Ipoh: Malaysia’s Enchanting City of Heritage and Natural Beauty

If you are joining us mid-trip, this is stop number two, Ipoh (pronounced Ee-poh).

Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur. We grabbed a ride from mydaytrip.com in the afternoon and had a lovely 2 hour drive to Ipoh.

Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia and is about 2 1/4 hours north of Kuala Lumpur and south east of Penang. The most common way to get to Ipoh is by train. The train schedule didn’t match up with our wants and needs, so we decided to hire a driver.

Peggy had seen pictures of this delightful little town online and deemed it worthy of a stop.

This decision became solidified when she found The Haven.

The Haven Ipoh

The Haven All Suites Resort is a gorgeous resort on the outskirts of Ipoh.  Set beside a cute little lake, and framed by natural limestone geographic landmarks, The Haven provides a beautiful backdrop for a “relax and unwind” kind of getaway.

The Haven has won multiple awards for Luxury Travel, being Eco-friendly, and Travelers’ Choice awards on TripAdvisor.

For those who are interested in energy conservation and reducing your carbon footprint, it is important to note that The Haven uses almost all natural energy sources. Wind, solar, and water all are used to generate heating and lighting for the common areas.

Incredible Views at The Haven

There is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks a natural lake, and a 280-million-year-old boulder.  Throw in an onsite restaurant, spa, and fitness center, and you never need to leave (nor will you want to).

We had booked a one-bedroom suite. However, we were actually assigned a three-bedroom suite, with the restriction that we would be charged if we actually used the other rooms.  The air conditioner was thankfully quick to cool down the room and our view was amazing. The suite also came with a courtesy bar (that included no alcohol) of snacks, juice, and tea.

We were given tickets upon check-in for a “Free Welcome Drink” in the restaurant.  You can imagine our dismay when we found out that “drink” is not synonymous with “cocktail” in Malaysia.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – not only was the “welcome drink” not alcoholic, it was heavily restricted on the hours it was served. LOL.

Heading into Old Town Ipoh

The downside to The Haven is if you actually want to leave the resort, it’s a 20-minute drive into the town itself. 

We grabbed a Grab and headed out for evening cocktails.

Our first stop was Concubine Lane.

Concubine Lane

Apparently, “back in the day” Malaysian men loved keeping a mistress (see Penang blog regarding Love Lane).  And Concubine Lane was where the mistresses were kept.  Ipoh’s dirty little secret has been turned into a cute little alley appealing to tourists for food and local shopping.  Just over 100m in length, it’s located in Old Town Ipoh. Easy to find, easy to walk, and quite adorable.

Luckily, we were there on a Tuesday evening, and it was almost completely empty. It can get pretty busy during the day and on weekends. 

There is also a night food market on Jalan Yau Tet Shin which brings in plenty of foot traffic and can make evenings on the weekend a little more hustle and bustle than our experience.

Ipoh is a Walkable Town

We noticed a white tower sticking up a few blocks down. Not large, just enough to peak over the top of the downtown two-story buildings.  We took a little stroll and discovered the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, the High Court building, a cute little park called Padang Ipoh, and the Negeri Perak Mosque.

But by then it was finally time. . .

Time for a Cocktail

Reflecting back to previous posts on Penang and Langkawi, what we Americans know as a speakeasy are generally referred to as a “hidden bar”.  This reflects the fact that Malaysians never had a prohibition era, so there was never any such thing as a speakeasy.  However, they love the mysterious vibe of having a hidden bar.

While technically not a hidden bar, Above was a good starting point for us.  The sign is out front, however we feel this qualifies as a hidden bar because once you enter the lobby it gets a little confusing.  It’s on the rooftop, but the rest is an apartment building.  There are stairs, but the roof is at least 4 stories up and we are not sold on the idea of hiking up 4 flights of stairs in the evening heat. There is actually nothing in this little lobby area (lobby is a stretch, picture a mud room with a staircase) to denote that there is a bar or restaurant or anything besides general safety instructions for residents.

But there is an elevator, ah ha, an elevator!  Once you step into the elevator, there is a note that to get to Above, take the elevator to the 4^th floor and then walk up the extra flight to the rooftop, success!

Above Gastropub

And it’s adorable.  Open air, but covered so not in the blistering heat, cute little dining patio, fantastic sounding food, and a bar in the middle of the restaurant. 

The lady behind the bar is nice and chatty and recommends exactly what we were planning on ordering as her favorites.  She had spent time in the United States and was happy to chat in English.  She was also training a young man, who seemed very nervous, and was slow and methodical with his cocktail making.

The drinks were fantastic! After the man had finished making our cocktails, he was happy to tell us about how he was from Columbia, and he and his wife had just moved to Ipoh to be closer to her family. Very cute little story, we love this part of traveling, hearing other people’s story. 

In conversation, we explained our hidden bar mission. The lady told us her favorite hidden bar was Lumi, and suggested we go there.  Upon pulling it up on the map, it was a little too far to walk, but we filed it away in the back of our minds, and headed on to Caina Bank.

ssn – Above had a great vibe – it is just what you want in a rooftop bar….well, just what I want. Meaning, it’s shaded! Great views, lots of plants, little cafe tables, glass partitioning and relaxed atmosphere.

A Great Example of a Hidden Bar

Caina Bank lists it’s address on Google, it appears on Google Maps, but it does not have any outdoor signage.

We found the address, and it was simply a door leading up a set of stairs.

So, we followed the stairs.  On the first landing was a bank vault looking door, and I could hear music coming from the other side. Despite the lock, the door opened easily, and voila, Hidden Bar.

Caina Bank (It’s a Bar!)

