A WEEKEND IN IPOH

B Y S A M A N T H A V A N D E P O L L

I N T R O

Ipoh is a small colonial town located just a few hours from the Capital Kuala Lumpur. Fast growing in popularity, it's being hailed the new Georgetown Penang thanks to its hip bar scene and interactive street art. With its slower pace it's the perfect getaway for a weekend out of the city. Although not as large as it’s neighbour Georgetown, Ipoh has a unique yet rustic charm to it. The older parts boast pretty colourful streets full of Chinese lanterns and eccentric shops selling all manner of odd thing.

Ipoh is fairly small in scale so I would argue you wouldn’t need more than two days here, in fact you could easily cover everything in a day trip. It's limited in things to do unless you visit the neighbouring tea plantations in the Cameron Highlands however that is not to say you shouldn’t visit. You come to Ipoh for it's slower pace and vibrant old world charm.

W H A T T O D O

Spend the day wondering the old town, discover all the unique nooks and crannies that hold so much history.

Follow the street art. A trail is mapped out on plaques dotted around the old town. A little like a treasure hunt you can easily spend a couple of hours getting lost among it. All the artwork like in Penang is interactive - meaning you can touch, hold and sit on it. Perfect for those photo opportunities.

Stop for a refreshing glass of lemongrass tea and along with a spot of lunch at Above Gastrobar on Jalan Panglima - the views across to the historic station are fabulous! Then have a mooch below at their underground bookshop, it’s hidden in an old bank vault with all its original features intact.

Walk down concubine lane, a great spot for some shopping with all its pretty lanterns and stop for some rainbow cheese toast - I know it sounds a bit tacky but it makes for a great photo.

If you’re looking for a great coffee spot then go to Happy Eight. It’s a gorgeous old colonial style house that has an abundance of bamboo growing up it. They serve specialist coffee and unique drinks like rosemary lemonade and fresh avocado juice! If that fails you then get a beer like I did. I'm as common as they come.

There’s a lot of stray cats around Ipoh. Many are very friendly so if you’re an animal person like me then carry some treats around with you and give them a fuss. It’s always nice getting to know the locals.

W H A T E L S E

There’s a huge popularity in Malaysia for speakeasy’s AKA hidden bars, and there’s no shortage of these in Ipoh. The best one to visit has to be Tiga! Located centrally on Market Lane behind an old garage. You have to find the entrance around the back - then once you get in you’ll be submerged into the most gorgeous space. Designed in an old industrial fashion with polished concrete and brass fittings it's an interior lovers dream. If you’re a gin person like me I recommend the fresh tonic cocktail. Beautiful.

They have a night market in the new part, Jalan Raja Musa, every night. It’s not massively authentic but if you like a bit of tat and a good mooch around the stalls then it’s worth checking out. I brought some dodgy perfume that actually turned out to be pretty good - don’t judge I know it’s bad. You’ll also find several very good Chinese restaurants to dine at around the market.

On a more unusual note Ipoh has a large amount of arcades with wacky amusements. They are absolutely everywhere! It’s a bit strange but actually a lot of fun after a couple of drinks, also seems like a great way to lose all you money. Trying to win an overpriced stuffed toy is definitely my kind of gambling.

W H E R E T O E A T

There are plenty of restaurants in Ipoh but if you’re looking for fine dining then Ipoh isn’t quite there yet. There are some great street side eateries to visit though. We ate at Kafe Yoon Wah over a couple of nights. Although the menus are overwhelmingly large the food was good and fairly priced - they also specialise in frosty beer which is a unique experience to say the least.

As I mentioned earlier another good food spot for some authentic Chinese dining is Restoran Tauge Ayam on Jalan Raja Musa. Maybe not ideal if you’re vegetarian as it is predominantly a chicken based menu but I had the bean sprouts and curried noodles which were actually super tasty! We also had a couple of lunches at Hungry Utan which i highly recommend if you're looking for a cheap and tasty eat.

A dinner with a couple of alcoholic drinks for two people costs roughly around 7-10 GBP, lunch’s were cheaper around 4-5 GBP. More expensive then a lot of SE Asia but this is representative of the area.

W H E R E T O S T A Y

We stayed at the M boutique hotel just on the outskirts, it’s roughly a ten minute walk to town but the pathways aren’t great so I’d recommend using GRAB to get into town. It’s only 80p for a one way fare which is very reasonable. The interior of this hotel is gorgeous. They have a unique style that really works and flows throughout the place. The rooms are on the smaller side but function well for a short stay. It worked out at 27GBP per night for two adults sharing with breakfast which I would say was well worth the money. The staff were great too. If I had to pick faults my only complaint would be the breakfast was very limited and that it was maybe just a tad out the way but overall I’d stay again.

MU hotel located nearer the new town has a much better location, although the interior is a bit more basic - it has a fabulous rooftop bar and comes in at the same price. I think this may work out as the better option of the two.

G E T T I N G T H E R E

You can book the coach or train online from Kuala Lumpur. There are several trains a day for just 10GBP per person - it’s only a two hour journey and the trains in Malaysia are really efficient. The same is said if you’re travelling down from Butterworth.

C O N C L U S I O N

I think Ipoh is well worth the visit. It's still relatively untouched and much less touristy than other parts of the West Coast of Malaysia. It’s still in its infancy of popularity which I think in 5-10 years time will be very different. You can see the changes where new independent businesses are starting to open up and how that will push the development of the town.

Ipoh is still a little way off from having the same amount to offer as Georgetown in Penang. In all honesty I could see some visitors possibly being slightly disappointed in its comparison but try a day trip here and see what you think. I personally loved it for its small town charm and will definitely be back to see how it evolves in the future.

Until next time.