Ipoh travel blog: The fullest Ipoh travel guide first-timers

Ipoh (Perak, Malaysia) is one of Malaysia’s most populous cities. This place attracts tourists with beautiful nature, multicultural, along with the ancient temples and buildings in British architecture from the 19th century… Ipoh has rivers, hot springs and a unique cuisine with white coffee specialty, only 200 km from Kuala Lumpur. Ipoh is an emerging destination of Malaysia, once listed in Lonely Planet’s top destinations in 2016. If you are planning a trip to Ipoh, don’t skip our Ipoh travel guide.

Now, let’s check it out our Ipoh travel blog (Ipoh blog) with the fullest Ipoh travel guide blog for a trip to Ipoh on a budget for the first-timers from best time to visit, what to do in Ipoh, best places to visit in Ipoh to where to stay, what to eat in Ipoh below.

Ipoh is the capital of Perak state, Malaysia, about 200 km from the north of Kuala Lumpur city and 130 km from the south of Penang. This is a familiar stop for travelers who want to explore both Penang and Kuala Lumpur by North – South highway or by train. Ipoh is surrounded by the famous Cameron Highlands in the east, so when you come here, you can also visit the vast tea hills in Cameron. The Kinta River divides Ipoh City into two, with Ipoh Old Town to the west and east to be the new city.

Ipoh is the third largest city in the country, after Kuala Lumpur and George Town. Ipoh looks peaceful and taciturn. In Ipoh Old Town there are many similarities with George Town. The streets are filled with Chinese-style old shops, frescoes are painted on old walls and there are many cafes serving Ipoh’s famous white coffee.

Ipoh blog: The best time to visit Ipoh?

The best time to visit Ipoh is from April to September every year. The temperature in this time around 29-35 degrees Celsius and there is no rain. If you visit Ipoh in June, although the weather is still hot, the price of hotels is not too expensive. Hotel room rates from $60/night.

The peak tourist season in Ipoh is from July to September, the prices of guesthouses and hotels surge during this period. From August to January is the rainy season in Ipoh, it rains a lot.

Ipoh travel blog: How to get to Ipoh?

From Kuala Lumpur

Bus: You can travel to Ipoh by coach, express bus, let’s go to TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Address: Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, Jalan Terminal Selatan, Bandar Tasek Selatan, 57100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Phone: +60 3-9051 2000) station to catch the coach, there are many operators of KL-Ipoh route such as: Mega Star Transportation (Kejora Express), Konsortium (Malaysia), Kesatuan express, Transnasional, Plusliner, Perak Transit… The coach have comfortable, spacious seats and air-conditioned. You can refer to schedule and buy ticket online here.

Ticket: RM20-40
Travel time: 3 hours

Train: Go to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (Address: Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) or Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (Address: Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kampung Attap, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and catch the ETS Train. Modern train, super clean and comfortable. Ipoh Station is located in Old Town, very convenient.

Ticket: RM25-35
Travel time: 2.5 hours

From George Town, Penang

Bus: You can catch a coach at any point in George Town, only RM3 fee to transport to the bus station, and then move to Ipoh. Some bus operators you can refer to such as: Billion Star (Penang), New Asian Travel Komtar, C.S Travel & Tours (Amudi Express), Hee Enterprise. You can see schedule and buy ticket here.

Ticket: RM29
Travel time: 2 hours

Train: You can take the ETS Train to Ipoh Old Town but first you have to go to Butterworth Railway Station. If you want to go from George Town, we recommend you take the bus, it will be much easier.

From Cameron Highlands

Bus: The only option from Cameron Highlands to Ipoh is by bus and easiest from Tanah Rata. You can buy tickets from any transport service in the city and the journey begins from Tanah Rata bus station. Some bus operators you can refer to such as: Unititi Express, Perak Transit Express. You can check the schedule and buy ticket here.

Ticket: RM20
Travel time: 90 minutes

Ipoh travel guide: Getting around Ipoh

Ipoh has no taxi, you can traveling to tourist attractions, shopping and dining by bus, tricksaw, walking or renting scooters or bicycles, …

Ipoh Malaysia travel blog: Where to stay in Ipoh?

Like George Town, Ipoh has many options for accommodation for travelers. You can choose cheap, mid-range or high-end hotels. Here are some hotels with good reviews, room rates you can refer to.

