Is Cameron Highlands Worth Visiting?
Cameron Highlands is definitely worth visiting. The area is easy to access from bigger cities like Georgetown or Kuala Lumpur and has some very unique things to do. The landscape is stunning and the temperature is very pleasant. We think it is the perfect escape from the hot tropical climate in the rest of the country. Although not as popular as some other regions in Malaysia, it’s definitely still worth checking out for yourself.
How to Get to Cameron Highlands
The easiest way to get to Cameron Highlands is from one of the bigger cities in Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur or Georgetown. From Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands the drive will be around 5 hours, and from Georgetown about 4 hours. From both places it is possible to rent a car and drive to Cameron Highlands yourself. But you can also easily get on an affordable bus. These comfortable busses leave in the morning busses and cost around $9. You can get your bus ticket here.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Unlike most of Malaysia, Cameron Highlands has a a nice cool climate all year round due to its elevation. The dryer months are between February and June, making this time busier with tourists because there is meant to be less rainfall. However we were there in mid-June and it was quite wet. Monsoon season is between November and February, but at this time the tea plantations are also blooming which could be quite spectacular.
If you’re coming from the tropical heat of the rest of Malaysia, then the Cameron Highlands is a much more pleasant change in temperature but it can get pretty chilly. Particularly in the early mornings and evenings we’d recommend some long pants and a sweater/jacket.
Note: Cameron Highlands can get quite busy on public holidays or weekends with local tourism. Views are disrupted by too many people being there, tours will be full, and there are long traffic jams. To avoid this we highly recommend planning your trip during the week and outside of local holidays.
How to get Around
There are multiple ways to get around Cameron Highlands to see some of its highlights. If you drive there yourself then getting around by car is the most convenient. This is very possible as most spots have parking available and the roads are good. You can also join tours to see the area. Most hotels and hostels will organise group tours, this is possible but can get quite packed as most tours follow the same itinerary and leave around the same time. Therefore, we would recommend renting a scooter. We rented a scooter for as low as 65 MYR for a full day.
Having a scooter is ideal as you can easily stop along the road to take some photos and follow your own itinerary. We rented our scooter from The Backpackers Scooter rental which was very good.
How Many Days are Enough?
2-3 days is enough to see Cameron Highlands. We would say stay a minimum of 2 night as this gives you a little bit more time to see the area. Especially after a drive to get there you might want to take it easy the first day, like we did. We got a bus to Cameron Highlands early on the first day, stayed 2 nights and left around noon on the third day and we found this to be the perfect amount of time.
Day 1 - Arriving in Cameron Highlands
We’ll now go through the itinerary for the first day, this includes driving or taking a bus to Cameron Highlands.
Morning
Take an early bus from Kuala Lumpur or Georgetown to the Cameron Highlands. We recommend one of these places as they have the most busses going to and from Cameron Highlands and you’ll likely get a better/cheaper deal. You can get your bus ticket here.
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Noon
The bus will arrive around noon. You can check into your accommodation or already drop your bags if checking in is not possible yet and head into the main street of Tanah Rata. Here you can have lunch. Tanah Rata has quite a few good restaurants for western or local options. We had a delicious and very affordable meal at the Orchard food corner.
Afternoon
Rent a scooter for 1.5 day so that you can do some sightseeings this afternoon and so that you can start exploring early the next morning. We rented our scooter from the The Backpackers Scooter rental. After getting the scooter, check out the Bharat tea plantation. This a 15 minute scooter drive is down south of Tanah Rata. You can have an afternoon tea here at Cameron Valley tea house.
This tea house looks over the Bharat tea plantation. It is a nice first experience and view of the breathtaking tea plantations. Afterwards, drive a little further as there are quite some nice spots along the road. With the scooter you can easily stop for some photos and an even better view over the tea plantation here.
Evening
The sun will set around 7:30PM, make your way back to Tanah Rata for some tasty dinner. We went to a little food court with all kinds of stalls along the Jalan Besar street. On one side of this road you’ll find some Indian and Western restaurants and cafes and on the other side you’ll find the smaller local food stalls that much more affordable. We recommend eating there!
