Perak

Introduction

Taiping, Lake Gardens, a magnificent view in the early morning

Perak is a northern state of Malaysia, located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Its name means silver in Malay language. The full name of the state is Perak Darul Ridzuan, where Darul Ridzuan is an honorific title in Arabic to mean the Land of Grace. Its capital is the city of Ipoh.

Perak made its fortune from tin mining in the 19th and 20th century, until the price of tin collapsed in the 1980's. The wealth of the state in the past made it a constant target of invasion in hope of monopolising the tin industry. The then-prospering state benefited from great infrastructure and transportation networks built to cope with the demand of the industry. Tin mining also brought in record numbers of immigrants from China to work at the mines.

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Geography

Perak is the fourth largest state in the country, and the second largest in Peninsular Malaysia. The state shares borders with the states of Penang and Kedah to the north west, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. It also shares a north-eastern border with Thailand. The Straits of Malacca lies to the west of the state.

Perak is mountainous in over half of its area of 21,006 km². The Titiwangsa Mountains (Banjaran Titiwangsa) runs from the north east down south along the entire eastern border of the state. The mountain range is part of the Tenasserim Hills system which runs from Tibet through the Kra Isthmus into the Malay peninsula.

The main rivers of Perak include Perak River (Sungai Perak), Kinta River (Sungai Kinta), Bernam River (Sungai Bernam) and Dinding River (Sungai Dinding). Perak River is the second longest river in Peninsular Malaysia, while Bernam River acts as a natural border with Selangor in the south.

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Cities / Towns

Ipoh is the capital of the state of Perak and is the fifth largest city in Malaysia.
Kuala Kangsar is a former capital of the state of Perak and the royal town of the Sultanate of Perak.
Taiping is a former capital of the state of Perak and has second largest population in Perak after Ipoh.
Pulau Pangkor (Pangkor Island) is an island with some development of tourism.
The smaller Pulau Pangkor Laut next to Puala Pangkor is an exclusive holiday resort island.
Lumut is the portal to Pangkor and is the home of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

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Sights and Activities

Teluk Intan Leaning Tower

Ipoh Railway Station is an impressive building of Moorish architecture and modern embellishment, built in similar style to that of Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Note the Ipoh tree in the garden in front of the station.
The limestone caves around Ipoh house Buddhist temples such as Sam Po Tong ("Cavern of Three Precious"), Perak Tong (Perak Cave) and Kek Lok Tong ("Cavern of Utmost Happiness") in beautiful natural settings. At Perak Tong you can climb to the top of the hill for good views over the surrounding areas.
Masjid Ubudiah (Ubudiah Mosque) is a beautiful Moorish mosque in Kuala Kangsar, designed by the same architect of the Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur Railway Stations.
Perak Royal Mausoleum is located near Masjid Ubudiah and is styled after the architecture of Taj Mahal in India.
Istana Kenangan was converted from a former palace to the current Royal Museum of Perak in the style of traditional Malay house and not a single nail was used in its construction.
Taiping Lake Gardens have been beautifully landscaped from old tin mines and now include a recreational park, a Japanese garden and a zoo (the first in Malaysia).
Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) is a paradise for nature lovers, for this hill station remains relatively unchanged since its time as the residence of British administrators.
A retreat to Pulau Pangkor (Pangkor Island) is popular among the Malaysians, and the island boasts the charm of a fishing village, coves and sandy beaches, a temple with a miniature imitation of the Great Wall of China, and a Dutch fort. For an exclusive (and expensive) resort getaway, head to Pangkor Laut Island adjacent to the main island.
Belum-Temenggor Rainforest is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world and ecotourism has recently been developed in this area.

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Events and Festivals

Thaipusam - This annual Hindu festival commemorates the birthday of Lord Murugan. Over a million devotees and visitors throng Batu Caves on this eventful celebration, every year.
Chinese New Year - Chinese make up about a quarter of the total population and in honour of the Chinese New Year, Malaysia has declared the first two days as public holidays. In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, a date between 21 January and 20 February.
Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr) - This Muslim festival marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and is celebrated by 60% of the population. The first two days are public holidays, and most people take extra days off to spend time with family and visit relatives and friends.
Mid-Autumn Festival - Alternatively known as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the full moon day (15th day) of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar – usually in September.
Deepavali (or Diwali) - A significant Hindu festival also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar, Deepavali typically falls between mid-October and mid-November.
Christmas - This joyous day is declared a public holiday in Malaysia. Year 2000 census indicates that almost a tenth of the population are Christians.

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Weather

Like most parts of Malaysia, the weather in Perak is hot and humid all year round. Day temperature runs as high as 32 °C to 36 °C, while evening temperature hovers around 25 °C to 28 °C. Monsoons during the months of April to May, and October to December, often bring heavy rain. The annual rainfall of Perak is just over 3,000mm. Taiping is reputed to be the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia, receiving over 4,000mm of rainfall each year.

