Ipoh is the capital of the Malaysian state of Perak. Located on the banks of the Kinta River, it lies between Kuala Lumpur in the south and Penang George Town in the north. Ipoh is a must visit place of the West coast of Malaysia, where you can enjoy the natural beauty of age-old Limestone hills and Cave temples. Once the under British rule, authorities in Ipoh have undertaken an effort to restore the old colonial buildings to attract the tourists.
How many days in Ipoh?
To experience the true essence of Ipoh, to get acquainted to the art and culture of Ipoh, and to enjoy the varied culinary treats, you will need at-least one full day.
We visited Ipoh for a few hours only, during our transit from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. So, we tried to cover only the major attractions.
Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh:
Tired from our hectic schedule of exploring the Kuala Lumpur city for the last 3 days, we woke up late. The date was October 10, 2024, and it was the Day 5 of our trip of Malaysia. The day’s plan was to travel to Penang George Town by road, and visit a few places of interest in Ipoh on the way.
After a quick bath and breakfast, we hopped into the minivan of Mr. Chan, who was patiently waiting for us in the parking lot.
We started from the Vortex Suite & Residence (where we rented an apartment for the last 3 nights) around 10 AM, and it took us around 2.5 hours to reach Kellie’s Castle, in the outskirts of the Ipoh town.
Kellie’s Castle:
The Kellie’s Castle stands on the banks of a small creek. The unfinished two-storied mansion belonged to a Scottish planter named William Kellie-Smith. From the parking lot, we crossed a small bridge over the creek to approach the castle.
As we roamed around the empty corridors and rooms, we seemed to have travelled back to the bygone era. The walls and pillars of the building had their bricks lying bare, and the plaster worn off. One of the balconies is named “Ghostly Cloister Balcony”, as the spirits seem to guard the place at night.
We thought of exploring the underground cellar, but the stairs were narrow and dark, and we had an uncanny feeling. So we came back after a few steps downwards.
We then climbed the stairs to the open terrace, where we were amazed by the verdant greenery of the surrounding countryside.
Then we went towards the backside of the castle. Here we found the remnants of the house where Mr. Kelly and his family used to reside. The dilapidated structure now has only the surrounding walls, but without any ceiling. Only a few artefacts, like the original Italian marbles remain as a testimony of the wealthy lifestyle of the planter.
Ticket: RM 10 for adults, RM 8 for children (foreigners) and RM 2 for parking.
Tasik Cermin – Mirror Lake:
After spending around half an hour at the Kellie’s Castle and after another 30 minutes of travel, we reached the Mirror Lake.
Mirror Lake (or Tasik Cermin in Malay) is a relatively new travel destination and a hidden gem in Ipoh. As we stopped at the parking lot of the Mirror Lake 1, we were captivated by the rugged limestone hills and the greenery all around.
The lake is situated on the other side of a crystalline limestone cliff. From the parking lot and the ticket counter, we had to cross a tunnel called “Miner’s Cave” to step on a wooden platform cum pier. And in front of us was an absolute wow – the magical Mirror Lake, bordered by tall green rock faces.
The pristine environ was a welcome change our city-hopping in the last few days. We found an empty bench, and spent some time in solitude.
There is also a boating facility here, which will take you around the lake for a 20 minutes ride.
It was 2 PM by then, and we were hungry. We found a restaurant “Kin Loong Valley” near the Ticket Counter, where we had a quick lunch.
Ticket: Entry ticket – RM 12 for adults (foreigners) and free for children below 90 cm height. For boating, it is RM 30 for adults and RM 22 for children (foreigners).
Also on the way, we found the Mirror Lake 2, which we did not venture due to lack of time.
Sam Poh Tong Temple:
After lunch, we started for the cave temples of Sam Poh Tong, Nam Thean Tong and Ling Sen Tong, all located on the same lane, adjacent to each other. But to our surprise we found that the entry gate of Sam Poh Tong already closed for the day. Later we found from Google that the temple remains open from 8 AM till 2 PM everyday.
