Pre-retirement scouting report: Ipoh, Malaysia
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“Check out Ipoh,” they said. “It’s like Penang, but with fewer tourists.” I kept getting this recommendation from passing backpackers and fellow travelers, and because I loved my time in Penang, I had to check out Ipoh (rhymes with “hippo”). This is my last stop in Malaysia before I make a short hop over to Vietnam and I wanted to squeeze as much out of this amazing country as possible.
I’ve spent the last week in Ipoh, and to paraphrase a forgotten American politician (deep cut): Ipoh, I know Penang, and you’re no Penang. Ipoh would not be a terrible place to retire but just has a different set of trade-offs— let’s start with the basics:
Like George Town in Penang, Ipoh is steeped in a colonial past. Known for tin mining in the last century, it’s now the regional capital of the state of Perak. Surrounded by mountains and limestone cliffs, it’s the gateway to the cooler climes in the Cameron Highlands.
True to the advice given to me before arriving, there are definitely fewer tourists in Ipoh. As a medium sized town it feels much more work-a-day, with everyone going about their business and no extra frills supplied for travellers. This has ups and downs— on the up side it feels nice not to be catered for. With a face mask on, (still mandatory indoors) I can mostly pass unnoticed within the crowds to get a flavour for Malaysian life.
On the down side, because there is less infrastructure for visitors, it can be a bit harder to get around. Very few signs are in English, and as a walker, the lack of good foot paths has been tough going.
Just an aside about energy and Malaysia: As a guest in this country I don’t want to come off as judgy, but it does feel like Malaysia could use a bit of a green boost. In Ipoh particularly, public transport is scarce and I’ve had to rely on Grab taxis— as the sprawl makes it too far to walk. Everyone seems to drive everywhere here, and why wouldn’t you? Malaysia is a petro-state and the current price of petrol is AUD $0.62 per litre. This may also explain why I haven’t seen a single electric vehicle since I landed. Cheap energy isn’t only at the bowser, I’ve seen no solar roof panels on residential or commercial buildings. If you needed evidence that high energy prices are a big motivator for going green - Malaysia would be a good exhibit A.
It would be unfair to condemn Malaysia for a lack of green initiative because renewable energy and electric vehicles are often an affordance of a rich populace, but there’s no doubt that the petroleum industry has been very good to Malaysia. (glances out window at majestic Petronas buildings)
Back to Ipoh. There are some stunning colonial buildings in the downtown area. The Victorian era train station is one of the grandest I’ve ever seen and looks almost comically oversized for the town.
The grand but slightly dilapidated, Ipoh train station
Food has been consistently yummy on my stay here— nasi lemak and nasi kandar abound in all their variants. I’ve seen less hawker centres (food courts) here - they’re around but seem to be placed in different quadrants of the spread out city, and are really only accessible by car.
Chicken curry nasi lemak and kopi ais (ice coffee) AUD $6.00
One of my Grab drivers recommended Tauge Ayam (bean sprout chicken) as a food that Ipoh is famous for. I have say that it lived up to it’s promise. The stir-fried sprouts complemented the soy chicken in sweet sauce beautifully.
Tauge ayam (bean sprout chicken) with soup and winter melon tea AUD $6.65
There is a smaller tourist area downtown with a heritage walk around “Concubine Lane” a narrow alleyway with craft, food and art. This alley gets crowded, though the tourists are mostly local, up for the weekend from KL.
Narrow concubine lane with tourists mainly from KL
Ipoh is surrounded by limestone cliffs and mountains in the distance. The cliffs are home to a number of stunning caves, some of which have been converted into buddhist temples. Although the caves are beautiful and I recommend seeing them, I sometimes wish natural wonders like these could stay natural, without a layer of human culture and religion on top.
Living expenses
The cost of living in Ipoh is generally low by Australian standards with a quality that matches or exceeds life in Australia in some ways.
As always, if you’re eating local you’re eating cheaply and well. Stick to the outdoor restaurants that seem to be on every corner and you can’t go wrong - if you can find a seat. During meal time in the evening all of Ipoh seems to be eating out, the lovely aromas of chili and sambal infuse the humid night air.
Al fresco is the way way to go on a balmy night in Ipoh.
Accomodation prices are similar to Penang or possibly a smidge higher because of a smaller pool of available properties. Ipoh is considered a local retirement town for many in Kuala Lumpur due to its slower pace and cheaper cost of living.
Large Westfield-like shopping centres are major hubs for supermarkets and general shopping. Two AEON malls bracket the edge of town and the large Ipoh Parade sits in the middle. I visited a local supermarket in the AEON mall and was surprised again at how much Australian meat, produce and dairy was on the shelves. Here’s a selection from my visit:.
Transport
Due to the lack of public transport and general sprawl, you may find that getting around is more difficult and more expensive. Taking a bus to Ipoh is very affordable, (only AUD $7.50 from Penang) but the main bus station is in the outskirts and requires an AUD $10 Grab ride to get into the city centre. This was purposely done to reduce traffic in the city centre, but in my opinion has been less than successful.
Expect the backseat of a Grab to be your view for a lot of travel within Ipoh
The train station, at least, is in the city centre and it’s only a couple of hours to KL.
Would I retire in Ipoh?
Probably not. As I mentioned before, I like to walk; Ipoh is not well suited for this. It could however be a comfortable retirement location for someone who doesn’t mind the occasional Grab ride, or is planning to drive themselves. It would also be a good location to immerse yourself in local culture and learn Malay. English is widely spoken here, but perhaps not as confidently as in major cities like KL and George Town. A couple of times when I arrived at a cashier to buy something, there was a panicked look and a quick substitution of personnel.
Let’s break down some pros and cons of Ipoh as an Aussie retirement destination:
Pros:
Real Malaysian everyday life for total immersion
Great food and some scenic areas
Close to KL for weekend getaways
Large shopping malls to escape the heat
Cons:
It’s a car town, not as walkable as KL or Penang.
Lack of public transport
Urban sprawl (did I mention it’s not walkable?)
Large shopping malls to suck away local flavour and culture
I hope you enjoyed my little scouting preview for Ipoh, Malaysia. Drop me a line in the comments if you have any questions or would like to chat about Ipoh. This is my last stop in Malaysia, tomorrow sees me in Vietnam. Hey, while you’re here Have a go at our Retire Abroad quiz, to figure out what locations might be best for you.
