Cameron Highlands: Weekend getaway from Kuala Lumpur

Characteristics: Green hills, tea plantation, various farms like bees, berries, etc., jungle trails. Cool foggy weather.

Cost summary:		Review ( out of 5)
Kuala Lumpur TBS Bus Station <-> Tanah Rata (per head one way via Unititi Express)	35 MYR	3
Hotel per night (Triple sharing)	180 MYR	4
Food in Tanah Rata	$	4
Night market shopping	$	4

Good to know:

As per the local tour companies, the season for spotting Rafflesia is September-Early October, which is the rainy season. Although, this flower is a rare occurrence and the time for spotting cannot really be predicted

The whole jungle trek takes around 8 hours so the treks need to start early in order to finish by daylight. Only Mossy forest treks can be shorter and can start later

The viewing tower access for Mount Brinchang might be closed for public on foggy days

Visit to the Orang Asli village and any tours involving Rafflesia spotting do not operate unless it is the season for the flower

Most of the shops here close by 10 pm, except for the massage parlours and a few restaurants and coffee shops

If you know driving a drive to Cameron is the best option to explore here, as most of the attractions are near to each other and you get to spend as much time in each place as you want, as well as avoid places that you are not so keen to visit

Getting there:

You can take bus to Tanah Rata from Kuala Lumpur TBS terminal. The total journey took around 4 hours, being delayed by an hour. The town’s centre is a few minutes’ walk from the bus station. You can also drive to Tanah Rata, Brinchang or Ringlet. Most of the local attractions are scattered around Brinchang and Ringlet. However, most of the buses drop you off at Tanah Rata only.

Getting around:

You can take a leisure walk to cover Tanah Rata or walk upto Brinchang. For getting to the attractions like the farms, or the tea plantation, however, you might want to take a cab or book a tour. If you are driving on your own, getting around is comparatively easier and independent.

Accommodation:

In Tanah Rata town center, you can find a no. of budget friendly hotels. You can simply walk in and book.

View of Tanah Rata bus terminus from a cafe near the town centre

Attractions:

Ee Feng Gu Bee Farm: About 3.5km north of Brinchang town, right after Equatorial Resort, along the main road, Ee Feng Gu Bee Farm is an apiary in Kea Farm, an agricultural district in Cameron. The main building has shopping gallery, indoor maze for children, vegetable market, mini museum and cafeteria. The walking trail leads to the bee farm area which has a number of hives scattered around the garden, with statues of queen and worker bees and small water containers. There is no entry fees required for the bees farm.
Ideal time commitment: 30 - 45 mins

Bees at work

A beehive

Butterfly Farm: Another tourist attraction in Kea Farm. It has a display of live butterflies, insects and animals. The farm does not really breed or cultivate them as the name might suggest, rather, the population is restocked regularly. The park has a garden section, where butterflies roam around with a backdrop of shrubs and flowers. And, there is the larger zoological wing, where other insects, lizards, snakes and mammals are displayed in enclosures or tanks. Here you can find large grasshoppers, stick insects, scorpions, vine snakes, turtles to name a few. There is also a varied range of flowers like rose, lavender, morning glory, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, geranium and a variety of orchids. Entry fees to the butterfly farm is MYR5 per adult and MYR2 per child.
Ideal time commitment: 45 mins to 1 hour

Butterfly Farm

Ladies' slipper, one of the many orchids found in the butterfly farm

Strawberry Farm: Raaju's Hill is a strawberry farm and cafe on a hilltop at Kea Farm, situated along the main road. The farm offers strawberry picking by weight or fresh strawberries sold at the counter daily. For strawberry picking, they have a 500 grams marker in the basket. You might pick less or more than that, but need to pay the minimum amount for 500 grams. One basket is limited to 2-3 people. For those who are only there for visiting and not picking, their entry is restricted to 3-4 rows. Picking rows start after that. Strawberry picking could be fun, but it is expensive compared to the freshly picked strawberries sold in packets, which often taste better than the handpicked ones. If you are not into picking strawberries, you might want to go for some strawberry products’ shopping (night market would be a cheaper option, though) or hang out in the cafe that has an extended dining deck. There is also a small roof terrace that overlooks the rainforest starting from Mount Brinchang. The wind here is very cool and relaxing. So you can enjoy the view here, sipping some hot beverages, as the wind flirts with your hairs and face.
Ideal time commitment: 45 mins to 1 hour

