What beauty does Perak Museum hold? Find out here!
Whenever someone asks us to recommend a place interesting to go in Taiping, we always answer with the Perak Museum.
We think it’s one of the best things to do in Perak, as it offers the right balance of fun and history—it also served as a great first date spot for me, but I digress.
We love visiting the Perak Museum and seeing its thousands of historic artefacts on display, as it always teaches us something new about the state. So if you’re looking to enjoy the same experience, we’ve got just the thing for you!
We’ve curated a guide below consisting of its most important info to help you plan your trip to this historic museum. We’ve also included some of our favourite places to eat and visit in the area to make sure that you experience the complete package based on our previous trips!
Best Time to Go
The best time to go to Perak Museum entirely depends on what you want to get out of your experience. We love planning our visits during the weekdays so that we can avoid the crowds because trust us, the museum can get packed during the weekends and public holidays.
If you have no other time but the weekends, however, we recommend visiting early in the morning or just before the gates close. You will encounter other visitors, but it won’t be as packed.
As far as the weather goes, you won’t have to worry too much, as it’s mostly an indoor attraction. But if you’re planning other places in Perak (which you should), it’s always a safe bet to visit between June and September, as it offers the best weather conditions.
Things to Know
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (Check the current exchange rate)
Language: Malay, English
Calling Code: +60
Address: Jalan Taming Sari, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-807 2057
Website: https://www.taiping.my/places/taiping/attractions/perak-museum/
Conservation fee:
- Malaysian:
- Adults, children aged 12 years and above: RM2
- Children 6 to 12 years old: Free
- Senior citizens, people with disabilities: RM1
- Students in uniform: Free
- Non-Malaysian:
- Adults, children aged 12 years and above: RM2
- Children 6 to 12 years old: Free
- Senior citizens, people with disabilities: RM1
- Students in uniform: Free
Operating hours: Daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
How to Get There
Bus: If you want to save money on your trip, we recommend riding the bus. The closest bus stop is Galeria Perbandaran Taiping, and from there, you can easily walk towards Perak Museum.
Plane: Taxis are everywhere in Taiping, so you won’t have to worry about hailing one going to the museum. If you’re in the city centre, a taxi ride to the museum would only take you a couple of minutes.
Car: You can also rent a car if you prefer to be in charge of your trip and if you want to provide yourself and your family with top-notch comfort and convenience. This is our favourite way of getting to the museum, as it lets us make all the stopovers we want in Perak.
Where to Stay near Perak Museum
Novotel Taiping Perak
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Address: 1, Jalan Tupai, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-820 8288
Pricing: $$-$$$
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A lot of people will argue that Novotel is the best place to stay in Perak, and it’s not hard to justify that claim! It’s a 4-star hotel that comes with everything you can expect from a bougie place like this, from lavish interiors to premium rooms and an abundance of facilities.
These rooms will make you feel like you’re staying in a palace, with its spacious area, luxurious amenities and of course, huge comfy beds. Furthermore, you’ll also get an unobstructed view of Taiping from the comfort of your room, especially if you’re on the upper floors!
As foodies ourselves, we love this hotel because it features an amazing in-house restaurant that serves a wide selection of dishes from different cuisines. Oh, we forgot to mention, they also have a beautiful outdoor pool where you can relax and admire the surrounding lush greenery.
Hotel Grand Baron, Taiping
Address: 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-807 9222
Pricing: $$
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Hotel Grand Baron is one of the most beautiful hotels in the city too, but it’s not just a looker! It’s a great option if you’re looking to be spoiled with lavish rooms and facilities during your trip to Taiping.
The rooms featured here are as modern as they can get, featuring air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi—the works. They’re quite spacious as well, which is true even for the cheaper rooms, making them perfect for families and friend groups.
It also comes with a handful of facilities including a beautiful outdoor pool, a fitness centre and an upcoming sauna that’s in construction at the time of writing. Lastly, it also features an amazing restaurant that features one of the most impressive buffet spreads we’ve seen!
Flemington Hotel
Address: 1, Jalan Samanea Saman, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-820 7777
Pricing: $$
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Flemington Hotel offers some of the best bang-for-your-buck rooms in Taiping. They’re big, modernly designed, equipped with amenities like air conditioning, TVs and Wi-Fi, and best of all, they won’t burn a hole in your pocket!
Its location is also worth highlighting as it’s nestled in a lake garden, providing its guests with beautiful panoramic views right outside their rooms. Plus, it sits in the heart of the city, so it won’t be a hassle to get to other points of interest.
Lastly, the hotel also comes with a picturesque pool where guests can cool down while taking in the majestic views of the lake garden.
