Malaysia

Cameron Highlands

Tea estates in the cool hills

Best season
March to April and June to August — drier spells
Nearest airport
Kuala Lumpur International (KUL), ~4 h by road

Southeast Asia · Malaysia

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Tea estates in the cool hills

Plan this trip

Getting there

By air

Kuala Lumpur International (KUL), ~4 h by road

Best time to visit

March to April and June to August — drier spells

Don't miss

The Sungai Palas tea estate

The Mossy Forest

Brinchang night market

Robinson Falls

Things to do

Tea-estate walks
Strawberry farms
Jungle trails

Where to eat

Steamboat (hot pot)
Scones with local tea

Sources: Photo: Will Ellis from Reading, England · CC BY 2.0

What to pack

A warm layer, a rain jacket, walking shoes

A quieter corner

The Mossy Forest boardwalk on Gunung Brinchang

Questions travellers ask

When do the Cameron Highlands get their drier spells?

March to April and June to August. Even then, pack a rain jacket, a warm layer and walking shoes.

How long is the drive to the Cameron Highlands?

About 4 hours by road from Kuala Lumpur International (KUL).

What is there to do in the Cameron Highlands?

Tea-estate walks, including the Sungai Palas tea estate, plus strawberry farms and jungle trails. Don't miss the Mossy Forest boardwalk on Gunung Brinchang.

What's good to eat in the Cameron Highlands?

Steamboat (hot pot), and scones with local tea. Brinchang night market is worth a browse too.

About Cameron Highlands

  • Hills

Where it is

The Cameron Highlands are a hill district in the state of Pahang, Malaysia, in the Titiwangsa Mountains of the central Malay Peninsula, with Tanah Rata as its administrative centre and settlements lying between about 800 m and 1,600 m.

History

The highlands are named after William Cameron, a British government surveyor who mapped the area in 1885. The colonial government developed them as a hill station from the 1920s, building bungalows, hotels and a golf course, and tea planting began soon after, with the BOH estates founded in 1929.

People

The highlands are home to Orang Asli communities, who live by farming, hunting and fishing, and to Malay, Chinese and Indian Malaysians who work the tea estates, farms and guesthouses. Vegetables, flowers and tea from the hills supply markets across the peninsula.

Known for

  • Tea estates such as Sungai Palas
  • The Mossy Forest on Gunung Brinchang
  • Strawberry farms and vegetable markets
  • Jungle trails from Tanah Rata
  • Tudor-style colonial buildings

Did you know?

In 1967 the American Jim Thompson, who revived Thailand's silk industry, went for a walk in the Cameron Highlands and was never seen again, a mystery never solved.

Ready when you are

Your Cameron Highlands trip, planned around you.

Tell Seenary who's coming and how long you have. It plans the days around where you sleep, not around a checklist.

Plan this trip