The 15 Best Things To Do In The Cameron Highlands
Last Updated: September 10 2024
The Cameron Highlands is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Malaysia. Home to lush tea plantations, a variety of hiking trails, and colonial architecture, this district has a lot to offer.
The Cameron Highlands is a hill station that’s located in the state of Pahang and it’s just a 3-hour drive from the capital of Kuala Lumpur!
Dating back to the 1940s during the colonial era, this region has quite the history as it was developed by the British. Because of this, you’ll experience a fusion of Malaysian and English cultures making this place very unique.
There are tons of fantastic things to do in the Cameron Highlands so what are you waiting for?
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The Best Things to do in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
1. Visit Boh Tea Plantation
One of the most iconic attractions in the Cameron Highlands is Boh Tea Plantation. Rich in history, this tea plantation is up there with the best things to do in the Cameron Highlands.
You don’t even have to be a big tea drinker to enjoy it. Of course, it helps because you’re given the chance to try the tea made here, but the lush landscape and glorious setting are more than enough to help you enjoy yourself.
In the heart of the plantation sits the main cafe. Here you can sit back with a fresh cup of tea and enjoy the views, take some amazing shots of the mountainous landscape, or explore the tea factory.
However, it’s inside the tea factory where the magic happens! You’ll have the chance to see how the tea is planted, harvested, and processed. At the end of the tour, visitors are given time in the shop where they can buy tea leaves to take home.
2. Take In The Views From Mount Brinchang
Mount Brinchang is the highest point in the Cameron Highlands, with an elevation of over 1,981 metres (6,500 feet). As you can imagine, it’s one of the best places in the area to take in sweeping views of the rich Malaysian landscape.
Mount Brinchang, known locally as Gunung Brinchang can be accessed by car. You’ll find it at the Perak-Pahang border, and thanks to its easy accessibility, thousands of tourists walk to the summit every year.
Conveniently, the summit can be reached from the road. From Tanah Rata, a popular town in the Cameron Highlands, Mount Brinchang is just a 40-minute drive away!
If you’re not planning to hire a car, then you can reach the mountain by jumping on a bus at Tanah Rata bus station. If you love jungle-ey vibes and impressive scenery but you don’t want to have to walk too far, this is a must-visit destination!
3. Head to Cameron Valley Tea House
Another brilliant tea house you have to visit while staying in the Cameron Highlands is the Cameron Valley Tea House. Cameron Valley Tea House is one of three tea houses owned by Bharat.
The main tea house is known as Cameron Valley Tea House KT 1. It’s located in Tanah Rata, and you can walk to the tea house but the road is a little sketchy. With that in mind, we recommend getting a taxi to drop you off and pick you up.
This tea plantation has a tea house that sits above the main tea farm. Here, you can enjoy the views, sample the local tea, and tuck into a sweet dessert. You can then walk down to the tea farm if you wish!
Walking around the tea farm is a great experience. It shows you just how vast tea plantations are, and there are a wide variety of photo spots here too, so make sure you have your camera ready.
4. Visit Sam Poh Temple
When it comes to religious structures, the Cameron Highlands has a lot to offer. However, the best has to be Sam Poh Temple!
Sam Poh Temple is the largest religious building in the Cameron Highlands. It’s also the largest Buddhist temple in the Cameron Highlands and can be found in Brinchang.
This impressive temple sits on a charming hilltop that has some great views. Despite this, it’s very easy to access as you can find the temple by turning off the road at the Iris House Resort.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of signposts along the way!
Sam Poh is traditionally a Buddhist temple, however, there are also a variety of deities from other religions on show. Simply walking around the temple and taking in the architecture as you go is great fun. The temple is free to visit, just make sure you remove your shoes and stay quiet to show your respect.
5. Taste some of the local cuisine
In all honesty, it doesn’t matter where you are in Malaysia, you simply have to try some of the local cuisines. Luckily for us, Malaysia has some of the best food we’ve ever tried.
Some of the staple dishes in Malaysia consist of rice, noodles, and bread. This includes delicious curries, freshly made bread, and authentic South East Asian noodle dishes.
The Cameron Highlands is blessed with a wide range of excellent restaurants, cafes, and food markets that serve awesome food. During our time here, we tried as many dishes as we could.
One of our favourites was roti canai which is a simple, yet delicious Asian flatbread. The flatbread alone tastes great, but in Malaysia, it usually comes with an array of sides. This includes small curries and sauces!
Other Malaysian dishes we tried include Assam laksa, satay chicken, mee goreng, nasi goreng, and the national dish, nasi lemak.
6. Wander around the Butterfly Farm
If you’re like us and love wildlife, you definitely have to leave a space in your itinerary to pay the Cameron Highlands Butterfly Farm a visit. The Butterfly Farm is a popular attraction found at Kea Farm, in Brinchang. It’s easily one of the best things to do in the Cameron Highlands!
