Ipoh Shopping and Districts

(Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia)



Shopping opportunities in Ipoh are better than visitors might expect and include a number of air-conditioned malls and centres. The city is the main shopping destination for the entire state and, as well as the malls, hosts regular day and night markets offering irresistible bargains.

Prices for just about everything in Ipoh are less than in the rest of Malaysia, especially in the markets, where bargaining is de rigeur. Most of the malls are located in and around the central area of the New City, across the river from the historic Old Town and its attractions.


When to Shop and Where

From functional to fashionable, you will find it in Ipoh's shopping malls. The Kinta Shopping Centre on the Jaya Jusco has two floors of shops, restaurants and fast-food joints as well as an amusement centre. The Greentown Mall is a one-stop venue including its own huge supermarket, while the most popular mall is the five-floor Ipoh Parade with its upscale boutiques, lifestyle products and an entire floor given over to eateries, pubs, fast foods, a bowling alley and a Cineplex.

Local markets are great for all kinds of shopping, as well as people-watching. Ipoh's night markets, (pasar malam), are set up in a different area of the city each night of the week and provide everything from clothes, toys, souvenirs and household goods to groceries and foodstuffs. Ipoh's famed street hawkers sell snacks and suppers in a bag, freshly made and delicious.

For collectors and gift-hunters, the Memory Lane flea market kicks off every Sunday on the Jalan Lim Bo Seng, selling antiques, repro copies and locally made souvenirs. Pottery, carvings, textiles and other local handicrafts are popular. Of note, most shopping malls in Ipoh open at 10:00 and stay open until 20:00, and the night markets set up around 18:00.

Individual shops and stores close earlier. For those few who really can't find what they want here, Kuala Lumpur is just a two-hour drive away.