Ipoh Off The Beaten Path Tips by Wild_Orchid Top 5 Page for this destination

Visit a Traditional Medicine Shop

One of the nice things to do when in Ipoh is to check out the traditional Chinese Medicine shops. While you can find these herbal and traditional medicine shops throughout Malaysia, many of the older ones have ceased operations or have been coverted to more modern Pharmacies.

In Ipoh, however, I noticed that many traditional Chinese medicine shops continue to ply their trade. Perhaps it is because there is a large enough population of retirees here or simply because of tradition. I'm not sure.

When you visit the shop, just tell the Chinese sinseh about your complaint, and he may check your pulse and ask you a few more questions, before prescribing something for your health.

Traditional herbs are not used only for medicinal purposes but also in cooking (such as herbal chicken soups). Among the better known herbs are ginseng (only to be drunk when you are feeling robust and in good health), dong kwai (for women's ailments and well being), gei ji etc.

Although it takes a while to boil up the concoction, I always do enjoy drinking herbal concoctions for coughs, colds and other general ailments. The herbs are aromatic and generally improve your sense of well-being. I guess the taste is an acquired taste-they can be bitter, lightly sweet, bland, or with a hint of tanginess- but I certainly do like it.

To get the most out of your visit, you would need to bring along a Chinese speaking friend. Having said that, most Ipoh folks are well-educated and do speak good English.