Petewong.net > Contents > Historic Ipoh
Savour famous local delicacies at the place of origin. Visit pre-historic limestone caves. Take a trip down memory lane. All this and more without breaking the bank.
Ipoh is the state capital of Perak located about two hours north of Kuala Lumpur, by road or rail. The city has its charms as a historic city with several colonial buildings, pre-war houses and restaurants housed in old-style coffee shops. During the British colonial era, it was a vibrant township fueled by the booming mining industry that created wealth for a lot of Chinese families. Today, most of the residents in Ipoh are retirees who enjoy the quiet life with good food, fresh air and clean water. Ipoh is also renowned as a food paradise famous for its kuey teow (rice noodles in soup), chee cheong fun (steamed rice roll) and nga choy gai (beansprout chicken), among others.
And recently, there is a new attraction which gives you an even better excuse to head up north to rejuvenate mind, body and soul -- The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, which is built around a natural hotspring and with limestone hills forming the backdrop.
3 THINGS TO DO
1. Explore the limestone caves -- the famous ones being Sam Poh Tong, Kek Lok Tong and Perak Tong. The caves are managed by the temple caretakers and it is cool, quiet and peaceful inside. You have to be physically fit to tackle the steep climb especially at Perak Tong which has over 300 steps leading up to the mouth of the cave.
2. See the historical buildings -- the Ipoh Railway station, the Ipoh Town Hall and the Birch Memorial Clock Tower are some of the old buildings built during the British colonial era.
3. Go for a spa retreat -- rejuvenate mind, body and soul at The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, located in Tambun, a rustic village settlement about 20 minutes outside Ipoh and surrounded by million-year-old limestone hills. In Tambun, you can still see rustic old shophouses and locals getting about on bicycles. Tucked away in the limestone forest, there used to be a trail leading to a few ponds and a hot spring lake where locals fish or dip in the mineral-enriched hot water which has recuperative powers. The dilapidated site was acquired in 1996 and developed into what is today a worldclass wellness retreat called The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat. Even if you are not spending the night at one of the upscale villas there, you should book a spa session and enjoy the natural hot spring lake. The Banjaran is the only wellness retreat of its kind in Malaysia which taps natural hot spring water for its recuperative properties. The retreat is an advocate for energy conservation, waste management and recycling. If you have kids in tow, just can make a detour to the Lost World of Tambun theme park just nearby. The Chinese seafood restaurant at the entrance of the theme park serves up some great dishes. The seafood comes fresh from the water tanks.
FOOD EXCURSIONS
No trip to Ipoh is complete without savouring the culinary delights that Ipoh is famous for. Take a taxi to Ipoh Old Town, along Jalan Bandar Timah to try the Ipoh kuey teow, local coffee, curry noodles and satay. Most of the shops are open only for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, head towards Ipoh New Town instead for the bean sprout chicken rice.
3 MUST-EAT FOOD
1. Ipoh beansprout chicken (Cantonese: nga choi gai) -- Lou Wong and Onn Kee restaurants located along Jalan Raja Muda Aziz are easy to spot. But their quality have dropped somewhat as they receive an increasing number of tourists. The Cowan Street restaurant along Jalan Raja Ekram would be a better choice. Do note that these restaurants only open for dinner.
2. Ipoh sar hor fun (flat rice noodles) -- Fortunately, you can find this dish at the same place where you have your beansprout chicken. Again Cowan Street restaurant is the recommended choice. Hongkong TV stars, famous chefs and food writers drop by this place once in awhile so don't be surprised if you are seated next to a celebrity.
3. Ipoh dimsum -- In Ipoh, when you mention dimsum, locals would immediately point you to Foh San restaurant along Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar (near Excelsior Hotel). The place is always crowded and retirees like to gather there for breakfast after their morning walks. Some of the popular snacks include char siew bao (meat buns), lor mai kai (glutinous chicken rice) and tan tat (egg tart).
3 THINGS TO TAKE-AWAY
1. Ipoh salt-baked chicken (Cant: yim gook kai) -- This delicacy is prepared using whole-chicken stuffed with salt and Chinese herbs. The chicken is then wrapped with paper and salt-baked resulting in a uniquely-flavoured meat that is tender and juicy. The jury is still out on who sells the best salt-baked chicken in town but you can't go wrong with the ones sold at Aun Kheng Lim restaurant (Theatre Street; tel: 05-254 2998).
2. Gunung Rapat heong bang -- Your friends will not forgive you for leaving Ipoh without some delicacies for them. Some of the local delights like the Gunung Rapat fragrant biscuits (heong bang) and chicken biscuits (kai chai bang) can only be found in Ipoh. While you're at it, grab a few packets of the famous Ipoh white coffee from the coffee shops along Jalan Bandar Timah - the names to look out for are Nam Heong, Sin Yoon Loong and Sun Yuan Foong.
3. Tambun pomelos (Cant: look yao) -- Pomelos are the largest among citrus fruits and rich in vitamin C and minerals. You can find pomelos at most places in Ipoh and along the roadside stalls at Jalan Gopeng near the Sam Poh Tong temple. Some say the soil on which the pomelo trees grow is enriched by minerals from the limestone hills around Tambun which explains why the pomelos here are the sweetest and reputedly the best in the world.
WHERE TO STAY
Syuen Hotel (www.syuenhotel.com.my) is one of the better-furnished business-class hotel with room rates starting from RM300. For a budget alternative, you can check out Ipoh City Hotel (tel: +605 241 8282) which is located downtown. However, if you are in Ipoh for a romantic getaway with your loved one and some spa pamperings, the best choice would be The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat (www.thebanjaran.com).
WHEN TO GO
Ipoh is accessible all-year round but if you are planning for some outdoor excursions, you may want to avoid the rainy months which is generally between April-May and October-November periods.
GETTING THERE
There is a direct 1.5-hour Firefly (www.fireflyz.com.my) flight from Singapore to Ipoh. There is also a seven-hour Grassland bus (www.grassland.com.sg) service. From KL, you can take the new electronic train service (ETS) that takes you to Ipoh in two hours from KL Sentral, the city's train terminal. With a good GPS, you can also self-drive to Ipoh. If you're heading to The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Tambun, it's about 15 minutes on the outskirts of Ipoh town. If you take the train, you can ask for The Banjaran's limousine pick-up.
