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Ipoh is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly 200 km (120 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur and 150 km (93 mi) southeast of George Town in neighbouring Penang. As of the 2020 census, Ipoh had a population of 759,952, making it the ninth-largest city in Malaysia by population and the fourth most populous state capital, after Johor Bahru, Shah Alam and George Town.
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My Ipoh travel guide. The colonial old town, the limestone cave temples, the white-coffee-and-bean-sprout-chicken food scene, and where to stay.
Ipoh is the Malaysian food town most people pass straight through between KL and Penang. It is an old tin-mining city in a valley of limestone hills, with a walkable colonial center, cave temples in the cliffs, and food good enough to break the journey for. The old town, cave temples, and food stops work as separate clusters.
Planning brief
Ipoh is the capital of Perak state in Malaysia, a city that grew rich on tin mining and sits in a valley ringed by limestone hills. It is known above all for its food, alongside a walkable colonial old town and a set of cave temples cut into the surrounding cliffs. The central sights form a compact route, with wider regional connections beyond it.
The old town, cave temples, and food stops form separate clusters on the rail line between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Ipoh is one of Malaysia's serious food towns. Ipoh white coffee, bean sprout chicken, dim sum, and the kopitiam coffee shops are the reason to come.
Temples built into the limestone hills around the city, with shrines, caverns, and viewpoints. The standout day-trip-style sights here.
Ipoh is on the main west-coast rail line, with fast electric trains from Kuala Lumpur in a couple of hours, which makes it a simple stop.
Ipoh is on Malaysia's main west-coast rail line. Fast ETS electric trains run from Kuala Lumpur in around two to two and a half hours, and continue north toward Penang.
Ipoh has a small airport with limited routes, so most visitors arrive by train or bus. The restored colonial railway station, a white Moorish-style building locals nickname the Taj Mahal of Ipoh, is a landmark in its own right.
Stay in or near the old town, which puts the colonial streets, the cafes, and the kopitiam coffee shops on foot. The city splits into the Old Town and the New Town across the Kinta River, both central.
For a hotel in the center, M Boutique Ipoh is the lodging pin on the Ipoh list. Beyond it the atlas does not yet carry a wide hotel pin set for Ipoh, so book on the usual sites and read recent reviews for the property.
The old town is a walkable grid of British colonial shophouses and civic buildings, with the white railway station as its showpiece. Narrow Concubine Lane is the busy, touristy heritage alley at its heart, and a trail of street-art murals threads the surrounding streets.
The other half of Ipoh is the cave temples, Chinese temples built into the limestone hills around the city. Sam Poh Tong, Perak Tong, and Kek Lok Tong are the best known, each combining shrines and statuary with natural caverns, and some with gardens or viewpoints. They sit outside the center, so reach them by a short taxi or rideshare ride.
This is the reason to come. Ipoh is one of Malaysia's most respected food towns, and the signatures are Ipoh white coffee, the smooth local brew, then bean sprout chicken, poached chicken with the crisp local sprouts, and a deep dim sum and kopitiam coffee-shop culture. Eat by following the busy old-school shops.
| Spot | What it is |
|---|---|
| Kedai Makanan Nam Heong | A classic kopitiam, a name tied to Ipoh white coffee |
| Cheong Kee Beef Noodles | Beef noodles |
| Hong Kee Mah Chee | Mah chee, the soft glutinous-rice snack |
