Written by Robert, photographed by Julie
Alright, we’ve got some serious catching up to do. The dearth of posts is not for lack of things to say. In fact, since we last wrote we went to Cameron Highlands, honeymooned in Bali, returned to Japan, hosted my sister, her husband, and their gorgeous daughter, and returned this weekend from Chicago.
Despite all the time that has gone by, we’re going to stick to the chronological accounts of our travels.
Which brings us to Cameron Highlands, one of the Malaysia’s most popular destinations. It’s up in the hills, just a couple hours drive from KL, and offers cooler temperatures, dozens of hikes and trails of varying difficulty, and the closest thing Malays have to the English countryside.
We left Saturday morning, driving north for 120 kilometers before exiting to a snaking road that was half as long in distance but just as long in the time it takes to travel. The scores of switchbacks reminded us of the Road to Hana in Maui, where the 1.25 lane road is sandwiched by an 89.5-degree vertical climb on one side, and a dramatic drop on the other. Once every 10 turns or so, we were met by a waterfall or huts dotting the road, selling honey, fruit, pentai, and wicker furniture where souvenirs were bought for a lucky few.
By late morning we arrived at the Tudor-style cottage, where we stayed the night. They play up the British thing pretty big in Cameron Highlands. Roadside signs advertise afternoon tea, scones, and strawberries. And the biggest attraction is the stunning tea plantations that surround the area.
We spent the majority of the day walking through the Boh Tea Plantations. Neither of us had seen such green green. We walked through mazes of waist-high tea plants, as workers raked saws over the bushes collecting the leaves in burlap sacks along the way.
Later in the afternoon, we drove up (straight up) a 0.75-lane road to a hiking trail at Gunung Brinchang, which is the highest point in peninsular Malaysia. We walked through the mist and saw a carnivorous tropical pitcher plant just hanging out on the side of a tree. The path also apparently hosts the largest flower in the world, but we didn’t get very far as a storm was a brewin’ and we couldn’t see anything anyway, given how thick the fog was. We bookmarked it as a spot to return to.
A refreshingly cool breeze with the windows open and a fire in the fireplace awaited us back at the cottage.
The next morning, we hiked the slippery path to Robinson Falls before heading back to the big city.
On to Bali.
Smoking Adapters 