Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh, Malaysia Guide

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A lovely lakeside spot surrounded by limestone cliffs, Tasik Cermin (translated as ‘Mirror Lake)’ is one of the best places to ‘reflect’ and unwind in Ipoh.

Located a little way out of the city and only accessible on foot via a historic mining tunnel, this is a wonderful waterside spot teeming with wildlife (and the odd tourist!).

Billed as Malaysia’s ‘First Eco Adventure Quarry Park’, the area boasts reflective lakes, colossal cliffs, green scenes galore and incredible landscapes.

From boat ride prices to other things to do nearby, here is our guide to visiting Tasik Cermin in Ipoh, Malaysia.

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Table of Contents

What is and where is Tasik Cermin?

Tasik Cermin is a popular mirror lake and tourist activity located near Gunung Rapat in Ipoh, Perak (in Malaysia).

The mirror lake can only be accessed via a former miner’s tunnel and the water level in the lake is between 30 to 60 feet deep (so best not to fall in!).

The best way to enjoy and get up close to Mirror Lake is via a boat ride with a guide.

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History of Tasik Cermin in Ipoh

Once an industrial mining site, Tasik Cermin has been transformed in recent years to one of Ipoh’s most popular tourist attractions (and a brilliant beauty spot).

The quarry here was once one of Malaysia’s biggest limestone areas, used by construction companies for building materials.

In the 1900s, Hakka Chinese Miners excavated a huge tunnel to extract iron ore (which is now used to access the lake – a rather cool way to arrive!)

Miners Tunnel Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh

Mirror Lake was formed when a collapsed cave roof formed a sinkhole which then filled with water due to the iron ore mining activities in the past.

After years of erosion and water pollution that damaged the fragile habitat here, the Perak State Government looked to clean up the area and the result is Tasik Cermin, now one of Ipoh’s most popular attractions.

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Tasik Cermin admission prices and Mirror Lake boat ride prices

The admission price for Tasik Cermin and Mirror Lake is:
5 MYR for foreign adults
4 MYR for Malaysian adults

It is free admission for people with disabilities or children with a height of below 90cm.

Mirror lake boat prices at Tasik Cermin cost:

25 MYR: adults and children over 13 years old
18 MYR: children 12 years or below

Tasik Cermin Admission Prices and Mirror Lake boat ride ticket prices are correct as of December 2023.

ticket Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh

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Tasik Cermin opening times

Tasik Cermin is open daily from 9am to 6pm 7 days a week.

Public holiday opening times may differ.

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How to get to Tasik Cermin in Ipoh/ parking

Around a 20 minute drive from Ipoh’s old Town, the best way to get to Tasmin Cerik is by car or Grab taxi – there is no public transport to Tasmin Cerak.

A Grab taxi to Tasik Cermin from Ipoh old town or Ipoh train station will cost around 10 MYR (although prices may slightly vary depending on time of day and location).

There is a large parking lot at Tasik Cermin which has free parking. Note the road to Tasik Cermin from the highway is a dust track part of the way so be careful if you have a hire car.

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Entering Tasik Cermin via the miner’s tunnel

Atmospheric and pretty unique, the only way to access Tasik Cermin Mirror Lake is via a short walk through the 90 metre long ‘Miner’s Tunnel’.

it is now an easy and well lit underground walk to the lake (it takes less than 1 minute to walk through it).

It was blasted through at the start of the 20th century and used to have a railway line within it to transport out the iron ore that was extracted from the mine (where the lake now is).

The mining techniques to create the Miners Tunnel included blasting and manual extraction, which used TNT for removing rocks and manual, backbreaking pick-axe work to remove the iron ore.

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Mirror Lake

The pictures you’ll see online of Mirror Lake in Ipoh do not do it justice – it is one of those natural wonders that needs to be seen with your own eyes.

As you emerge from the Miner’s Tunnel, your eyes adjust to an incredible vast lake with mirrored reflections surrounded by limestone cliffs – almost like a wall of green.

For the best views, head out onto the there is a small standing area and jetty which you can go onto for photos and to get a picture of the lake.

To the left, there is a small area where you can touch the limestone cliffs. One of the Tasik Cermin staff also told us it was also the perfect spot to to photograph the lake with the full ‘mirror effect’.

The boat rides also add to the ripple and reflection effect as they pass by – a sublime and serene setting.

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Boat rides on Mirror Lake

Boat rides on Mirror Lake cost 25 MYR (including life jacket hire) and last 20 minutes.

A member of the Tasik Cermin team will accompany you on the boat and take you around the entire lake pointing out interesting spots and also tell you the history of Mirror Lake.

boat ride sign Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh

This is a unique photo opportunity including natural beauty spots such as Limestone Hill Watch and the lakeside trail plus the boat operator will even take photos of you (and possibly let you have a go with the paddles).

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The best time to visit Tasik Cermin and Mirror Lake

Given the reflections on the lake and how busy it is in the afternoons, the best time to visit Tasik Cermin is first thing in the morning (before 10.30am) when the reflections are at their greatest – that said, it is genuinely worth visiting any time of day.

