Tasik Cermin – What Else Is There Besides The Famous Mirror Lake?

Ipoh’s most famous lake, Tasik Cermin used to be a hidden gem. But has it lost its charm with the recent development to transform it into a proper tourist attraction?

How much does it cost to visit this place? And is it worth it? What can you do here that is unique?

We’ve got the answers (and a lot of photos) right here in this post!

Tasik Cermin 1

This is the original site that made Tasik Cermin a viral photo stop. Back then, you needed to drive into and park in an active quarry and walk through a dark tunnel.

At the other side of the tunnel is a small, rusty deck to view the lake. When the water is still, the lake reflects a perfect reflection of the limestone hills around it.

Today, this viewing platform has been reinforced and expanded. But it is sealed off from the public and the only way to it is still the tunnel.

The tunnel is now lit but you can’t go through it (or see the lake) without first paying entrance fees.

It costs RM4 per adult (Malaysians must show their identity cards) to enter the tunnel and access the deck. There are boat rides that will take you around the lake and these cost RM25 per adult.

Pricing for accessing the tunnel at Mirror Lake 1:

*Children: below 90cm

Pricing for boat rides:

**Children: 12 years old and below

So, if you’re planning to see the lake and take a boat ride, it will cost RM29 per person (for Malaysians).

We recommend visiting Tasik Cermin 1 in the early morning (it opens at 9am) before the sun shows up over the hills. By then, the deck is very exposed and harsh lighting will make it difficult (and uncomfortable) for photo-taking.

The lake is small but mainly untouched. There is a lot of greenery around. And there are a lot of fish in the lake and the water is clear at the edges.

There are seats on the deck but not much else. If you’re not going for the boat rides, you’ll probably only need a few minutes to take some photos here.

Tasik Cermin 2 – HIDDEN WORLD

This second lake was made public much later than the first one. It is closer to the entrance, but it can’t fully be seen without taking the boats. The fees are also RM25 per adult.

Pricing for boat rides:

**Children: 12 years old and below

What you can see from the main access road is a new café (managed by the STG group) on a viewing platform that sits over a small part of the lake. Next to the café is the dock where the ticket counter and life jackets are.

Note: And there’s a new building across from this dock that looks like it would be suitable for market stalls;

The boats (or rather inflatable rafts) are powered by car batteries. Staff only take people to the lake in small groups. To enter the lake, the boats will go through a long tunnel first.

Depending on the water level, the tunnel ceiling can seem very low or high. Sometimes, the boats can’t enter at all.

During our visit, the water level was quite high. We needed to duck for most of the tunnel. The manmade tunnel was originally here before they started developing this lake for tourism.

This was what our boat guide told our group of 6. He used a flashlight to explain some facts about the pitch-black tunnel as we went in.

On the other side, lake is stunning. It’s very peaceful here too (partly thanks to the quiet boat motor and the fact that there was only our boat).

The guide gave us plenty of time to admire the scenery while he brought the boat around the lake.

Note: Since we came around 10am, there was still some breeze, and the lake was still shielded from the sun.

At certain points, he shared more facts about the geology and surrounding fauna. There were a group of dusky leaf monkeys in the trees too.

20 minutes passed by pleasantly before he turned the boat to go back through the tunnel with came from.

We haven’t yet been on the boat tours for Tasik Cermin 1, but we will say that the boat ride through Tasik Cermin 2 feels worth it.

Kin Loong Valley Chang Jiang White Coffee

This is the main spot for food at Mirror Lake. It is closer to Tasik Cermin 1 than it is to Tasik Cermin 2.

You can read more about our experience at Kin Loong Valley Chang Jiang White Coffee here.

How To Get To Mirror Lake

With a GPS, you can find your way to Tasik Cermin without too much trouble. The road is now tarred for most of the way in.

But there may still be some potholes in places since there are still lorries going in daily.

To reach the first lake (Tasik Cermin 1) and Kin Loong Valley Chang Jiang White Coffee, you’ll need to drive your car up a slope. This is where the main visitor car park is too.

If you don’t have your own car:

You can include Mirror Lake as part of a flexible day itinerary with Explore Ipoh. This locally based tour service offers private tours led by experienced guides.

Contact us on our WhatsApp if you’re interested in booking a tour.

Conclusion

Plans for Tasik Cermin are still underway, but you can come here for the boat rides and scenery. For now, there’s not much else to do besides taking photos.

Ipoh has other lakes to visit – like the one at D R Seenivasagam Recreational Park, Lanno Valley, and Gunung Lang Recreational Park.

But Tasik Cermin is currently the most tourist-friendly (and expensive) of the lot. It has a decent café (Kin Loong Valley Chang Jiang White Coffee) on site too.

Thus, we think Tasik Cermin is worth a look-see. Especially if you plan to go for the boat rides.