Hiking in the Highlands

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After a good start to Malaysia, we left bustling Georgetown for the calmness of the Cameron Highlands, around 5 hours away inland. When we got to the bus station at 7am we were pleased to see Thea and Jeremi (the Canadian brother & sister) there, who we had dinner with the night before, and it turned out we would all be on the same bus – this is how we gained travel buddies (and friends) for the next few weeks! The first bus was nice and comfortable, but after a stop in Ipoh about 3 hours in, we had to change to a small mini-van which wasn’t so great; it was another couple of hours until we were dropped in the town of Tanah Rata, the gateway to the trails through the Cameron Highlands, passing some stunning jungle scenery on the way.

The Highlands are famous for growing tea and strawberries due to the cooler climate, and as such there are many plantations and farms around. The shops also sell all things strawberry, from jam to strawberry shaped hats to socks and t-shirts with strawberries on them and more! The first thing we noticed when we got off the bus was the drop in temperature, as it was much cooler here than anywhere we have been for a long time, but we needn’t have worried as the weather would turn out to be just right for our time here. It was actually really nice not to be sweating for once! We soon found a wonderful guesthouse called Fathers, just off the main street, and the four of us managed to score the last four dorm beds which was lucky, as the private rooms were quite expensive. The guesthouse was lovely with nice staff and tons of information about the area and we felt right at home. We got our stuff sorted then headed out to a nearby Chinese restaurant for a bit of lunch which was delicious, then spent the rest of the afternoon planning what we would do in the next few days and just relaxing. When we had a walk into town later that day, we found a cute little tea house and did something very British – had afternoon tea! Warm scones, fresh homemade strawberry jam and a cup of tea, just lovely and less than £1. After a good Indian meal that night we went to bed early as we knew we would have a long day of walking ahead.

We slept really well in the dorm (it was quiet and cool, we didn’t even need the fan on) so were up early the next day. There was a nice French guy called Damien in the dorm who we had been talking to and he had been in the town for a few days as he loved nature and walking, so we invited him to come along with us for the day. We found a great little place for breakfast which was run by a lovely deaf couple and we all had pancakes with strawberries (of course!) and then set off on our walk. There are lots of different trails and hikes you can do so we picked the ones we wanted to do most and set off on trail 5, which would then join traisl 3 and 8 at the end. It was supposed to be a fairly easy hike but even in the cooler temperatures when you are climbing uphill it isn’t! We were sweating the whole time and it was harder than expected but really good all the same. The scenery was reminiscent of a forest with tall trees and muddy ground, and the trail didn’t have steps exactly, more just foot holes around the tree roots which you had to clamber up and over. We were pleased to reach the top after a couple of hours and had a break for some well-deserved snacks, before starting the descent down which was just as hard as it was pretty steep but we enjoyed it, although I’m sure our legs didn’t, as it was the first real bit of exercise we had done in ages. The highlight of the day has to be when we saw wild monkeys swinging in the trees – amazing. As a treat that afternoon when we got back to town we had yummy scones, jam and tea again before chilling for a few hours. Dinner again was Indian which was delicious, with fresh strawberry lassi’s, and back at the guesthouse we decided that we were really enjoying our time here so instead of rushing off to Kuala Lumpur the next day we would stay for a while longer. Luckily the guesthouse had room for us all, as it was the start of the school holiday’s the next day and they were getting full, but as we were already ‘in’ we could stay longer which we were very happy about. It just felt so homely here and we wanted to do some more walking and just weren’t ready to leave yet. We sat on the sofa’s for a while chatting with cups of tea and some chocolate we had bought from a shop – very English! Needless to say with all the fresh air we slept soundly that night.

The next day began with our usual strawberry pancakes for breakfast again before we set off on trail 10 which was said to be quite a challenging one as it was very steep. It started gently as we walked through a beautiful flower garden, but soon got harder and we spent the first hour climbing uphill which was tiring but good. I prefer climbing uphill over tree roots and through mud rather than just going up step after step, and with good company and great surroundings it was quite enjoyable (this word may be a stretch but let’s say it wasn’t that bad!). The views from the peak of this trail at the top were great, overlooking the cities below, and again when we stopped for a snack break we were greeted with fine views down into the forests. The way down was quicker than expected and we still had some energy in us so walked for a further 2km along and up a main road towards a large strawberry farm we had seen. The road was really steep but we finally made it and were thrilled to find yummy strawberry juices, popsicles, ice cream, shakes and more, all made from the fresh strawberries grown on the farm. We all had something sweet and I even bought a cute pair of socks with strawberries on them! Honestly you wouldn’t think they are common at home in the UK the way we are so excited about them here, but it’s so nice to have them as they are rare in Asia and make a nice change to pineapple and mango all the time! On the way back Damien suggested we hitchhikes, as apparently everyone does this in the Highlands and it is safe…we weren’t too sure but before we knew it he had stuck out his thumb and a local lady had pulled over for us! This was so nice and also saved us the 6km walk back to town so very handy too. Another Indian meal followed that night which was as usual really good – honestly it’s the best option and it’s cheap and delicious – and another early night.

