Taiping Things to Do

Taiping has many first in Perak, including the first post office.

The postal system is now privatized under "POS MALAYSIA".

It is a one-stop where you can pay your water bills, renew your driving license or open a government mutual trust fund.

If you are sending parcel or buying stamp, there is a separate dedicated counter. For all the other services, there is queueing electronic system where you press for a number and wait for your number to be displayed it is your turn.

Of course, I took the opportunity to send a postcard from this post office.

This is an older mosque with a tourist plaque enshrining its conservation heritage status.

There is an interesting opening at the main facade into the sky like a Mexican Catholic church.

Behind the mosque, from the road, you can see the traditonal Muslim tombs.

There are many mosques throughout Taiping, this one is the main official mosque.

It is definitely the largest and impressive with moorish and modern motifs.

Located right at the end of Jalan Panggung Wayang, it is busy especially for Friday afternoons. You will Muslim men with many wearing "songkok" over their heads and trational Malay outfit "Baju Melayu"

If you are at Taiping town, you can also consider exploring nearby attractions such as the town of Ipoh, Cameron Highlands (see my VT Cameron Highlands page) or the beautiful island of Penang which is famous for its beautiful scenery, beaches, architecture and very delicious food. VT member slliew has lots of great tips and photos of Penang (including pages of various locations in Penang), so do drop by and visit if you are interested :)

Taiping is kid-friendly with the zoo, museum, hill jeep, running streams for swimming and the many children playgrounds.

There are two popular playgrounds at Taiping Lake, one outside the Zoo and the other at the entrance of Taiping Lake from town.

I still remember two giant wide slides made of concrete that are still there after decades. It is a lot of fun for kids. Just remember to keep an eye on the sky because rain drops can fall anytime and so often in Taiping.

While you are taking photos of Taiping Clock Tower, you may as well drop in the Tourist Information Center housed inside the tower building.

You can gather information about Taiping tourist attraction, including going up and staying at Maxwell Hills (Bukit Larut) or a map for a walking trail.

There are many historic and colonial artefacts including a beautiful red telephone booth that was a "standard" across the colonies of the Imperial British Empire.

The Clock Tower of Taiping is the iconic landmark building of the town. It was under threat before being conserved as an important history of Taiping colorful past.

Located in the middle of town on the major road "Jalan Kota", it is hard to miss.

The rest of the building has been demolished but it used to be a police station and fire station. Now the clock tower section is used as an information center.

Taiping downtown is a collection of pre-war houses many dated back to early 20th century. Most of the buildings are two storey and you will find the town with a lot of old world charm.

It is grid formation with Jalan Kota and Jalan Panggung Wayang being the major parallel roads.

It easy to drive around within 15 minutes. There are ample parking with coin slot meter. Once you have a general overview, I suggest that you park your car and walk around. Use the five foot ways of the shops for shade and general walking safety.

Jalan Kota is the main drag and will lead towards the Taiping Lake Gardens.