What To Do In One Day In Magical Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands lie at elevations ranging from 800 to 2.000 metres above sea level. The area is renowned for growing the finest tea and strawberries.

In addition to the tea plantations, you can visit several temples, strawberry farms, bee and butterfly gardens, but most importantly the beautiful nature with its unique plant species.

HOW TO GET TO CAMERON HIGHLANDS

The best starting point for exploring the mountains is the town of Tanah Rata. It is most often reached from Kuala Lumpur where you can take a local bus from the Unititi Express. This bus departs regularly from the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan Bus Station (TBS). The journey costs MYR 38 and takes approximately 4 hours. Tickets can be purchased either directly at the terminal or in advance at www.unititi.com.my.

ACCOMMODATION

You’ll have plenty of accommodation to choose from here. We opted for a sort of happy medium in terms of quality/price ratio, at Hillview Inn Cameron Highlands. The rooms are spacious, the beds large and comfortable. The bathroom runs really hot water, which is really handy in a mountain setting in the morning. The hotel also offers a basic breakfast for a few crowns. The price per night in a double room is MYR 147. Accommodation can be found at www.booking.com. Contact the front desk directly at +60 5491 2915.

THINGS TO DO IN CAMERON HIGHLANDS

There are plenty of activities to do in the mountains. So let’s get to them.

If you’re only staying for a few days, we recommend using one of the agencies in town. These agencies organise trips to the most interesting places in the area.

Ironically, we came across the cheapest one right after we arrived at the bus station. It was directly at the counter of the mentioned bus company Unititi Express.

Basically all agencies offer identical tour packages. The most popular ones are called Half Day and Full Day.

From the name it is clear that it is either a full day or half day trip. If you want to make the most of your time in the mountains, make sure you go for a Full Day trip.

FULL DAY TRIP

You’ll set off at 8:30am and see everything the local mountains have to offer. You’ll walk through the Mossy Forest, visit a strawberry and bee farm, a Buddhist temple, a local market, and a butterfly garden. But the biggest attraction is the tea plantations. You will visit a tea plantation and even a tea factory. At the tea plantation, you will also taste the locally produced best quality tea.

The day trip cost us 70 MYR per person at the Unititi Express counter. Agencies in the city normally offer it for 80-95 MYR. The price does not include only lunch and the entrance fee to Mossy Forest of 30 MYR. However, a good and cheap place for lunch was recommended to us by our driver.

In case you have more time, go on one of the longer treks into the mountains with a guide. There are several routes and difficulty levels to choose from.

RAFFLESIA ARNOLD

An interesting experience is the trek to see the plant with the largest flower in the world, Rafflesia Arnold. However, this plant does not grow in every season. So before you go on a Rafflesia hike, ask the agencies if it is possible to see the plant at this time of year.

TIP for visiting CAMERON HIGHLANDS

If you go on a Raflesia trek, ask at several agencies if it is possible to see Raflesia. When the guides discover the plant, they keep the location a secret. You may be told by several agencies that it is not possible to see the plant and only one agency may actually know where the plant is.

“The best Indian restaurant in town” That’s what they have on the menu at Restoran Sri Brinchang and they really mean it. You simply have to try the food at this restaurant. Believe me, you will come back here several times during your stay.

WATCH OUT

You are in the mountains and this is something to keep in mind. The weather here is much cooler than the rest of Malaysia and it also rains much more often. So be sure to pack some warmer clothes and a raincoat in your backpack.

Travelling to all the interesting places by local transport here is basically impossible, or rather expensive and very time consuming. Therefore, we recommend either using a local travel agency or renting a scooter. You can easily rent a scooter in the city centre or at the reception of our recommended hotel. However, keep in mind that driving in Malaysia is on the left.

Thank you for reading and see you soon!