Review & Tips: Ipoh, Malaysia

Please be aware that these posts don't provide comprehensive, guide book level information. We're not claiming a lack of bias either ;) These overviews are simply a record of our experience which we post in the hope that they may occasionally provide more up to date, specific or detailed information than you've been able to find elsewhere...

Ipoh gets a bad rap in the LP guide and to me, that's unfair and illustrates a skew of attention on the part of the author. We saw absolutely no evidence of a "prostitution problem", a comment that made the locals howl with laughter. Ipoh has more genuinely friendly, gregarious residents per square km than probably anywhere else we've visited on our travels, and it has a lot more to offer than a glance at LP might reveal...

Getting There

The beauty of traveling to Ipoh is that you can get there from just about anywhere. Only 2 (very slow) trains arriving in the middle of the night, but they travel all the way between Singapore and Hat Yai in Thailand. Buses from Singapore, Penang, KL, KB, Cameron Highlands and Malacca are frequent and extremely cheap. The airport currently runs skeleton flights to Johor Bahru and Indonesia but this may improve with AirAsia and AirAsia X expected to start domestic flights as early as next year.

Accommodation:

We only stayed in one hotel, but probably would have changed if we hadn't been sick and house-hunting! The Station Hotel is a magnificent Mughal/colonial building, overpriced at 88RM/night, opposite the town hall and state mosque (the other two great architectural landmarks). Huge rooms and daily service but nothing special, "hot water" is debatable. Way too far away from places to eat and shopping etc. Would have been much better off staying in the heart of town. Room service was convenient but the food was very average, though the included breakfast was quite reasonable with both Asian and western options. Very close to local bus station if coming from/going to Cameron Highlands. The gardens contain one of the few remaining examples of the Ipoh tree, the town's namesake, whose sap was used to create poison blowdarts by the Orang Asli.

Cheaper, more convenient options across the river in the new town (cheaper cab rides to the cave temples and walking distance to the Ipoh Parade shopping mall) were recommended to us by very sweet non-tout locals (seriously, these people were all heart) including the New Ipoh City Hotel and the Eastern, tiny but convenient rooms from 50RM.

Eating & Drinking:

Ipoh is renowned for its food. Locals, other Malaysians and international visitors alike acclaim it's famous white coffee and Cantonese and Hokkien delicacies. As vegetarians and one non-coffee drinker however, we really didn't get to feel the love. Ipoh's food just didn't reach out to us. Where we were staying (and given that we were sick) we found it extremely difficult to even sample much of it. Doug did try Ipoh's white coffee in Penang however, and became an instant addict.

The most convenient feeds we found were in Little India, in the old city (west of the river). From the river, turn left 2 blocks short of the State Mosque on Jl Sultan Iskander. You should hear the music at the sari stores long before you get there. Any of the places along here will serve you a decent banana meal or a dosai, nothing special but cheap and filling. Little India is a funky place to eat with lots of atmosphere.

It's pretty sad, but the Ipoh Parade shopping mall at the Eastern end of Jl Sultan Idris Shah was our saviour. Starbucks rescued me with passionfruit and mango tea and blueberry cheesecake when I was down with the sick. Kudos to the excellent staff at Sushi King who, as we stood feeling ick and isolated, coddled us by identifying every vegetarian option on their menu and serving it promptly (and it was just what we needed, delicious miso, vegetable tempura and potato cakes). There are a lot of Japanese residents in Ipoh and this place is packed at lunchtimes.

The old city is spoiled with gorgeous colonial bars with atmosphere +. The Station Hotel has one great example, complete with riding crops and pith helmets on the wall. Drink cheap whisky with delightful Indian friends who will adopt you, ply you with more whisky and make you feel like a superstar or, if you are very good, challenge them to a pool game. The other bars are easy to spot on a wander down Jl Sultan Idris Shah and surrounds west of the river.

Facilities:

Banks are everywhere, but there is a huge cluster just west of the river (old city) on Sultan Idris Shah. There is only ONE internet cafe that we could find on very extensive wanders, begging locals for knowledge of same. Star Surf is located near Yik Foong department store, just east of the river on a cross street between Idris Shah and Iskander. According to rumour there is also one next to the Shanghai hotel, on another cross street closer to Ipoh Parade. Convenience stores abound and the 7/11 and McDonalds with free wireless are located roughly around the Yik Foong area on another street parallel to Iskander.

Activities:

Note: We were warned by a few people not to walk on the path beside the river, or to be very careful when doing so as it is notorious for muggers and bag snatchers. Do not allow strangers to approach you in this area.

Cave Temples, at least 4 of them in 2 clusters east and north of the city. Any taxi driver will be able to take you. We were too busy house hunting to visit them but the pictures look quite beautiful. Seriously, in Ipoh you can just ask the locals and taxi drivers will be happy to take you around. I wouldn't recommend trusting a taxi driver anywhere else, but just call BK Radio Teksi on 2534188 and they will try to find you an English speaking driver. Ipoh people are very proud of their city and very helpful to foreigners.

Wander around the old city. Every street has a few buildings with heritage value and lovers of colonial architecture could stay occupied for weeks. The only other place like it in Malaysia was Penang, but in Ipoh you can avoid the tourist crowd. It's easy to spend a day in the old city without seeing a single other foreigner. The Ipoh City Tourist Map is easy to find, all the major sights are marked with red stars, but don't miss everything in between! The boys school and the area around the station are beautiful. Have a browse in Mr. And Mrs. Govin's U.S Agency store, full of antiques sourced from India's raj states. We were delighted with the old technology – working gramaphones, ancient cameras and sewing machines. Run by a very sweet old couple who will be happy to chuck on a copy of the Cindarella soundtrack for some authentic old timey sound.

Ipoh really has a lot to offer in the way of history and multiculturalism. Chinese and Indians are not minorities in this old tin mining town, a centre of resistance during the war with a tragic past. Walking and soaking it up is probably the best day you could have in Ipoh.

If that's not enough, there's a water theme park in Ipoh, the Lost World of Tambun, about which locals and foreigners had good things to say. You could also take a tour out to Kellie's castle, a monument to excess and its fruits!

Environment:

Ipoh is a smelly, traffic infested city. Sorry, but it's true. It is a relatively green city though, with lots of pocket parks and it's hard to beat for heritage atmosphere. Not pedestrian friendly at all, so be careful when crossing the road.

Impressions:

I liked Ipoh and I think I'd still be happy to live there. The people really make the place. It has an incredible melting pot community with lots of undercurrent. Unless you take the time to talk to the locals, you'll probably wonder why you bothered, but a few drinks with some Sikh lads or asking your Chinese taxi driver about his family history will reap rewards. If your entertainment requirements are high, skip Ipoh, otherwise strap on your dancing shoes and head for that Indian nightclub.