InVinoVeritas

I’ve just done a 3-day/2-night trip to the Cameron Highlands and thought I would just share my impressions for anyone interested in doing the same.

The wife and I have put this trip off several times as the forecast is always for rain, as it was this time, but in fact the weather was fine the whole time except for the haze which was a little unwelcome. In fact, on the drive down from Penang it looked very much like they were burning on the palm plantations around Ipoh.

Since we were staying at The Lakehouse Hotel at Ringlet we drove into the Highlands via the southern road (Route 59) which by all accounts is the more picturesque route. The hotel is about 35kms up this road, which is decent enough but quite bendy. There are some places to stop on the way including the Lata Iskandar, a set of waterfalls easily visible from the road.

I should disabuse anyone who thinks the Cameron Highlands might be like most European Highlands because they are not - they combine, in a most Malaysian way, natural beauty with man-made ugliness. Further you advance along the road, more the balance swings toward the latter until, north of Brinchang the landscape is predominantly plastic-covered due to intense agriculture. (I should also mention that the standard of driving in this area to the north is quite appalling, with farmers in their over-loaded trucks demonstrating total impatience with the less-hurried tourist).

So, The Lakehouse, being the most southerly of the principal hotels is a good base and indeed the hotel is very good good indeed. The lake referred to is a man-made reservoir for electricity generation and the lake is a permanent muddy colour which is a shame but then if you can’t cope with that then you won’t be able to cope with the Highlands in general.

Just to the north of the hotel are the main tea plantations of Boh and Bharat, both of which are worth visiting for their views. Somehow this element of agriculture renders the landscape incredibly beautiful with a green patchwork of tea trees as far as the eye can see.

Keen trekkers might be happier based in Tanah Rata which is about 10 minutes north of Ringlet as a good many of the jungle trails start here.

Anyone who knows the story of Jim Thompson and the re-birth of the Thai silk industry might be interested to visit the cottage from which he mysteriously disappeared in 1967, never to be seen again but, alas, these now form part of a rental business and unless you pay RM1,200 per night you will not be able to do so. (His house in Bangkok is open to the public though).

The Time Tunnel in Brinchang is well worth the RM5 they charge, if only to see all the old photos and how the Highlands have changed over the years.

There are a number of garden centres, for want of a better word, specialising in lavender, roses, strawberries etc.. which line the route.

Finally, a word about the The Lakehouse Hotel. This is really a trip back in time and some people complain that it needs updating and that the furnishings are tired but given they are owned by the same Group that operates the Hard Rock Hotels in Penang and Bali, I think they do not lack funds but are simply trying to maintain a certain charm from bygone years and for me they have succeeded. The staff are extremely friendly (they even washed my car each morning) the cream tea is excellent (much better than at Boh or Bharat) and the restaurant is pretty good too.

So a very welcome escape from the heat of Penang, although it is just as humid (we did notice our clothes were somewhat damp upon our return) and just as hazy. I would suggest a short stay in the Ringlet to Brinchang area and also take the opportunity to include a stay in a nostalgic hotel (there are several in the The Lakehouse style).

++IVV

geedee

A very helpful summary, IVV - thanks!

We went earlier this year for the same time, 2 nights. We wanted to book Cameron Highlands Resort (part of YTL group I think) but it was full, as was Lakeside. We got space in the Copthorne and had a family apartment... it was rubbish!

Anyway sounds like your impressions were like ours.... a beautiful place with so much potential but very poorly managed and the little towns were, well, not the best shall we say!

I wouldn't want the place to become super-commercialised like many beauty spots, but a quick sweep of the streets and a spot of paint here and there wouldn't harm!

We tried the tea too.... it was like mud.

We also passed an area with loads of puppies by the side of the road... turns out a lady that works in the area has set up a sanctuary for them, built little shelters, brings food and water etc. How sweet!

We're thinking of going in October when that giant flower blooms....

bakedbean

Good write up IVV. Don't like the sound of the roads, that is...drivers, and that is supposed to be the better route up

ex reg

Agree with just about all of IVV's review except I didn't find the driving going up or down too bad. In fact if you like driving then it might be considered the highlight of the visit.

We only popped up for a day during our 3 week car driving tour of Malaysia.
I've been waiting 30 years to go to CH but won't hurry back. It wasn't very different from what I've recently thought it would be but 30 years ago it was a top trip although I never made it.

It may be well different and better if you play golf.

owned

I loved it there and was lucky to have some very nice light when I took these pics.

InVinoVeritas

Great photos - I can see from these that the haze had quite an impact on our visit.

bakedbean

Wow...nice pics.

Scuba Tyke

Superb photos, thanks for sharing them, and thanks to IVV for the report.

geedee

Beautiful photos! What camera / lens???

I think a couple of those were taken from the roadside cafe where we had our muddy tea! :-)

owned

The camera for those pics was a Panasonic DMC LX5, a compact pocket camera with a non detachable f2.8 zoom lens. Think it was less than 150 USD new.

I normally shoot with a Canon 650 or 5mk3 with a variety of lenses such as a 50mm f1.2, 16-35mm f2.8L and a 80-200mm f2.8L. I've been using Canon for years and it just seem to fit in with how I work.

I also shoot in HDR. So I take a minimum of 3 and sometimes up to 9 images, with one being the correct exposure and the rest over and under exposed. These images are then complied in a program called photomatix with final touches in photoshop. The HDR really opens things up and gives a much wider dynamic range than we could ever get with our eyes. Its why you can see all the shadows from the clouds in some of the pics. Normally our eyes would just see the bright parts and the darker parts would disappear as our eyes shut down due to the brightness.

It's hard to get a good balance though, as you can go so far and see some much detail in the shadows that photos start becoming unreal. It can be a nice effect, but I prefer keeping it on the side of reality (just).

owned

Here is an example of going a bit too far. This was taken in the south of Penang island.





Its not very real, but it makes for a good photo.

owned

And here a few pics from Tibet. I lived in China and near to the Tibet boarder for 12 years before I moved to Penang.

NeonHippy

Doh, I should have read this before asking the question in your pics of Penang thread. SORRY

geedee

I've never managed to get HDR to work well for me! You've nailed it!

You have a great eye for a picture.... you should maybe think about making your hobby earn you some money! I would buy many of those if they were limited edition prints!

Well done!

InVinoVeritas

Yes, they are bloody good (sorry it that's a bit too technicolor!)