A Layman's Guide to Cameron Highlands

Accommodations
You will find a lot of different types of accomodation here. From the backpackers lodges to hotels like the Strawberry Park, Equatorial, Heritage , Century Pines and so on. There are even individual owned appartments with cable tv and cooking facilities which they rent out on daily basis.
Even though I'm presently based in Cameron Highlands, we like to stay at some hotels. Our romantic getaway especially on special occasion like birthday and our anniversary. Below are some of the places we stayed. These are my comments, how I felt when I stayed there. They might have done some renovations or upgrading. I hope this will be some help to you.

This charming English style inn is located on a hill overlooking lush greenery. It's quite high up so you won't be able to hear the traffic below. It was as a boarding school 1934 for European expatriate children as a branch of the more famous Tanglin school in Singapore, it began with 150 pupils and 22 qualified teachers all recruited from England.
It's a very charming place and is very peaceful. Especially at night. The rooms are also decorated to match their English Inn theme. Their scones is a must try.
For more information please go to balaschalet.com

We stayed there in November, it was the school holidays. I normally avoid going for holidays during school holidays. But it was our anniversary. (We didn't have any school going kids then). The hotel is located in Tanah Rata but it's quite a distance for those people who don't like walking. But with cool Cameron fresh air, taking a slow stroll to town will be wonderful. The room we got was large and overlooking some hills. It was beautiful. If you are looking for a hotel near to town this is the best place.

For more information please go to Heritage Hotel Cameron Highlands

Natasya Resort Cameron Highlands was just recently launched sometime in August 2010. They offer cozy apartment style accommodation in the Kea Farm area. They are located within the same premises of Equatorial Hotel Cameron Highlands. Reason being is that Perwanza Properties Sdn. Bhd which owns Natasya Cosmetic has bought over some of the apartment units from the Hotel Equatorial. The apartments was refurbished, so they look brand new. The reception is located in a building called the entertainment complex on the left at the road entry to Equatorial Hotel. The hotel doesn`t have any food outlets. So if you take their room with breakfast, you will be served in the coffeeshop of Equatorial Cameron Highlands. But you don't have to worry about food as Brinchang is just 4km away. And on every Fridays and Saturdays there is the night market there.

www.natasyaresort.com

The hotel is situated at the top of a mountain just past Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands, about 1,628 meters above sea level. It's easy to locate as it's the biggest building in the highlands. Equatorial Cameron Highlands is situated at the highest point of the highlands. As it is in the middle, it is accessible from Simpang Pulai and also Tapah.
The Resort offers accommodation option of apartments or a hotel block. All in all they have a total of three hundred and fifty rooms. Just a note the apartment doesn't have cooking facilities. The hotel facilities include a heated swimming pool, a gymnasium and a recreational area in the lobby that have pool tables, foosball, video games and other kid's activities. Apart from that there is a tour desk selling country-side tours, guided nature walks and jungle trekking. There is also ample parking if you wish to drive up.
There are two restaurants, a coffeeshop that serves buffet breakfast loaded with a variety of food. The coffeeshop opens from 7am till 12 midnight. And the Golden Phoenix serves Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine. Their steamboat is a must try cause there is free flow of vegetables and noodles on the buffet. They also have a karaoke lounge that has 7 small private rooms and a sports bar that have board games and shows live football matches on weekends.
The Raju's Strawberry farm is just around the corner and also Kea's Farm is just walking distance from the hotel where you can find stalls selling almost everything that Cameron Highland has to offer vegetables, cactus, strawberries and other fruits, souvenir and so much more.
As for food you have to go into Brinchang if you don't want to eat in the hotel.
Its best to try to avoid going to Cameron Highlands during school holiday as the traffic is quite congested and it might takes you 1 hour to reach the hotel from Brinchang town or Tringkap town.(normally 10 to 15min drive).

