Cameron Highlands, Pahang

We had a little holiday up in the mountains during the King's birthday-weekend; to the tea and strawberry moutain to be exact. Driving up to an elevation of about 5,000 feet above sea level, we were greeted by fresh and cool air. Low lying clouds were surrounding the mountains and it was just spectacular. A good change from the concrete jungle that we left 3 hours ago. It was a 3-day 2-night stay for us at a hotel called "Century Pines". The hotel is relatively new and comfortable.


















Despite being part of nature itself, Cameron Highlands is highly commercialised. There were plenty of strawberry farms, butterfly farms, souvenir shops, vegie stalls, tea plantations and tea houses. All these lined the road side from Tanah Rata to Brinchang. If you know Boh tea, this is its hometown. There is also another big tea plantation here and it is known as Bharat tea; not as common as Boh tea I guess.

I'm going to fill this posts with pictures taken up there... so be prepared for a photo overload! Like they say, a picture paints a thousand words. So judging by the number of photos I have uploaded here, I think this is a novel! Ha ha ha... anyway, enjoy the photos.



















Strawberries were aplenty up there. They even allow us to pick our own strawberries.





































































We had fresh strawberries... and then there was strawberries with cream and castor sugar. Yummy!


















Then, there was strawberry with vanilla ice cream!

















Oh, and not to forget about the preserved strawberries. Very nice! It was indeed a strawberry overload holiday! And did mention about the strawberry flavoured green/black tea and strawberry tarts?


Besides the strawberries, there were plenty of flowers and cacti up there.



































These lillies can be found within the hotel compound.


















There are plenty of roses.

















This is the stunning Bird of Paradise. Beautiful isn't it.





































































































































































There were orchids too.


















There were pitcher plants here. I will tell you later why this is so important in Cameron Highlands.



















Apple pie and ice-cream anyone?



















How about this delicious scones with butter and pure strawberry jam? T-Cafe at Tanah Rata has the best scones ever!

















We went to one butterfly farm. We have been to the butterfly farm at Penang and we can say that the one in Cameron Highlands is not as nice. There were not that many varieties of butterfly. But it was a nice change from strawberries! Jess was a bit terrified by the butterflies actually.




















































Together with the butterfly farm is also an inesct exhibit. Look at the one above. A bug with a design of an African mask on its back. Interesting eh?


























Josh holding a stem with an insect.


















Tea leaves!



















We drove up to the Boh tea factory/plantation and had tea there in a little tea shop. Very refreshing break.





















































We hiked up to one of the tea "hill" and the view was fantastic. Acres and acres of short, stubby tea plants!



















On our way home, we stopped by a water cress plantation and had a water cress lunch!


















The picture above shows how the water cress is grown in Cameron Highlands.


One low light about our trip to Cameron Highlands is the numerous, ....

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fly colony!


















Look at how they stick to my car bonnet (it's because of the warm engine.. it is cool up there!). That's why the pitcher plants are so important in Cameron Highlands! Thank God KL is not 'infested' with these annoying insects of flight!