Ipoh has always been one of the top choice for Malaysians who are looking for a weekend trip. We decided to make our trip to Ipoh last year April, to taste their famous chicken rice and visit their unique cave temples.
Day 1: Reaching Ipoh for supper
We departed on a Friday evening and it was a 2 hours drive from Petaling Jaya. It was a fairly easy drive with the help of Waze app, only that we encountered with a heavy rain on the highway. Nevertheless, large IPOH roadsigns are easily spotted as well.
We stayed in a boutique hotel called Ipoh Bali Hotel, located in a quiet residential area. It is situated relatively near to the main town area, about 5-10minutes drive to main town area. However, when we arrived it was already dark. Ipoh Bali Hotel stood out with its lighting in a quiet night. It was just the right accommodation we needed for our getaway from our busy working life.
After checking in and dropping out luggage, we headed to Restoran Tuck Kee in the town area to have our supper. We ordered their signature 月光河 (“Moonlight Kuey Teow”, direct translation) and some dumplings. Everything taste good when you are hungry. Tuck Kee’s 月光河 kuey teow was fatter than the usual ones, huge portion as well.
Day 2: Visiting Cave Temples and Chicken Rice
On the second day, “Breakfast on Bed” was prepared by accommodation, and choose by us on the previous night. It was a pleasant experience, waking up to warm sunlight and breakfast prepared. Highly recommend to try their mihun for those who are planning to stay in Ipoh Bali Hotel.
After breakfast, we head over to town. First, we tried Funny Mountain’s Tau Foo Fah (豆花). Highly recommend as it is extremely smooth, eat on the spot while it is still warm. Additionally, we came early so there was no queue.
Funny Mountain is very easy to spot. It is on the main street corner shop. There is plenty of parking right in front of the shop as well.
Because there were so many temple caves in Ipoh, we decided to visit those which are more well known.
The first temple we visited is Kek Lok Tong (极乐洞). Many parts of the Kek Lok Tong still remain how a cave looks like. The Buddhist Temple utilise the pocket of caves to section off different areas for different gods. It is extremely huge and have 2 big openings on the front and back.
Following on, we went to Sam Poh Tong (三宝洞) which is not far from Kek Lok Tong. The biggest highlight in Sam Poh Tong is its courtyard. It has a small pond rearing some tortoise, lighten by only the light from above, as its surrounded by limestone. Also, we also checked out the front garden and you could easily spend an hour here exploring.
Next, we went to Mirror Lake (Tasik Cermin in Malay). This place is absolutely beautiful and what a shame for many visitors who have choose to skip this place. Definitely a hidden gem in Ipoh. To get to this place, you would need to walk through the forest and wide dry field for a bit. But definitely worth it, just look at the pictures!
Finally, we came back to the town and visit some local famous street. Some of these streets are covered with impressive mural. You can find the map here.
Other than that, we too, visited the Concubine Lane (二奶巷). There are many vendors selling drinks and souvenirs. Very similar to Jonker Street in Melaka, but in a smaller scale.
I told Melanie she’s not a concubine so we took a photo at 大奶巷 instead. Also because it was too crowded at Concubine lane.
After some rest and shower, we came back out for dinner at Sun Lou Wong Ipoh Chicken Rice. Sun Lou Wong white chicken tasted amazing, full of flavour and definitely a great guilty pleasure for those who love slippery oily chicken. However, we recommend to come earlier as you might need to wait for a place as it is very popular.
Day 3: Saying Goodbye
The next morning after checking out, we headed to Nam Heong Kopitiam for brunch. This Kopitiam has trained some robots to deliver your orders to you. It was an eye-opening experience after hearing so many robot-serving cafes. However, the food was average, wasn’t what I expected to be authentic Ipoh cuisine.
As for our last destination, we decided to check out Mural Art’s Lane. While it is not as popular as the other murals location, this place certainly deserves a visit. Not only it is not as crowded as other places, but also you can take your time to take photos there.
Tips: On a side note, you can actually drive in. So, enjoy some cool air from your car air conditioning while getting inspired by these murals.
Here are some pictures we took.
In conclusion, Ipoh is a fun place to visit.
You can find more about our other trips here. (https://danworks.co/category/peregrinatious/).
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