A gorgeous hidden bar.  One of my favorite hidden bars to date.  Chinese décor, but with a bank twist to things.  Our table was a floor safe, another table was a fake stack of money.  The seating was fabulous Chinese inspired stools around larger gathering tables.  We opted for the couch.  

My drink was amazing, and I’d love to tell you the name of it, but it was in Chinese, and it turns out I don’t read Chinese (or speak it, but whatever).  Sea Coconut infused vodka, Pineapple, and citrus served in a cute Chinese vase as a glass. 

Peggy opted for the Bartenders Choice, which we always love as an option.

We ordered appetizers at this stop and had the fried scallops and chicken wings.  They were good, but we regretted that they took up our tummy space for getting street food later on.

ssn – Caina Bank was such a good time! And Patti totally won that one with the drink served in a Chinese vase. Not that we keep score…but if you have siblings, you know. <click> for Patti

Next Stop:  Tiga Bar

Tiga Bar is actually a bar above a bar.  If you don’t know it’s there you just are hanging out in Kiki Lalat, a cute bar in its own right. 

But at the back of the bar there is a inventive wall with a “Bar Tinder” board, where people can fill out dating profiles for others to peruse and find their next true love.  Beyond the bar is a set of stairs that lead to Tiga.

A small, unassuming bar. A little dark, but the bartenders love and attention to detail is what sets this bar apart from so many others.

I ordered the Fresh Release: Mango, coffee and mint sounds weird, I get it; however, it was good, in an interesting kind of way.

Tiga Bar – Best Drink Award…so far

Peggy really stepped out of the box on this one and scored a home run.  The bartender highly recommended the “Buttery N I Know It”.  I took a pass as I’m not much of a Bourbon girl, but Peggy is.  This drink was admittedly strange, but absolutely mind-blowing.  Like someone smashed a peanut butter and jelly into a whiskey sour. It also plays on a cold and hot temperature experience.  Berry compote, maple, lemon and bourbon are served chilled.  Then it is topped with a peanut butter foam that gets torched and served hot.  This drink alone is worth returning to Ipoh for.

ssn – <click> for Peggy. Buttery N I Know It is easily the top contender for Best Drink of the Year. But I will not kick back and coast to victory, I will keep searching. I do it for you.

Then There is Lumi

We decided that so much of the town was closed on Monday nights that we would Grab over to Lumi for our final stop before heading back to The Haven.

Our Grab driver dropped us off in the parking lot of a three-story strip mall with a mix of convenience store, retail stores and businesses, with no sign of Lumi.  We asked in the convenience store, and they haven’t heard of it.  So we Google map ourselves to the exact location. Still completely confused as it’s an entrance to an office stairwell. Then I look up, and sure enough, above the door, high up by the windows is an unassuming neon martini glass.

Oops, Not Lumi

In through the doors, up the elevator to the third floor, there is wood panel, and I’m stoked that surely this is entrance.  We push, it pops, we walk in to an empty room with three people at a window table who look up at us in shock.  Not a happening place.  Also, not Lumi. But apparently a new wine and cigar bar that is not open to the public yet.  At least they know where Lumi is.

Ah, Here It Is

So, back down one flight, to another hidden door, and into Lumi.

Where there is one table of three, and a cute, but tiny lady behind the bar looking all of maybe 12-years old in her professional server attire.  She is making quite a few cocktails but assures us she will be with us next. 

And we waited.

Luckily about 5 minutes later and eclectic looking man enters the bar, zips back behind the counter and immediately starts directing her and sampling what she has created before approaching us.

Lumi has no menu.  It’s an Omakase style bar.  Omakase is a Japanese style of dining where the chef creates your menu based on what is fresh that day and typically at a set price.

He explains that they do five different cocktails of differing palette styles.  We only want two drinks (I meant two each, he assumed one for each, but his English was as limited as my Bahasa).  I told him Sweet and Sour palette.

I’m honestly still not sure what I got, but Peggy got a weird margarita.  Neither were terrible, but it would have been nice to have been prepared for a full Omakase experience.

Two side notes:  even as we were tabbing out the lady bartender still hadn’t finished her original round of drinks for the three people.  And, good heavens, those ‘tenders could shake those cocktails, it was really amusing the vigor they put into the shake.

Already Time to Leave Ipoh for Penang

We hit The Haven buffet, which I love SE Asian breakfast buffets because they always have a congee.  Great options, wide variety catering to multi-cultural tastes.

Then a walk around the beautiful grounds, the 280-million-year-old limestone, and the T-Rex.  Signs telling us to not feed the monkeys got us rather excited, but alas, no monkeys.

ssn – ominous foreshadowing…we had no idea we would soon face monkeys in Langkawi.

The infinity pool was calling to us and needed us to have a dip.  Loved the plexiglass walls on the lake side, and the in-the-water lounge chairs built in. There was also a cute little table and chairs in the water with an umbrella, had we found a breakfast cocktail this would have been a perfect spot to have it.

And Off We Go

Our www.mydaytrip.com driver, Raymond, showed up upon checkout.  We convinced him to drive us by a cave temple.  Ipoh is known for having several cave temples.

Peggy couldn’t enter as her shoulders were exposed (hussy), but it was a nice easy flight of stairs to enter the cave.  Perak Cave Temple was beautiful, set into a mountain with a large Buddha statue, painted walls, and prayer seating.  We were glad Raymond was willing to squeeze this stop in for us.  It was beautiful to experience.

Then we were off on our 2-hour drive to Penang, with plenty of Malaysian and Penang facts provided by our local driver.  We didn’t feel like 24 hours was quite enough, but you really didn’t need much more than a full day and a next morning.  Next time we will plan for a little extra time, and more Buttery N I Know it.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Langkawi
• Penang
• Kuala Lumpur