Ipoh Day Trip 怡保一日游

IPOH DAY TRIP 怡保一日游

Lei Hou!  It means how are you in Cantonese. Why am I speaking Cantonese here? Today, I'm going to talk about my beloved hometown, Ipoh. You might wonder why I'm discussing my hometown after all these years of blogging. Well, even though I moved to KL 6 years ago, I still have a deep fondness for the charming town of Ipoh. It holds many memories for me, my friends, and my family. Whenever my friends from other states visit Ipoh, they always ask me where to eat, what to do, and where to go in Ipoh. So, I decided to explore Ipoh for half a day and share the itinerary here, so you'll have some ideas for your next visit to Ipoh. Let's embark on a journey from KL to Ipoh! Enjoy reading!


Please note that I won't appear in the photos because I want you all to focus on the places and activities rather than me. Lol. So when I mentioned Ipoh, what was the first thing that came to your mind? When I first came to KL, most of my KL friends, especially the guys, told me that Ipoh has many leng lui (pretty girls) and delicious food. Hahaha. Well, I'm not going to claim that I'm a pretty girl, but I'm still proud to say I'm an Ipohian, and indeed, we have many delicious foods here!

First up, if you're wondering what mode of transportation you should take, bus or train? Well, I would suggest taking the ETS (Electric Train Service) instead of the bus. Why, you ask? Simply because the ETS takes only a little over 2 hours to reach Ipoh, and it can bypass the heavy traffic jams, especially on public holidays. All you need to do is go to KL Sentral Station for departure. Yes, usually I drive back to Ipoh, but this time I intentionally didn't drive because I wanted you all to experience it with me. Lol.
Just in case you're not sure how to get to KL Sentral, here's the attached map for you to have a look at.

This is the ticket counter where you can purchase your train ticket.

Since I purchased my train ticket online through www.busonlineticket.com, there's no need to buy it at the station. It's important to note that after buying the ticket online, simply print it out, and it serves as your official ticket. There's no need to exchange it at the ticket counter.

If you're lost, no worries. You can always refer to this directory.

There are two gates on the second floor : Gate A and B. If Ipoh is your final destination, you should head to Gate A.

Gate A is located right next to KFC. So, if you're unsure of its location, just look for KFC. You can also grab a meal there while waiting for the train to arrive.

Ta-da! Here's the ETS, which stands for "Electric Train Service".

The train's interior.

Each coach is equipped with a small LCD screen, and their restrooms are reminiscent of those found on aeroplanes.

After approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, we arrived at our destination - Ipoh! Here's the entrance to Ipoh Railway Station.

Be sure to check the "exit" signboard in case you're unsure where the exit is.

This is the ticket counter at Ipoh Railway Station. You can purchase train tickets to other destinations here as well.

This is one of the entrances for boarding the ETS. There are two entrances, so make sure not to enter the wrong one.

This is the exterior ambience of Ipoh Railway Station.

From the main entrance, simply walk for about 1 minute to your right, and you'll find a cluster of taxis. We took a taxi to Nam Heong, and the fare was RM15 for the ride.

Nam Heong
For your information, Nam Heong is renowned as a local icon, particularly among traditional and old-style coffee shops. It has become a signature of Ipoh, known for its famous old-town white coffee. Some people say that if you haven't tried their coffee, you haven't truly experienced Ipoh.

I used to buy this Chinese pancake (大块面) as a takeaway snack after school in the old days. I don't know what it's called in English, but in Malay, it's known as Apam Balik. The inside of the pancake is usually filled with sweet corn and peanuts.

I ordered a cham ice (coffee mixed with tea), which is also one of their signature drinks in the shop.

And this is the hot and popular white coffee that my friend ordered.

I ordered a hakka mee along with some fish balls, tofu, and more for lunch. The total cost was about RM4.90.

My friend had the fish ball kuey teow soup.

Details
Kedai Makanan Nam Heong
Address : 2, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Business Hours : Daily (7:30am - 10:30pm)
Tel : +6012 - 588 8766


After lunch, we strolled around the area to discover and capture some of the local street art. While there was plenty to explore, we only managed to photograph a few of these art pieces.


This particular shop featured forest-themed decor, among its many different themes.

When I saw the "Selalu Lock" area, I couldn't help but laugh. I never knew that Ipoh had a lock section like the one in Paris.

They also have a bazaar here. I'm not sure if it's a daily occurrence or only on weekdays because we visited on a Thursday.



