Cameron Highlands 2014

Finally, I'm back again to cool Cameron Highlands. My last trip here was 7 years ago & I had enjoyed every moment of my time time spent here.  My passion for flowers & cactus and not forgetting it's cool weather has made this one of my favorite local holiday destination.

We started our journey up early on Friday morning by the Simpang Pulai route, which we feel is much safer with its wider roads. The drive up was slow with quite a number of cars going up for the weekend.

Took us slightly over 2 hrs from Simpang Pulai to reach our 1st destination ~ Green View Garden at Kampung Raja. This place has changed so much since the last time I was here with my kids. Previously it only consists of a row of stalls & a small garden selling plants. Now it has a vast garden and they also have a cafe selling chocolates. A great stop-over for some rest & relaxation before proceeding uphill.

And there was also a small enclosure with rabbits!!

From Green View Garden we made a pit-stop for lunch at a small coffeeshop in Kg. Raja town. The sky was getting really dark and was raining cats & dogs as we had our lunch. We were stuck there for a while as the sky poured, making a mini flood along the road outside. As me moved on, the rain subsided.

The dishes wasn't anything to brag about & we had flies for company!

Heading towards Brinchang we made another stop at the latest attraction in Cameron Highlands ~ Cameron Lavender. The entrance fee of RM5.00 is not much considering what awaits you inside. It's rows of lavish colorful gardens is a sight to behold & their strawberries are simply heavenly. The whole place is roofed up and you won't even have to get wet in the pouring rain, which was exactly what happened while we were there.

A large map of the whole area greets you at the entrance

 Hokkaido Ice-Cream anyone?

Love Locks....write your wishes and Lock them to make your wish come true. This seems to be the latest trend everywhere =)

I think this is a great gardening idea...especially for PCK..remember the Singaporean comedy sit-com Phua Chu Kang? =P

There's a nice little cafe with a lovely view for you to enjoy a hot drink on a cool day

Further up.. a castle greets you..which is actually their office. Such a nice environment to work in right?

Daisies..as far as the eye can see. This is a lovely spot for photographs

They have the sweetest strawberries. Do not fret the RM10 per pack as it will be worth your money. These are really ripe before being picked, thus making them really sweet. The ones we bought at the night market at RM10 for 2 packs are smaller & have a sourish after taste.

Strawberry Chocolate

For those keen souvenir hunters, there is never short of them here

You can shop for you favorite souvenirs all the way out =)

Cameron Lavender ~ a must visit place in Cameron Highlands.

Our next stop is to Cactus Point another popular stop-over for cactus hunters. They have a very wide array of plants & cactus to choose from at a very reasonable price. I bought my selection of 6 varieties for just RM10.

Leaving Cactus Point it's already past mid-afternoon. On this trip we decided to stay once again  at Country Lodge Resort at Brinchang town.( http://www.countrylodgeresort.com/ ) Strategically located on a slight slope right in town center makes it so much more easier, especially when it comes to parking.   The only downside is that the sloping road to the hotel makes it difficult for the elderly to walk up. Searching for parking space in Brinchang at night can really be a headache, especially during weekends when there's the night market located just within a 5 minute walk from our hotel. The hotel staff are really friendly & helpful and their rooms affordable & clean. Ask their staff anything from food recommendations to places of interest and they won't fail to give you the best advice they know, and they also provided us with a map of the places of interest.

Our quad room

They recommended a good & affordable steamboat restaurant just a 10 minutes walking distance from our hotel ~ Hong Kong Restaurant which serves set steamboat at just RM18 per pax. 

Cheers!! To a delicious & satisfying steamboat on a cold rainy night

A nice group photo taken by the hotel staff

Our strawberry haul for the day!!

The sweetest strawberries are the ones bought from Cameron Lavender

Supper time!! ~ Strawberries!!

