Cameron Highlands

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We set out on an afternoon tour of the Cameron Highlands, costing 50RM each. We started at the Mossy Forest on Gunung Brinchang. We walked through the moss-covered trees and moss-formed walkways, looking at cup-like pitcher plants and caking our shoes in mud. None of us slipped over, thank goodness, although there were a few near-misses! the guide gave us leaves which are used in Tiger Balm, told us to screw them up and then to sniff them. They smelled just like Tiger Balm.

After the forest, we went to a high point where we looked out over the highlands. The scenery is truly stunning, and the cool temperature was much more to my liking. We stopped by Sungei Palas tea plantation, although the factory itself was closed to the public. There were a few people picking leaves in the distance, and our guide gave us a brief history of the tea industry in the highlands, and how people came from all over the world due to the fertile lands there.

Next, we went to the Taman Rama Rama butterfly farm, which contained not only butterflies, but creepy-crawlies such as stag beetles, scorpions and tarantulas, reptiles such as lizards and snakes, and animals and birds, including a hairless rat.

Lastly, we visited the strawberry farm. There wasn't much to it, to be fair. We basically walked up the only public access aisle of the farm, then went to the kiosk and bought strawberry-based desserts. There was a wide range, and although we all thoroughly enjoyed them, they didn't quite match the pictures on the wall.In the evening, we ate at a small local restaurant, and were so dissatisfied with the food, the lads got KFC. I have to say, I've never been so disappointed with food as I have been in Malaysia.

I've since read that Brinchang is the area settled in by locals, while Tanah Rata is the predominantly backpacker area, which would explain why we were all in bed before 12 every night.

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