Their website is www.equatorial.com/cam

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Jim Thompson was an American businessman. He was known as the Thai Silk King because he revitalized the cottage industry of hand-woven silk, which had for centuries been a household craft in Thailand but was dying out.
Jim Thompson mysteriously disappeared while going for a walk on Easter Sunday, in 1967 in Cameron Highlands. There are many hypotheses to his disappearance but what actually happens is a mystery. The cottage where he last stay is still standing in Cameron. It's called Moonlight Bungalow. It is now privately own.
To know more about Jim Thompson, just click here Click Here

Or you can go to the Jim Thompson House Click Here

Strawberry Farms
Strawberry Farms are located almost everywhere. They are easy to spot because there are huge signboards with directions all along the way. Some even give you the experience of picking your own strawberries. Some of the popular ones are Raju's Hill (his strawberries are popular, that you have to go early because they are normally sold out by 4.00pm) and The Big Red Strawberry in Brinchang Town

Tea Plantations
William Cameron saw potential in this valley, its cooling climate, rich soil and moderate sunshine for growing tea. There are many tea plantations where you can have a sip of tea and scones. The popular ones are the Sungai Palas tea shop. This is the place to have a cup of BOH tea and a couple of scones while enjoying the breathtaking view of the greenery below. After tea you can visit the factory where you can see how they produce tea. Some of the machinery here are really old but in good working order. The factory is a good place to bring your kids, to show them how tea is made. You have park below and walk up. There are two ways up, one through the tea plants but this way is a bit tough for the elderly. The other way is by a paved road but not too scenic as the first. There is also a souvenir shop selling BOH's tea products and souvenirs. Don't forget to bring your camera cause the view is bound to take your breath away. Avoid the weekends and public holidays if you don't like crowds cause this place gets really crowded on these days. FYI the teashop and factory is closed on Mondays.

Flower Gardens
The cooling weather makes it an ideal place for growing flowers. You will see flowers growing beautifully everywhere. There are places where you can see hibiscus as big as your face.
There are also flower gardens. One of them is the Rose Garden in Kea Farm. It's my wife's favourite cause whenever she brings her friends or family up here, this is one destination she brings them. There is a variety of roses and also other flowers.

There are also other places like the bee farm, mossy forest and waterfalls.
You can go this websites
cameronhighlands.net


Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel in Cameron Highland is also known as the Local Museum. But instead of displaying the usual historical items that most museums have you will
find 1,000 artifacts on display that bring you a sense of nostalgia. You will have a wonderful time there, reminiscing and laughing at the things you used to play and use when you were small. The name suits it, its really a Time Tunnel to the past. There are tin toys and even old money boxes which were given out by banks in the od days. It was nice to show my wife some of the things we used before like the refillable aerosol spraycans. She haven't one like that before. If you think it is like a normal museum then you will be disappointed, but I certainly liked it. It is only a RM5 entrance fee.
Time Tunnel Gallery is between Brinchang and Tanah Rata, at a place called Kok Lim Strawberry Farm.
To go to their website click here Time Tunnel

This Agrotech Park is located 1km away from the town of Tanah Rata. Taman Agroteknologi is actually a research center for Mardi. Now they have made it into a park. As the Cameron weather is cooling you can actually take a slow walk from the Tanah Rata bus station to this park. The entrance fee is RM3.00 per person. When we went there we spent almost two hours walking around. Among the major attractions are the English Garden, strawberry production, vegetable and cut flower production, green house research and the sale centre. If you need a drink and don't want to leave there is also a cafeteria there. I liked it cause the gardens are grown beautifully and not clustered as some of the gardens around here.

To see some pictures of flowers that I have taken there Click Here

There are a lot of places to eat here in Cameron Highlands.
Ranging from the normal road side stalls till the luxury restaurants in hotels.

The favourite among visitors to the Cameron Highlands are

Steamboat
Having steamboat in this cool weather is popular as you can take your time and you don't perspire much as when you have steamboat in the lowlands. There are a lot of restaurants around here serving steamboat.

Tea and Scones.
An afternoon English tradition left behind by the British. Having tea and freshly baked scones are a must try when you are up here. Some of my favourite are The Bala's Chalet (it's located on a hill in an old English school which he converted into a holiday home and the T-café (which I found that the apple pie is heavenly). Don't just take my word for it go and try it.

Aliff Café
Located in Brinchang. The location is just across from KFC. They have steamboat here at RM20. Haven' t tried it, I always go there for their curry mee. Their curry mee is not too spicy and my friends say the nasi lemak too is nice. This place is a bit pricey compared to the normal food court but its a good buy especially after 3pm when most of the Muslim food outlets runout of food. Its also quite cosy

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