Blogs from Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia, Asia
Week 47 - Cameron Highlands & Pulau Penang
Published: September 12th 2011Asia » Malaysia » Pahang » Tanah Rata
September 11th 2011
Week 47 - Cameron Highlands Our next destination was the picturesque Cameron Highlands; the alpine-scape of blue peaks, green humps and fuzzy tea plantations was a cool escape for us. The temperature rarely climbs above 21 degrees so it was a bit of a relief arriving after the smog of the city in K.L. Although the journey from the capital to the highlands was a queasy one as the bus had to meander up the steep and very windy roads which left Cerri and myself rather green; even though our faces matched the colour of our surroundings we were quite relieved to arrive at our next accommodation the Father’s Lodge and greeted with a hot and soothing cup of tea. Not long after settling in our new digs the rain began to fall so this was ... read more
August 9th 2011
It was a relatively short but bumpy drive up into the Cameron highlands. We checked in to a basic hostel with shared bathrooms. It was early evening by the time we made it out again and we went for a curry before booking a tour for the morning. Starting at 8.30am we were taken in old Land rovers to the highest point in the Cameron highlands where the view was…. Not that great actually. Following this was a 40 minute light trek to the mossy forest which was pretty cool, everything is covered in bright green moss – they say it looks like the forest from Avatar on a really sunny day. Next it was off to the Boh tea plantation and factory where we took a quick look at how they make the tea before ... read more
June 7th 2011
When I hopped on the minibus to the Cameron Highlands friday morning I found out that I was the only passenger, so it was a very enjoyable and scenic four and a half drive. I thought I would try the Twin Pines guesthouse first, which turned out to be the right decision because I got a nice comfy little room for a very good price. I really like this guesthouse, everything is very clean, there is a tv room with cable, it is quiet, and the staff are very friendly. I had a look around town, and to me it seems a lot busier and more developed than when I was here ten years ago. I really enjoyed being back in a cooler climate where I could walk around quite comfortably without sweating all the time. ... read more
May 4th 2011
Today I headed out of KL on a VIP bus (amazingly comfortable, only three seats across) and up to the Cameron Highlands, sleeping the whole way on the bus I missed the scenery but im sure it must have been fantastic through the tea plantations and rolling hills. The town is much bigger and more developed then I expected, very touristic with lots of small shops and cafes. First after checking into Fathers Hostel I had lunch at an Indian cafe which for 8rm I was full for the day! I strolled around the town for the afternoon including the small garden area and planned to trek up the highest mountain in the area tomorrow. So with a busy day tomorrow planned and having had a few late nights I decided that was a good reason ... read more
January 9th 2010
We left Langkawi island on the 6th of January for the Cameron Highlands, however we could only get a bus ticket to the city of Ipoh, which is the nearest city to the highlands.From Langkawi Ipoh is about a 4hr journey. When we got to Ipoh we were told all buses to the Cameron Highlands were full which was bad news as neither of us wanted to stay a night there - not because it is not an interesting city, but because we were conscious that we are now on a tight timescale to get to Singapore and there's so much still to see in Malaysia. Actually Ipoh seemed like a cool city - it is a good size and is surrounded by limestone cliffs. It is a mining city and there are quarry's everywhere on ... read more
May 15th 2009
Thursday, May 14th It had rained the entire night and we were resigned to spend the day in bed instead of hiking. Lucky for us the rain subsided and after breakfast we took a taxi north to the Sungai Palas BOH Tea Estate. The plan was to hike through the estate moving up, and over, Gunung Brinchang, a hill above the estate, and then all the way back to Tanah Rata. The drive up the winding main road took a long long time and we got a little worried. We might have been a bit optimistic in our planning. It felt very far. The taxi dropped us at an intersecting road in the middle of the estate. One road lead up to Gunung Brinchang, while the other lead down to the tea centre & factory. A ... read more
Day 106-107: Taman Negara to the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Published: May 13th 2009Asia » Malaysia » Pahang » Tanah Rata
May 12th 2009
Tuesday, May 12th We had hoped that during the night our clothes would dry, but not all of it did. Damn humidity! We packed, had breakfast then got on a mini-bus to the Cameron Highlands, about seven hours to the west. We had hoped for a big bus because they're so much more comfortable, but no such luck. Another bone-rattling ride lay ahead. We hadn't planned on leaving Taman Negara so quickly, but we've decided to also visit the town of Melaka in south-west Malaysia before returning to KL. Why not see a bit more of the country while we're here? The first five hours of the trip went by in a flash because the young lady sitting next to us is an American who grew up in Zimbabwe and the US and is currently living ... read more
May 1st 2009
Taking a local bus to the Cameron highlands was probably not our best choice!!... after 4 hours of travelling and arriving halfway in Ipoh we were knackered and decided to bed down for the night. A quick look in the guide book and we headed across town towards one of the very few choices of hotels. The place was a dump, so we looked at another... which was even worse... the rat traps on the landing was the final straw and we headed back to the bus station to carry on our journey. The walk back across town to another bus station (Ipoh has 5) was hell. Our packs seemed three times the weight in the baking sun. Dripping with sweat and not unsure if there was another bus to continue our journey was a bit ... read more
April 30th 2009
It's been a wee while since I last wrote and I don't know where to start! Ko Phangan was so nice, had a ball there. I spent most of my time just chilling out on the beaches or by the pool at my hotel. It's a real party place so of course I just had to partake in one or two beach parties, well it would be rude not to! Met some really nice people there and was sad to leave but alas the traveling must continue. I left there one week ago and took an overnight train to Butterworth in the north of Malaysia. I thought it would be plain sailing as I had booked the sleeper train but of course nothing runs on time and it turned up at 2am! One I found my ... read more
March 22nd 2009
We arrived in Cameron Highlands after a painful (for Steve) fourteen hour journey, to a place called Thana Rata. Cameron Highlands is the largest hill resort in Malaysia and is 1524 m above sea level. Its famous for it's tea plantations, terraced flower gardens, orchards and strawberry and vegetable farms. The cool climate, 10-20 degrees, makes Cameron Highlands perfect for cultivation, and for cooling down hot backpackers! A fantasy-like Mossy forest is also located at the peak of the highlands, at 2032 m above sea level. I felt like the Cameron Highlands was a mixture of India, the alps with a old traditional British culture, and of course a bit of malay. The restaurants here are mostly Indian, serving south indian food on banana leafs and rotis with dahl for 20 pence. Many of the cafes ... read more
