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The KL–Penang drive, and why we always stop in IpohPemanduan KL–Penang, dan kenapa kami selalu singgah Ipoh
Everyone races up the highway to Penang. Break the drive in Ipoh and the whole trip gets better — here's how we do it.Semua orang meluru ke Penang di lebuh raya. Pecahkan perjalanan di Ipoh dan seluruh trip jadi lebih baik — inilah caranya.
20 Jul 2026 · 6 min readmin baca
The drive from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is about 355 km up the North–South Expressway — four hours and a bit if the traffic behaves, longer if it doesn't. For years we did it in one straight shot, arrived on the island frazzled, and spent the first evening recovering instead of eating. Then we started stopping in Ipoh, and now we can't imagine the drive any other way.
Ipoh sits almost exactly at the halfway mark, which makes it the obvious place to break the journey. But it's not just convenient — it's genuinely one of the best food towns in the country, and pulling off the highway for a couple of hours turns a slog into two small trips.
When to leave
Leave KL early — before 8am if you can. You beat the worst of the Klang Valley traffic getting onto the highway, you reach Ipoh for an early lunch, and you roll into Penang with the afternoon still ahead of you. Leaving at 10am instead of 7am can genuinely cost you two hours once the weekend crowds build.
What to do with two hours in Ipoh
Park in the old town and walk. Get a white coffee where it was invented, a plate of the bean sprouts and chicken everyone raves about, and a wander past the heritage shophouses before you get back on the road. If you've got longer, the cave temples on the edge of town are worth the small detour and half-empty on a weekday.
Fill up here too. Fuel is the same regulated price nationwide, but Ipoh's stations are an easy stop right off the highway, and you'd rather top up mid-drive than hunt for a pump tired at the other end.
By the time you reach Penang you've eaten well, stretched your legs, and you're ready for George Town instead of ready for bed. Punch your exact route and car into the trip calculator before you go and you'll know the petrol and toll to the ringgit — it's rarely as much as people expect.
Pemanduan dari Kuala Lumpur ke Penang kira-kira 355 km di Lebuh Raya Utara–Selatan — empat jam lebih jika trafik baik, lebih lama jika tidak. Bertahun-tahun kami buat sekali jalan, sampai di pulau dalam keadaan penat, dan habiskan petang pertama untuk berehat dan bukan makan. Kemudian kami mula singgah Ipoh, dan sekarang kami tak boleh bayangkan pemanduan dengan cara lain.
Ipoh terletak hampir tepat di tengah jalan, menjadikannya tempat yang jelas untuk memecahkan perjalanan. Tetapi bukan sekadar mudah — ia benar-benar antara bandar makanan terbaik di negara ini.
Bila nak bertolak
Bertolak dari KL awal — sebelum 8 pagi jika boleh. Anda elak trafik Lembah Klang paling teruk untuk naik lebuh raya, sampai Ipoh untuk makan tengah hari awal, dan tiba di Penang dengan petang masih ada. Bertolak 10 pagi berbanding 7 pagi boleh makan dua jam bila orang ramai hujung minggu bertambah.
Apa nak buat dengan dua jam di Ipoh
Letak kereta di pekan lama dan berjalan. Dapatkan kopi putih di tempat ia dicipta, sepinggan tauge dan ayam yang semua orang puji, dan jalan-jalan melalui rumah kedai warisan sebelum sambung perjalanan. Jika ada masa lebih, kuil gua di pinggir bandar berbaloi detour kecil dan separuh kosong pada hari biasa.
Isi minyak di sini juga. Harga minyak sama di seluruh negara, tetapi stesen Ipoh hentian mudah betul-betul di tepi lebuh raya.
Menjelang tiba di Penang anda sudah makan sedap, regangkan kaki, dan bersedia untuk George Town dan bukan bersedia untuk tidur. Masukkan laluan dan kereta anda ke dalam kalkulator perjalanan sebelum pergi dan anda akan tahu kos petrol serta tol hingga ke ringgit.
