Malaysia and Thailand Winter 2008-9

Island Hopping

Cameron Highlands

Malaysian Peninsula

Cameron Highlands

Read Previous Episode: Langkawi and Georgetown or Next Episode: Perhentian Islands

Feb 27 2009

The van full of tourists make good time as it manoeuvred each sharp curve of the "new" road to the Cameron Highlands. It may have been a relatively new road but it still followed the contours of the mountains. It was a good thing Ray, who is a bit prone to motion sickness, was comfortably installed in the front seat beside the driver.

The scenery was beautiful. Morris Davison, hearing we were headed for Malaysia, requested that we buy him some tea that is only available in the Cameron Highlands. Of course we had to go. We made arrangements in Georgetown for a minivan ride to the highlands and off we went, leaving Georgetown Penang in the dark and light rain at 6 AM. We watched the sun rise in pink perfection as we raced along the super highway towards the turn off for the Cameron Highlands. Now the skies had cleared and we were approaching a valley covered in green houses. This was the market garden area for the rest of Malaysia. We had left the hot humid low lands and were in a climate perfect for growing flowers and every vegetable imaginable. Signs identified Rose Garden Farms, "self plucking farms", Tea Plantations and road side stalls were full of fresh produce.

Tourist accommodation abounds in Brinching and Tanah Rata. We were headed to Tanah Rata where most of the budget accommodation is found. It took less than four hours for us to reach our choice, Hill View Inn. We had a comfortable room with a balcony overlooking some of the surrounding mountains.

The British first came to the Cameron Highlands to escape the summer heat of the cities. Tourists now come to the Cameron Highlands for two main reasons; to hike one of the many trails in the area and to visit the Tea and other plantations that welcome visitors. We will have to return another year to go walking. The temperature in the Highlands ranges from 10 C to 21 C and gets quite a lot of rain in every season. We were lucky. The skies started out clear and blue in the morning and the temperature was warm enough for shirt sleeves. Each afternoon the clouds descended and it rained but by that time we were warm inside our hotel.

This year we took a pleasant minivan tour of the area. Our first stop, a Rose Garden and nursery, was built up the side of one of the valleys. Concrete steps between endless flower beds yield higher and higher vistas of the surrounding countryside. Besides roses, there were all the flowers we can only plant in our gardens in the summer. I have never seen so many varieties of cactus but my favourite plant was a Jade Vine with long tendrils of butterfly shaped dark turquoise blue flowers that formed a dense canopy over one of the lower levels of the garden.

Cameron Highlands view

Hydroponic Strawberry farm

We had a stop at a hydroponic Strawberry Farm, long enough to snack on strawberry ice cream and shakes. We had short visits to a Honey Bee Farm, a vegetable and fruit market and a Butterfly and Insect Farm and the richest Buddhist Temple in the area.

BOH Tea Plantation

View from Tea Plantation

The BOH Palas Tea Plantation offers free tours of its factory and a chance to sample and buy their products. This was the company whose tea Morris Davison requested that we bring back with us. The BOH Company was established by J.H. Russell, in 1929 and is still run by his descendants. It now encompasses four plantations totalling 1200 hectares, three in the Highlands and one closer to Kuala Lumpur. They do export to a few countries including Japan but their production is not large enough to support both the demand for their tea in Malaysia and North America. That is why Morris asked us to buy his favourite variety. Not available in Canada! Pity!

It was a very interesting and informative visit. We bought several teas for ourselves and then enjoyed a cuppa sitting on a terrace overlooking the tea plantation spread like a plush velvet carpet over the steep hillside.

The rest of our visit here has been spent relaxing and sampling several of the inexpensive restaurants in the area. Every hotel in town, including ours offers tea and homemade scones. They are good. We have had good Indian lunches, Chinese dishes, some Western food and a local specialty, a Steampot. That is a Asian version of a fondue. A large pot of broth was placed over a gas burner on our table, surrounded by dishes of noodles, fish, seafood, chicken and vegetables. When steam started escaping through a central funnel at the top of the pot, it was time to add all the goodies to the brew, wait a few minutes and enjoy. Very tasty.

Return to Thai Islands Intro

Return to Malaysia-Thailand Intro

Return to Travels

Return to Introduction