Malaysia: Cameron Highlands

Since we had a nursling babe and couldn't get away alone for our 10th anniversary, we brought our little munchkins along for a terribly romantic getaway.  We found $24 (each-way) tickets to the capital of Malaysia--Kuala Lumpur.  So we planned a trip to visit KL and Cameron Highlands back in May.  They were both on our must-see list, so we took the chance to go, knowing there was a good chance we'd be moving. We are grateful for all our travels while living in Singapore.  We were able to see so many amazing places.  One lesson we've learned is that you have to be flexible.  We started the trip off on the wrong side of the bed.  We'd had a visitor the couple days before we left, which meant Lizzie was in our room and we'd hadn't slept the two nights before we left.

The excitement kept coming--our departure from Singapore was delayed, so we missed our mini-bus to Cameron Highlands.   We said "c'est la vie", grabbed some donuts for lunch, and hopped on a taxi saying "adieu" to our cheap trip.  The ride was LONG and really uncomfortable--the winding roads were threatening to bring our donuts back up.

 

 Cameron Highlands is stunning.  One of the prettiest places we've been.  It's apparently great golf courses first put it on the map for foreign visitors.  Locals flock here on the weekend to enjoy the cooler temperatures and to buy fresh produce.  The rolling hills are covered with manicured tea plantations.  Boh Tea plantation is the largest and is a "must-see."  You can take a tour, sample the products, and wander around in the plantation.

We went on a hike in the "mossy forest".

 This is a pitcher plant that holds a lot of water and is really important to the ecosystem.

 

We loved learning about the unique ecology in the mossy forest. This is a glue from a leaf.
Our guide's name was Satya.  Email is yelIowfoot87@yahoo.com. His number is 013-4399635.  He worked for TJ travel and tours but said he could do private.  We really thought he was great.  Knowledgeable about both history and ecology but entertaining and funny too.  Even Samara listened in and learned some thing while we were on the hike, which was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.  TJ travel company also has lodging.

 

Loved the school buses

 

One of the Highlands original agricultural exports is strawberries, and the locals have made every attempt to keep it a central theme.  They have huge strawberry parties where everyone dresses up in strawberry clothes.  The strawberries must have been a different species because the taste and texture was odd.  They weren't nearly as good as the strawberries in North Carolina.

There are several other attractions.  We also visited the insect kingdom.  Ben would say it wasn't worth the visit, but Samara loved it.

There are a three small towns.  We stayed in Tanah Rata.  The tourist were a different crowd than most places we've been.  It was full of backpackers and mainly Europeans.  You can get taxis in town to get around to the places that aren't on your tour and they were quite cheap.  The food was cheap and delicious!  We got a huge Indian spread including Mango Lassis for $12 SGD.  

 Taking the leaves away for tea production.

I think Cameron Valley Plantation (photos above) is the second biggest plantation and definitely worth a visit.  We would highly recommend a trip to Cameron Highlands to anyone.  Just be warned--the ride is long.  And you won't want to return to the muggy hot lowlands after visiting.