Cool Retreat to the Highlands (1)

There's no better way to take a break from work than a cool retreat to the highlands. This time around, my family made a trip to Cameron Highlands situated at the Northwest of Pahang. Its one of the largest hill resorts in the country at 1,524m above sea level. Tea plantation, flower gardens, orchards, fruits and vegetable farms are among the common sights there.

The journey takes about four hours of drive from Kuala Lumpur, clocking approximately 300 kilometres. There are two routes to reach the highland but the better and less winding one is through Simpang Pulai which is the longer route at ~71 kilometres to hilltop. The route up from Tapah may be shorter at ~55 kilometres but the curves and bends are generally more challenging as well.

En route on the North South Expressway, you could opt to stop for lunch at Bidor and savour the well known Duck Noodles.

Stay tuned for more on Cameron Highlands accomodation, activities and recommended eateries...


How To Get There

Take the North South Highway and exit the Simpang Pulai toll. Take a right at the traffic light and then go straight.

Next would be a right turn at one of the traffic light junctions to get onto the Simpang Pulai highway. Keep a look out for the police station at the junction on the left. If you passed the police station, then you'd have missed the turn. There should be a sign that shows Cameron Highlands, but we missed it the last time round so I can't say for sure how easy it is to spot the sign.

Once you're on the Simpang Pulai highway, it would take you another 71km before you reach Brinchang. Proceed on to pass Pos Slim and it will bring you to the Blue Valley/Grik juncture. Take a right and follow the sign toward Tanah Rata.


Reference Sites
1. http://www.cameronhighlands.com/
An informative site with very useful maps of both Brinchang and Tanah Rata town.



See also:
Cool Retreat to the Highlands (2) - Accomodation
Cool Retreat to the Highlands (3) - Where to Eat
From Highlands to the East