Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 432

IPOH
Eighty kilometres northwest of Tapah in
the Kinta Valley, IPOH grew rich on the tin
trade and is now the third-largest city in
Malaysia. he muddy Sungai Kinta River
cuts the centre of Ipoh neatly in two; most
of the hotels are situated east of the river,
while the old town is on the opposite side
between Jalan Sultan Idris Shah and Jalan
Sultan Iskander. Many Ipoh buildings
show the influence of colonial and
Straits-Chinese architecture, with the
Moorish-style railway station being a
particularly impressive example. Ipoh's
main attractions, however, lie outside the
city, and include Sam Poh Tong , a large and
impressive cave temple (daily 8.30am-
4pm) reachable by the Kampar bus, and
Perak Tong , one of the largest and most
striking Chinese temples in Malaysia (daily
8am-5pm). he temple, 6km north of the
city, dates back to 1926 and is home to
over forty Buddha statues and wonderful
cave paintings. Follow the steps up and
through the cave from where there are
views over Ipoh. To get here take the Kuala
Kangsar bus from the local bus terminal.

the back of a leafy courtyard with a plethora of potted
plants; there's a little garden area with seating, an annexe
with TV lounge and a hair salon for adve nturou s types in
need of a makeover. Dorm RM20 , double RM45
Father's Guest House 4 Jln Mentigi T 016 566 1111,
W fathersguesthouse.net. A friendly welcoming place that
buzzes with travellers who come here for the laidback
family atmosphere. Rooms are simple but clean, there's
all-da y tea a nd coff ee, wi-fi and board games. Dorm
RM20 , double RM90
Gerard's Place Carnation Block C9, C10 & C17, Greenhill
Resort T 012 588 5454, W fathersguesthouse.net. Under
the same management as Father's Guest House , Gerard's
offers clean, pleasant rooms in a welcoming setting where
guests socialize in the comfor table l ounge and around the
outdoor seating area. Double RM70
Hillview Inn 17 Jln Mentigi T 05 491 2915, W hillview
-inn.com. This mock Tudor building with a pleasant garden
offers spacious carpeted rooms, most with balcony. There's
wi-fi througho ut and an on-site café serving freshly baked
scones. Double RM45
Kang Travellers Lodge 9 Lorong Perdah T 05 491
5823, W kangholiday.com. This longstanding favourite has
a popular, rustic bar that makes for many a sociable night.
There are two small attic dorms at the top of a tiny stair-
case and si mple do ubles with tacky pictures as decor.
Dorm RM12 , double RM45

6

EATING AND DRINKING
At night, food stalls set up on Main Road, chiefly opposite
the post o ce; the food is mostly Malay and you're unlikely
to spend more than RM10 on a meal. Many restaurants
serve steamboat, which involves dipping raw fish, meat,
noodles and vegetables in a steaming broth until cooked.
The Jungle Bar Located behind Kang Travellers Lodge .
Travellers congregate nightly at this laidback, rustic bar
made of pine and bamboo. Guests can enjoy drinks
(RM6.50) by the crackling bonfire or over a game of pool.
Daily 7.30pm-midnight.
Kumar 26 Main Road. This great Indian place specializes
in claypot rice (RM6), tandoori (RM7) and banana-leaf
meals (RM7). The combination set is great value at just
RM9. Sri Brinchang next door offers similar grub. Daily
7am-10.30pm.
May Flower 81A Persiaran Camelli 4. This well-liked
restaurant offers a selection of steamboat dishes (including
vegetarian; RM12), noodles and fried rice (RM6). Those
feeling more adventurous can try the ostrich and deer meat
(RM12). Daily 8.30am-3pm & 5.30-10pm.
Ferm Nyonya 78 Persiaran Camellia 4. By the May
Flower , this restaurant specializes in Chinese and Nyonya
dishes; the beef rending (RM13) is among their bestsellers,
and there are also Western dishes for those wanting
familiar comfort food. Daily 11am-10pm.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus The local bus station, 200m south of the train station,
is at the junction with Jln Tun Abdul Razak. It is connected by
frequent shuttle buses to Amanjaya - the long-distance bus
hub 15km out of town, which serves all main destinations
along the west coast. Buses from the Cameron Highlands serve
both stations (check which when purchasing your ticket).
Destinations Butterworth (hourly; 3hr); Cameron
Highlands (several daily; 2hr); Georgetown (hourly; 3hr);
Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 4hr); Lumut (the departure point
for Pulau Pangkor; several daily; 1hr 30min); Singapore
(4 daily; 10-11hr).
By train The train station is on Jln Panglima Bukit, west of
the old town, next to the GPO.
Destinations Hat Yai (Thailand; daily at 1.30am; 10hr); KL
(4 daily; 3hr).

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce The tourist o ce is on Jln Bandar (Mon-Fri
8am-5pm, closed for lunch Mon-Thurs 1-2pm & Fri
12.15-2.45pm; T 05 208 3151, W mbi.gov.my).

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
The area of Little India has scores of Indian restaurants,
while Malay and Chinese food can be enjoyed at the night
hawker stalls (daily 8pm-2am) on Jln Sultan Abdul Jalil.