Legend Inn Taiping
Address: 2, Jalan Long Jaafar, Kampung Jambu, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-806 0000
Pricing: $
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If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, then you should check out Legend Inn Taiping. They offer well-maintained rooms for a fraction of the price of what you’d have to spend with other hotels in the same prime location.
Speaking of prime location, this hotel is also a short walk away from some of the best attractions that Taiping has to offer!
Don’t be fooled by the low rates of these rooms too, as their quality is anything but cheap! They’re well maintained, spacious and most importantly, comfortable—perfect for backpackers who’ll mostly spend their time outside their hotels.
Hotel Seri Malaysia Taiping
Address: Jln Sultan Mansor, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-806 9502
Pricing: $
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Hotel Seri Malaysia Taiping is perfect for those times when you don’t want to overspend on accommodation but still want to stay in a premium space. You won’t find anything fancy with their rooms, but they are more than capable of becoming your temporary home.
Also, the hotel, from the facade down to the individual rooms, is modernly designed and features this cosy atmosphere that we absolutely adore.
One of our favourite things about this place, however, is its in-house restaurant, as it features a great buffet spread that serves an impressive array of local delicacies. If you’re not feeling the food here, don’t worry because the hotel is conveniently located near other restaurants!
Where to Eat near Perak Museum
Uncle Don’s
Address: 229, Lorong Tupai, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 14-369 5924
Pricing: $$
Website
You can never go wrong with Uncle Don’s, as it features one of the most varied menus we’ve seen in Taiping. So whether you have picky eaters in your group or you can’t decide on which cuisine to eat, consider stopping by this beloved Malay restaurant!
For instance, if you’re craving Western favourites, you can order their scrumptious steak, ribs and fries. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to taste the best that Malay cuisine has to offer, you can also try their spin on the country’s national dish, nasi lemak.
Uncle Don’s is also a great option for nightlife, as you can also order a nice cold pint! This cold and freshly brewed beer, along with one of their delicious dishes like wings and nachos is a match made in heaven!
Nasi Kandar Beratur 786 @Taiping
Address: No.2 Commersial Centre (TTCC off, Jalan Pekeliling, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 16-406 8786
Pricing: $
Website
Nasi Kandar Beratur 786 is one of our go-to restaurants in Malaysia for those meals when we’re sure that we’ll unbuckle our belts afterwards. This is because they offer an impressive all-you-can-eat dining experience that features all the Malay cuisine staples.
It’s up to you how you’ll stack your plate! They serve fried chicken, curries, nasi biryani, ayam goreng and more.
If you want our advice, however, we recommend going for the fried chicken! They’ve perfected this recipe for quite some time now, from the crispy texture of the skin to the juicy and tender meat inside, everything is nailed to perfection.
Station FMS Taiping
Address: Station fms, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 16-550 6441
Pricing: $
Website
Station FMS Taiping should be on your radar if you want to taste authentic Malay dishes. In true Malaysian fashion, the prices they charge for these delicious homemade dishes are dirt cheap—talk about value for money!
Station FMS Taiping isn’t also a single restaurant but instead a full-blown food court. So if you’re looking for variety or if you can’t decide on what food to eat, then this is one of the best places to check out!
The dishes served here range from Malaysia’s best street foods such as satay to cuisine staples like laksa and nasi lemak!
Raintree Kitchen Restaurant
Address: Taiping Sentral Mall, Jalan Istana Larut, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 11-5771 7523
Pricing: $$
Website
Raintree Kitchen Restaurant was a spot we discovered when we were once craving authentic dim sum one late night. Safe to say we got more than we bargained for when we entered their doors and were greeted by a vast array of Nyonya, Chinese and Western dishes.
With this kind of variety, you can essentially travel to different countries just by tasting their respective dishes! For instance, you can try nasi kerabu, if you want to be immersed in Malay culture, but you can also order their dim sum for a nice slice of Chinese cuisine.
They also offer amazing desserts so you can end your meal on a sweet note. You can order based on what you’re feeling that day but if you want our advice, we recommend their banana split, which comes complete with three scoops of ice cream and chocolates!
MJ’s Cuisine
Address: 36A, Jalan Kota, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 10-379 8423
Pricing: $$
Website
If you’re looking for a mix of local and Western dishes, one of the best things you can do is dine at MJ’s Cuisine. This contemporary restaurant offers the best of both worlds and fortunately, they excel in both!
One of their bestsellers is the Hainanese chicken chop and we can easily see why, with its overly juicy and flavourful meat. Furthermore, they also serve a delicious version of fish and chips, which is served alongside a generous serving of homemade tartar sauce—yum!
