Ipoh (2017, April)
Ipoh offers a good time for both the relaxed and the restless as it can appeal to those looking for things to see in the city as well as those looking for things to do out in nature.
For most of my life, I saw Ipoh as a stopover point when travelling along the north-south highway in Peninsular Malaysia, but the first time I properly went for a trip, I knew I had to return.
And I did... in the same month, in fact. :)
For most of my life, I saw Ipoh as a stopover point when travelling along the north-south highway in Peninsular Malaysia, but the first time I properly went for a trip, I knew I had to return.
And I did... in the same month, in fact. :)
White water rafting!
While looking for places to stay/things to do Ipoh, I pleasantly found out that the city has been selected as the 6th best cities in Asia recently by Lonely Planet:
6. Ipoh, Malaysia
Malaysia’s lesser-known food capital has new flair thanks to a crop of boutique cafes that have sprung up in its historic quarter. At the heart of Ipoh’s renaissance is otherworldly concept hotel,... [and] art-cafes... have appeared nearby, among creaky kedai kopi (coffee shops) and elegant colonial buildings. But food pilgrims still clamour for Ipoh’s old favourites: Lou Wong’s chicken with crisp beansprouts, and tau fu fah (tofu pudding) at Funny Mountain. Wild escapes are close, like birdwatching by bicycle through Kinta Nature Park or whitewater rafting near Gopeng; and with clifftop temples and fragrant Gaharu Tea Valley nearby, Ipoh’s revival seems sure to tempt new crowds.
As mentioned above, there are plenty of things you can see, do, and taste in the city of Ipoh. Here's what I did the couple of times I went in April 2017:
Itinerary
See: Check out the map I used for the whole trip here.
Trip 1
Day 1: Poetry Reading at Rumah Khizanat
Going to Perak from Kuala Lumpur isn't too difficult because there are different modes of transport depending on how you'd like to travel (road, track, or flying), how long you want to travel for, and of course, how much you're willing to pay. Because I decided to go to Ipoh less than 2 days before the actual trip, ETS was fully sold out. I had to take interstate bus instead, which I booked online.
The event I wanted to attend in Ipoh started at 8pm, so I took the LRT to Bandar Tasik Selatan (a hub for different modes of public transport, including interstate bus) around lunchtime. After checking in and getting my boarding pass, I stayed in the waiting area in the Lower Ground floor until my bus plate number was called out.
The KL-Ipoh bus ride was supposed to have taken 3 hours, but it rained heavily so we arrived almost an hour later. I then took Uber to get to Rumah Khizanat (where the event was held and also where I stayed), which was about 15mins' drive away.
The event I attended was a poetry reading session by Baraka Blue, an American poet who was inspired by Rumi and other Sufi poets. His readings and the discussions after that inspired me to write more poetry. :)
After the event, my friends (who arrived after I did; they travelled from up north) and I went to have some munchies not too far away from our accom and found a quaint eatery with some curious interior haha. Food-wise, it was alright, although I was a bit surprised that the prices are fairly the same as food in KL.
Day 2: Poetry Workshop at Rumah Khizanat and Yasmin at Koh Heng
The next day, we had nasi lemak while waiting for a poetry workshop led by Baraka Blue to fill up. The workshop, which introduced some prompts for writing poetry, went wonderfully and I'm proud to say I managed to write 2 poems by the end of it! :)
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| Yasmin at Koh Heng |
I love Yasmin's work, and because I wasn't sure when to come to Ipoh again (and also because they only open on weekends), this was a must-visit! The museum is a lot smaller than I imagined though.
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| At the entrance of Koh Heng -- pretty! |
After lingering around Koh Heng for a bit, taking in its beautiful decor, we made our way to one of the small cafes at the square (btw -- all the cafes there are quite a sight for sore eyes - love the casual rustic chic atmosphere) :)
With full tummies, my friends drove back to their hometown while I Ubered back to Rumah Khizanat to grab my belongings, and then took a Grab to the bus station (it was cheaper than getting an Uber at the time).
