It is situated north-west of Pahang in cool fresh air, away from noise and pollution of the city. If you would like to rent a car and drive there it is going to take around 3-4 hours from Kuala Lumpur (295km drive through breathtaking green jungle), the fastest way to drive there is to take the expressway near Tapah town. A lot of people prefer driving to taking a tour with a travel agency since driving itself can be an eye candy. There are a couple of really nice places to stop by such as Kuala Woh Forest Recreation Park where you can have fun at a hot spring.

There are quite a few companies that organise tours to the Cameron Highlands that arrange pickup service from major hotels of Kuala Lumpur (RM320 adult, RM200 child).  Most travellers prefer to leave in the morning and come back in the evening, since there are a lot of things to see it is usually better to spend the whole day, you really wouldn’t want to rush.

Tours will take you to the tea plantation, where tea-making process will be revealed to you in front of your eyes, strawberry farm can delight your eyes with bright-red coloured strawberries in the amount you could only dream about, butterfly park, where you can find some astonishing looking species of the most exotic butterflies and take some photos, a rose garden (no need to say anything if you understand the value of pretty flowers).

Absolutely any nature lover will be happy to spend a day in an incredibly green paradise of Cameron hills, they are literally too green.

Cameron Highlands provides and oasis for those who like to walk. Pleasant  strolls are everywhere and the weather is never hot so you can enjoy the high altitude scenary without the efforts required in other parts of Malaysia.

Simple maps are available at many tour operators and hotels. You can choose organized tours or pottering about by yourself whatever you decide Cameroon Highlands with its plantations waterfalls and greenery are a walker’s paradise.

While in Brichang why not take the trek to Gunung Brinchang? This marvelous peak is not too strenuous at 2000m and can easily be reached on foot taking trail 1 from Brinchang. Many people have difficulty finding the path  as the sign is located about 10m from the main road.  Ask for the way to the army base and walk to the end of the road from there the path is clearly sign posted.

It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to reach the summit but  The walk to the top takes about 2-2.5 hours depending on your fitness but the view is spectacular. Once there you can walk 6kms down to the road and the boh tea plantation. From here you can walk or take a bus back to Binchang.

This is a very popular and not to strenuous trek and there is really no need for a guide, however, if you prefer to walk with an aid and other walkers, there are numerous places to book this beautiful hike with local tour operators.

For the budget conscious or outdoor enthusiast  Sg Pauh Campsite in Taman Sedia just between Taman Rata and Brinchang is a basic amenity campsite with running water and showers.

A very popular hostel is Father’s Guest House in Tanah Rata. It has dorm and private rooms and you can book tours from here.

For as little as 8RM you can rent a dorm room bed in Daniel Kang’s Traveler’s Lodge in Tanah Rata, They offer hot showers, DVDs, a pool table and nightly bonfires, where you can barbeque your own food.

Owned by friendly Indians, The Twin Pines offers great value rooms from 12RM to 75 RM with internet, cable TV, hot showers and a small garden.

On Jalan Mentigi lies The Cameronian Inn with its cute cottages and lovely garden., afternoon tea and strawberry scones, and mix of dorms and private rooms.TV room with ASTRO. 4-Bed Dorm: RM10, Private Double Room w/shared bathroom: RM50.
In Brinchang there is the Hotel Chua Gin, with its inexpensive rooms and apartments.

For the less budget conscious there is The Bala’s Holiday Chalet in Tanah Rata. One of the most ancient colonial buildings in Cameron Highlands which started life as a school. Within walking distance of Tanah Rata this mock English guest house has lovely lawns and spectacular mountain views, just the place to contemplate and enjoy tea and scones.

A ‘steamboat’ is a great delicacy. They give you a pot of boiling water and you cook you own meat and vegetables at the table try The Mayflower in Tanah Rata where it’s a specialty.

Zainab Samin in Tanah Rata has fantastic Malay food.

Gerai Opah in Tanah Rata offer great mountaineers breakfasts and friendly staff.

Restaurant No. 14 in Tanah Rata has fabulous curries and other Indian delicacies.