French Hotel: This is a budget hotel but modern and clean located in the heart of the new Ipoh city. Surrounding the hotel is houses and just a 10-minute walk to the Kinta River bridge leading to Ipoh Old Town on the other side. You can also spend the morning enjoying cakes and coffee at the Jose and Deli Cafe on the first floor. The room rates from $30.19/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Address: 62, Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

M Boutique Hotel: This is a mid-range hotel with unique furniture and “trending” that makes M Boutique Hotel an ideal place to stay in Ipoh. Conveniently located, just a 5-minute walk from Little India and a 10-minute walk from Ipoh Old Town. The hotel also serves white coffee on site. There is a gym, free laundry service and lots of airy space. The room rates from $24.87/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Address: 2, Hala Datuk 5, 31650 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

WEIL Hotel: A luxury hotel. If you have a good financial condition and want to stay in a luxurious place, then the 4-star Weil hotel will be a suitable choice. The hotel has a great reputation with large rooms, many restaurants, tea lounge, rooftop bar and infinity pool overlooking Ipoh old town. The hotel even has a private entrance to the nearby Ipoh Parade Shopping Area! The room rates from $65.87/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Address: 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

Regalodge Hotel Ipoh (Address: 131, Jalan Raja Ekram, 30450 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 3-star hotel, with room rates from $17.68/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Symphony Suites (Address: No 41, Lapangan Symphony Business Park, Jalan Lapangan Symphony, 31350 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia), 4-star hotel, with room rates from $31.49/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

MU Hotel Ipoh (Address: 18, Jalan Chung On Siew, Taman Jubilee, 30250 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 3-star hotel, with room rates from $38.38/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Ipoh Downtown Hotel (Address: 210, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 3-star hotel, with room rates from $33.64/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Casuarina@Meru (Address: No. 1-C, Jalan Meru Casuarina, Bandar Meru Raya, 30020 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 4-star hotel, with room rates from $38.81/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Cititel Express Ipoh (Address: 2, Jalan S.P Seenivasagam, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 3-star hotel, with room rates from $34.28/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Ritz Garden Hotel (Address: 88, Jalan Yang Kalsom, Taman Jubilee, 30250 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia), 3-star hotel, with room rates from $25.87/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

You can find, check rates, availability & booking for Ipoh hotels on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Ipoh travel guide: Best places to visit and top things to do in Ipoh

Ipoh Heritage Trail

Visit the Ipoh Heritage Trail – Ipoh Old Town full of 130-year-old historic heritage buildings of the town, since it was a small Malay village to this day. Let’s find a map that showing the most typical buildings on the heritage road about 6km long.

‘Golden Triangle’ – 3 destinations in the center

The west bank of the Kinta River is home to Ipoh’s most prominent historic buildings. Under British colonial rule, royal architecture was built throughout this land. The three destinations in the main center are the train station, the town hall, the court. These are 3 famous historical buildings that tourists cannot miss when visiting the beautiful city of Ipoh.

Ipoh Railway Station (The Taj Mahal of Ipoh) in the early 20th century is known by the name Taj Mahal thanks to the beautiful white roof arches.

Address: Stesen KTM Ipoh, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opened: 1917
Tracks: 9

Ipoh City Hall is opposite to Ipoh Railway Station. The building is designed in a luxurious classical French style. The Town Hall here is a good place to take photos.

Address: 2700, Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

Birch Memorial Clock Tower is a 5-minute walk from the City Hall, a place to commemorate the first British governor in Perak. On the monument is a clock tower and paintings showing the culture through different eras.

Address: 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Opened: 1909
Hours: Open 24 hours

Little India

Wander the streets of Little India to watching colorful shops, inhale aromatic spice bags, listen to melodious Indian songs through the loudspeaker and enjoy Indian food at one some restaurants.

Address: 12, Jalan Lahat, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia
Hours: Open 24 hours

Kong Heng Square

The old villas here have been built to become hotels, cafes and craft shops. Sekeping Kong Heng is the busiest place in the center of the Old Town. Along the hotels here are the handicraft stalls and cafes. Shop of Bits & Bobs sell ais kepa (snow cream) very famous. Nearby is Ipog Craftnerds, which sells handicrafts and jewelry, and Roquette – a gathering area filled with young people in eye-catching cafes.

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