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Other attractions at Tasmin Cerak

Tasmin Cerak isn’t just the Mirror Lake or Miner’s Tunnel. Other things to do and see include:

Tasik Cermin 2 (vs Tasik Cermin 1)

When we first started looking into things to do in Ipoh, we were a little confused when we saw Tasik Cermin on the map and Tasmin Cerak 2 immediately next door.

Tasmin Cerak 2 AKA Hidden World is a 120 metre long water tunnel surrounded by limestone cliffs that was only discovered a couple of years ago – here you can also take a boat tour on the lake.

Of the two, Tasik Cermin 1 is more popular than Tasik Cermin 2 (you only need to visit the one).

Rocky Sky Ladder Rainbow stairs

Just outside the main entrance, there is a quirky photo opportunity called the Rocky Sky Ladder.

This is a set of free-standing iron rainbow stairs that seemingly go up towards the hills, which makes a great group photo opportunity.

rocky sky ladder Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh

Balloon House

New for 2023 and like a scene from the Pixar Movie ‘Up’, you can pose / sit in a brightly coloured house seemingly attached to balloons (don’t worry, they are all fake so you won’t fly off!)

Monkey Swing Playground

Purely for the little ‘uns, this is a tiny playground by the main entrance that is free to use with several small swings.

Nature Walks

There are several hikes and walks you can do in the local area directly accessible from the Tasik Cermin car-park including Rocky Walk (famous for its paraboea plantation) and Panther Valley (where you can also do abseiling).

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Wildlife at Tasik Cermin / Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake has lots of wildlife to enjoy; Tasik Cermin is known to be a great spot to see wild birds such as eagles, owls and woodpeckers.

turtle sign Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) in Ipoh

As well as fish in the lake, you may also see monkeys. Although on our visit to Tasik Cermin, we never saw any monkeys – we did see them at Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village and Kek Lok Tong temple though.

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Food and drink at Tasik Cermin

There are several food and drink options at Tasik Cermin including cafes, a cold drink and ice-cream shop by the main entrance plus vending machines.

The two food and drink restaurants with seating and cover at Tasik Cermin are called Tasik Cermin Kopitiam and STG. Deli and Cafe.

There is also a small cafe by Tasik Cermin 2 called Kafe Lake View.

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Other things to know about Tasik Cermin

There is no swimming allowed at Ipoh’s Mirror Lake / Tasik Cermin, to preserve its delicate ecosystem. In fact, Tasmin Cermin closed for a short while in 2021 / 2022 after a tourist jumped in and shared a social video – authorities investigated before reopening the lake several weeks later.
Tasik Cermin sometimes shuts unexpectedly when the water levels are high or there are impending floods.

Is Tasik Cermin worth it? / summary

Absolutely one of the most memorable attractions in Ipoh in a serene setting, we would definitely recommend visiting Tasik Cermin to see the reflections on Mirror Lake or take a boat ride and see the limestone cliffs up close.

At only 8 MYR admission fee, it is worth it just to walk through the Miner’s Tunnel alone – keep an eye out for wildlife and try to combine with the nearby temples and Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village (more on this in a moment).

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Tasik Cermin address

Tasik Cermin, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Other things to do Near Tasik Cermin

There are several other Ipoh attractions near to Tasik Cermin including:

Sam Poh Tong

Sam Poh Tong is Ipoh’s oldest cave temple, located a short drive from Tasik Cermin

The small temple started out as the humble home of a Buddhist monk in 1890 before the main temple and lodgings were constructed by other monks in the 1950s.

As well as a small cave temple, there is a beautiful pond with koi carp out front and several sublime pagodas and incredible ornate places of worship

Sam Poh Tong temple in Ipoh is free to visit and within walking distance of several other famous Ipoh temples.

Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village

A vintage village built amongst limestone cliffs and huge lakes, Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village transports you back in time with historic building recreations and a literal ‘memory lane’. It is around a 5 minute Grab taxi / car ride from Tasik Cermin

As well as museum style buildings surrounding the lake, there are lots of fish and turtles in the water plus you can cycle around the site on a four person cycle / rickshaw (much fun!).

One of the highlights is taking the stairs up the hill into the cliffs to visit the memory lane section – a series of old school buildings (think recreations of bakeries, barbers, petrol stations etc) along a rocky gorge – quite surreal but also superb!

Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 5pm and costs 20 MYR per foreign visitor which includes bicycle hire – prices correct as of December 2023.

Where to stay in Ipoh, Malaysia

M Boutique Hotel

This is where we stayed in Ipoh. It is around a 5-10 minute walk from the old town but the rooms are huge here plus the interior decor is quite quirky, especially the reception area.

Each floor is themed and there is also a free laundry onsite – a Grab taxi from here to the old town is only 5 MYR.

Check rates and availability on Booking.com or Klook.

Brick Box Ipoh

A 3* hotel built in 2016 in the heart of Ipoh old town; rooms are modern with red brick walls and flat screen TVs. Check rates and availability for Brick Box Ipoh >

Cititel Express Ipoh

Located on the river and a short walk into Ipoh old town, the Cititel Express Ipoh is a 3* hotel with great views of downtown. Check rates and availability for Cititel Express Ipoh >