Bala’s Holiday Chalet is famous for its afternoon teas which are delicious at any time of the day.

Right next to the guilty pleasures of Starbucks in Tanah Rata is Sri Brinchang which has great Indian food at exceptional prices with some vegetarian dishes..

Another tea room with a great atmosphere is Tanah Rata though remember they close on Sundays.

The only place to enjoy German food in Jalan Persiaran which is The German Swiss Restaurant well worth a visit the sausages are so fresh you’d think you were in Berlin

All of these restaurants serve authentic, well made food with great service. It’s a good job that there are many opportunities for exercise in the Cameron Highlands!

As the main towns in Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata and Brinchang are the liveliest at night with most people heading to either for the evening. There is bus service between the two which costs 1.5 RM or if there are a few of you, you might want to share a cab which is a little more costly at 6RM.

There is only one pub in Tina Rata called The Travelers Bistro and Pub. Nothing in the way of dancing or cabaret but a pleasant place to talk with friends or make new ones as this is a popular venue with fellow travelers. It also shows football matches on the big screens which are popular with the locals too.

Brinchang has a weekend night market which runs throughout the week during the school holidays night selling all manner of clothes souvenirs and groceries the honey is especially good. The market adds to the local color and is safe and pleasant to walk about at night with very little in the way of crime or vice. Apart from restaurants and shopping there are also a few clubs and lounges in the town to hang out after dinner.

Even the most unfocused child should have a lot to occupy them. With a little pre arrangement games, such as spot the fauna or name the insect can provide hours of contented fun.

There is so much to see and do that a three day family visit is action packed. Getting around is very easy with on foot or local buses for the budget conscious. Maps are plentiful so make sure you pick up one for you and one for them!

Taxis and four wheel drive offer tours of the area.

The Butterfly Park contains fish snakes, turtles, tortoises, scorpions grasshoppers, stick insects and guinea pigs. Most children will find this very interesting but supervision and support is needed for the more sensitive child! Allow 1-2 hours here which includes ample time for lunch or refreshments.

The Strawberry Parks are everywhere and kids not only love picking strawberries but can also eat them later with ice cream topped with sugar. Yum!

The Cactus Farm and Robinson waterfalls are well worth visiting but supervision is, of course, recommended in both these areas.

A trip to The Smokehouse Restaurant for tea and scones is a must and maybe as a reward for a picking up litter excursion which many children enjoy. Hotels provide a plastic bag and a useful activity for the ecology of this wonderful place.

The main hospital was established in 1943 as a small health clinic with only one Hospital Assistant along the main road of Tanah Rata.

The Outpatient Department (OPD) is located on the ground floor and opens from 8.00am to 4.30pm daily from Monday to Friday. On Saturday, it opens from 8.00am to 12.50pm. It is closed on all Public Holidays.  Foreigners have to pay RM15.00 for each OPD visit. This charge does not include laboratory investigations and procedures done in the Hospital. Medication is included.

Emergency radiological services are available. Ultrasound services for maternity cases are available.

The Inpatient Facility has two wings, with one wing for Maternity and Gynecological cases and the other wing for general medical, surgical and pediatric cases.

There is a labor room catering for normal deliveries as well as instrumental deliveries. Patients requiring a Caesarian Section have to be referred to Hospital Ipoh.

There are no charges for admission into the wards for Malaysians but foreigners are charged RM50.00 for a delivery. Admission is by referral from the OPD or Casualty.

The Casualty is situated on the ground floor and caters for emergency cases during and after office hours. After office hours, patients ring the bell at the front or inform the Ward staff upstairs. There is always a Doctor or Medical Assistant On-Call.  Foreigners are charged RM15.

The Pharmacy is situated on the ground floor and caters for ALL patients of the hospital. Only drugs prescribed by the Doctor or Medical Assistant are dispensed.

The Dental Clinic is situated on the ground floor towards the back of the building. The operating hours are the same as the OPD. The clinic is manned by one Dentist and 2 Dental Nurses.

All cases are by appointment. Walk-in cases are on a case to case basis.

Depending on the type of dental procedures, there will be a fee levied

There are no separate charges for the drugs dispensed.