Day 2 - Explore the Area
The second day of the itinerary will be a bit more active. After taking it easy on day 1 it is time to explore the Cameron Highlands and see what it is most known for.
Morning
Wake up early to go to the BOH tea plantation, Malaysia’s largest tea manufacturer. Driving here from Tanah Rata takes around 20 minutes, so we recommend to leave at 7:40ish. The BOH tea plantation opens at 8:30 (the cafe) but will let you in around 8:00. This place already gets quite touristy after 9:30 so we recommend to be there early and enjoy a cup of local tea with a stunning view over the plantations.
Eating here is a bit more expensive but a perfect spot for a morning tea and small pastry, which they have plenty. Even if the weather is rainy or cloudy we recommend going here. The view is pretty and the weather in Cameron highlands is unpredictable and changes quickly.
Tip: When the weather is nice you can wake up early to see the sunrise along the way to the BOH tea plantation. We tried to do this but sadly got caught in the rain and had to seek shelter for a while.
Noon
After the BOH tea plantation, we recommend going for a little hike. Coming from BOH, take the first right turn. We parked our scooter at the BOH entrance (do ask if this is okay first) and walked from here. Follow the road up for some beautiful views over the tea fields.
Spot the tea workers plucking the leaves and meet some friendly dogs along the way. The walk up is steep, but very nice and takes about 30 minutes. Make sure you have some water with you.
Walk a little further to the Mountain Strawberry Farm to pluck some strawberries as refreshment. This place is unlike other strawberry farms quite remote and not crowded by tourists at all. Strawberries here are only 4 ringgit per 100 grams and they are delicious. You can walk through the farm and pick them yourself.
If you want to continue further you can check out the Mossy Forest, which is nearby. We decided to skip this as after reading about it we weren’t too fuzzed, but there’s quite a lot of history about it so check it out if you’re interested. After the hike, make your way back to Tanah Rata for some lunch along the main street.
Afternoon
After a good lunch you’ll have regained the energy to do some exploring again. So, go on an afternoon hike through the jungle. There are a number of different hikes in the area which all look very beautiful. We chose to do the hike to Gunung Jasar, which is Trail 10.
This trail is located near Tanah rata and offers nice panoramic views. It can be quite challenging especially after rain so we recommend using the app maps.me to check the path. The tracks can be quite confusing as a few cross over one another so keep that in mind.
The surrounding forest is also quite dense and gets dark well before sunset so don’t leave too late. We read a lot about the trails in the area on the Bucketlisty Blog. Definitely have a look at their post on hikes in Cameron Highlands here.
Evening
After a very active day, it’s time to have a tasty dinner. Your Cameron Highlands itinerary is not complete without having at least one steamboat meal, which the area is known for. Steamboat is a pot of boiling water in the middle of your table which you boil your own food in to eat. Its quite fun and unique and very popular. There are many restaurants in and around Tanah Rata serving steamboat, so you cannot miss it!
Day 3 - Continue your Journey
Most busses will leave Cameron Highlands early and can bring you to Georgetown or Kuala Lumpur. So check out of your hotel or hostel early and get some breakfast in town. The busses all leave from Terminal Freesia, so we recommend having some breakfast nearby. When we took the bus most cafes were still closed so we went to Starbucks which is close to the bus terminal. Make sure you have some water and snacks with you for the bus drive. That concludes the itinerary for the Cameron Highlands.
Where to stay in Cameron Highlands?
We recommend Tanah Rata, this is the main town and you’ll find the most hotels, hostels, restaurants, and shops here. This is convenient to find a scooter rental place and also because the busses arrive and leave from this town. We stayed in a hostel called sleep box hostel, which has a nice central location. The hostel was perfect and has, besides single beds, also double beds. A night costs only 85 MYR for a bed. They offer tours and scooter rental, but the scooters were quite expensive and we prefer doing out own things over a tour. Someone stole my towel so don’t stay here.
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