We boarded our bus in Melaka and headed for KL, where we
would catch another bus to Cameron Highlands some 4 hours away. Now this was
our 2nd bus experience in Malaysia and like the 1st one
it didn’t disappoint. Seats so wide they only put 3 in a row and powerful AC to
escape the outside heat.
Upon arrival in Brinchang, Cameron highlands we were
accosted by young men asking us about tours and where we were staying. The
first such occurrence in Malaysia and our last, which makes Malaysia such an
easy place to visit.
Cameron highlands has a much cooler climate and much lower humidity which makes it a favourite holiday destination for Malaysians and tourists alike. And because of the fertile soil and more favourable climate the area explodes with vegetation most famously Black tea and strawberries.
The high altitude also meant it rained daily in the afternoon and by rain I mean a downpour.
So we had dinner and contemplated our plans for the next day. Many tour operators offered the same packages, so we settled on one and called them to book the half day tour for the next morning, knowing that being caught out in the rain in the afternoon would not be pleasant.
For 25 ringgit ($10 NZD) they would pick you up in the morning and drive you to 6 must see’s. We thought 6 places in 4 hours might be a bit rushed. It turned out it was just enough to see what you needed to see without getting bored. For example how much time do you need to see a strawberry farm?
So we headed to the strawberry farm and saw how they planted them and found out they can produce strawberries all year round, and that fresh strawberry milkshakes are a lot better than the strawberry syrup ones we are used to. At the farm we visited, they grow the strawberries in raised beds, plastic holding together the coconut husks they’re planted in (which just looks like mulch after a while).
Cameron highlands has a much cooler climate and much lower humidity which makes it a favourite holiday destination for Malaysians and tourists alike. And because of the fertile soil and more favourable climate the area explodes with vegetation most famously Black tea and strawberries.
The high altitude also meant it rained daily in the afternoon and by rain I mean a downpour.
So we had dinner and contemplated our plans for the next day. Many tour operators offered the same packages, so we settled on one and called them to book the half day tour for the next morning, knowing that being caught out in the rain in the afternoon would not be pleasant.
For 25 ringgit ($10 NZD) they would pick you up in the morning and drive you to 6 must see’s. We thought 6 places in 4 hours might be a bit rushed. It turned out it was just enough to see what you needed to see without getting bored. For example how much time do you need to see a strawberry farm?
So we headed to the strawberry farm and saw how they planted them and found out they can produce strawberries all year round, and that fresh strawberry milkshakes are a lot better than the strawberry syrup ones we are used to. At the farm we visited, they grow the strawberries in raised beds, plastic holding together the coconut husks they’re planted in (which just looks like mulch after a while).
We also saw the rose gardens which has nice views and acres
of vegetables and flowers, not really all that exciting but a nice view all the
same. The tea plantation was interesting hectares of tea plants as far as the
eye could see. A local processing plant where they fermented and dried the tea,
and a great café located at the top of a hill with amazing views of the
plantation, where you can try the local and imported tea’s that BOH offered.
On
our way back to the van we popped into the shop and Hannah got a chance to pick
up some peppermint tea. After that everything else was a bit mundane including
the bee farm, the butterfly farm which also had some interesting insects,
arachnids, and reptiles. And the last stop was a Buddhist temple which was
quite extravagant.
We got back around 1pm and found somewhere for lunch and as we sat down the
heavens opened, and the downpour began.
After our tour we didn’t do a lot as there wasn’t a lot more to do apart from trekking, and with the weather the way it was that wasn’t an option. So we lay about our room for the rest of the day, ventured out for a local coffee and dinner and the next day made our way to Penang.
After our tour we didn’t do a lot as there wasn’t a lot more to do apart from trekking, and with the weather the way it was that wasn’t an option. So we lay about our room for the rest of the day, ventured out for a local coffee and dinner and the next day made our way to Penang.
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