When I arrived at the station, in my tiredness, I forgot to check in... and the bus left without me because they thought I wasn't there (lol I'd been waiting for 45 minutes tho)! Thankfully, I had enough cash on-hand to buy another ticket from a different bus company there. Arrived in KL a bit later than I hoped, but lesson learnt: don't assume transport services know you're there -- inform them!
Trip 2
Day 1: To dessert and beyond!
On the second trip, a couple of friends and I decided to go to Perak for some whitewater rafting in Gopeng, Perak. We met up around noon at KL Sentral and carpooled all the way to Ipoh.
I enjoy roadtrips going up north because of the beautiful Perak landscape. The hills are beautiful, nourishing for the eyes and soul. Being with friends made the drive so much better. :)
When we reached Ipoh, our first stop was Burps and Giggles, a cute hipstery and Instagram-worthy (ha) cafe at Koh Heng Square (the same area as Yasmin Ahmed museum).
My friend Y was hoping to get the Teh Tarik Gelato there, so we were lucky that we arrived about half an hour before closing time! Their food's alright, I guess I'd probably go back again for the vibe.
Koh Heng Sq. was pretty quiet by then; most of the booths had already been cleared and the remaining ones were already packing up to leave. I bought a sweet beaded bracelet for about RM10 as a souvenir.
That night, we had dinner with Rumah Khizanat's owner at New Hollywood, which is just a block away. It's basically a space where there are several food vendors serving different kinds of food -- Chinese, Malay, Mamak, Thai etc, kind of like a 'food court' albeit a small one. Everything is halal, so I was spoilt for choice!
In the end we all ordered wonton soup -- it was so good!
After dinner, we ventured into the city to hunt for last-minute things to bring for whitewater rafting the next day. I was advised by a friend who recently went rafting to get Crocs-style slippers, so we did, along with some drinks and waterproof bag, just in case.
It was a long day so we didn't stay out longer than necessary. We headed back to our accom and after a bit of chatting, we passed out. Heheh.
Day 2: White water rafting (WWR)!
We knew Day 2 was going to be pretty intense because we would be doing white water rafting (WWR) quite early, so we needed to eat beforehand.
After stuffing our faces at New Hollywood (I had an okay 'roti canai'), we drove to the Gopeng Toll exit, where the organisers of the WWR activity agreed to meet us and the others who were going (there were about 20 of us altogether).
The WWR activity was RM120/pax, inclusive of:
- Land transfers from meetup point to/from activity area
- Experienced guides for each raft
- Equipment hire (raft, paddle, lifejacket, helmet)
- Refreshments during the break (fruits, biscuits, and mineral water)
- Lunch (a nice spread of Malay food - rice, fish, chicken, veg, fruit)
- Shower/toilet entry (for the public, you have to pay to use the facilities there)
- Photos/videos taken during the activity, and their digital copies
This was our itinerary for WWR:
- 09:00am: Meet WWR organisers at Gopeng Toll exit and proceed to parking area
- 09:30am: Preparation & transfer to WWR starting point
- 10:00am: Briefing on WWR and safety procedures
- 10:30am: Water confidence, then WWR adventure! (a couple of breaks in between)
- 1:00pm: Expected arrival at WWR ending point
- 1:30pm: Lunch
- 2:00pm: Group photo and end of activity
Here's what we were asked to bring & wear (copied verbatim from their Whatsapp message, hehe):
- Wear proper attire for wet activity, strappy sandals or water shoes. NO heavy track bottoms.
- Bring a change of dry clothes, towel & toiletries, dry bag, waterproof camera, goggles or contact lens for those wearing spectacles
- Put on your best, fun & sporting attitude!!!
All in all, my friends and I had a fantastic time! The guides were very helpful and informative, and although they had me fall off the raft twice (all in good fun hahaha!), I would highly recommend them. For enquiries, do get into contact with our lead guide, Abg Mie/Amie via call/sms/whatsapp/wechat/telegram on 019-5475952/ 013-5991742/ 011-29199963 -- he's the Director of RcRe Outdoor Adventure Services.
