Malaysia is More than Kuala Lumpur — Ipoh is the Underrated City You Shouldn't Skip!
- Brittany
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
If you don't know, you're about to know about Ipoh! And don't make my mistake of spending too little time there! I stayed for two nights, but definitely could've used a third. Keep reading to discover the top attractions in Ipoh and plan your trip!
I arrived in Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur. See my previous post where I spent 8 days in Kuala Lumpur and recommend what you must do and what you can skip.
I found out about Ipoh through an Instagram post highlighting a "Santorini in Malaysia". I saved it and didn't think much of it until researching Malaysia again. By the way, if you don't save IG posts, start now! You can organize posts into different folders and all. It definitely helped with my trip planning around Asia for the 9 months I was backpacking.
But anyway, Ipoh (and Penang) weren't part of my original Malaysia plan. After Kuala Lumpur, I planned to visit to Malaysia's neighbor, Singapore (likely by bus), and finally fly to Thailand to meet my cousin in Phuket by early December. I had even bought my flight ticket from Singapore to Phuket...my first long-term travel mistake — planning too far ahead.
Once I did more research into Ipoh and Penang, I knew I had to change my plans and forfeited my $100 Singapore flight in favor of a new flight from Penang to Phuket (a super short and cheap flight, thankfully).
If you'd like to skip directly to the itinerary and recommendations, click here. Otherwise, keep reading to get the full experience!
Traveling within Malaysia
You can take a bus from KL to Ipoh about two hours, booked through a site called redBus. I used redBus multiple times during my Asia tour. It left from a tiny bus depot, Hentian Duta (very unlike the TBS bus terminal my friend left from a few days earlier). The bus was 20 mins late or so, and food options at the station are decent, so I have no real complaints for such a short trip to Terminal Amanjaya in Ipoh.
A cat sleeping peacefully at Amanjaya Terminal, Ipoh
Where to Stay in Ipoh
Old Town is one of the most popular places to stay, as a first time visitor, with many shops, cafes, restaurants, street art, and attractions nearby like the state mosque, a beautiful recreational park, and a popular food street.
Old Town is about a 30-min Grab ride from the bus station. I stayed in my first hostel of my backpacking journey, an all-female dorm at De Cafe & Rest House, booked on HostelWorld for $15 per night. The room gave me the ick, at first, but it wasn't bad, honestly. The hostel was above a nice cafe, and I had the entire room to myself for the first night!
Day 1 - Concubine Lane and New Malaysian Friends
I arrived before check-in, so the hostel stored my bags, and I promptly began exploring the area. My hostel was two blocks from Old Town's main attraction, Concubine Lane! Once a hideaway for tin miners' concubines, this is now a charming, historic alleyway and vibrant tourist spot known for its old shophouses, food stalls, street art, quirky shops selling snacks / souvenirs, and cafes, offering a blend of heritage and modern culture.
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I did a tiny bit of shopping (like my new crochet shirt?) and used this as an opportunity to try a little of everything — my own walking dim sum tour, if you will. From Chinese pastries to Wagyu beef to an Instagrammable rainbow grilled cheese, I had my fill. The Waygu was amazing, the grilled cheese, not memorably tasty — think toasted white bread with powdered sugar and tasteless cheese (maybe mozzarella?). Apparently there's also a cool Harry Potter-themed cafe I missed called Platform Coffee.
By 4 PM, I headed to Perak Cave Temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple inside a cave, allotting myself about 30 mins for my visit — my second mistake. There's more to see than just the cave temple. Behind the big gold Buddha statue is a staircase that leads outside to a hike up to a scenic viewpoint!
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Since I didn't have time for this hike, I planned to return tomorrow for the full experience.
On my way out, I crossed paths with two young Malaysian women. I forget who approached whom first, but I remember taking some photos / videos for them, them returning the favor for me, and finally, us filming an IG reel together that they posted on their page! After all of this, they invited me out for dinner — we'd take their car back to Old Town. Despite "stranger danger", I obliged (and look, I'm still here)!
We explored a bit of Old Town, including a cheeky book store, Book Xcess, which they told me is a chain, where each store has a unique theme! This one was built in a former bank where you can find books within the vaults downstairs!
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But even better was relinquishing full control over the menu to my new Malaysian friends, letting them decide what we should eat at Ding Feng Restaurant. Without them, I never would've tried these snails, and I think squid or octopus....idk go to this restaurant and show them this picture if you're that curious.
Best of all, and most touching, they paid for me in the end! I was shocked by the kindness of these two women I'd just met! It was a wonderful way to end the night, and we planned to meet up again tomorrow, if possible.
Day 2 - Perak Cave Temple, Ling Sen Tong & Tasik Cermin
I ran out to Concubine Lane early for pictures and then walked into a breakfast spot where I saw many locals. This is your chance to try a peanut butter kaya toast, a popular breakfast staple of peanut butter and coconut jam, and a delicious coffee / tea mix known as "kopi cham."
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After breakfast, I made my way back to Perak Cave Temple, as promised. It took me a little over an hour to reach the viewpoint, taking into account the photo stops along the way up. The views were enchanting, and the peace of being the only one up there...priceless!
