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Sam Poh Tong
First discovered by a monk in 1890, this cavern, 5km south of Ipoh, is now a riot of religious statuary and pagoda tiles. The entrance pavilion is grand…
Ipoh
Colonial architecture stands side by side with rickety kedai kopi (coffee shops) in chameleonic Ipoh. The capital of Perak is flanked by towering white cliffs, some with magnificent cave temples pocketed in the limestone. Sliced into old and new towns by the Kinta River, Ipoh charms with its street art and street food – rather like a languid version of George Town.
Ipoh is more than a gateway to the Cameron Highlands or a way station en route to Penang. Shaped by the 1920s tin-mining boom, Ipoh's wealth and population ebbed away after the mines' closure. But an old-town renaissance has revived its time-worn buildings into boutiques, hotels and gorgeously kitsch cafes.
Food is reason enough to visit. Malaysian and Singaporean gastronomes arrive in droves for Ipoh's tauge ayam (chicken bean sprouts) and to argue over who serves the best kopi putih – white coffee, the town's signature drink.
Explore Ipoh
- SSam Poh Tong
First discovered by a monk in 1890, this cavern, 5km south of Ipoh, is now a riot of religious statuary and pagoda tiles. The entrance pavilion is grand…
- KKek Look Tong
With a craggy cave mouth beneath a towering cliff, Kek Look Tong (1920) has the most impressive approach of all Ipoh's temples. Three Sages dominate the…
- PPerak Tong
Developed in 1926 by Chinese Buddhists Chong Sen Yee and his wife, this temple (7km north of Ipoh) is popular for its mesmerising murals and panoramic…
- BBirch Memorial Clock Tower
The clock tower, with a 1.95m-diameter bell, was erected in 1909 in memory of James WW Birch, Perak’s first British Resident. Birch was murdered in 1875…
- TTrain Station
It's no wonder that locals compare it to the Taj Mahal: Ipoh's train station is a harmonious Moorish and Victorian architectural masterpiece, framed by…
- HHan Chin Pet Soo
This charming small museum charts the history of Han Chin Villa, a 1929 clubhouse for Hakka tin miners that became a hotbed of prostitution, opium trading…
- MMuzium Darul Ridzuan
North of the padang (field), this museum is housed in a 1926 villa built for a wealthy Chinese tin miner. The museum features displays on the history of…
- CCourthouse
Ipoh’s courthouse was completed in 1928 by AB Hubback, the same architect who designed Ipoh’s train station and the town hall.
- TTown Hall
Ipoh’s gleaming white town hall dates back to 1916 and is a popular spot for wedding-photo shoots. Visitors are often allowed to wander inside; the upper…
Latest Stories from Ipoh
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Ipoh.
See
Sam Poh Tong
First discovered by a monk in 1890, this cavern, 5km south of Ipoh, is now a riot of religious statuary and pagoda tiles. The entrance pavilion is grand…
See
Kek Look Tong
With a craggy cave mouth beneath a towering cliff, Kek Look Tong (1920) has the most impressive approach of all Ipoh's temples. Three Sages dominate the…
See
Perak Tong
Developed in 1926 by Chinese Buddhists Chong Sen Yee and his wife, this temple (7km north of Ipoh) is popular for its mesmerising murals and panoramic…
See
Birch Memorial Clock Tower
The clock tower, with a 1.95m-diameter bell, was erected in 1909 in memory of James WW Birch, Perak’s first British Resident. Birch was murdered in 1875…
See
Train Station
It's no wonder that locals compare it to the Taj Mahal: Ipoh's train station is a harmonious Moorish and Victorian architectural masterpiece, framed by…
See
Han Chin Pet Soo
This charming small museum charts the history of Han Chin Villa, a 1929 clubhouse for Hakka tin miners that became a hotbed of prostitution, opium trading…
See
Muzium Darul Ridzuan
North of the padang (field), this museum is housed in a 1926 villa built for a wealthy Chinese tin miner. The museum features displays on the history of…
See
Courthouse
Ipoh’s courthouse was completed in 1928 by AB Hubback, the same architect who designed Ipoh’s train station and the town hall.
See
Town Hall
Ipoh’s gleaming white town hall dates back to 1916 and is a popular spot for wedding-photo shoots. Visitors are often allowed to wander inside; the upper…
Guidebooks
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