Food haven: Jalan Dato Tahwil Azhar in Ipoh is a popular spot for tourists looking for local delicacies. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: Local folk here are excited to learn that Ipoh has been named as one of the must-visit cities in Asia for 2025 by London-based lifestyle magazine Time Out recently.
Those who spoke to The Star said they are happy that the city is getting more international acclaim and being recognised as a global tourist destination.
Kong Fu Kopitiam owner Ricky Soong said he expects more foreign tourists to visit the city next year.
“Ipoh is truly a special city. I believe those who are visiting it will be amazed with what they find here, especially our diverse fare of local delicacies from various cultures,” Soong said.
“Our multi-racial society has co-existed for more than a century and the fusion of our cultures has also created some good food, like our curry.
“Our popular Ipoh White Coffee has been listed as one of the top 10 coffees in the world earlier this year.
“Being named as one of the must-visit cities next year really shows that our tourism industry has improved by leaps and bounds,” he added.
In its Dec 19 publication, Ipoh was named by the magazine as one of top eight must-visit cities in Asia for 2025.
Sumba, Indonesia, topped the list, followed by Siargao in the Philippines, Da Nang in Vietnam and Tainan, Taiwan.
The other destinations were Osaka, Japan; Nan in Thailand and Lijiang, China.
The magazine noted Ipoh as a welcoming place, with heritage buildings, limestone cliffs, cave temples and a “city for eating”.
This is not the first time Ipoh has been recognised internationally as a tourist destination.
In 2022, CNN Travel named Ipoh on its list of “18 of Asia’s most underrated places”.
In 2016, Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide, named Ipoh the sixth best place to visit in 2017.
Soong said Ipoh also has lots of heritage buildings that are well-kept, which is part of the city’s charm.
“The building my eatery is located, the Kwan Tak-hing Memorial Hall, is almost 100 years old.
“With all the recognitions Ipoh has been receiving, it is time for the city’s promotion to be shifted into fifth gear.
“We hope our tourism industry can continue to improve the economy of the country, not just the state,” Soong said.
Retired photographer Chen Chee Kong, 75, said it is a good sign of progress for the city to be recognised, especially with acclaim from abroad.
“We are seeing many young people setting up their businesses here, creating a new market to attract more visitors.
“Even at the night markets, more young people have set up stalls, selling food and beverages among others, elevating and modernising the markets.
“It is so good to see many enterprising youth carving their own paths in the city and they should be supported with more platforms,” Chen added.
Chen said he hopes that the state government will continue to work with the private sector to promote the tourism industry in Perak, not just Ipoh.
“There are still a lot of things that can be done to improve the city. Some people just need to do away with their negativity, thinking that some things cannot be done here.
“I believe we need to be bolder, create more attractions to bring in more tourists,” he added.
Meanwhile, a drink seller, who only wanted to be known as Wong, said he hopes the Ipoh City Council will continue to upkeep and improve the city to give a good image to tourists.
“I think the condition of some of our roads, some filled with potholes or uneven, must be resolved quickly.
“There should also be more parking bays, especially in the Old Town area. There were talks earlier about a multi-storey parking complex to be built there but it seems to have gone quiet,” he said.
