Thinking of your next Asian destination? You might want to pay Perak a visit. That’s cause charming Ipoh has made the list of Lonely Planet’s top 10 places to visit in Asia.
Malaysians can be proud that a place that’s well-liked by the locals is the only city in Malaysia to be listed, at the 6th spot.
“In compiling our Best in Asia 2016 list, our Asia-expert authors have explored the continent’s most electrifying cities, trekked through steaming jungles and even swum in bountiful seas to seek out the spots you simply cannot afford to miss,” said Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific spokesperson Chris Zeiher.
“The result is a varied hit list of classic destinations offering a fresh twist for travellers, regions packed full of action, and edge-of-the-map places you may never have heard of,” he added.
The world’s leading travel media company credits the “Hipster Town” image for bringing the cool back to Ipoh, saying, “Malaysia’s lesser-known food capital has new flair thanks to a crop of boutique cafes that have sprung up in its historic quarter.”
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“At the heart of Ipoh’s renaissance is otherworldly concept hotel Sekeping Kong Heng, replete with glass attic rooms and wall-free rooftop quarters. Art-cafes like Roquette, Burps & Giggles and Everyday Lifeshop have appeared nearby, among creaky kedai kopi (coffee shops) and elegant colonial buildings,” said the website.
Besides indulging in Ipoh’s esteemed signature Lou Wong’s chicken rice with crisp bean sprouts, and tau fu fah (tofu pudding) at Funny Mountain, other must-visit for tourists includes wild escapes, “like birdwatching by bicycle through Kinta Nature Park or whitewater rafting near Gopeng; and with clifftop temples and fragrant Gaharu Tea Valley nearby“.
According to the website, the top 5 cities to visit in 2016 are Hokkaido in Japan, Shanghai in China, Jeonju in South Korea, Con Dao Islands in Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Other go-to cities include Pemuteran in Indonesia, Trang Islands in Thailand, Meghalaya in India, as well as Taitung in Taiwan.
Ipoh was previously featured in Agoda.com’s fresh destinations for 2013.
Source: Lonely Planet.
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