Finally, we reached the famous Concubine Lane (二奶巷). This lane used to be messy and dirty due to a fire that occurred a long time ago. However, guess what? Concubine Lane is a 120-year-old lane in Old Town Ipoh! I knew they had already renovated it, but this was my first time stepping in after many years. I was surprised by all the changes. It has now become a favourite tourist destination. Continue reading to find out more.

This shop is quite unique and offers tourists a chance to purchase cute products as souvenirs or gifts for friends and family.


Ipoh keychains are a perfect and typical souvenir choice.


They also sell flower-style cotton candy. I didn't try it, but it must be delicious. (Look at the little girl's expression)

Details
Eesha Handmade
Address : No. 12, Lorong panglima, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Business Hours : +6012 - 519 9152
Tel : Tue - Sun (11:00am - 5:00pm)


Right next to Eesha Handmade was the Meiko Gallery.

Notice the signboard? It looks very retro and old. That's because this shop displays all the objects we used to see and use when we were kids.


It was definitely an interesting retro shop and gallery at Concubine Lane.

Since the building was ancient, they needed to maintain it well. They requested a fee of RM1 for taking photos. My friend and I were thinking of taking photos upstairs, so we paid RM1 each.






My grandma used to use a sewing machine like this when I was a kid. I also like the sound of this old typewriter when it's typing, like tik tak, tik tak.

Details
Meiko Gallery
Address : No. 14, Lorong Panglima, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Business Hours : Daily (9:00am - 5:00pm)
Tel : 016 - 414 4399


You can stop by here to try their red bean ice.

It's worth paying a visit here, especially for tourists. Well, even though I'm an Ipohian, I feel like I'm experiencing something new here. Lol

Details
Concubine Lane
Address : Panglima Lane, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.


We then headed to Big John's Music Shack to relax. It's located opposite Snow Beer (元华雪花啤).

Big Johns offered Western cuisine during our visit. In the evenings, they host live bands and serve alcoholic beverages. They stay open until midnight.



I was excited to try the Rose Cone ice cream as I had seen it in many YouTube videos. I didn't know I could find it in Ipoh! It was priced at RM2.50 for 1 layer, RM3 for 2 layers, and RM5 for 3 layers.

Ta-da! Here it is! Unfortunately, the hot weather caused the ice cream to melt quickly.

Rose bud tea is priced at only RM5. Quite affordable considering we can't find this price in KL.

Details
Big Johns Music Shack
Address : 24 Lorong Panglima (Concubine Lane), 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Business Hours : Tue - Sun (5:00pm - 1.00am)
Tel : +605 - 241 1617


Oh, by the way, besides beautiful girls and delicious food, Ipoh is also famous for its dim sum. I know many of you would usually go to Foh San Dim Sum, but there's always a long queue there. So, my colleague and I decided to try Ming Court Dim Sum instead.

The dim sum at Ming Court was decent. However, they have a limited selection compared to some other dim sum places. The restaurant was quite crowded as it's quite small.

Details
Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum
Address : 32. 34. 36, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Business Hours : Daily (5:00am - 12.00pm)
Tel : 05 - 255 7134


Although there are many more places and cuisines to explore in Ipoh, I can only list a few here. I don't often return to Ipoh, and when I do, it's usually for just a day or two. I'll share more about the places, foods, and activities you should try, and please share your suggestions as well if you have any.


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54 comments

  1. I'm amazed by the first part of blog, of showing people the route to KL sentral, train (before, during and after) and station..Actually there're many more places to be discovered in Ipoh, come again :D and (y) for your blog

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    1. Thanks for the compliment. I will definitely back again and blog more about it. =)

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  2. Can I know what App/Software you used to make the first picture (aka cover) in this blog? Thanks~

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    1. I'm using Photoshop CS6. =)

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    2. Oic~ I thought u were using Apps... I'm not good in Photoshop, haha XD

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  3. the concubine lane looks so beautiful and i would love to explore the town too! i havent been to ipoh before :P

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    1. The concubine lane got many years of history and yes, you should visit Ipoh someday =)

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  4. Hahahaha Ipoh has got 'Pretty girls' no comment. There is so much to do in Ipoh and the food looks cheap for RM5 and eat as much as you can wow.
    I love the wall paintings that are more similar to Penang..
    Its sad that i never got to visit Ipoh during my stay in Malaysia

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    1. Hahaha. This I what been told when I came to KL. You should visit Ipoh someday. =)

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  5. OMG u're my lifesaver! Didn't know u're from ipoh but yes, ipoh girls very very pretty!! They have seriously good skin complexion! Am gonna save this post down gonna be super useful when I travel to ipoh this year with my family hehe

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    1. You're much welcome dear! Yes, this is what my friends told me. They said their skin complexion is better because of the water here. Have fun when you're in Ipoh. =D

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  6. gosh! ipoh so cool now. even have concubine lane...nice exploration dear!

