Discover Ipoh, Perak

B. Melayu

Discover Ipoh, Perak, is a travel guide to help you get to know the capital and biggest city in Perak. Ipoh (Chinese: 怡保, Pinyin: Yíbǎo; GPS: 4.60085, 101.07769) is a medium-size city in Malaysia. It is located between Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Since being accorded city status, the Ipoh City Council or Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh, includes smaller towns such as Chemor, Jelapang, Falim, Menglembu and Tanjung Rambutan. Historically however, Ipoh referred to the Old Town and New Town, two areas divided by the Kinta River at its heart, from which the city grew.

Where to stay when in Ipoh

When asked to suggest where to stay, I suggest only the hotel that I have stayed before, so as to avoid recommending based on hearsay. In Ipoh, that would be The Haven Resort Ipoh.

Map of Ipoh

Hotels in Ipoh

Where to eat in Ipoh

See a comprehensive list of where to eat under Places to eat in Ipoh.

Things to buy in Ipoh

If you are visiting Ipoh, here's a more comprehensive list of things to buy and where to buy them in Ipoh.

What to see in Ipoh

List of 42 Streets in Ipoh

Neighbourhoods and Townships of Ipoh

Street Art in Ipoh

Categories of sights in Ipoh

Places near Ipoh

Petrol Stations in Ipoh

Excursions from Ipoh

If you plan to make a short trip to Ipoh, do read day trips from Ipoh.

History of Ipoh

The name Ipoh is said to have come from a tree, the Antiaris toxicaria, which is more commonly known as pokok ipoh (also written ipuh, epu). This plant produces a poisonous sap that is used by the Orang Asli for their blowdarts. The name first appeared in a British map as Epau in 1876.¹ Ipoh is also known as San Seng in Chinese, which means "hill city" in the Cantonese. This probably refers to the many limestone outcrops around the city. An old nickname for Ipoh is City of Millionaires, referring to the vast fortunes made during the days of the tin and rubber industry.

Being in the rich tin-bearing Kinta Valley, Ipoh was a boom town in the 1920s and 30s. When the price of tin collapsed in the 1950s, it resulted in the closure of many Ipoh tin mines, stagnating the growth of the town, and propelled its population to seek employment in other parts of Malaysia. Ipoh has a reputation of being one of the cleanest cities. It is also well known for its clear water supply, which allows it to be a choice producer of vegetables, especially bean sprouts.

Ipoh, like many major towns in Malaysia, has its share of heritage buildings. Unfortunately, a good number of them are today in a run-down state. Some, like the Pasar Bulat, is no longer standing, although it continues to appear on guidebooks. It is my desire to regularly update the information provided to you, so that it remains current and useful.

Ipoh Cuisine

Ipoh is famous among the people of Malaysia for its food. Ipoh people claim that their water supply, which is relatively hard (high alkali content) owing to Ipoh's location on top of a large karstic formation, makes the food especially tasty.

Ipoh is particularly famous for its "Sar Hor Fun", a flat white rice noodle. Folks from other towns often stop over in Ipoh to enjoy the dim sum if they arrive in the morning, and the nga choi kai, a dish of chicken and beansprouts, if they come in the evening. Ipoh's Hakka Mee and yong tau fee are also popular.

Dewan Bandaran Ipoh (18 September, 2005)


The interior of Nan Thien Tong, one of the cave temples in Ipoh (19 August 2006)


Ipoh Railway Station (18 September, 2005)

Getting there

Most visitors reach Ipoh by car or bus. Exit the North-South Expressway (E1) at the Jelapang Interchange (Exit 141), if you're coming from Penang. If you're coming from Kuala Lumpur, exit the expressway at the Ipoh Selatan Interchange (Exit 139).

References

List of Towns in Perak and State Capitals of Malaysia

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My Malaysia Travel Tips has useful information on every state in Malaysia (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu) and every major city and destination (Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Langkawi, Cameron Highlands, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Alor Setar, Seremban, Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya, Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Taiping) and hundreds of smaller towns.

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