Kisses for Mother's Day =)

Waking up to a Mother's Day wish specially written on a cold frosty window =)

All ready for our second & last day

A lovely shot outside our hotel before checking out

We headed first to the nearest location ~ Cactus Valley, which turned out to be a real disappointment. Paying an entrance fee of RM5 was really a waste of money. Nothing much to see inside & the higher levels was under construction and dangerous without any hand railing to hold on to. Coming down we noticed that people could bypass the payment booth and enter through a side unmanned entrance from the road heading up to The Big Red Strawberry Farm

The coy pond at the entrance

Just beside Cactus Valley there is a small nursery selling cactus, petunias, roses and other flowering plants. I found their price rather reasonable. This is where I bought my roses at RM10 per pot & a mini pot stand for my cactus for only RM8, which would have cost me more than RM10 at other nurseries.

Potted plants for sale

Just right opposite of this nursery there's a flower garden where you can explore

Walking up not very far ahead is The Big Red Strawberry Farm. The place was packed because of the weekend. This place haven't changed much since the last time I was here and the food at their cafe was as good as I remembered. A place where you can enjoy good food without burning a hole in your pocket. It's no wonder that this place is packed with tourists.

Hydroponic farming

The long queue at the cafe during weekends

Finally getting to enjoy our delicious spread after quite a queue...worth the wait =)

Strawberry Cheese Cake(RM5.90), Strawberry Waffles  (RM4.90), Fries (RM3.90), Tea & Scones set (RM8.90) Strawberry Muffin (RM4.00)

Since Camerons is well known for it's tea, you could try the various tea flavors by purchasing this miniature tea packet sets that's sold at the shop just beside the cafe. 

Flowering plants & cactus sold at The Big Red Strawberry Farm

Dropping by  the Kea Farm is a must if you are looking for fresh & cheap veggies.

The sweetest corn ever...and it tastes sweet eaten fresh too

Get these if you want your flowers to last  =)

View of the Corpthorne Hotel from the Kea Farm

Before heading back home  we drove up to the popular Sungei Palas Tea Centre for some rest & relaxation before beginning our long drive home. This is our first time here & we found the road to the Tea Centre quite an adventure itself. One has to be careful maneuvering the twists & turns as the roads are quite narrow & winding all the way up. It is wise to give a horn or two while negotiating narrow corners. The weather too is so unpredictable, it was sunny earlier while we at the Kea Farm and it became cloudy & started to drizzle as we drove up.  As we reached the parking area at base of the Tea Centre, the sky decided to welcome us with a heavy shower. Having come this far, we armed ourselves with umbrellas & walked the rest of the way up. The rain got heavier just as we entered the Tea Centre.

Again being a weekend, we had a long queue ahead of us. We had a hard time getting a dry table to enjoy our afternoon tea as well, as the heavy rain, coupled with the strong wind brought rain through the glass panels around the seating area.  The open air seating area was practically empty cos of the rain.  We sat down enjoying our tea & scones while waiting for the rain to subside, which it did not too long after.....the view was magnificent!!  

The view of the green rolling hills of tea plants was a sight to behold.  Mists began to form at the top of the hills after the rain, making the sight truly breathtaking & refreshing.

Enjoying our hot cuppa on a cold rainy afternoon whilst waiting for the rain to subside

The perfect family memorable shot after the rain =)

The tea shop where you can shop for your favourite tea & souvenirs to take home with you.

My choice of tea ~ Cameronian Gold Blend where you'll get the "Ummph!" with the 1st sip

Old tea manufacturing machinery on exhibit

Caught a glimpse of this enchanting bungalow from a distance while descending from the Tea Centre...Wonder who lives there, possibly the home of Caroline Russell, who inherited the BOH Plantation from her father Tristan Russell, whose father was J.A. Russell, the founder of BOH Plantations?

A panoramic view of BOH Tea Plantation from the viewing platform of the Sg. Palas Tea Centre

Despite the rain, we had a lovely time enjoying the cool refreshing weather. The beauty of the magnificent highland, filled with it's breathtaking greenery & never ending array of flora & fauna makes it a perfect holiday destination for one who loves nature.

This 2D/1N stay had been too short & there are many more places that I have yet to explore.....

Cameron Highlands....I'll definately be back for more.

Potted plants from Camerons