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    1. The Concubine lane is here since many years ago. Thank you =D

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  7. Dont even know Ipoh got so many nice place to hang around until i read your blog. And there's rose icecream!!! <3.<3

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    1. Ipoh still many places to explore but I only able to cover a few. The rose ice-cream is not looks nice as in other countries but it's better than nothing right? =D

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  8. Good selection of places despite the tight schedule. Ipoh is a city to be discovered, so do come again.

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    1. Hahaha. We just randomly choose some places to discover. I'm going back to my hometown this week again. =)

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  9. I heard ipoh from my best friend and when I saw your picture definitely want go there

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  10. I like many things in Ipoh. The food, the scenery! Superb!

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  11. I went to Ipoh during Christmas.
    Visited exactly the same places!
    Will definitely visit again.

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  12. Take ETS to ipoh is convenient. But prolly not that convenient to go around Ipoh unless u have friends and relative there to take your around. hehe

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    1. Yes it's true. Ipoh don't have LRT here and if you don't have transport and friends here you might need to take public transport only.

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  13. woohoo! thanks for saving me. am going to ipoh, and this post saves me from spending time and effort from research!! thanks dear.

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    1. You're most welcome. Hope you will have a lot of fun here. =)

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  14. Wow.. Luckily read your post on today, because im going ipoh on tomorrow. XD
    Thanks for all the info.

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  15. such a nice places. never knew ipoh have so much of great places

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    1. Thanks sweetie. Ipoh still have many historical places that I haven't discover yet. =)

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  16. How pretty and quirky, I did not even know such places existed in Ipoh... now that I know I might just make it a point to see Ipoh more...

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    1. Hope you will have a lot of fun when travelling to Ipoh dear. =D

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  17. Its been some times since I visit Ipoh, all your photos make me miss ipoh now! The ETS definitely a great choice to travel to Ipoh for a day trip =D

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    Replies
    1. Really? Then you should visit Ipoh again dear and Ipoh changed a lot already! XD

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  18. Visited Ipoh last two years. How time flies. Look like it's time to revisit this interesting place. :)

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    1. How was your last Ipoh trip sweetie? Yes, Ipoh welcome you. =D

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  19. There are so many interesting things to find in Ipoh, especially cafes. There are just so many cafes there, it's growing like mushrooms. I hope to visit them all (if I can lah) when I visit Ipoh one of these days..

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    1. Yup, indeed. There are many cafes which I still haven't visit yet. You can dear! XD

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  20. Ming Court is my favourite dim sum too. Ipoh truly a food heaven.

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    1. Hahaha. That's why I'm fat when I'm in Ipoh. XD

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  21. Wow its quite a fruitful day in Ipoh. Perhaps I should try to take a train there instead of driving, along the way I can see the scenery.

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    1. Yup, this is my very first time to take the ETS. Normally I just drive my own.

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  22. The ETS service seems efficient and convenient, will consider this when I travel up to Ipoh next time :)

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    1. Yup, and the duration is exactly 2 hours only. =D

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  23. waa Ipoh have interesting place to visit! Want to visit soon with family

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  24. you got me there.
    i really didnt know ipoh has so many pretty spots to visit and fine at.. always felt it is a rather quiet town.

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    1. It's indeed a quiet town compare to KL City. But also a relaxing town. =)

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  25. I thought of coffee when I think of Ipoh. Wow, all the place and food look so nice. Really want to explore there too one day.

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    1. Yup, the popular Old Town White Coffee! HAHAHA.

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  26. you are from iPoh no wonder so leng lui, as they say nearly all ipoh girls are pretty. love that place especially the food.

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    1. Hahaha. Yup, I'm a truly Ipoh girl. Have no idea why they're describe ipoh girl like this. Ipoh is another food paradise. =)

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  27. Hi...do you know any tour co. that can arrange for a day tour around ipoh?

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