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Published: January 29th 2009
Blast from the Past: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, November 2008
Currently I am in Chang Mai and I have just returned from Myanmar, but here are a number of places that I skipped over in my blogs which is unfair to the places and to my wonderful photos, so I will try to recap quickly to catch up.
The roads in Malaysia are very good, perhaps financed by the many toll stations I passed through on the way from Butterworth to Tanah Rata. There are miles and miles of palm plantations, it almost seems like that is the only thing in Malaysia. On the bus ride I met two very nice Estonian girls who I ended up spending my days in the Cameron Highlands with.
The Cameron Highlands is an area that was developed as a hill station by the British in the 1920s. Since then it has been an important farming region in the country, its cool climate allowing it to be a perfect place to grow strawberries, which seem to be its trademark and have led to obscene jumbles of pink junk being sold along the roadways. It also seems to be a popular destination for Malay
Road to Cameron Highlands
Everywhere you go, there are oil palm plantations. malaysia is the world's leading producer of palm oil products. I hope they save some forests, too.tourists, because myself, Kat, and Jaana found ourselves to be some of only a few Europeans. Today attractions of the Cameron Highlands include trekking and visits to local tea plantations and other agricultural sights.
The girls and I did a small walk the first day we were there but were forced to go back early out of fear that we would get lost in the gathering mists. A highlight was a gorgeous anthurium garden. The town of Tanah Rata where we stayed is small and relaxed but definitely touristy and we found the cool weather and misty rains a welcome change from the heat and humidity of the lowlands. The second day we did a small tour to a tea plantation, strawberry farm, bee farm, butterfly farm, etc. There was also an insect and reptile house, but the enclosures were a bit on the small side in my opinion. The highlight was a cup of Cameron Highlands tea overlooking the rolling vibrant green hills.
In the evening we went to the night market, which definitely did not disappoint. There was a mind-boggling array of new foods being sold and all sorts of unknown fruit amidst the usual fresh
produce. Jaana, Kat, and I walked up and down sampling and sharing whatever caught our eye, and luckily the low prices allowed it. We tried an “herbed” egg, steamed sweet potatoes, fresh soy milk, candied tomatoes, and “home-made“ ice cream which turned out to be the worst ice cream I’ve ever tasted but the only disappointment of the night.
We had also definitely staked out the best restaurant in town and didn’t feel any desire to venture out. The one time we attempted a Chinese restaurant, we were rewarded with less than yummy food. Every meal was amazing Indian or Malaysian food for between 1 and 2 dollars. I definitely am a fan of all forms of roti (bread)- naan, chapatti, murtabak, dosa…
From the Cameron Highlands I had to rush back to KL so that I could fly to Sabah, in eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The bus ride was along windy mountain roads. We had a bit of excitement on the way as we were delayed for over an hour due to a land slide, We had to wait for the road to be cleared and then for all the transport to make it
past, one by one. Of course our driver was the one who managed to get stuck, so some manual labor was called for to get the bus out!
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