Kampar combines an industrial past with a picturesque setting in the Kinta Valley. The town was founded in the 1880s and quickly grew into a tin mining hub. Stroll along streets lined with traditional Chinese shophouses and visit a museum dedicated to the local tin mining industry. Get your pulse racing with whitewater rafting and caving in the nearby town of Gopeng.
Things to do in Kampar
Traditional Chinese shophouses line Jalan Gopeng and Jalan Idris, two of the town’s prettiest streets. Some are reimagined as cafes and others house restaurants where you can try local specialties like fish ball noodle soup, claypot chicken rice and “ham kok chai” vegetable dumplings. You’ll see “min pau kai” chicken curry buns sold across the town. Locals love the fluffy brown bread and spicy sauce.
Learn about the town’s industrious past at the Kinta Tin Mining Gravel Pump Museum. Exhibits introduce you to different tin mining techniques used in the Kinta Valley. Colourful dioramas explore what life was like for workers at the tin mines. Many of the former tin mines around Kampar are filled with water and repurposed as fishing lakes. Cast a line and reel in freshwater species like kaloi, ketutu and tongsan.
Strap on a helmet and join a whitewater rafting expedition along the Kampar River. Tours depart from the nearby town of Gopeng, where you’ll find a handful of cafes and restaurants. Gopeng is also a gateway to Gua Tempurung, one of the largest caves in Malaysia. The ceiling in one of the biggest chambers is more than 70 metres high. This is a true adventure experience - you’ll need to wade through waist-high water to access some caverns.
Getting around Kampar
Parts of Kampar are pedestrian-friendly and easy to get around on foot, while taxis are a fast and comfortable way to get from A to B. Local buses connect Kampar with nearby towns and cities. There are also long-distance buses to major travel hubs like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Butterworth. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is a three-hour drive away.