The tea of the Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands was the place I looked most forward to visiting. The tea plantations had my interest from the moment I stumbled on this place on the net.
Transportation
The Cameron Highlands is easy to reach from Kuala Lumpur. The most common way is to travel by bus, which takes around 4 hours. Some of the ways is on the highway and some through the mountains.
We have used the website/app BusOnlineTicket for all or travel between cities and it works perfectly. Expect good, big adjustable seats with footrests and cheap prices. The website also offers train and ferry tickets you can buy.
Tour
Going around in the Highlands can be done in two ways, by a taxi you rent per hour or by a tour. We booked a tour with CS Travel and Tours. There are all kinds of tours and we went with a full day tour through the Highlands. Our tour guide, Nick, picked us up at 9:00 AM in a nice 4 wheel drive that we shared with 2 people from Austria and 3 people from the UK.
From the hotel, we were driven to the tea plantation where we could take pictures of the beautiful view. Nick explained a little bit about the history of the place, the workers in the field and how the tea is grown. The tour continued to the Mossy Forest where we hiked and learned more about the local flora and fauna. After this, we drove to the tea factory where we saw the process of tea making. Here we enjoyed the view over the tea plantations while drinking the BOH tea that is made in the factory.
After the factory the tour continued to the butterfly farm and the town Tana Ratha where we got the time to lunch. After lunch we visited the Cactus point, Buddha Temple, Strawberry farm and the local market. The attractions during the tour can be switched around depending on the weather. Around 5 PM we were dropped off back at our hotel, this was the end of the tour.
High tea
High teas are quite common in the Highlands and almost every hotel offers a high tea to their guests. We enjoyed one in our hotel (Copthorne Cameron Highlands) with sandwiches, scones, and all the typical high tea dishes. If you are not on a budget, go for the high tea in the Cameron Highlands Resort. It is said to be the best one in the area. They also provide cooking classes and private picnics in the Highlands.
Practical tips
When visiting the Highlands keep in mind that it is a traditional town that has a lot of Muslim visitors and locals, so take something to cover your legs and arms. I encountered quite some funny looks inside the hotel because of my dress which was not to the ground. (It was over the knee)
In the morning the weather was around 15°C when we were in the Highlands. Since I am cold really fast I was lucky that I took my joggings pants and cardigan with me during the tour. So, if you get cold quickly, take some warmer clothes with you that you can get rid of easily because the temperature will rise in the afternoon to around 25°C.