Strawberry farm

Rose Center: A flower garden at Kea Farm. Walking up the steps, visitors will pass through lush gardens on the slopes along the small hill. Near the top, another pathway leads to a peak with views of the surrounding landscapes and vegetable farms. Tickets cost MYR5 for adults and MYR2 for children. The Rose Center has a wide display of a variety of roses, carnation flowers, fuchsia and many other flowers. The pathways are adorned with statues and figures from Fairy tales and zodiac signs.
Ideal time commitment: 45 mins to 1 hour

A pink rose, one of the many varieties of roses displayed in the rose centre

Sam Poh temple: A temple in Brinchang having a good view of the Brinchang town. Built in 1972, this is the fourth largest Buddhist temple in the country. 
Ideal time commitment: 30-45 mins

Night market: The Night Market is open every Friday and Saturday in Brinchang town. Here, you can find a variety of products native to Cameron Highlands at cheap, affordable price range. This includes strawberries and strawberry products, vegetables, fruits, different flavours of tea, decorative plants and souvenirs. There is also a big section of the market dedicated for the local food specialties where you can put your taste buds to some delicious use.
Ideal time commitment: 1-2 hours

Vantage point of the tea plantation: Viewing point giving the bird’s eye view of the ‘Giant Green Carpet of Malaysia’. The view from here is spectacular, with the green slopes and the clear blue sky extending as far as you can see.
Ideal time commitment: 15-20 mins

View of the tea plantation from the view point

Mount Brinchang: The second highest mountain in Cameron Highlands (after Mount Irau) at 2032 meter above sea level. The highest tarmac road in Malaysia leads up to the top. When weather is clear, the watchtower at the peak provides a lovely view of towns, valleys and hills. From here, you can see the fabled Mossy forest and the further jungle trail leading to top of mount Irau (located at the border of Perak and Pahang).
Ideal time commitment: 1-1.5 hours

Foggy road winding down from Mount Brinchang

Mossy forest: At the high elevations near Mount Brinchang, low-level clouds driven by winds, drape the forests with constant mist and moisture - creating an ideal habitat for moss, ferns, lichen and orchids. This moist tropical forest is also the home to a varied set of creatures unique to this chilly atmosphere. Visitors can explore the mossy forest through a trail. The series of wooden boards wind through the mossy forest for about 150m. It gets slippery when wet, so one needs to mind their steps. In this chilly environment, twisted branches of oak trees, layers of moss draping the tree trunks, vines, orchids, pitcher plants and ferns hanging loosely from the canopy or perched silently on branches and stems, together with the misty backdrop, give a feel of a jungle walk straight out of the fairy tales. At the end of the walk, a trail starts towards Mount Irau, the highest mountain in Cameron Highlands.
Ideal time commitment: 45 mins - 1 hour

Moss loosely hanging from the trees

Fog provide the ideal environment for the growth of moss that in turn hang freely forming various designs and shapes

Mossy forest

Boh Tea plantation (Sungai Palas): Boh Tea is the largest producer of tea in Malaysia. Based primarily in Cameron Highlands it has three large plantations across Ringlet and Brinchang. The main estate is in Ringlet. Sungai Palas is a sister plantation in Brinchang. Boh Tea features a colonial-era tea processing factory open to public, offering optional free guided tours. There is also a shopping gallery if you want to buy tea. You might even want to spend some time knowing the history or the working of the factory described through the picture walk or the animated show. Alternately, you might want to take the walk through the bushes or simply sit and relax at the café. The café has indoor sitting as well as open air deck overlooking the tea plantation. It serves light snacks and signature BOH tea.
Ideal time commitment: 1.5-2 hours

View of the tea plantation from the open deck of the cafe