Post-Trip Recollections - Road Trip from Singapore to Ipoh and Back

This trip, almost exactly a year ago, was part of my annual travel up Malaysia's North-South (NS) Highway from Singapore to Ipoh to celebrate the annual Chinese New Year holidays. The NS Highway actually extend further north but the furthest drive up north for me is always up to Ipoh. 

One of the many colourful wall murals in and around the vicinity of Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

This trip in February 2024, was no different. It typically took about 7 hours for me to get from Singapore to Ipoh, with one or at most, two stops in-between for washroom breaks and meals. The 7-hour journey only accounts for total drive time and does not take into account the time needed to clear immigration and customs on departure from Singapore and arrival at Johor, via the land bother points between both countries. Depending on traffic conditions, it can take up to 2 hours to complete the immigration and customs processes at both departure and arrival checkpoints. Waits of up to 3 hours are common during peak travel periods which I avoid.

After having been to Ipoh many times over the years, I must say I consider myself to be quite familiar with the Old Town and its surrounding areas. There are where most of the dining and shopping activities are centred.

Old shop houses like these have been given a new lease of life after being converted into quaint Cafes, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

Latte art in my cup of warm beverage, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

As usual, I went about my daily activities around these mainstay areas and did my dinings and shoppings. I also like the number of independent cafes that had sprung up around these areas over the years, primarily to cater to domestic tourists who will usually travel from larger Malaysian cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, just to name two.

My trips to Ipoh typically last between 5 days to 8 days. And no, my daily itineraries during my visits were usually not jam-packed with sight-seeing. Instead, I typically lounged at different cafes, drawing, journaling and writing and enjoying my latte and cakes. After all, I travel to Ipoh to relax and to enjoy the slower pace of life, leaving the hectic hustle and bustle of Singapore, at least for a few days. 🌏

An "old school" provisions store in Ipoh's Old Town. Such stores used to be common in Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s but had all disappeared by the early 2000s. Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

Cats along the streets of Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

Wild birds, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

The buildings in and around Old Town are very photogenic, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)

Tree-lined path, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2024)