Taiping is famously the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia, averaging over 250 rainy days a year and receiving more than 4,000mm of rainfall annually. This is what feeds the Lake Gardens and keeps them extraordinary green, but it does mean that a dry day in Taiping is a minor miracle. Rain tends to come in short, heavy bursts rather than grey drizzle, so it rarely stops a visit entirely — you wait it out under one of the large rain trees and move on.
The driest months are between June and August, but even then you should expect some rain. The Lake Gardens are at their most atmospheric in the early morning, whatever the season, when mist lies across the lakes before the heat of the day burns it off. Maxwell Hill is often in cloud by mid-morning, so an early start is essential if you want clear views from the top.