Cameron Highlands

One of the popular tourist activities involves jungle walking and trekking amongst the refreshing cool forest air. Cameron Highlands is also popularly known as the "Green Bowl" of the country as it supplies large amount of local produce of vegetables to many major cities of Malaysia and Singapore. Tea and strawberries are also grown on the terraced slopes of the Cameron Highlands, and the area possesses notable rose gardens as well. Cameron Highlands consists of a series of little townships which include Ringlet, Tanah Rata, and Brinchang. The best tourist amenities are sited in or around Tanah Rata but Brinchang is fast catching up with a number of new apartments and restaurants.

GETTING THERE

From North-South Expressway, exit the expressway at Tapah and then proceed via route 59 straight along the way to the highlands. Alternatively, you can exit the expressway at Simpang Pulai, Ipoh and proceed via a new route to Cameron Highlands along the way to the top. Travelling to the Cameron Highlands takes up to one and a half hours via a winding road from Tapah by car. There is a newer and easier route up from Simpang Pulai (closer to Ipoh) which has a wider road and gentler curves.

ATTRACTIONS

Highest Peak: 2,031 meters - Gunung Berincang Background: The area known as Cameron Highlands, long accessible by road only from Perak and more recently from Kelantan, is actually in the north western corner of the state of Pahang. The Highlands extend f rom about 600 metres (2,000 feet) above sea level to 2,031 meters (6,664 feet)at the peak of Gunung Berincang. The area was discovered in 1885 by a government surveyor named William Cameron, who noted that the relatively flat area which forms the core of the Highlands (now known as Tanah Rate or Flat land ) would be ideal as a retreat from the hot lowlands and for growing crops of temperate climates. Enterprising Chinese settlers soon made their way there to grow vegetables and built a road to take their produce for sale in the lowlands. British planters moved in and built Vacations houses. Later, tea plantations were established. Now, Cameron highland the main area in Peninsular Malaysia for growing temperate climate vegetables, flowers and tea. Produce from this area finds its way to all parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and some of the tea is exported to other countries. Only fairly flat land is cultivated and the steeper slopes of the Highlands remain under natural montane forest, which can be explored from a number of hiking trails. The whole region was made a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1962.