The long drive to Cameron Highlands

In September 2022, we drove up to Cameron Highlands as two families: mine and another friend’s.

Saturday: the long drive

We left Singapore at about 6:30 in the morning on Saturday, 3 September. Immigration took a long time, and by the time we had cleared it, it was about 1:30 in the afternoon.

From there, it took roughly eight to nine hours, with two stops along the way.

By the time we reached the mountain road, it was dark and raining. Visibility was extremely poor, even with the headlights on, and I had to give the road my full attention.

We finally reached our Airbnb near Tanah Rata at around 10 or 11 at night. Everyone was tired. Fortunately, we had bought some beer along the way, so we could relax after arriving.

A painted wall map of Cameron Highlands framed by painted bricks, showing the road from Ringlet and Tanah Rata up to Brinchang, Tringkap and Kuala Terla, with tea estates, farms and a “We Are Here” marker. — A painted map of Cameron Highlands on the wall, just after midnight.

Sunday: a slower morning

The next morning, my back was painful, so I stayed at the Airbnb until lunchtime. The others went out to explore nearby, and they enjoyed the area and its cooler weather.

A quiet road curving past banana plants and tall conifers, with a forested hill under low cloud and a few houses on its slopes. — Near the Airbnb on Sunday afternoon.

Monday: tea and roses

On Monday, we drove to several places around Cameron Highlands. The traffic was quite busy, and that part I remember clearly.

Our first stop was BOH Sungei Palas Tea Garden, where we bought tea to take back to Singapore.

A car park below a hill covered in tea bushes and tall trees, with a café on stilts at the top, under heavy grey cloud. — The car park at Sungei Palas, with the café on the hill above.

A wide grassy field with a sagging volleyball net, parked cars along one side and tea-covered hills behind, under a cloudy sky. — The car park at Sungei Palas, with the café on the hill above.

Later, we visited Rose Valley and its flower garden.

Climbing roses in red, coral and pink growing up wooden posts inside a long greenhouse, with a flagstone path running between them. — Roses under cover at Rose Valley.

A small rock waterfall spilling into a pond, decorated with white and yellow duck statues and small figures, under a rainbow umbrella hanging from the greenhouse frame. — A waterfall and pond in the garden.

In the afternoon, we visited the Kea Farm area.

Looking over greenhouse roofs towards a hillside of terraced farm plots, a crowded car park with a “Welcome to Kea Farm” sign, market tents and apartment blocks. — Kea Farm, from above the greenhouses.

Apart from the traffic, the places we visited were enjoyable.

Tuesday: heading home

Tuesday, 6 September, was our last day. In the morning, we stopped near Ringlet, where we saw The Lakehouse from the road, with the lake beside it. We only saw the hotel from outside.

Two Tudor-style buildings with dark timber gables and steep brown roofs on a grassy hillside, below thick forest, with a tangle of power cables along the road in front. — The Lakehouse, seen from the road.

A calm brown lake between steep forested hills, seen through banana leaves past the rusty railing of an old bridge, under a blue sky with white clouds. — The Lakehouse, seen from the road.

Around lunchtime, we were in Tanah Rata town.

A sunny street in Tanah Rata with planters of yellow flowers, tall conifers, black-and-white Tudor-style buildings and white market tents, and a tall hotel behind. — Tanah Rata in the sunshine.

On the way home, we stopped at Lata Iskandar, a waterfall beside the road down from the highlands.

We hadn’t planned to swim or go into the water at all. But my wife and the children went down into the waterfall and got wet, so we ended up buying clothes for them there.

A wide waterfall pouring over grey granite slabs in thick forest, with visitors sitting and standing on the rocks at the bottom. — Lata Iskandar, on the road home.