Want to know where to grab some lovely photos in Ipoh while you are here for food and sightseeing? We have some suggestions below.
Naturally, many of these places are also must-see attractions. And some of them are cafes.
Check out our list here if you want to learn more!
1. Concubine Lane (Panglima Lane)
The colorful stores and decorations around this famous lane in Ipoh Old Town make a beautiful background for any photo.
You might have to wait for your turn though as this is also the most happening spot for tourists!
Don’t forget to check out Market Lane (or Second Concubine Lane) as it has its own charm even though there aren’t as many people here.
2. Plan B & Kong Heng Square
Second on this list, is Kong Heng Square.
This is also where you can find Ipoh’s trendiest cafe, Plan B.
Plan B’s modern industrial exterior goes well together with its surroundings – the grungy brick walls with overgrown vegetation.
Besides searching for the best angle for your Instagram photos, you can have a look at the stalls set up outside of Plan B.
3. OldTown Heritage Centre (Earthcare Cafe)
This attractive building houses a gallery that’s free to enter even if you’re not a customer at the café. We highly recommend going in and checking out the building too.
The central stairwell in particular, is well lit with natural lighting and beautiful for photos.
But the rest of the building is lovely, inside and out too. And we felt very welcome here by the polite staff.
4. Street Murals
There are heaps of murals to choose from in Ipoh Old Town and Ipoh New Town.
Some are 3D but most are 2D and usually feature something related to Malaysian culture – either in the past or the present times.
Tip: Visit the Ipoh tourist information office to get a map.
Here are some popular Ipoh Street Art to get you started:
- Mural Art’s Lane: Jalan Masjid, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
- Old Town Relieves Nostalgia with Trishaw: Google Maps Location
- Kids Riding a Paper Plane: Google Maps Location
5. Book Xcess
Kong Heng Square’s latest addition is BookXcess Kong Heng.
The first Ipoh outlet for this bookstore chain officially opened on 11 April, 2019.
Tinted windows hide a quirky interior inside the bookstore! Books are stacked on cinder block shelves and neon lights guide visitors down into the basement.
In the basement, there are (surprise!) more books are hidden away in the building’s old bank vaults and security deposits. As well as a section dedicated to Yasmin Ahmad, a well-known Malaysian director and writer.
Keen photographers and Instagram models will have a blast finding different photo angles here.
- Address: 91, Jalan Sultan Yusof, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak
- Opening hours: 9am to 8pm
6. Chloe Co
What’s most unique about this café is its façade with the big swivel doors. These are a great selfie point.
The inside of the air-conditioned café is stunning too.
We feel that their pastries and drinks could be better but it’s still a comfortable experience to sit in this café and watch the outside world go by. Plus, this café is walking distance from Concubine Lane.
Read more about our experience at Chloe Co.
7. Chakori
Also, in the thick of Ipoh Old Town, it’s hard to walk past Chakori without admiring the café’s exterior. The inside is just as appealing. Especially with the air-conditioning.
And there’s even a hidden outdoor space at the back of the café that is not comfortable (no air-conditioning here) to sit in the afternoon, but it makes an excellent backdrop for photos.
We like the ice cream and waffles here, but they don’t have much else besides drinks and cakes of the day.
8. ASOW Eatery
If you happen to be visiting the pomelo plantation nearby, ASOW Eatery is a plant lover’s dream. The café is right next to a plant nursery.
And it is decorated with many thriving plants inside. Including a terrarium at the counter. And a larger open terrarium complete with artificial mist close to the center of the café.
They don’t have many cakes and pastries, but we do like their freshly baked focaccia bread that is served with butter.
If you don’t take coffee, there are a variety of floral teas that you can share with friends or have alone. These are loose leaf teas and served in pretty glass teapots.
Lamb steak and other grilled meats are on the menu together with some pasta mains. From our experience, the lamb is our favourite although the other dishes we ordered were not bad.
Read this for more details on what it’s like to dine at ASOW Eatery.
9. Red Brick Kitchen
Red Brick Kitchen is less than 10 minutes’ drive from Kek Look Tong. This western restaurant requires some driving and navigation confidence since it’s quite deep inside a residential area.
The whole place surrounding the restaurant is scenic with lots of greenery and since the restaurant is housed in a greenhouse, you can appreciate nature in comfort (the restaurant has air-conditioning).
We’ve been here a few times, and the food is good. And they’ve got a big variety of mains on the menu. The non caffeinated drinks are particularly interesting.
Read this if you want to see what we ordered at Red Brick Kitchen.
