Just down the road, past the High Court,
another fine establishment in the
Royal Ipoh Club is located overlooking
the extensive playing fields or the
Padang Ipoh. This Tudor-style building
is of a similar architectural style to the
Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, opposite the club on Jalan
S. P. Seenivasagam is the imposing
three-storey St Michael’s School, which
is another historical building of national
significance. The school features
decorated gables and wide-arched
verandas running the length of the
building.
Apart from its man-made architecture,
nature’s hand is celebrated here, too,
as Ipoh is famous for its tree-covered
limestone hills which ring the city. Some
caves within the hills have been converted
into Buddhist and Hindu shrines, with
Sam Poh Tong, located 7km south of Ipoh,
the district’s largest cave temple. It is
worth travelling here to visit the colourful
temple and to stock up on fresh pomelo
from one of the nearby stalls.
HIP AND HAPPENING IPOH
The neighbourhood lifestyle hub centred
on Sekeping Hong Heng coffeeshop in
the historic centre of Ipoh was initiated
by several Ipohites who banded together
to not only save the coffeeshop from
development but also to rejuvenate
the area into a café, art gallery, library,
boutique hotel, and shops.
Visitors should home in on the area
surrounding the coffee shop (bordered by
Jalans Dato’ Sagor, Sultan Yussof, Dato’
Maharajalela, and Bandar Timah) and
then fan out from there to discover other