After we had lunch and showered, we drove straight back to KL, very tired but very happy :)
Note: All pics of this WWR activity were taken by the company (using their GoPro), who kindly shared them with all of us at the end of the activity.
Getting Here/Around
Electronic Train Service (interstate rail)
Electronic Train Service (ETS) connects north-southern states in the peninsular.
ETS tickets tend to be sold out quite quickly -- so it's best to book at least 2 weeks before, or during peak/holiday seasons, months ahead! I wanted to take ETS to go to Perak but alas, I decided on the trip too last minute.
ETS has different carriages; different fares are available depending on speed of reaching destination. As they are not road traffic dependent, they are generally more reliable in terms estimated time of arrival in wherever you want to go.
Interstate bus services
Buses are generally the cheapest way to travel between states. You can buy the tickets in-person at main bus stations, or you could book them online. Remember to inform them when you're there for your bus ('check in') at the station, and they'll issue you a physical ticket or at least inform you the bus number you'll be getting on.
As buses' eta is dependent on road traffic, weather, and 'season' (e.g. holiday), it's best to allocate extra time for the journey, just in case.
Pro-tip:
- There are several bus ticketing sites you can use to book inter-state bus tickets on, e.g. CatchThatBus and EasyBook.
- I forgot the check in for the bus en route to KL, and I missed my bus because the company thought I wasn't getting on so they didn't call for me. So do inform the bus company you book your tickets from that you're there ('check in') so that they don't accidentally leave you!
Uber/Grab
Since Uber has been discontinued in Malaysia since May 2018, Grab is now the major provider of private/e-hailing cars, which are quite reliable and commonly used in Ipoh. While there are some alternative services growing in Malaysia, Grab is the most popular. You may request for a car using their mobile app.Local bus services
I never got the chance to take local buses because I was travelling by car (with friend/Uber/Grab). Hope to try this!
Personal transport
In Malaysia, especially outside of Kuala Lumpur and Penang, public transportation may not be so reliable, so driving your own car or iding a motorcycle may be the best way to get around.
In Ipoh, it's relatively easy to get Uber/Grab/taxi, but outside of this city it may be more/most practical to drive yourself to where you want to go.
Expenses
See: My post on financial stuff, which may be relevant to this section.
Accommodation
Both times I visited Perak, I stayed at Rumah Khizanat, a little hostel which has its own shared event space (which they often use for intimate gigs and art/literary events) and its own indie book store called Tinta Budi. It's a very simple accommodation concept, and it's partly owned by a friend of mine. The place is about 10-15mins drive from the city centre and just a few minutes' walk away from a popular eating/hangout spot called New Hollywood in Ipoh, so I love the location. Downside is, there are limit beds available (you'll have to book ahead), and it's not really childre-/disabled-friendly. They're RM25/night though, and if you're friendly with the hosts you can even get a free brekkie ;P
Summary of expenses (1st trip):
- Buses = RM100 (more than I budgeted, because I missed my return back)
- Event and workshop = free!
- Dinner = +RM10 (special fried rice)
- Yasmin Ahmad museum = RM10 I think?
- Lunch = +RM20 (fish n chips)
- Uber/Grab = +RM30
- Souvenir bracelet = RM5
- Accommodation 1night = RM25
Total expenses here: + RM200
Summary of expenses (2nd trip):
- Petrol for carpool = RM50
- Cafe = +RM15 (cake)
- Dinner = +RM15 (wonton mee and lime drink)
- Breakfast = +RM10 (roti canai and lime drink)
- Slippers, snacks, waterproof bags = +RM35
- Accommodation 1night = RM25
- White water rafting activity = RM120
- Swimming attire = +RM160
Total expenses here: + RM280 (exc. swimming attire)
So yeah.
I'll update this again later after I properly go through my travel journal, but for now this is all I have to share. Thanks for reading!
See: What else I've written about Malaysia.
See: What else I've written about Malaysia.
Last Updated: 2019-11-16
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