 Cameron Highlands Tea Farms
Getting there - Get Around - Attractions - Experience - Buy - Eat - Nightlife - Stay - Misc Cameron Highlands is named after William Cameron, who explored and found it in 1885. Cameron Highlands is sitting on an altitude of 1824m; temperature falls between 12 oC to 25 oC makes it one of the most popular spots for short vacation in Malaysia. Most of the tourist spots are located near Brinchang and Tanah Rata.
How to Get There
Cameron Highlands is situated in Pahang state, located at the border area near Perak and Kelantan State. The nearest city is Ipoh, the capital of Perak state, which is about 40 minutes drive from Tanah Rata.
Most of the local tourist travel to Cameron Highlands by car. Cameron Highlands is easily accessible by PLUS Highway. Take exit at Tapah (Exit 132) if you are coming from south (Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Malacca, Johor). If you are coming from north (Kedah, Penang, Ipoh), use the exit at Simpang Pulai (Exit 137). There is a new road (wider road) which will bring you up to Kg. Raja at Cameron Highlands.
The journey will take about 150 minutes drive from either Kuala Lumpur or Penang. Note that the route to the highlands can be quite winding, so take some anti-motion pills if needed.
Daily buses are available at Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Tapah.
 Cameron Vegetables Farm
• Driving around at Cameron Highlands is very relaxing. You can turn off your car’s air-cond and enjoy the cool natural air on the highlands. The roads are pretty simple. Don’t ever think of getting lost driving at Cameron Highlands. It is recommended to obtain a route map to help you on planning your trips. (Note that the traffic may be very congested during holidays seasons) • Taxi is not a convenient transport at Cameron Highlands. Taxi can be found only at tourist spots and Hotel. You should ask and negotiate price before hopping on the cab.
 Sungai Paras BOH Tea Centre
• Tea Plantation is one of the biggest industries on Cameron Highlands. The industry which is started in 1920s, has expended to more than 8,000 acres of tea estate today. There are a few tea estate in Cameron Highlands, the best known are probably Sungai Paras BOH tea Center, Bharat TEA Estate and BOH Tea Estate at Ringlet. Visitors are allowed to take photograph in the tea estate, view the tea factory and enjoy the tea at the tea shop.  Cameron Strawberry Farm • Strawberry Farms has become another popular attraction for local tourist. The love shape fruit, which is normally hardly grown in a tropical country in South East Asia, manage to be farmed in the cool climate of Cameron Highlands. There are many strawberry farms in Cameron Highlands. Some strawberry farms allow you to enter and pick the strawberries straight from the plant. • Most of the area in Cameron Highlands is undeveloped and covered by ancient tropical rainforest. If you are a natural lover, Jungle Walk is probably another interested activity of an adventurous experience. There are many jungle trails leading into the rainforest. However, it is recommended to hire a jungle tracking lead. For more information, you can refer to the hotel lodge. Other highlights include Butterfly Farm, Bees and Honey Farms, Orang Asli Village, Cameron Highlands Time Tunnel Gallery, Rose Gardens, Cactus Valley, Chinese temple and vegetable farms.
Shopping
• Take a walk in the Night Market (Pasar Malam) at Brinchang (near Cactus Valley) which is normally held on Saturday evening. There are nearly 100 stalls in the market selling all kinds of things like local foods, fresh fruits, vegetables, cactus and plants, honey, shirts, etc. The Night market start at 6pm and ends about 11pm.  Multicrops Central Market • Flowers and Plants Nurseries are the popular shopping places for local tourist. You can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, various species of flower plants, cactus and souvenirs here. Some nurseries even farm some vegetables on their own so that you can see how a vegetable farm is look like in a small scale. • Multicrops Central Market held on weekends and public holidays. It is about 2km drive north from Brinchang town. The selling items are more or less same as those being sold in Night Market. Here, I found the most delicious dried strawberries (with honey) at about 15m from the entrance (left side). The dried strawberries are home-made and no labeled packing.
Food
Most of the local’s food (Malay, Chinese and Indian Food) are available in Cameron Highlands. Due to the higher transportation cost, food’s price is slightly higher compared to the foods in major city like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ipoh. With cool weather in Cameron Highlands, most of the tourist (especially Malaysian and Singaporean) likes to enjoy hot food (temperature hot). This is why there’re a lot of steamboat restaurants in Tanah Rata and Brinchang town. Accommodations Cameron Highlands have some of the best hotels in the country, while also offer chalets and apartments according to preferences.
Miscellaneous
• Pharmacies are available only in the town area (Tanah Rata and Brinchang). It is advisable to put some simple medications like painkillers and anti-diarrhea in your luggage. • Toilets can be found mostly at tourist hotspots. Some toilets charge a small token (10-30cents). • Petrol Station is available only at Ringlet and Brinchang Town. So check your vehicle’s fuel before leaving Cameron Highlands. • Distance between towns Ringlet to Tanah Rata - 13km Tanah Rata to Brinchang - 6km Brinchang to Kg.Raja - 16km |