This place is also a haven for meat lovers, as they offer a mean version of pork ribs, marinated in their homemade barbeque sauce. If you feel guilty for eating this huge slab of meat, don’t worry because it’s served alongside a nice house salad.
What to Do in Perak Museum
Explore the jungle at the Nature Gallery
The Nature Gallery is one of the four galleries inside the museum that’s often flooded with tourists of all ages. We can’t blame them though, as it houses some unique displays, most notably, skeletons from animals such as elephants, tigers and more.
This gallery also features an immersive jungle-themed diorama where you can find impressive taxidermy displays of animals like monkeys and birds. Think of it as a zoo but with super realistic stuffed animals.
Admire traditional handicrafts at the Cultural Gallery
The Cultural Gallery features some of the most colourful and interesting artefacts in the entire museum. As you may have gleaned from its name, this is the place to go if you want to learn more about the country’s rich culture.
It’s here where you’ll find some of Malaysia’s best handicrafts on full display, including Perak’s famous woven bamboo items such as hats and trays. The highlight of this gallery, however, has got to be the mannequins wearing vibrant costumes that are used in traditional Malay weddings.
Familiarise yourself with the Orang Asli community
The Indigenous Gallery is the third and final permanent installation in the museum and it mostly focuses on the Orang Asli community. From their lifestyle to their physical characteristics and more, you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with just about everything about these people.
This is, of course, thanks to the various items on display, which range from traditional masks to various pots and utensils that are entirely made out of clay and other earthen materials.
Find out what’s new at the Temporary Gallery
The Temporary Gallery is mainly used to display unseen exhibits that the museum has stockpiled somewhere. It’s constantly refreshed with various displays, so it’s always a treat to come back here from time to time to discover something new.
Check out the vintage car collection
Car enthusiasts will also get a kick out of Perak Museum, as it houses one of the most impressive vintage car collections in all of Malaysia. The collection is a bit hidden, as it’s located on the basement level so be sure not to miss it during your visit!
Some of the best models you’ll find here include a couple of Rolls Royces, dating from the 60s and the 70s, an Alvis TD21 Tourer from 1960 and more!
The oldest model in this “showroom” would be the 1930s Bedford Lorry, which is a car used as a hearse by the Taiping Muslim Community Association.
Shop for souvenirs at the gift shop
A trip to this museum won’t be complete without stopping by its gift shops! It’s the perfect way to cap off an insightful adventure in the museum, as you’ll get to bring home some pieces of memorabilia to remember your trip, from t-shirts to keychains, stuffed animals and more.
Admire the beautiful architecture of the museum
One of our favourite things about the Perak Museum is that you don’t even have to enter the building to find something to admire. The exterior of this museum is an attraction in itself, with its beautiful all-white facade.
You don’t have to be a fan of architecture to appreciate a magnificent building such as this as well! It’s just impressive to see how the first and oldest museum in the country still stands to this day, with all its Victorian and Moorish design influences intact.
Take tons of photos
You can’t leave the museum without taking photos to capture the beautiful moments you’ll experience inside or outside the building. Speaking of outside, be sure not to miss out on taking a photo by the old Air Force jet fighter!
Other attractions you’ll find here include a carriage of the Perak State Railway Company and an old anchor that came straight out of the Straits of Malacca.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Explore Taiping Lake Gardens
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It would be a straight-up crime not to visit Taiping Lake Gardens during your time in the city. This 64-hectare public garden leaves plenty of interesting things to discover and activities to try!
Here, you’ll be surrounded by panoramic views of lush greenery as well as a calm lake. This paradise serves as a haven for interesting wildlife including the black-capped kingfisher, Chinese sparrowhawk and more.
Observe majestic animals at the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari
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If the stuffed animals in Perak Museum left you wanting to observe beautiful living creatures, then a trip to the nearby Taiping Zoo would be the best action. This is a great destination, especially if you have kids, as they’ll surely be in awe of the various animals on display here.
There are over a thousand animals housed inside this zoological park, ranging from reptiles to mammals, birds and anything in between. All of these creatures are amazing to witness up close, but our favourite one is undoubtedly the elusive Malayan tiger.
Apps to Download for a Trip to Perak Museum
Travel Malaysia: A pocket travel guide to Malaysia
iOs | Android
Maps.me: Offline map of the world
iOs | Android
XE Currency App: Real-time currency exchange rate app
iOs | Android
Grab: Ride-hailing app of Southeast Asia
iOs | Android
Google Translate: word translation with offline capabilities
iOs | Android
CatchThatBus: Bus ticket booking app
iOs