The temperature never drops below 10˚c or rises above 21˚c perfect for tea  making the area became the centre for Malaysia’s vast tea industry. Vegetable cultivation also flourished here as well as flowers which grow in commercial abundance to the present day.

In recent times property development has grown at an unprecedented and rapid rate. Modern high rise have done much to destroy the once peaceful English colonial atmosphere.

The environment has also suffered greatly from unchecked and  often illegal land clearance.

Vast hillsides have been flattened and streams filled in to increase farmland causing flooding and landslides.  Erosion had caused Ringlet Lake to silt up almost completely by 2005, when lengthy dredging operation began, and flooding problems will no doubt continue. The Malayan Government has introduced tougher laws against water pollution another ecological nightmare. After many years of construction a better road running from Ipoh to Brinchang and Tanah Rata is now open, making trips to and from the Highlands easier and faster. This new and better access will no doubt bring even greater population and prosperity to the area let’s hope with a more respect for the nature which originally started it.

Cameron Highlands is a hill resort at the northernmost tip of Pahang state. The main towns in the Cameron Highlands are Tanah Rata and Brinchang. The Highlands are the centre of the Malayan tea industry and offer the traveler a mountain Eden resplendent with rose, vegetable, butterfly and strawberry farms. Temperatures never rise above 25˚C becoming a tranquil retreat from the heat and bustle of modern Kuala Lumpur.

From Kuala Lumpur buses to Tanah Rata can be caught at Puduraya Central Bus Station and take about 4 1/2 hours to reach Tanah Rata. Buses leave from early in the 8 o’clock in the morning to mid afternoon everything is easily reached by local buses, taxis or foot during your stay. Hiking is simple and not too exhausting with local maps easily picked up and delicious English afternoon teas available almost everywhere.

Accommodation is varied and suitable to all budgets from guest houses with dorm room to colonial style hotels.

Food is delightful with European breakfast both continental as well as greasy English and of course terrific Malayan fare all at reasonable prices.

Must sees include Robertsons Waterfall just a short walk from Tanah Rata or take a tour that uses 4WD vehicles to see the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

Visit the Cloud Forest a short walk up the new boardwalk at Gunung Brinchang

You can see how roses are grown and buy cheap roses at the Rose Centre and Rose Valley at Kea Farm and Rose Valley. A must for any romantic.

By road
Buses, taxis and several cars use the good expressways and roads to get to Cameron Highlands. If travelling by car the best route would be to use the North South Expressway and exit at the Tapah toll exit. Soon after this the long and winding drive of about 60 kilometres, begins. This portion of the drive can take as long as up to two hours as there are many sharp turns and corners. There is now a second route from the Tapah toll exit. The Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja Highway is not as windy as the old road as it tunnels through sections of the mountains. Drivers from Kuala Lumpur can head for the Simpang Pulai exit instead of the Tapah toll exit. From here the roads are clearly sign posted. The Cameron Highlands is about 300 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur.

Taxis from Kuala Lumpur leave on a hire basis from Pudu Raya Bus and Taxi Terminal. There are regular taxi services from Tapah and Ipoh to The Cameron Highlands. Passengers arriving at Kuala Lumpar airport can take a limousine from the airport straight to Cameron Highlands but this may be rather expensive.

By Bus
Buses to The Cameron Highlands depart from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. TBuses leave Kuala Lumpur hourly between 08.30 and 15.30. There are about eight buses leaving Ipoh daily to Cameron Highlands between 08.00 and 19.00 hours. Three buses go directly to Cameron Highlands from Penang leaving at 08.00, 09.00 and 14.30. Buses also leave Penang for Tapah at 08.00 and 16.00 daily. From here passengers will need to change buses or take a taxi to The Cameron Highlands. Buses from Tapah to Cameron Highlands leave daily at 08.00, 09.00, 10.30, 11.30, 13.15, 15.15, 16.15 and 18.15 hours. There is an overnight bus that leaves Singapore at 22.00 hours daily and reaches the Tanah Rata Bus station at about 07.00 the following morning.