10. Muzi Matcha Café
Everyone who’s keen on selfies will want to visit this Japanese styled café in a bungalow. As such, the café is very full-on weekends throughout the day.
You can come here at night too since they have late closing hours. But unless your camera is great at night shots, the best lighting is during the day as the café has big glass windows and an cozy outdoor space.
As a plus point, they have good caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks (including their signature matcha blends) and some cakes. The food presentation is wonderful too.
We have been here a few times with friends and family and they have all being impressed with this café.
11. Sam Poh Tong
Ipoh’s oldest (and highly photogenic) limestone cave temple can be found in Gunung Rapat along with some other temples.
At the front of the temple is a beautiful garden and pond and you may well spend a few minutes here!
Your very first up and close look of Sam Poh Tong will be the grand archway before the temple entrance.
After you enter the temple and have had a look around in the cooler interior of the temple, go towards the back, past the limestone cave altars and out through a tunnel.
The tunnel leads outside where there is a turtle enclosure on the right. And on the left, is a splendid red pagoda against the face of a limestone hill. And while you can’t go inside, you can still take some photos of it!
12. Ipoh Town Hall
Instagram worthy Ipoh has a few of these British colonial beauties around Ipoh Old Town area.
Be sure to stop by Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh (Ipoh town hall) for a quick photo!
Go around the building to find some interesting angles!
Come back at night for an entirely different atmosphere when the building is lit up!
13. Ipoh Railway Station
Do not leave Ipoh without having a look at its most famous landmark, the train station!
The station is quite rundown but the stark white building is still an exceptional vision with its British-colonial architecture and appealing symmetry!
If you have time to spare, it’s worth taking some time to appreciate the well-kept garden in front too.
14. Kinta Riverfront
Kinta Riverfront is a welcome venue for an evening stroll with LED lights to brighten up part of the riverbank.
Note: Don’t forget to bring a tripod to help stabilize your shots!
And you can rent colorful electric bicycles here that you can rent on the spot.
The place doesn’t see many visitors, but it has a couple of charming cafes and occasionally, live performances on the weekend.
15. Tasik Cermin
Mirror Lake or Tasik Cermin used to be a hidden location but no longer.
There are now two lakes that visitors can take electric boat tours on (we highly recommend you go for this) as well as facilities like a car park and modern toilet block.
The lake(s) aren’t always perfectly still so keep that in mind. We think the best time to visit this place is 9am when it opens.
That way, it’s not too hot yet, and the water may still be clear before the wind and the boats stir up the sediment below.
Read more about Ipoh Mirror Lake.
16. Gunung Lang Recreational Park
Gunung Lang Recreational Park is a detour from the North-South Express highway, but you can also get there from Ipoh town via Jalan Kuala Kangsar.
The peaceful scenery is reason enough to go. There is also a man-made waterfall by the Gunung Lang sign but it’s not always on.
Take the boat ride across the lake to see more of the park. The ride itself is enjoyable since it’s a short cruise and you get quite close to the limestone karsts.
However, the other side of the lake is not in good shape apart from a replica of a traditional kampung house in the middle of the park. The remains of a small zoo are very pitiful, and some structures show clear signs of aging.
Monkeys are a common sight in the park. Do not feed them or show them that you have food.
Cost:
- Free if you don’t cross the lake or buy food to feed the fish.
- Boat ride is RM3/adult and RM1.50/child or senior citizen.
- Fish food costs RM2
Opening hours: 8:30am to 6pm (except on Fridays when it closes from 11am to 3pm)
More on visiting Gunung Lang Recreational Park.
17. Kellie’s Castle
Go as early as you can (admission hours start at 9:30am) to this elegant relic to avoid the fierceness of the midday sun!
Trust us, it gets really hot when you’re exploring the grounds and building. Even on a cloudy day. Because there are no fans or air-conditioning here. Even at the visitor facilities by the car park.
But there are dozens of different photo spots that you can find throughout the castle. It is interesting to explore the rooms and passages that connect them.
Tips:
- Bring some drinking water along to keep cool if you plan to stay longer to get those shots!
- A reflector might come in handy to take photos at the darker corners of the castle!
Beside the castle/ mansion are the remains of the original family home, the Kellas House which we think is worth a look too.
If you’re not good with stairs, some stairwells in the castle are narrow, dark and steep. And if you have no fear of heights, it is possible to climb to the top of the castle. You can see the river, a palm oil plantation, Indian temple and main road from up here.
Note: Be extra careful when you’re up on the roof! No shot is ever worth a fall!
Read more about Kellie’s Castle.