The Butterfly Farm features a vast collection of insects, butterflies, birds, and reptiles. Admittedly, butterflies and insects aren’t our favourite things, but you’ll still thoroughly enjoy having a look around.
The butterflies are incredibly unique, while the insects come in all different shapes and sizes. There’s also a cool reptile section which is home to snakes, lizards, and turtles. The Butterfly Farm even has the most adorable racoons!
During your time at the farm, consider paying the flower garden a visit too. Here you’ll be able to check out the vibrant gardens and feed animals such as rabbits, ducks, and guinea pigs. You’ll also find a restaurant, cafe, and souvenir shop onsite.
7. Relax in Taman Pertabalan
There are plenty of things to do in the Cameron Highlands so you’ll want to leave some time to relax and recharge before you keep exploring. Stopping for a while at Taman Pertabalan is a great way to kick back as it’s one of the area’s hidden gems.
If you’re looking for things to do in the Cameron Highlands at night, it’s the perfect location. Taman Pertabalan is a charming park area where locals come to spend time with their families, relax, catch up, and play games.
This makes it an excellent place for you to not only take a breather but also observe local life. When we were in the Cameron Highlands, we would often grab a bite to eat before spending an hour or two at this park.
If you’re interested in visiting Taman Pertabalan then it can be found in the centre of Tanah Rata. If we’re being honest, this is where you need to stay if you want to spend time at the park regularly.
8. Head to Mrs. Robertson’s Rose Garden
A lot of people travel to the Cameron Highlands to visit Mrs Robertson’s Rose Garden. That’s because this rose garden is one of the most popular attractions in the region!
The garden is a stunning floral terrace found in Sungai Palas. Sitting on top of a hill, the garden terrace is full of vibrant roses. In fact, there are more than 100 different species of roses to look at!
Whilst the garden is the main attraction here, the views of the surrounding area are popular too. From the hilltop, guests are treated to widespread views of the Cameron Highlands landscape.
Mrs Robertson’s Rose Garden also has a wide selection of highland flora. This includes camelia, carnations, hibiscus trees, and sunflowers! After taking a walk around the gardens, you should spend some time in the souvenir shop. You could then stop by the cafe to grab a bite to eat and a drink.
9. Visit the Agro-Technology Park
One of the most interesting places in the Cameron Highlands is the Agro-Technology Park. This is a relatively small government-owned agriculture park that displays some of the finest plants, flowers, and fruit trees from around Malaysia.
Surrounded by lush green hills, this park is split into six areas. These are the Herb Garden, English Garden, research centre, information centre, Orchid Garden, and Rose Garden. Agro-Technology Park even has its own strawberry farm!
You’ll find the park in Tanah Rata and you can easily walk there which is always handy. If you want to learn more about Malaysia and its nature, leave plenty of time to explore this place!
You can walk around the park, looking at each garden, cuddle the most adorable bunny rabbits in the petting area, and take some great photos. It could be worth noting that two popular jungle trails pass through the park (trails 3 and 7), so you could incorporate the park into one of your hikes.
10. Explore Mossy Forest
Just a five-minute drive away from Mount Brinchang is Mossy Forest. Just like its name would suggest, Mossy Forest is a forest covered in moss. Like something straight out of Avatar, this forest feels like it belongs on another planet.
Within this evergreen forest, you’ll find ferns, orchids, moss, and other plant life. Hiking through the forest is great, but walking along the high pedestrian boardwalk is by far the best thing to do. The views from the boardwalk are incredible too!
You’ll find yourself fully immersed in the forest, with a dense jungle surrounding you.
Thanks to its close proximity to Mount Brinchang you can easily do both in one day. We walked up to the summit of Mount Brinchang early on and it didn’t take too long, so you’ll have plenty of time to wander through the Mossy Forest afterwards.
Like Mount Brinchang, you can get to Mossy Forest by taking a bus from Tanah Rata!
Booking.com11. Eat some cake at the Lord’s Cafe
If you’re visiting the Cameron Highlands after a couple of months of travelling you’ll really appreciate what Lord’s Cafe has to offer. Found above Marybrown on Tanah Rata main street, Lord’s cafe is a typical British cafe.
By typical British cafe, we mean that this cafe serves everything from British teas and coffees to British cakes. Some of the best cakes you can buy at Lord’s cafe are scones, apple crumbles, and cheesecake. Having these home comforts after so many months away from home is amazing! We had only been away for just over one month when we visited Lord’s Cafe and we loved it.
We ordered two milkshakes, apple crumble and custard, and a scone with jam and cream. They tasted just as good as those our mums make for us at home, sorry mums…
This charming cafe also does some amazing pancakes so you might need to visit more than once! So if you’re wondering what to eat in Cameron Highlands then make sure you pay this place a visit.
