The Cameron Highlands

Are among favourite and most visited places of the Malaysia's inland. The higher elevations (above 1500 m) offer cooler weather (temperatures +- 20-25 degrees), good rainforest trekking opportunities, tea plantations and many farms.

The farms are here mostly to grow vegetables, strawberries and flowers (especially chrysanthemum; just drinking a juice made of it). And they unfortunately have rather negative impact on the environment. We have seen a photograph of a blue lake close to the Ringlet township taken 30 year ago. Nowadays the lake is orange-brown and full of mud/soil.

After our arrival we had accomodated ourselves in an average "Jasmine hotel" in the centre of the Brinchang town. Nothing extra to recommend or mention. One star, no stylish but clean place. Selection based on a price and closeness to the well rated Mossy forest trek and local night market. One of many similar.

Unfortunately it soon turned out that the trek (and many others) are closed* so we had just drove around to see some tea plantations and later visited the nigh market which made also just an average impression. Good enough to grab something for a dinner though. In our case fried mushrooms, brocoli, spinach and octopuses, grilled corn and some sweet balls made of tapioca. (By the way they are overusing plastic bags on the markets. And most probably they do not have any technology to process plastic waste here in Malaysia and therefore only do burry it underground).

Also, the town of Brichang itself did not make any good impression on us as it's rather overdeveloped with huge hotels and apartments buildings. The development and expanding turism (mostly local) seems to rapidly kill the natural spirit and vibe. Not talking about the impact on nature itself.

Based just on these first day experience we wouldn't recommend to come here at all.

The next morning we had checked out and moved forward 4km to the Tanah Rata town to do some trekking. (Bit better feeling here but also developed already.) Walked the trek no. 5. But this time it was not going easy with the kids. Tad annoyed and Oliv tired and not willing to walk at all. So 2 km easy uphil walk took us some 90 minutes. When we had reached a shelter at the poit it joints with other treks we had a short snack break and than decided to split. Kate returning with kids back the same way (carrying Oliv in a baby carrier) and Luk climbing up the steep trek no. 3 to the top of the Gunung Beremban and then descending using trek no. 7. It started to rain soon after our splitting so all of us could have fully enjoyed the rainy rainforest. Anyway we have reached the starting point almost at the same time 90 minutes later.

Followed a delicious and well rewarded lunch at on of the downtown Tanah Rata main street restaurans.

After that we have moved to our next accommodation which deserves a special coverage in a separate post.

The day after we have visited the BOH tea plantation and factory. Plantations were established in the 1929 by the British colonialists. Using first local tribes manpower to clear the forest and later bringing people from India to grow and look after a tea brushes. The factory visit was free of charge and not much interesting as complex presentation and explanation was missing.

The lunch at the same place like the previous day involved curry served in a whole pinaple, strawberry coffee, banana pancake with an ice cream and a really big (but not much tasty) burger. It also involved Tad spilling one of the drinks which has becomed almost tradition. Which makes us a bit crazy already.

The rest of our activities in the Highlands were done within our superb place to stay.

*The treks (and many forests nationalwide) areosed from 1st November till the 31st January due to the monsoon season. And the National Forestry Act from 1984 doesn't leave much space here as trespassing is fined by up to 10k MYR or/and 3 years of imprisonment. (Though, Lulas is not sure whether the climb to the top of the Mt. Beremban was not actually closed...)