Ipoh looks like a short getaway destination from Kuala Lumpur. It is easily accessible and not far so it could very well be visited on a weekend. That is why I decided to go from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh.
Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh by bus
To go from Kula Lumpur to Ipoh I decided to go by bus which took about 3h15 and cost 22,4 ringgit. I didn’t buy my ticket online, but you can do so HERE!
I went straight to Kuala Lumpur Bus Station TBS by LRT to Bandar Tasik Selatan. This is a very easy bus station to access by public transport from Kuala Lumpur city center. The bus station is very big with many different companies and destinations. It has 7-eleven and several places where to eat based inside.
Once in Ipoh, you can also reach the city center by public bus, or you can find other options as it is a big bus station. Unlike many other Southeast Asian destinations where once you set foot off the bus you will be approached by many guys selling their services, here it didn’t happen. Nobody seemed to care about me.
Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur by train
To go back from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur I decided to go by train. The train station was very near my hostel, unlike the bus station, so I would end up saving the time to go all the way to the Ipoh bus station and the money too, even though the train ticket is more expensive.
To go from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur took about 2h30 and cost 36 ringgit. Here the trains are not like the typical Southeast Asian trains I really like to ride. The train has AC and arrived on time! Amazing. This was definitely “the best” train I have ridden while traveling in Southeast Asia so far.
That isn’t necessarily exciting as I like to feel the wind on my face and the fun of being on one of those very old trains. So, this train trip was boring and very comfortable. I could be in Europe at that moment, which was not my thing haha. It was the fastest train in Southeast Asia so far, reaching speeds higher than 150km/h.
But overall Malaysia gives me a European feeling anyway. It is way cleaner than Vietnam, much more organized and quiet, pretty normal, and not overwhelming like Vietnam is.
Anyway, the train offers a fast solution to get back from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur and that was what I was looking for. It will stop at Kuala Lumpur train station, so easily accessible too.
You can read about the places I visited in Ipoh HERE!