About Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is the smallest district in the state of Pahang which is located in the north-western corner of the state. One of the wonders of Malaysia, it is the largest and most famous hill resort in the country. This highland paradise still retains much of the charm of an English village.

Being a primarily agricultural domain, you will find an abundance of vegetables and fruits farms here. Cameron Highlands is also the leading producer of flowers and tea in Malaysia. Be prepared for a lovely sight of extraordinary flowers you won’t see flourishing elsewhere in Malaysia! Located on the Titiwangsa Range at about 1500 metres above sea-level, the temperature here can drop to 16 ˚C or lower at certain times.

Cameron Highlands is made up of 4 main townships followed by smaller settlements at different elevations. The first town from the south is Ringlet, followed by Tanah Rata, Brinchang, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja

Ringlet
If you're driving via the old road from Tapah, this is the first town you will reach. Located at an elevation of 1,200 metres above sea-level, Ringlet is one of the main agricultural hub for the highlands. Bertam Valley which is located about 5km away is one of the main flower and vegetable producers in Cameron highlands. You wont find any hotels here in Ringlet. The nearest hotel is the LakeHouse which is less then 10 minutes away. This is also the place to fill up on fuel if you're low on supply.

Tanah Rata
Further up is Tanah Rata which is about 12 km’s (20 minutes drive) from Ringlet. This is the administrative capital of Cameron Highlands where the government offices, hospital and the district police station is located. The main bus station is also located here and this is where you would be able to get your transportation needs within and out of the highlands sorted out. Most of the chalets and backpacker's accommodation is located here in and around Tanah Rata, Almost all the jungle trekking and waterfall trails starts from here.

Local tours and transfers out of Cameron Highlands can be obtained from the various tour operators in town. Money changers and internet cafe's can also be found here. Tanah Rata would be a nice place to enjoy the highlands, especially during the weekdays. It is much more quieter compared to Brinchang where most of the big hotels and restaurants are located.

Brinchang

Next is Brinchang which is about 4 km’s (10 minutes drive) from Tanah Rata. This is where you will find most of the hotels and restaurants. The night market which is open every Saturday night and on holidays, features all kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruits and other products of the highlands. This place can get really crowded during the weekends and holiday season. Traffic jams and parking problems can be a nightmare during this time. Next to Ringlet, this is the only other town with petrol stations so keep your fuel tank in check.

Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla & Kampung Raja 
Beyond Brinchang, the road leads to all the way to Blue Valley. Most of the tourist spots are located around this route. This is where you will find the markets, vegetable farms, flower gardens, bee gardens and butterfly gardens. The road also branches out to the Sungai Palas tea plantation from here where you can visit the factory or have a cup of tea while enjoying the breathtaking view of the plantation.

If you continue on the main road heading north, it will be downhill from Kea Farm onwards. You will see vegetables farms all the way from here to Tringkap and beyond. Tringkap is a small farming community where you can find stalls along the road selling local produce. Fifteen minutes away is Kuala Terla, another small farming community. Kampung Raja is the last town on the map. Since the opening of the Simpang Pulai road, this town has become the gateway to the highlands from the north. From here, you can head west to Ipoh or east to Gua Musang in Kelantan.

Food Guide

You can get everything from Western, Chinese, Indian and Malay food to Thai and Japanese food here. Most restaurants are located in Tanah Rata and Brinchang however you could also find some good restaurants in Tringkap and Kampung Raja where the locals usually dine.

There is no food which is unique to Cameron Highlands however dining out here can be a great experience especially with to the cold weather and freshness of the greens. The favorites are :

Steamboat Dinner
Having steamboat for dinner on a cold highlands night is something you should never miss. There are a lot of restaurants in Tanah Rata and Brinchang which offers this treat. Price starts from RM12-RM22 per person.

Tea & Scones
This English tradition is still alive and popular here in Cameron Highlands. Locally grown tea and freshly baked scones is a must try on your  trip to Cameron Highlands. Although it is available in a lot of places around Cameron Highlands, only a few places serve really good scones.

Getting Around

It will be easier to get around Cameron Highlands if you have your own transportation. There are no car rental services in Cameron Highlands.

Distance Between Towns
Ringlet to Tanah Rata	- 13km
Tanah Rata to Brinchang	- 6km
Brinchang to Tringkap	- 8km
Tringkap - Kuala Terla	- 5km
Kuala Terla - Kg.Raja	- 3km

Travelling by Taxi it the next best option of you don't have a car. You can easily hire a taxi to the other towns and tourist destinations during the day. Alternately you can also get on one of the many tours organized by the local tour companies in Cameron Highlands.

Some guest houses do provide motorbike rental services which you can use to get around. Bicycles are not here popular because of the terrain and the high traffic.

Attraction

No trip to Cameron Highlands is complete without a trip to the tea plantations. This is one of the main attraction that's got to be in your "must see" list. You can visit the factories to learn about the tea making process and you can also sit down and enjoy a cup of tea at the cafe. The view overlooking the plantations is beautiful and perfect for the picture album. The 3 most famous tea plantations are :
- Boh Tea Plantation
- Sungai Palas Tea Plantation
- Cameron Valley Tea Plantation

Strawberry farms can be found almost everywhere in Cameron Highlands. All offer locally grown strawberries and home made strawberry jams and a very cheap price. Some strawberry farms will let you pluck your own strawberries and charge you according to the weight. Here is a list of some of the popular strawberry farms in Cameron Highlands :

Vegetable farms are located throughout the highlands and most of the farms allow visitors in. Drive up to Tringkap or Kuala Terla to get a roadside view of the larger vegetable farms .

Due to the increasing tourist arrivals, there have been more smaller farms cropping up all over the highlands. These farms produce everything from flowers and vegetables to strawberries. These are primarily for walk in tourists. The other bigger farms which produce vegetables for the nation's consumptions are usually not on the tourist map and are located in the interiors or Kuala Terla and Bertam Valley.

Cameron Highlands is the leading producer of fresh flowers in Malaysia. Most of the flower nurseries are centered around Bertam Valley and all along the way from Brinchang to Kg.Raja.

At the flower gardens and nurseries, be dazzled with the mix of colors and species being grown here. The common flowers grown here are roses, carnations,chrysanthemum, dalia, geranium, fuschia and gladioli. You can buy cheap flowers at these nurseries or any market around the highland.

After visiting the fruits and vegetable farms, you might want to buy some. The market is a good place to look for everything under one roof. The main day market is located around Kea Farm but you can also find many of them all along the main road from Ringlet to Kg.Raja.

On Saturday nights, the weekly night market comes to life in Brinchang. This is where you can find all the produce of Cameron Highlands sold in one place. You can get everything cheap here if you know how to bargain. This is also a place to get some good "pasar malam" food.

Seeing a butterfly in the open is a rare sight these days. Get a change to see many different species of butterflies which used to be a common sight in the highlands many years ago. A walk through an enclosed area where each species of butterfly is happily floating around in a lush, plant-filled garden is the highlight.

There are two butterfly farms in Cameron Highlands and the are both located around the Kea Farm area.