Nam Thean Tong Temple:
Next door to Sam Poh Tong is the Nam Thean Tong. This Chinese Taoist temple is nestled inside a limestone cave, and is famous for the varied and stunning stalactite formations.
The temple is spread over two levels – the lower one has a prayer hall with idols of various deities. The upper one, which is accessible by a flight of dark stairs, is more interesting with numerous wall paintings, exquisite murals, minutely carved statues and the naturally formed limestone art. The cave was also illuminated by lights of different colours, and that gave rise to a mystic feeling.
Ling Sen Tong Temple:
Next to the Nam Thean Tong is the Ling Sen Tong, another Taoist temple. Spread across a large complex, it has more art work in the exterior portion, compared to the inner portion of the temple.
Elegantly carved statues of deities, animals and characters from Chinese mythology are adorned in different parts of the temple compound. There are also graceful works of art on the walls of the temple that readily caught our eyes. We also came across a beautiful golden statue of sleeping Buddha perched at a higher level.
We had plans to visit the nearby Kek Lok Tong Cave Temple. But due to the recent floods, the inner part of the cave was inundated, and the authorities had restricted the entry of visitors for an indefinite period of time.
Ipoh Old city:
The Ipoh old town area was around 10 minutes drive from the Ling Sen Tong Temple. This part of the city is famous for the old colonial buildings that date back to the British era.
We got down from our car near the vibrant Concubine Lane, which has a lively ambience and a charming architecture all around. We leisurely walked down the narrow lane, with nicely decorated gift shops and restaurants on both sides.
After reaching the other end of the Concubine Lane, we moved towards another popular alley – the Market Lane. In sharp contrast to the Concubine Lane, Market Lane was much quieter; with a few wandering tourists appreciating the fascinating wall art.
We had plans to explore other places of interest nearby, like Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ho Yan Hor Museum, Kinta Riverwalk etc. But suddenly it started raining heavily and we had to come back to our car.
Perak Cave Temple:
It was still raining when we reached the Perak Cave Temple, our last stop in Ipoh. Luckily the temple complex was completely indoors, and we quickly escaped inside the cave. What we saw inside was an absolute beauty, and I would say, the best part of our Ipoh trip.
As we walked inside the cave, we were welcomed by a giant golden statue of Lord Buddha. Around him were several other exquisitely carved statues of Chinese deities of different sizes. We were enthralled by the intricate paintings adorning the walls of the enormous cave.
Behind the main alter, we found steps leading us to other corners of the cave, which revealed more interesting murals depicting the Chinese mythology and Buddhist scriptures.
All these specimens of art speak volumes about the unique craftsmanship of the artists.
Some useful information and tips:
How to reach Ipoh:
Ipoh has its own Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, but the number of flights is very limited. So, it is advisable to travel to Ipoh from either Penang or Kuala Lumpur.
You can avail the KTM Intercity trains that run from Penang Butterworth station or Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral station) to reach Ipoh. The tickets are available at the respective stations and also from the Official site: https://online.ktmb.com.my/Trip.
You can also travel by bus from either Penang or Kuala Lumpur. The tickets can be purchased directly at the bus station or online from aggregators like RedBus, EasyBook, 12Go, CheckMyBus etc.
Private Taxi service to Ipoh:
We had explored Ipoh while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. For this entire journey, we availed the service of Mr. AD Chan (+60 105 099 313), which had cost us RM 700.
A soft-spoken gentleman, Mr. Chan drives a Perodua Alza minivan. He speaks nice English, and I would definitely recommend him if you are looking for a cab service for exploring Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands etc.
Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit the entire West coast of Peninsular Malaysia is between November and March. During these months, the weather remains dry and sunny, making it ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. It also coincides with popular festivals like Chinese New Year and Thaipusam.
The shoulder season is from April to June. The monsoons lash the area between July and October, which you should avoid.
We explored the West Coast of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang and Malacca) from October 6 to October 16, when the monsoon was receding. So, we experienced mostly sunny weather, with occasional afternoon showers.
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