12. Pick strawberries at the Big Red Strawberry Farm
As you can probably tell by now, a lot of the best things to do in the Cameron Highlands revolve around nature. The Big Red Strawberry Farm is no different!
The Big Red Strawberry Farm is a unique agrotourism park that grows organic vegetables and strawberries. The park gives visitors the chance to explore the farm, and see what’s grown in the local area.
However, that’s not the main reason most people visit the farm! Most people visit the Big Red Strawberry Farm to pick strawberries for themselves. Picking strawberries is great fun, but in our opinion, you don’t want to miss out on the other attractions on offer. There’s also a koi fountain, petting zoo, and flower nursery.
Sat on a hill overlooking Brinchang, the farm also has some pretty impressive views. You can access the farm from the main road, just simply follow the large signposts from Star Regency Hotel.
The farm is open daily from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, and is located near Cactus Valley!
13. Hike some of the nearby trails in Cameron Highlands
There’s a very good chance that you’ve decided to visit the Cameron Highlands because of the wonderful hiking opportunities. The rich mountainous landscape makes the Cameron Highlands one of the best places in Asia for hiking!
There are 14 awesome hiking trails to choose from, most of which have been neatly put together by the government to attract tourists. To make life easier, the trails are conveniently numbered from 1 to 14! In terms of difficulty and length, trails vary massively. Trails can be anything from easy to extremely tough and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours to complete.
Hiking in the Cameron Highlands is a great way to see the best views and explore the vast forests and jungles. When we hiked here we found that even the easiest trails were quite tough due to the humidity so just keep that in mind!
However, you won’t need any special equipment for most hikes. You can even get away with walking in your trainers. If you’re looking for outdoor activities in the Cameron Highlands then make sure you hit some of the hiking trails!
14. Visit the Time Tunnel Museum
It’s always a good idea to have a wet weather plan in the unfortunate event that the weather isn’t on your side. Malaysia’s Time Tunnel museum is perfect for that day!
The Time Tunnel in the Cameron Highlands is the first memorabilia museum in Malaysia. You’ll find it in Brinchang, and many people would argue that the museum is one of the top 10 attractions in Cameron Highlands.
Opened in 2007, the Time Tunnel museum has more than 4,000 different pieces of memorabilia and collectables, displayed across eight different galleries.
The galleries on display aim to teach visitors about the history of the Cameron Highlands between 1920 and 1960. You’ll find everything from old tools and signposts, to vintage cars and photographs so there’s a lot to see. The museum only costs 6 RM (£1) to enter, so you’d be daft not to stop by if you have the time.
15. Go on a full-day tour to see the best sites (if you’re limited on time)
If you’ve not got long in Malaysia then you can always choose to go on a day tour to the Cameron Highlands! This full day-tour will pick you up in Kuala Lumpur and will take you to all the best locations in the area. You’ll be exploring for around 12 hours so be prepared for an action-packed day.
This tour will take you to Boh Tea Plantation, the Butterfly Farm, a strawberry farm, and a bee farm, so you won’t be short of experiences. Not only that, but you’ll get to visit a rose garden, a traditional market, and Lata Iskandar Waterfall.
Round-trip transportation, entrance fees, lunch, and an English-speaking guide/driver are all included in the tour price! For the full experience, we’d recommend spending at least a couple of days here. However, if you’re limited on time then definitely go on a day trip. Whichever way you choose to visit, you won’t be disappointed.
Helpful Information for Visiting the Cameron Highlands
How to get to the Cameron Highlands
There’s no airport or train station in the Cameron Highlands so the only way to reach this region is by coach or shuttle service.
Luckily, there are plenty of coach routes that run to the Cameron Highlands. Whether you’re staying in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, or Georgetown, you won’t have any problems getting to the region.
If you’re staying somewhere more remote like Kuala Tahan in Taman Negara then you’re best taking a shuttle service. There are bus routes available but none of them are direct, and you may need to take a taxi for part of the journey.
The tourist hub of the Cameron Highlands is the town of Tanah Rata and this is where you’ll find the main bus station. It’s also where you’re most likely to be dropped off so keep that in mind when planning your trip.
How to get around the Cameron Highlands
Many of the destinations in this region are located in and around the main towns of Tanah Rata, Brinchang, and Ringlet. This makes parts of the Cameron Highlands very walkable, especially as there are plenty of hiking trails in the area. These trails will take you through tea plantations, up to viewpoints, and past colonial buildings.
The one thing to note about this region is that the public transport system here isn’t very extensive. You’ll find a couple of local minibus services that will take you around the towns but there doesn’t seem to be a set schedule.
Another way to get around Cameron Highlands is by taxi and there are plenty of them available. Many of them have set prices for the day but you’ll need to check in advance.
