Top 5 Things You Must Do In Cameron Highlands With Your Family or Friends

This post is way too long overdue because all the pictures I'm going to post here happened last year. Whatever it is here goes for the Top 5 Things You Must Do In Cameron Highlands either if you are going alone (most unlikely but quite possibly) or with your family or with your bunch of friends :

1. Visit all Four Tea Estate/Plantation in Cameron Highlands.

[caption id="attachment_1627" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Hills of Tea, Tea Estate at Cameron Highlands"][/caption]

The four tea estates are in this sequence if you are coming from the Highway Exit 137 - Simpang Pulai:

- Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation located along Ringlet/Tanah Rata Road

- Sungai Palas Boh Tea Estate, Gunung Brinchang Road

- Another Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation somewhere around KM10 after Tanah Rata.

- Boh Tea Estate, Habu, Ringlet



[caption id="attachment_1626" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fresh, hand-picked tea leaves in a basket"][/caption]



Visits to all three tea estates will only be completed if you actually take the time and effort to walk down or up through the maze of tea plants. If you drop buy in the morning, you will get to see the tea pickers cutting out the tea leaves and bundling up the leaves on a big rattan basket. Take time to pick up those loose tea leaves dropped on the ground and smell it. You'll be amazed that fresh tea leaf actually smells sweet! Also, I wouldn't recommend you to go picking on the tea leaves. I doubt that you are allowed to do that.

[caption id="attachment_1628" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Stairs to the top of Boh Tea Estate at Habu"][/caption]

Other than that, you have to pay a visit at the Tea Factory and Tea Shop to learn about tea processing and buying a couple of packets of tea as well. If you are visiting Boh Tea Estate at Habu, take sometime to hike up a steep flight of stairs that will lead you to the highest point of the estate (I think). From there you get to see a beautiful bird's eye view of the Boh plantation. It will be worth the long hike up the stairs, that's for sure!

2. Drink all kind of tea at all  tea estate's cafes.

You must have a try at those different varieties of flavoured tea from the cafes. I love flavoured tea but my ultimate favourite has to be the Cardamom Tea. Make sure you have a go at it if drinking tea with a little bit of spice is your cup of tea. However, if you haven't actually tried ever on drinking spiced tea, the tea estate's cafes is a great place to challenge your palette.

3. Visit common touristy places like everybody else! Haha. However there is this one place you MUST have to visit and snap lots of photos. It is non other than the famous "Ye Olde Smokehouse" located near the golf course at Brinchang.

The Ye Olde Smokehouse is a beautiful and well maintained Mock-Tudor hotel and restaurant. I think right before the hotel, you can spot the common red British phone box and that is also yet another place you have to pose and camwhore about at this place. This is something you shouldn't miss out!

4. Go Jungle Trekking / Jungle Walks



[caption id="attachment_1629" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Jungle walk no. 9, Cameron Highlands. Distance 2.57KM"][/caption]



There are quite a number of interesting treks in Cameron Highlands. There are pretty safe and fun for the whole family/friends too. One of the best and easiest walks will be Path 9A. Starting points starts right after the Mardi building.

[caption id="attachment_1631" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Robinson waterfall, Cameron Highlands along Path 9"][/caption]

This Path 9A is a pleasant downhill walk where you will get to see Robinson Waterfall a couple of minutes through the hike. If you continue on further for the next 45 minutes - an hour, the path will lead you to the Boh Estate at Habu. From there you can go check out the Boh Estate, probably have a cup of tea at the Tea Shop and walk back through the path again to get back to town. Alternatively, you can catch a bus from Habu to get yourself back to Tanah Rata town.

5. Climb both Gunung Brinchang (2000m) and Gunung Irau(2090m).

The climb for both mountains is totally game on for avid mountain trekkers. I haven't done it myself yet but there are groups like MOTHS who organize a trekking trip to these mountains. You can also get in touch with local tour operators (mostly located along the street of Tanah Rata town) to arrange the hike for you.

There you go, a list of the Top 5 Things You Must Do In Cameron Highlands either with Your Family or Friends. I've done them all except the mountain climbing part and I think I should and will pretty soon. I must warn you though, these top 5 things listed are a must-do things strictly for the fit, adventurous and for anyone who loves the nature. Cameron Highlands really have got a lot to offer specially for outdoor lovers and please, go ahead with everything on the list if you haven't already!