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Cool weather, rolling hills of scenic tea plantations, and a whole range of leisure pursuits make Cameron Highlands a desirable destination for family bonding. Over the years, it continues to attract an increasing number of visitors from honeymooners, researchers, nature lovers, and mountain bikers to students, and practically anyone who is seeking a country retreat. The old road via Tapah to Tanah Rata is seriously narrow and winding with a lot of sharp bends. The presence of tour buses and numerous lorries ferrying fresh produce from the Highlands to the rest of the country makes driving on this road extra tricky. Hence, the less winding and wider new highway from the north via Simpang Pulai is a better option. Nothing much in Cameron Highlands has changed over the years, it seems; except for the increasing number of choices of accommodation to cater to the growing demand. The opulent would most likely opt for the award-winning Cameron Highlands Resort whereas the rest of the visitors can choose from hotels, guesthouses, lodges, chalets, apartments, and bungalows, to established resorts like Strawberry Park and Equatorial.
I was particularly drawn to the story of the mysterious disappearance of the legendary Thai Silk King, Jim Thompson, in the jungles of Cameron Highlands on 26 March 1967 during his holiday here. It was hotly discussed back then among people from around the world and many theories of his disappearance had been put forth. Undeniably, he had made the place very famous. After all, how an afternoon walk on Easter Sunday turned out to be his last remains a mystery till today. Though a major search was launched involving hundreds of people including the local aborigines with their expert tracking skills, he was never found. While the information on Cameron Highlands was educational, the heartwarming artifacts that bring back memories of the 50s to the 80s truly capture the spirit of Malaysian life. The owner and curator, See Kok Shan, has been gathering these old items and antiques for the last decade. His decision to showcase them has given us a chance to walk down memory lane. Memories of yesteryear and childhood were brought back instantly. Most Malaysians would share the same sentiments, I’m sure. As the younger generation wouldn’t have an inkling of most of the artifacts, parents were seen explaining about them to their kids excitedly. If by now the image of big juicy strawberries has already clouded your mind, you must be ecstatic to know that the Time Tunnel is located next to a strawberry farm. But before you proceed to the farm, I suggest you quench your thirst at the café above the museum. The refreshing strawberry ice-blended and yummy strawberry tart will provide the energy that you need to explore the rest of the attractions in Cameron Highlands. The forests of the mountains of Cameron Highlands are able to strip moisture from the clouds; hence they are referred to as ‘cloud forests’ or ‘mossy forests’. Its trees are generally about 10m tall, with a large number of mosses, liverworts, ferns and fern allies, pitcher plants, rhododendrons and wild orchids. These forests are often likened by the locals to the mystical Forest of Fangorn depicted in the Lord of the Rings, and are believed to be the final resting places for the souls of the death. Among all the attractions in Cameron Highlands, tea plantations are obviously one of the defining points that distinguishes it from the rest of the hill resorts in the country. Whether you’re a tea drinker or not, a visit to this green carpet is highly encouraged to learn more about local tea, its string of benefits and the tea making process. However, I suspect most visitors are actually enticed by the spectacular setting for picture-taking offered by the orderly green of the tea bushes. Whatever the reasons, there are a few tea plantations in Cameron Highlands for visitors to choose from. I headed to one of the most popular – BOH Tea Plantation Sungei Palas. Having over 75 years of experience in the tea industry, BOH is a famous local tea brand that most Malaysians are familiar with. BOH Plantations is the largest tea-growing company in Malaysia with 1,200 hectares of tea gardens both in highland and lowland areas, producing a staggering 820,000 cups of tea per day! To offer visitors a holistic experience of tea, the BOH Tea Centre was officially opened on 8 March 2007 on a hilltop of the Sungei Palas tea garden. The road leading to the Centre is narrow and winding. Do proceed with caution. Once there, you’ll be rewarded with a magnificent view of the tea plantation from the 20 foot overhanging platform at the Tea Centre. I joined a guided tour of the exhibition area to learn more about the history of BOH Plantations, and to the tea factory that has been in operations since the 1930s to get an insight into the natural and simple process of tea processing, manufacturing and packaging. After the tour, those who wish to purchase BOH teas can proceed to the souvenir and tea shop. The tour ended perfectly at the Tea’ria with snacks consisting of scones and sandwiches, which I washed down with a few cups of BOH tea. Before we bade Cameron Highlands farewell, we made a stop at Kea Farm Day Market. The fact is, for most people, a visit to the Highlands is not complete if they did not make a trip to the day market, or rather, if they did not bring home various fresh produce sold at bargain prices. Besides, they would probably be crucified by family members and friends if they returned home empty-handed. Hence, despite the torrential rain, it didn’t take too long for our tour bus to be filled with bags of fresh vegetables, strawberries, fruits, corns, and flowers. Judging from the big glow of satisfaction and pleasure on their faces, I can’t help suspecting that this brief stop for shopping was actually the highlight of the whole tour. And all of a sudden, it dawned on me that this could be the reason the majority of visitors who joined this tour were ladies… CAMERON HIGHLANDS – BACKGROUND:(excerpt from Cameron Highlands Tourist Information Guide Book 2009 – 4th Edition) Cameron Highlands is made up of three main townships at different elevations, namely Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Brinchang. Other smaller settlements located in the Highlands are Bertam Valley, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja.
Once the road was constructed, wealthy residents and British government officials started building retreats on the slopes of the highlands. Farming was the main activity here at that time. In 1929, John Archibald Russell, who was the son of a British administrative officer started a tea plantation which is now the famous BOH Tea Plantation. GETTING THERE: The easiest way to move around Cameron Highlands is to drive. If you don’t have a car, you can take a taxi or the local bus. You can also sign up for one of the local tours. (Tourism Malaysia/Daryl Yep)
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While plucking strawberries and savoring scones with teas ought to be in every visitor’s to-do list, I find learning about the background and history of Cameron Highlands is equally interesting. Hence, the discovery of a local museum at Jalan Sungai Burung in Brinchang came as a pleasant surprise. Opened in January 2007, the aptly named, Time Tunnel, houses over 1,000 artifacts besides a gallery of monochrome pictures depicting the Highlands’ development since the early days.
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