A cooling weekend in Cameron Highlands - Part 1

Family portrait at The Lakehouse, Ringlet.

Some Malaysians might gasp in amazement when I say I've never been up here in the highlands before. When I was small, I wouldn't count on my parents to take us anywhere nice even during the long school holidays simply because we were not that well off - I fully accepted the fact without a grudge. And when I started working, half of the time I would be out of the country on some assignment. Now that I am furthering my studies locally (and extended holidays are next to impossible), bringing my parents and siblings for the weekend to tourist spots around Malaysia seems like a good idea. This time around, destressing is the word and Cameron Highlands is the place to do it... Owing its name to a rich English chap and previously a retreat for the British colonial rulers from the tropical heat, Cameron Highlands is now choked with traffic-jam-inducing tourists especially around school holidays. Somehow that fact never deter me from going there...

Cameron Highlands is a mountainous area in the state of Pahang, about 3 hours drive from KL - the latter half of which involves a winding uphill climb up to more than 1000 metres above sea level. Definitely a good time to wind down your window and feel the cool mountain breeze brushing against your cheeks :)

I booked 2 deluxe rooms at The Lakehouse, a small boutique hotel in Ringlet, about 15 minutes drive from the local administrative centre, Tanah Rata. My mom and possibly everyone else were a bit worried because the hotel was a wee bit far from everything else, but their fears turned to excitement as soon as we checked in.

Outdoor lounging area with the view of a lake.

The rooms elegantly furnished in Tudor style, tip-top service with a smile, and the free morning car wash (now that's a first!) justified the price. The distance from most of the attractions at Brinchang just made it a perfect getaway from the crowded tourist spots and head-aching traffic. And what do you know, it's also a popular wedding photography venue - that is just how beautiful the place is! Sure enough, I don't think we ever took that many photos in a hotel before...

English-inspired decor with real red roses on the vanity desk.. and no TV for extra tranquility.

This hotel appears on the current national tourism board's advertisement and is a wedding photography hotspot.

It was late afternoon when we arrived so we figured that we only had enough time to visit the nearest attraction, Cameron Bharat tea plantation about 3 km away. While the more uphill Boh tea plantation at Sungei Palas is reputedly the largest in South-east Asia, Cameron Bharat has its own charm. It so reminded me of that green tea plantation where the Korean drama Summer Scent was shot. We strolled down the main path to a gentle stream meandering through the slopes of the hills. Aah.. so calm, so dreamy... Unbeknownst to me, my mom even plucked a leaf and chewed it while we were going through the labyrinth of tea plants - she later told me it tasted bitter, hehe.

Cameron Bharat tea plantation is not the largest but still is beautiful nonetheless.

Finding our way in the maze of tea plants :)

It was getting dark so when I spotted a Caucasian couple with their cute baby coming down from one of the hilltops (they must be so excited by the scenery to have strayed that far off the beaten track), I politely asked the husband to take a picture of us before my camera's battery went kaput. And of course he said, "Sure."

One last photo before my camera's battery went kaput. Sure was worth it ;)

We sipped some warm tea at the tea house (that white building in the pic above) while our eyes were soothed by the sweeping view of the whole plantation before we said adieu and retired for the day.