Getting There

It's about a 600km drive up to Ipoh, the capital of Perak state.
While this journey can be achieved in around 6-7 hours (before rest stops) for those unfamiliar with longer drives, it might be a good idea to stop further up at Malacca or at roughly the half-way point in Kuala Lumpur itself. It will give you more time to enjoy the drive itself and feel refreshed throughout the journey. So, budget for a couple of extra days in your visit to make the Ipoh experience more of a laid-back holiday than a package-tour style rush.

The direct route to Ipoh is simplicity itself: from the Tuas checkpoint you stick on the North/South Expressway (E2), heading for KL but turn off before the Malaysian capital at signs for Nilai. Following road markings towards Shah Alam, you are now on the E6 that skirts around KL. You will soon see signs for Ipoh and at the next toll you simply peel of to the left back on the Expressway (now E1) heading directly north to your destination.

What is Ipoh?

This historic town, that breathes a strong Chinese culture, is the capital of Perak, the latter being the second largest of the Malaysia's 13 states. In Chinese, it is also known as San Seng, which means "hill city" in Cantonese.

It found its fortunes as a thriving industrial centre in the 1890s with the discovery of the world's richest deposits of tin in the surrounding area. At the time it was one of the true 'jewels' in the British Empire. It was also famous during this time for its wealth of rubber plantations and hence earned the nickname "City of Millionaires" as these were the golden years for business entrepreneurs to make their fortunes.

The richest area for tin mining around Ipoh before the turn of the 20th century was in the Kinta River valley and the town thrived on through the 1920s and 1930s, until the collapse of tin prices and the closure of mines at the end of the 1950s saw its once buoyant economy take a nose-dive. Many left to seek their fortunes in other parts of Malaysia, as well as Singapore and Ipoh has, somewhat unkindly, been labelled as a 'dead' city since then. This is not really a fair description; Ipoh is certainly a quiet town by Singaporean standards, but it is steeped with both fascinating history, with vibrant new areas of family entertainment developing around it and making its economy once more swing into gear with a new influx of tourism.

The Perak state is now better known for its abundance of Pomelo farms and there are plenty of roadside stalls selling this large, sweet, fruit.

Around 70 per cent of the population of Ipoh are Chinese, with Cantonese widely spoken there. In this respect, Ipoh is something of a cultural anomaly compared with most other Malaysian towns.
Geographically, the town is surrounded by a host of marvellous limestone caves that tower around it. Several of these are open to the public and are fast becoming a big tourist attraction. These impressive limestone hills (that appear mountainous in proportion) extend both 20km to north and south of Ipoh.

The town is divided by the Kinta River and this division has led to what is known as the "New Town" and the "Old Town". Ipoh's colonial railway station - dubbed by some as the Taj Mahal of Ipoh - is considerably more run down, but still stands as a reminder of the days of affluence and western influence in Ipoh. The historic "Majestic" hotel resides on the third floor of the station, although this appears to have lost some of its former glory. A night market springs up from the station's compounds on most evenings.

With its historic backdrop and unspoiled natural beauty, Ipoh is fast becoming a popular location choice for both Hollywood and Bollywood film makers. Parts of Anna and the King, starring Chow Yun-Fat and Jodie Foster were filmed at a local golf course as well as the grounds of the unfinished Kellie's Castle (see "What to See and Do"). Today, Ipoh is particularly famous for being the home town of internationally-renowned actress, Michelle Yeoh.

Food

With Ipoh's Chinese influence, many of the dishes are of Cantonese origin, although of course, like anywhere in Malaysia, great Malay cuisine is to be found with Chinese and Indian food in the town centre and surrounding area.

Ipoh town centre is not the bustling place it was in its tin ore days, but there is still plenty of good hawker fair to tuck into at very low prices.

The most famous home-grown dish in Ipoh is Bean Sprouts Chicken. It is also recommended that you try the Sar Hor Fun, Hong Kong Chee Keong Fun and the local take of Char Kuey Teow. As examples, there are hawker centres to be experienced at Jalan Clarke, opposite the Excelsior Hotel, Jalan Leech and Jalan Dato' Tahwil Azhar.

Click Here to Read More about Ipoh.