Our last full day saw us tackle trail number 1 which is one of the toughest hikes here, but as with most things when things are harder they are usually more rewarding after and this was no different. We had to take a taxi to the start of this trail as it began 7km away in the town of Brinchang, but between 4 of us it was only 5rm each and saved us getting weary before the hike had even started. The traffic was pretty bad as it was a Sunday and a lot of people come to the Highlands for a day trip over the weekend so it took us around 30 minutes but we got there eventually. We were dropped off at the start of the trail and immediately we knew it was going to be a hard one – mainly all uphill, so very steep, muddy and over tricky terrains. Some of the paths weren’t as clear as others had been so at times it got even harder, and some trails were really slippery with thick mud and nothing to hold on to as we stumbled our way through. We all pushed each other on though and we actually thought this was the best hike we had done here, both for its difficulty but also for its landscape and views. It was the highest peak of the Mossy Forest as well so the views were even better than the day before. But as always what goes up must come down, and sometimes going downhill is as hard as going up as you have to be more careful with your footing and take it slower – one bad move and a broken ankle could be on the cards with a long trek back. We made it all the way down with no problems though and even had the strength to climb up a watch tower overlooking the city at the end! Unlike the other trails once this one had ended we were nowhere near either Brinchang or Tanah Rata town, so were faced with a downhill walk of around 6km until we reached a point where we might be able to hitchhike the remaining 10km back.

However as we got further down, we got to see all the tea plantations which the region is famous for and they were spectacular. So green and vast, stretching for miles, and perfectly spaced out so each row was symmetrical. They reminded us a bit of the rice terraces we had seen in China and were definitely one of the best things we have seen in a long time. We were almost at the point where we could hitchhike back when the heavens opened and it rained hard. Not just for a few minutes either, like it does in the tropics, but full on pelting rain which soaked us within seconds. There was nowhere to shelter and the traffic was bad all the way down, with cars full of families on day trips so we couldn’t even get a ride and had to just keep running trying to protect our bags and hoping the rain would stop and we could get a lift back when the traffic cleared. Luckily after about 15 minutes a car pulled over with a couple inside and their kids, so Thea and I got in with the bags while Scott and Jeremi continued running in the rain trying to get a lift. We were so thankful to the family but they were not going all the way back to town so they dropped us off about 5km away and we hitched a lift again all the way back to Tanah Rata. When we caught up with the guys back at the guesthouse it turned out that their ride wasn’t going all the way back to town either, so had dropped them off somewhere else about 6km away and they had decided to run all the way back, crazy! We were all shattered that night after hiking/walking/running for over 12km that day so another early night was called for.

We could have stayed here for a few more days doing some more walks, enjoying the food and just chilling out but after 4 nights we thought it was time to move on. The Highlands have been a highlight of our trip so far and we thoroughly enjoyed our time here – we can’t believe more people don’t come here on trips to Malaysia as we think it is a must-see place and are so glad we spent some quality time in the area. After all the exertions of the past few days we felt we needed a well-earned break, and our next stop would provide exactly that…

S&V's Travel Info & Tips:

General Info: Approx 4.6 rmb to £1. Malaysia is 8 hrs ahead of UK.

Transportation: We took a mini-van from near the Komtar Mall in Georgetown to Tanah Rata, main town in the Highlands, for 35rm each. It took around 6 hours. We walked everywhere in the Highlands and hitchiked occasionally.

Food: Indian rules again! Kumar's was our favourite restaurant, seving Roti Canai for 1rm, strawberry lassi's for 4rm and great curries and vegetable dishes. Next door Sri Binchang is also very nice for Indian food, with tandoori sets at just 8rm. For chinese food, we liked Fern Nonya just near our guesthouse. Food stall number 4, Yong Teng cafe, on the road to the town from our guesthouse was where we had our daily breakfast of strawberry pancakes for just 3rm. For afternoon tea, Lord's Cafe on the main street is a lovely treat.

Accomodation: Fathers Guesthouse was just fantastic and comes highly reccomended. A bed in the dorm was just 20rm each, showers were hot and clean, and the staff are super friendly and helpful.

Other observations:

x) Make sure you take water and snacks on the trails as there is nowhere to buy anything on the way. The shops in town all sell the nessecities.

xx) The town got really busy on the weekend, so visit in the week if you can. If not, book accomodation in advance, especially for Fathers Guesthouse - we saw numerous people being turned away as they were full on Saturday and Sunday. Also all places in town put their prices up for private rooms on weekends.

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Comments

[Home and Away]

I lived in a dorm in Tanah Rata for 2 1/2 years...
graduated from high school there. The school is now in Penang. I'm so pleased to hear you had a wonderful time there...I also enjoyed the cool temperatures, jungle walks, and tea at Foster's Smoke House.