Some of the hotels and hostels in the area also run cheap day tours so shop around for the best prices!
The best time to visit the Cameron highlands
As with many other destinations in Malaysia, the weather in this region can be very unpredictable. For starters, the temperature in Cameron Highlands is often much cooler than in other areas of the country.
This is due to its elevation above sea level and its location in the highlands so you’ll want to pack plenty of layers. There’s always a high chance of rain or drizzle too so wear a raincoat! The best time to visit the Cameron Highlands is generally between February and May. The crowds here aren’t excessive and this is when you’ll encounter the best weather conditions.
Between November and February is the monsoon weather and the weather can be pretty rough, especially if you’re planning to hike. However, the colours of the lush tea plantations will make up for the rain!
Just keep in mind that plenty of locals and tourists alike travel here on the weekends. For this reason, you’ll want to visit mid-week if you can as it’s much quieter.
Where to Stay in the Cameron Highlands
The Cameron Highlands are made up of several towns and areas so it’s up to you where you stay! However, the most popular towns include Brinchang, Ringlet, and Tanah Rata.
We personally stayed in Tanah Rata and can recommend it as a great base for your trip. You’ll find plenty of restaurants and shops nearby, and you’re just a short walk away from many of the hiking trails.
Here are some of our accommodation recommendations!
Booking.comLuxury: Zenith Cameron
If you’re looking for luxury accommodation in the Cameron Highlands then check out Zenith Cameron! With an outdoor pool, a concierge service, and an on-site restaurant – this place has a lot to offer.
The rooms are also beautiful and many of them feature a private balcony.
Mid-range: Tiny Boutique Habitat
Tiny Boutique Habitat is one of the most charming places you’ll ever stay. This place offers private family rooms and these sleep up to four people so are great if you’re travelling as a group.
The rooms here have plenty of amenities and the property also offers a patio and an outside private area where you can relax.
Budget: Bricks Backpackers Hostel
Bricks Backpackers Hostel is an amazing budget stay 500 yards away from the centre of Tanah Rata. You can book a private room at a great price, and the rooms and bathrooms are clean and spacious. Guests are also given access to a shared kitchen!
This accommodation has plenty of tour options for those of you looking to explore the Cameron Highlands with a guide.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cameron Highlands
Is the Cameron Highlands worth visiting?
We can 100% recommend visiting the Cameron Highlands. With its cool mountain air, awesome hiking trails, and beautiful tea plantations – it’s a place you don’t want to miss whilst travelling through Malaysia.
You’ll also find plenty of awesome attractions to visit here and there are some awesome restaurants too.
What is Cameron Highlands known for?
The Cameron Highlands are most famous for their lush tea plantations and strawberry farms. If you’re looking to pick your own fruit or try delicious tea then this is the place for you!
How many days should I spend in the Cameron Highlands?
There are plenty of things to do in the Cameron Highlands so you don’t want to rush your time here. We recommend spending at least 2-3 days here to visit all the top attractions as there’s a lot to see.
This also gives you plenty of time to take on some of the nearby hiking trails and visit several tea plantations.
What is a good budget for the Cameron Highlands?
During your visit to the Cameron Highlands, there are plenty of ways to cut your costs. You’ll find tons of budget accommodation in the area, cheap restaurants, and many of the attractions are FREE to enter too.
We recommend allowing a budget of £35-40 per day if you’re visiting the Cameron Highlands. This gives you enough money for meals, accommodation, and other necessities.
Where to go after the Cameron Highlands
After you’ve explored the Cameron Highlands then you’ll want to make your way around the rest of Malaysia. There are plenty of other beautiful destinations to explore around the country so try to allow at least 2-3 weeks to explore if you can!
The likelihood is that you’ve already explored Kuala Lumpur but if not then you need to visit this city! It’s the capital of Malaysia and there are plenty of incredible attractions to see – one of these being Batu Caves.
Another fantastic destination to visit is Taman Negara which is considered to be one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests. At over 130 million years old and home to a HUGE variety of wildlife – this is a must for any outdoor lover.
Next, you can head to the stunning island of Langkawi where you can relax on pristine beaches and hike through lush forests.
Final Thoughts on Things to do in the Cameron Highlands
As you can see there are plenty of awesome places to visit in Cameron Highlands! Whether you’re looking to explore beautiful tea plantations or try the local cuisine – this place has so much to offer.
With so many awesome attractions to visit, Cameron Highlands is a must for any Malaysia itinerary! If you have further questions about the Cameron Highlands, don’t hesitate to contact us via Instagram, Facebook, or in the comments below!
Here are some other Asia guides that you might enjoy:
- The Ultimate 3-Week Vietnam Itinerary
- 4-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary
- Asia Backpacking Route (The Best Asia Itinerary)
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
