For a small town, Taiping has a great deal many attractions to see. We’re not counting food in this post as that would make this long list much longer.
Most of these places are outdoors so plan to go on a sunny or cloudy day before a storm hits. It typically rains in the evening in Taiping.
However, there are a few historical gems that don’t require you to be outdoors. So, get set to have an amazing day (or weekend) in Taiping!
1. Admire The Rain Trees And Landscaping At The Stunning Taiping Lake Gardens
You cannot say you’ve been to Taiping without seeing the iconic Taiping Lake Gardens and the majestic rain trees that fringe upon the park.
The vast gardens can be reached from anywhere in Taiping easily with its central location. And there are many entrances to the park.
Allow at least an hour to walk around and see the lake, admire the landscape, traverse the jogging trails, cross the few bridges, spot monkeys, etc.
If there’s time, you can make your way to the jetty and try out the paddle boats.
Seeing that there is no entrance fee and that the park opens at 8am and closes at 10pm so many locals like to go here for their daily exercise.
Read more about Taiping Lake Gardens here.
- Opening hours: 8am to 10pm
2. Visit The Perak Museum (Muzium Perak)
Escape the heat of the afternoon with a visit to the Perak Museum in Taiping. This is a family-friendly activity where all ages can learn a little more about Perak and Taiping.
Including a section on the local wildlife in the area!
Note: Not wheelchair or stroller-friendly
Perak Museum may not be a huge museum but it’s not expensive to enter (tickets cost RM2/pax or RM1/senior) and it is air-conditioned with numerous bilingual and detailed informative displays.
It might surprise you how well-kept the museum is! Allocate an hour to fully explore this museum. See what the highlights are of a visit to the Perak Museum.
- Opening hours: 9am to 5pm
3. Check Out The Taiping Prison (Penjara Taiping)
Just opposite the Perak Museum, Taiping Prison is more of a quick stop than a full visit. Visitors can only look at the building from the outside.
Since there aren’t any signboards or information boards, you wouldn’t really know that this is in fact, a historical site in Taiping without first reading about it.
Unfortunately, all the original records of the prison and its inmates never made it out of the Japanese occupation (1941 to 1945).
However, the structure of the building hasn’t changed much since its construction in 1879.
And you can stop by the souvenir shop here to purchase merchandise that are handmade by the inmates.
4. Enjoy Nature At Taman Botani Perak
If you’ve seen Taiping Lake Gardens before, it might interest you to know that there is another nice park in Taiping.
Taman Botani Perak does have an entrance fee though (RM2/ pax). The shady park is accessible for strollers, and it is generally well-maintained.
There are toilets, neat paths, and plenty of parking too. For those that want to see flowers, there are not many here and it is mostly greenery.
But since you must pay to enter this park, not many people do, and you’ll likely have it to yourself if you visit.
See more photos of Taman Botani Perak.
- Opening hours: 8:30am to 7pm
5. Make A Visit To The All Saints’ Church
All Saints’ Church is a small but beautiful Anglican church on the side of a main road in Taiping. If the staff is around, you can enter for a closer look. There is an old organ inside.
This church is unique for its colonial style architecture and for the fact that it’s mostly made of wood.
The grounds around are very peaceful and if you care to observe, you can still read some of the engravings on the old tombstones beside the church.
It is faded, but you can still see the heritage marker on the tarmac path that leads to the front of the church.
Note: There is another building on the same grounds, and these are where the main prayer sessions are now being held.
6. Find The Old Taiping Clock Tower
Taiping has a new clock tower, but the old Taiping clock tower (built in 1881) is still standing.
However, it has gone into a state of disrepair and the tourist information center that used to be here has closed too.
Despite that, this doesn’t stop tourists from coming to take a photo with the clock tower and its unusual architecture.
You can find the Taiping clock tower at Jalan Kota.
7. Enjoy Cool Weather At Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)
Put on your hiking shoes and get ready for an early and rewarding trek up to chilly Maxwell Hill – the former hill resort of British colonials who wanted to take a break from the mainland heat.
If you’re not one for hiking, then you’ll have to jostle with the queue to get a ticket for one of the highly coveted slots to ride the jeeps up to hill. This service has not been running for more than a year.