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Getting There

Sunset in Lumut

By Plane

Perak is served by Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH) in Ipoh. However, it is currently (late 2009) used only by Firely to connect between Ipoh and Singapore. There are talks of reviving air travel in Perak but further development and improvement need to be looked into for it to be viable. There is also a small runway of Pangkor Airport (PKG) to cater for wealthy holiday-makers of Pangkor Laut Resort.

By Train

Perak is connected to the main west-coast rail network in Peninsular Malaysia. Daily service connects Ipoh to northern cities/towns including Butterworth, Alor Setar, Arau and Padang Besar, and to souther cities/towns including Kuala Lumpur, Tampin, Gemas, Johor Bahru and Singapore. The northern route is also connected to Thailand, extending the route all the way to Bangkok. Rail service of this West Coast Line is managed by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad, KTMB (Malayan Railways Limited). Rail travel is not a popular mode of transportation.

By Car

By far the most popular and convenient way to travel to Perak. There is a good road network and the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan) connects Perak to adjacent states and other major cities within relatively short period of time. Driving is conducted on the left side of the road.

By Bus

The network of inter-state buses that links Perak to the other states of Peninsular Malaysia is efficient, fast and relatively cheap. Konsortium Transnasional Berhad operates several leading brands including Transnational and Plusliner fleets of buses.

A peculiarity often seen in bus ticketing in Malaysia for long-haul journeys is the practice of purchasing of tickets with particular (and correct) prices but once on-board, the tickets are swapped with ones with lower values printed on the tickets.

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Getting Around

Dutch Fort, Pangkor, Malaysia

By Train

Rail travel is not a feasible option to travel around the state, and only a small number of towns that lie along the rail network are served by rail.

By Car

Driving is the most convenient mode of transport to explore Perak. Road conditions are excellent and there are good stretches of roads/motorways for double-lane traffic each way. They are also normally well-lit during the night.

Taxis can normally be hired to get from one town to another, even if it's a hundred (or two) kilometres away. A price should be agreed beforehand as there won't be any meters in operation. Many of the taxis may be old and uncomfortable in the heat, particularly if air-conditioning is not available. Therefore, avoid doing such journeys in the afternoon, and instead either take it in the morning or later in the evening.

By Bus

Inter-state buses connect between major towns in Perak and run regularly (e.g. Ipoh-Lumut on a nearly hourly-basis) but public bus transportation within a locality is usually limited or, sadly, non-existant.

By Boat

Visitors looking to visit Pangkor Island and Pangkor Laut Island will have to travel by ferry from the jetty in Lumut. Crossing takes about 30 minutes for the main island, and during periods of local holidays, it may be very crowded.

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Sleep

[Kelantan]] and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. It also shares a north-eastern border with Thailand. The Straits of Malacca lies to the west of the state.

View our map of accommodation in Perak

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Cities / Towns

Ipoh is the capital of the state of Perak and is the fifth largest city in Malaysia.
Kuala Kangsar is a former capital of the state of Perak and the royal town of the Sultanate of Perak.
Taiping is a former capital of the state of Perak and has second largest population in Perak after Ipoh.
Pulau Pangkor (Pangkor Island) is a fishing village with some development of tourism.
The smaller Pulau Pangkor Laut next to Puala Pangkor is an exclusive holiday resort island.
Lumut is the portal to Pangkor and is the home of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

edit

Sights and Activities

Teluk Intan Leaning Tower

Ipoh Railway Station is an impressive building of Moorish architecture and modern embellishment, built in similar style to that of Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Note the Ipoh tree in the garden in front of the station.
The limestone caves around Ipoh house Buddhist temples such as Sam Po Tong ("Cavern of Three Precious"), Perak Tong (Perak Cave) and Kek Lok Tong ("Cavern of Utmost Happiness") in beautiful natural settings. At Perak Tong you can climb to the top of the hill for good views over the surrounding areas.
Masjid Ubudiah (Ubudiah Mosque) is a beautiful Moorish mosque in Kuala Kangsar, designed by the same architect of the Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur Railway Stations.
Perak Royal Mausoleum is located near Masjid Ubudiah and is styled after the architecture of Taj Mahal in India.
Istana Kenangan was converted from a former palace to the current Royal Museum of Perak in the style of traditional Malay house and not a single nail was used in its construction.
Taiping Lake Gardens have been beautifully landscaped from old tin mines and now include a recreational park, a Japanese garden and a zoo (the first in Malaysia).
Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) is a paradise for nature lovers, for this hill station remains relatively unchanged since its time as the residence of British administrators.
A retreat to Pulau Pangkor (Pangkor Island) is popular among the Malaysians, and the island boasts the charm of a fishing village, coves and sandy beaches, a temple with a miniature imitation of the Great Wall of China, and a Dutch fort. For an exclusive (and expensive) resort getaway, head to Pangkor Laut Island adjacent to the main island.
Belum-Temenggor Rainforest is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world and ecotourism has recently been developed in this area.