Ipoh struck us as a very liveable place although maybe too quiet?
Yes, we liked Ipoh too. It was our favourite place on that trip, we went across the north, through Cameron Highlands (hated that!) and along the east coast. My two favourites in Malaysia are KL and Kuching. Two very different cities, we like them in different ways.
Thank you for your feedback Alyson. I’m curious about the Cameron Highlands – why did you hate it? I haven’t been but I’ve heard good things about the beauty..
Cameron Highlands has an enticing name and enormous PR. However unless one has never left Peoria, it is a big DUD. And all the more so during Ramadan.
Big big snooze.
I’ve never been to the Cameron Highlands but have heard the same said by other people. Despite it always being on “places to see in Malaysia” since forever.
Thank you, we’ll make sure never to go 🙂
Cave temples are common in SEA. While some are better than others then tend to look the same after you have visited a couple of them. The most unique cave experience I had was in Trang which isn’t far from Malaysia.
You’re right, but the ones I’ve seen in Thailand are basically caves with stuff in them. These were built up, with concrete floors, fountains, etc…pretty impressive.