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After Perak, I had marked Sam Poh Tong Temple next. The Grab dropped me to A temple...but it wasn't THAT temple. I didn't realize it at the time, but it turns out there are a cluster of three temples on that road: Sam Poh Tong, Nam Thean Tong, and Lin Sen Tong. He dropped me at Nam Thean Tong, which was cool, but I spent most of my time at Lin Sen Tong.
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Ling Sen Tong
I'd never seen statues in color, one of many impressive features of this temple! I spent 1.5 hours Lin Sen Tong and never reached Sam Poh Tong because I had to move on to my next point of interest before it started to rain.
Tasik Cermin is a nearby geopark featuring two beautiful lakes hidden among limestone cliffs. There are actually two boating attractions: one on Tasik Cermin 1 — Mirror Lake and the other on Tasik Cermin 2 — Hidden World. I started with Tasik Cermin 2 because it was closer to the entrance. The rain started up and stopped soon after, so we quickly boarded a boat and floated through a tunnel.
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This was my first experience ever boating through a tunnel in a lake! Exiting the tunnel rewarded us with breath-taking views of the surrounding lush cliffs. Unfortunately the rain started again and our 30 RM ride was cut short (~$6.75).
I sought refuge in the covered food area, had some white coffee, and continued up the hill to Tasik Cermin 1. To enter the long cave tunnel leading to Mirror Lake, you pay 12 RM. To ride the boat is another 30 RM. I paid to enter and waited for the rain to let up to no avail. In fact, it just came down harder and non-stop; so hard that it took forever to secure a Grab ride! So keep that in mind during inclement weather. Anyway, the rain meant I would have to try again tomorrow.
That evening, I reunited with my new Malaysian friends back in Old Town, yet again, being treated to dinner and trying Malaysian dishes they ordered for us.
Gui Hwa Noodles
On the way home, I looked up a highly-rated speakeasy called Tiga. The entrance is down a dark alley — talk about hidden (and a little sketchy if I was in any other city).
It was definitely worth it! The bartender was skilled and knowledgable. We chatted over two drinks: In the Mood of Love containing chin-chow jelly aka glass jelly, and Lou's Room — an interesting mix of tomato, tequila, rock melon, pineapple, and vinegar-soaked lemon.
In The Mood of Love
Day 3 - Back to Tasik Cermin
For breakfast, I met up once more with my Malaysian friends, before they headed back to Southern Malaysia. We enjoyed a dim sum style breakfast at Chooi Yue Dim Sum.
Do I remember what I had? No. Was it good? YES!
And they paid again...I was so touched, but also a little upset because I was determined to buy them breakfast for the generosity they had shown me the past two nights!
After breakfast, I went back to Mirror Lake - luckily it was all sun! I will say the lake didn't have as nice of a reflection as I'd expected, perhaps from all the rain the day before.
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The ride was nice, as the guide provided us with insights about the area and took pictures and videos for us. But, I think I actually preferred Hidden World (Tasik Cermin 2) because the reveal at the end of the tunnel gave it an extra sense of wonder, and there were less people around (could've been because of the rain).
Aside from the boat rides, there are lots photo ops and a gift shop!
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2nd pic from my first rainy visit
And that's it for Ipoh because by 1PM, I was on the bus to my next destination...Penang!
Given my experience, here's my recommendation
for YOU!
There are several attractions I didn't get to cover due to rain and honestly, not having done much research before arriving. But, I would spend at least three nights in Ipoh, allowing for at least two full days (9am-6pm).
Where to Stay:
Old Town - I stayed at De Cafe & Rest House, but not necessary if hostels aren't your style.
Day 1:
Early morning arrival or arrive the night before
Perak Cave Temple (3 hrs) - explore the cave and climb to the top for scenic views of Ipoh
Explore Old Town including:
D R Seenivasagam Recreational Park - scenic Japanese Garden, and Kinta Riverfront Walk (2 hr)
Birch Memorial Clock (30 min)
Sultan Idria Shah II Masjid - official state mosque of Ipoh (1 hr)
Concubine Lane (1.5 hrs) - snack your way through this main food street of Old Town. Some stalls start closing at 6 PM so arrive earlier for the full experience!
Day 2:
Tasik Cermin - morning best for high sun and mirror reflection on lake (2 hrs)
Three nearby temples (start from one end to the other): (3 hrs)
Ling Sen Tong Temple
Nam Thean Tong Temple
Sam Poh Tong Temple
Little India (Old Town)
Concubine Lane (again, because there's always more food to try!)
Day 3 (if you visit during cooler season):
Banjaran Hot Springs Retreat - this looked like an amazing relaxing hot spring, but I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a hot spring when it's already hot out. :( Apparently Dec-Jan has the lowest temperatures (low 70s F, 22-23 C).
Last minute exploration and departure
By the way, you may be wondering, "What about the Santorini of Malaysia?" Turns out it's actually a hotel, Santorini Hideaway. It's near Banjaran Hot Springs, in case you're interested.
Would you add Ipoh to your list? Or have you been? Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe for more travel insights and new posts delivered right to your inbox!
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