Travelling to Cameron Highlands wasn’t on my bucket-list. In fact, I was dissuaded by many from visiting them. Still, I thought of giving them a shot during my stint in Malaysia. It was getting too hot and I needed a cool, refreshing getaway, so off I went with my travel buddy to the lush greens of the Pahang (state in Malaysia) Highlands.

Based on my experience, you can indulge in the following activities over a span of three to four days: 

Go Hiking:

Cameron Highlands are known for their jungle trails. There are 14 of them of varying levels of difficulty. While some trails lead to a waterfall, the others are simple green stretches. Some of them involve scaling hillocks while others merely wander through the mossy forest. Hire a guide if need be and make sure you do not get lost in the jungle as the trails aren’t marked well. Carry your sunscreen and insect repellent and you’re set to go. Avoid the monsoon and misty months of December through January to avoid the disappointment of closed trails and routes.

Sip Tea with a View:

What’s better than having tea at a restaurant on a ledge? Well, it’s watching how your tea reached your cup. That’s right. Walk along the gorgeous tea plantations of Cameron Highlands and take a factory tour to understand the process of picking, sorting and sifting tea leaves. There are several plantations, all overlooking luscious shrubs of sappy greens. Can you buy tea at the centres? Of course, you can. You must have heard of the famous BOH tea. Now you know where it comes from.

Cameron Highlands – Tea Plantation

Pluck Vegetables and Fruits:

The Cameron Highlands are full of delicious fruits and vegetables. We encourage you to choose from the fresh produce available at different farms, including mushrooms, organic vegetables and strawberries, amongst others. There are fields growing organic crops all year round. Pick your basket and pluck away.

Cameron Highlands – Vegetable Farm

Enjoy the Buzz and Flutter:

Cameron Highlands has a number of small farms. They are more like nurseries really. Depending on your interest, you could visit some or all of them: bee farms, butterfly farms, cacti farms, strawberry farms and more. When you head to the bee farm, you can taste some real honey as well as honey blends as well. Watch the busy bees at work, but keep a distance from the hives. Buy honey or honey combs at the exit. Most of these farms have souvenir shops too.

Enjoy Multiple Cuisines:

The best part of this place is that it doesn’t have a specific cuisine. You can get almost everything here, from Western food at trendy theme cafes to Indian curries and Chinese steamboat to street-side eats. There is no dearth of night markets, local snacks on sticks and chocolate-dipped strawberries regardless of where you are, be it in Ringlet, Brinchang or Tanah Rata (the three main cities of Cameron Highlands). The idea is to have a good time travelling. You must try the organic fruits and vegetables as they are sold fresh early morning.

Keep a Day Aside for Other Activities:

The activities listed above are the top activities in Cameron Highlands. While hiking is the prime focus here, you should set aside some time for other various things. For example, take a quick tour of the Time Tunnel Museum. This museum is in Brinchang and lies close to the strawberry farms. You must head to Sam Poh Temple as well. While in Tanah Rata, you can visit the beautiful Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Additionally, you can engage in a game of golf at the famous golf course here. There is something for everyone; however, the area caters predominantly to nature-lovers.

Cameron Highlands – Tea Plantation

We stayed for three days and two nights and found it sufficient. We explored the city by foot and walked from one city to another (5-10 kilometres), stopping at cafes and farms along the way. If you plan to hike every single day and explore many trails in depth, then you ought to extend your vacation by three to four more days. Check the weather before you pack and make note of the forecast as it can get really cold while hiking in the forests, even post-February.

Check out more of Aditi’s work at Lyf and Spice.