- Cost: Admission fee is RM10 per adult (RM5 if you’re a MyKad holder)
- Opening hours: 9:30am to 5:30pm on most days except on Tuesday when they close up earlier at 4:30pm
- Remarks: Small mart, surau, and visitor carpark are available
18. TT5 Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge
The TT5 Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge is the last of its kind that still stands in Perak.
You’ll want a picture with this unique 80-year-old relic of Ipoh’s glorious tin mining past. The tin dredge is much bigger in person.
Proceeds go fully to the maintenance and restoration of the dredge (it’s currently sinking under its 4.5 ton weight!).
Other than the dredge, there are other attractions here – like a rabbit enclosure, a maze featuring a wall with recycled glass bottles, and a salvaged railway track.
Read more about our experience visiting the TT5 Tin Dredge.
Note: They don’t seem to offer guided tours on the dredge any more.
- Cost: Admission and tours is RM21 for the TT5 Dredge and Maze Park (for ages 4 and up)
- Operating Hours: 9am – 6pm
19. Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village
Temporarily closed – a tragic accident resulting in the death of one person has caused the park to close temporarily while investigation and safety measures are being made.
Admission isn’t free but you get to use their bicycles and straw hats! We recommend taking the bicycles. They are a fun and breezy way to get around the park and they are well maintained.
These bikes are in short supply after 10am when the crowd starts coming in.
Beautiful limestone scenery and historical set ups with nostalgic antiques (that date back to the 60’s and 70’s) are scattered around the park:
Bring your friends or family and have a blast!
More about Qing Xin Ling.
- Entrance fee: RM12/pax (including parking fee)
- Opening hours: 9:30am to 5pm (Closed on Sundays)
- Contact: +6016-312 4140
- Remarks: It is less crowded (and less hot) in the morning when the place just opens (at 9:30am)
20. HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley
Nature lovers will love how many trees there are in this place. We’d go back again just for their delicious ice cream.
The plantation is well maintained, and they have a large visitor center with a café, shop, and informative gallery.
We recommend going for the van tours around the plantation. They’re not particularly insightful, but it beats walking around the plantation once the heat of the day kicks in.
Note: There are hiking trips in the plantation but you will need to book ahead and go very early in the morning.
There are 3 sections to the plantation that the van tours will stop at.
- The cafe with a stunning view of the valley
- Trees with animals painted on them – Pick your favorite and stike a pose!
- Lovers’ trees – A couple of huge century-old trees
Read more about Gaharu Tea Valley.
- Cost: Tour fee is RM10 for adult and free for kid below 4 years old.
21. Papan
This is an aging town outside of Ipoh. The resident NGO are doing their best to preserve the history of their town. If it’s open, you can browse their heritage gallery for free too.
Visitors can walk around the old buildings. Parts of the road have beautiful murals on them.
There is one building overgrown with trees that you can enter at your own risk. We think it does somewhat resemble Ta Prohm of Cambodia a bit.
Read more about our experience visiting Papan Village to find out what else you can do here.
22. Victoria Bridge
Originally built by the British sometime towards the end of the 1890s when tin mining was booming, Victoria Bridge is one of the oldest railway bridges in Malaysia!
Today, the bridge is over 100 years old and is a tourist attraction.
Don’t worry if you wish to pose here, the bridge hasn’t been used since 2002. Taking photos is about the only thing to do here. Besides taking a stroll along the tracks and river.
The newer ETS train sometimes passes right beside this landmark.
Read more about Victoria Bridge In Perak.
- Remarks: Have something to eat and use the toilet before you come here
Getting To These Spots
You can resort to the following modes of transport to get from place to place around Ipoh Old Town but it gets a little trickier if you need to go further:
- Public city bus
- Taxi
- Grab
But you can also consider hiring a private tour service to fetch you around and give you some insight on the places too!
Book a Ipoh private tour with RayTheTour via WhatsApp!
Conclusion
Are you inspired by these photos to visit Instagram worthy Ipoh? If you’re willing to go further than Ipoh Old Town, you will see places that most tourists don’t.
We think that Papan, Kellie’s Castle and TT5 Tin Dredge will be of particular interest to those keen on photography.
Things To Do In Ipoh
As we said, many of the places recommended in this list are known Ipoh attractions. But if you want to see what else there is to do in Ipoh that we did not mention here, check out our individual post on the topic.
Cafes In Ipoh
Modern cafes tend to be photogenic places and the cafes in Ipoh are no exception. We’ve visited many cafes, and these are the ones we recommend for the food, drinks, ambiance and price. You can check these out if you are looking for amazing pastries and coffee.