PS: You cannot book the tickets in advance online or via WhatsApp
While there’s frankly not much to do on the Bukit Larut, the climate is noticeably much cooler and even the flora is different.
Pack a picnic and binoculars (for wildlife spotting) to make the most of your time up there. As there are toilets, a playground, and a few picnic tables.
Read more about Bukit Larut here.
Maxwell Hill Admin’s Office:
- Opening hours: 7am to 5pm
- Phone: +605-807 7241
8. Go For The Night Safari At Taiping Zoo
If you’re staying overnight in Taiping, it’s very well worth getting some tickets for the night safari at Taiping Zoo. Unless it’s raining heavily as the walkways are not sheltered.
Because while this long-standing zoo has animals from other countries (e.g., hippos, giraffes, and cassowaries), it’s the local wildlife like kancil and orangutan that might interest you.
Generally-speaking, most of the animals are more active in the evening too.
Note: The zoo is currently undergoing some maintenance so some exhibitions may not be open.
Night safari tickets cost RM20/ adult and RM10 for children and seniors.
- Opening hours: 8am to 6pm, and again from 8pm to 11pm
9. Stop At The Old Taiping Railway Station
Another well-known historical landmark in Taiping that has a newer counterpart is the Old Taiping Railway Station.
And you might not know this, but this was the very first railway station in Malaysia starting from 1885. In the days of tin mining, the route connected Kuala Sepetang (then known as Port Weld) and Taiping.
The original purpose of the train was to carry tin from the mines in Larut to the port to be shipped.
PS: Taiping was once the capital of Perak too.
These days, the Old Taiping Railway Station serves as a food hub with some food stalls and a couple of restaurants to boot.
And just beside it, is the newer Taiping Railway Station that the electric commuter train (locally known as the KTM train) makes a stop at.
10. Marvel At The Amelia Earhart Mural
Painted in 2019, the giant mural of American female aviator, Amelia Earhart is relatively fresh so go and see it when you’re in Taiping!
It took 9 days to complete the massive 27m by 12m mural that stretches across the entire side of a building next to the Taiping Hospital.
The mural was painted (and privately commissioned for RM280,000) by Datuk Chen Teck Meng and Khok Chai Ong as a tribute to Amelia Earhart when she stopped in Taiping in 1937 to refuel during her solo attempt to fly round the world.
There is some local discontent as to why the subject matter for the mural was chosen over other historical milestones for Taiping.
Note that this the mural is in an open area that is void of shade or shelter from the elements. But you can park your car at the adjacent car park.
- Location: Google Maps
11. Try Coffee At Auntong Coffee Factory
Open for most of the day, you don’t really have an excuse not to visit the Auntong Coffee Factory if you have time to spare!
And there is no entrance fee!
This is more than a coffee shop as you can witness how they roast and pack the coffee. In fact, the mill has been in operation since 1933.
For tourists, it’s quick stop to get some freshly made traditionally roasted coffee (by charcoal). Sometimes, they have durian coffee for sale too. Just ask the friendly staff.
Besides this, you can get in a few snaps with coffee-related antiques and other props. See photos from our visit to Antong Coffee Factory.
Note: The roasting process takes places in the morning
- Opening hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm
12. Learn The History Behind Changchun Pu Villa (长春圃)
Part of Aun Tong Coffee Mill is dedicated to the Changchun Pu Villa – the history of this place is little known but has great significance.
It was where Sun Yat-sen’s confidante, concubine, and partner during the revolution, Chen Cuifen stayed in Malaysia for many years after her 20-year relationship with Sun Yat-sen ended.
You can learn more about the fate of the mysterious Chen Cuifen through old photographs and newspaper clippings inside the building next to Aun Tong Coffee Mill.
13. Get Schooled At Telegraph Museum Taiping
The Telegraph Museum in Taiping is run by Telekom Malaysia and showcases the history of telegraphs in Malaysia.
This underrated museum has a fine curation of artifacts as well as helpful staff and interactive information boards. And it just costs RM8 (for locals) or RM15 (for foreigners) to enter.
Try your hand at sending an email with a morse code message. It’s a small museum but nonetheless impressive!
See more photos of the Telegraph Museum from our visit there!
- Opening hours: 9 am–5 pm
14. Take Some Photos At Galeri Perbandaran Taiping (First Galleria)
Admittedly, there’s not much to do at (previously named First Galleria) but if you’re looking for a photo opportunity, an old diesel train and a century-old pedestrian foot bridge from Bukit Mertajam make for unique backdrops.
A few years back, there were volunteer-guided tours in the gallery and those were something special and very educational besides. But now, the tours are not running.
- Opening hours: 8am to 1pm and again from 2pm to 5pm; Closed on Weekends
15. Chill At Warisan Square (Dataran Warisan Taiping)
Not to be confused with the Warisan Square in Kota Kinabalu, the Datara Warisan Taiping is a well-lit public space best enjoyed on Sundays if you would like a livelier atmosphere.
Otherwise, it’s a free space to chill and have a walk in the evenings. Families like to come here to rent electric car rides for the kids.
You can get some pretty cool photographs here if you come during sunset too. And it’s not unheard of to have pre-wedding photoshoots here too.
There are toilets on site too and these are open 24/7.
16. Pay Respects At The Taiping War Cemetery/ Memorial
A war memorial might not be on most tourists’ lists (since it’s out of the town) but the Taiping War Cemetery is well looked after.
And without walking in, you can already see the distinct division between the Christian (for British soldiers) and Muslim burial sites (for Indian soldiers).
If the gates are open, you can wander in and read the names and engravings on the gravestones.
It feels very tranquil here, especially at sunrise.
17. Buy Mushrooms At Wonder Farm Mushroom
This next spot is a little way out of the town, but Wonder Farm Mushroom is not your typical farm as you can learn how to cultivate mushrooms here!
However, it’s best to call ahead to make sure they are prepared for your visit!
If you’re just buying mushrooms (or mushroom powder), they are quite affordable here. They have a wide variety of mushrooms too. Including some that you may not have seen in the supermarkets before!
Read more about Wonder Farm Mushroom in Taiping.
- Opening hours: 9am to 12pm, and again from 1:55pm to 4:30pm on most days (Closed on Mondays)
- Phone: +6016-531 8161
18. Explore Kota Ngah Ibrahim
It’s easy to give Kota Ngah Ibrahim a miss if you’re just passing through Taiping. However, you would be missing out on a wonderful place to learn more about the history of this site.
This was the home (and tin warehouse) of the former Ngah Ibrahim who was one of the richest men in Perak in the late 19th century.
The building had many former occupants, eventually serving as a teachers’ college and primary school before its current state as a museum.
There are no entrance fees so we highly recommend that you can include it as part of your driving route to Kuala Sepetang.
Expect to take 20 minutes to an hour to stroll around the place at your leisure.
See more photos of our time at Kota Ngah Ibrahim.
- Opening hours: 9am to 5pm (on Fridays, there’s a break between 12:45pm to 2:45pm)
19. Play Golf At Spritzer Eco Park
This small but shaded park that is a distance away from town has its own on-site café with western meals (STG). The Spritzer Eco Park doesn’t charge any entrance fees.
It is a comfortable location for a jog or for a walk among trees.
Kids (and adults) can look forward to the small mini golf section (this is a paid activity and costs RM12 for adults or RM8 for kids).
The visitor center is not always open (open on weekdays) but visitors can take a look at how Spritzer mineral water is processed too.
PS: There are sightings of dogs and monkeys here
- Opening hours: 10am to 8pm
Conclusion
History buffs and those who like to be outdoors will particularly enjoy their time in Taiping. But Taiping has a few inexpensive family-friendly places to visit too!
We do think that Taiping has a lot of great museums so go and see them while you’re here.
Furthermore, many of these Taiping attractions are part of the ambitious Taiping Heritage Trail too.
What To Eat In Taiping
All that sightseeing can lead to an empty stomach. Here are suggestions on what to eat in Taiping if you are craving some local (or not so local) flavors. This list includes famous eateries.
Cafes In Taiping
It usually rains in the evening in Taiping. And what better way to sit out the rain than to find one of these cozy cafes? If you’ve been to Taiping before, you can see some of the new cafe in this list too.
