I went to Perodua service centre @ Glenmarie, convoyed with kak ila, appointment @0850am. Reached there by 0840, waited for 10 minutes, registered, pastu kak ila sent me to my office. At 0857 i was at niza's cubicle.. Inaz's back.

Lunch hour kak ila ambik aku dekat office, went to McDonald's drive thru ss15, straight to glenmarie perodua service centre.. ambik kereta and charlos ke office..

Memandu balik, mak aku ajak pi pasar malam.. aku tak masuk rumah.. mak dah siap so just drive to pasar malam. Bought favorite ulam (petai), veggies and etc etc. Aku request mak masak lauk tempoyak dgn pucuk ubi with petai and prawn. fuhh sedap. Makan masa weekend paling best... Air Kelapa muda is a must. Sampai rumah, mak buat sup sayur favorite... huhuhu.. yg tak perlu menumis yang tak perlu berminyak... that's my fav. :D Abang ipar aku pun kelmarin baru turun dari cameron highland.. so banyak sayur2 fav aku yang fresh.. hmm yummy.

at 11pm, aku layan disney channel (macam budak2) tengok cerita Tarzan.. hahaha pastu sambung tengok Chef at large.. hmm org Jews nyer wedding.

Alamak.. hujung minggu nih mak and abah balik Ipoh.. hmm tak best nyer :( .. team building aku pun tunda ke 13, 14 and 15 June...  alamak sure kawan aku kahwin aku tak dapat nak joint Ecahh.. uwaaaa.. Ecah i'm sorry...( lama dah aku tak jumpa ecah, tak jumpa Am, hmm miss em'll... )

My ITIL cert will be on 25, 26 and 27.. arrghh aku tak baca apa2 lagi..  TOlong Tolong.. i want A.. i want excellent .. (arghh whateverrrrrrr ekin.. )

Last two weeks memang havoc. I did a lot of things and had travelled to lot of places. I also had attended my 4-days skill group enhancement program and shortly after went fo a recce to Ipoh, Cameron HIghland, Sunway, Bukit Tinggi and few other interesting places for my company Family Day Program in 2008. And this week again attending my skill group program which is Project Management line (fyi Skill Group Program is a training program conducted by my company to give training and guidance for us (the doers) in ecah functional skill).

And today I have to attend a workshop or brainstorming session in Kuantan. This 3 days 2 nights program also is a program or initiative of my company to improve work processes in the workplace. But the good things is the schedule is not very tight and maybe I'll have the times to pamper myself with jalan-jalan and shopping-shoppping coz  I've planned to buy 8 Gig Pendrive and few other things.

Till then , see u again next time and hopefully with the pictures taken during my recce last week

Note : Which team do you support in Euro 2008 which will kick off in next 9 days. My prediction will be Germany and Italy and the dark horses will be Czech and Portugal. Are u ready for this tournament..... if not then you better watch out coz it'll be coming soon to you 'special' at http://fullyhalfemty.wordpress.com

Antara bunga yg terdapat di Cameron Highland. Pusat pelancongan tanah tinggi ini sudah tidak sejuk seperti dulu.

Seorang pekerja sedang membersihkan ladang teh.

We left Kuala Lumpur on afternoon, Saturday 5th April 2008 heading towards Simpang Pulai to meet up with Touge King along with Elaine and her nice boyfriend, Chris. We was all 4 cars which is Burn who was riding with Mail as his second pilot, Mat Gen and his girlfriend Yanie, Liroy and Dila who was riding with Blue and Azuri who was riding with his wife Mimie. We then later catching up with Zali a.k.a Kura and Roger in tapah Rest'n'Relax area for refreshment and later become 5 cars in total. We reach at Simpang Pulai more or less around 4 PM, two hours late from our schedule.

+ We stop for some leg streching after driving for a few hours. LOL..

+ First introduction to Cameron touge by Touge King, Elaine and Chris.

We then wait for TK, Elaine and Chris at the bottom of Cameron mountain pass. Once he arrived, he lead us to their playground up until their proposed end point in his new Satria Neo 'Black Knight' machine followed by Elaine and Chris in their Savvy. We then all stop for a short chit-chatting and photo shoot before we wave them goodbye and heading up to Cameron Highland. Since some of us bring their 'other-halves', that's mean we have to help them doing shopping. What else best in Cameron beside its snaky mountain pass for us touge lovers? Yes! For girls they go for Vegetables shopping. Flowers. Strawberries and a hell lots more. We even then later that night touge with our cars full with fresh flowers! LOL.

+ Uphill and downhill at Kea Farm

+ Blue with a hell lot of carrots.

We stop by Kea Farm, Rose Garden, Strawberry Park, Berinchang Night Market, Blue Valley and Tanah Rata for some shopping spree, food and pit stop for night pray before we heading down again to Simpang Pulai. As to our surprise, TK has invite most of Cameron Touge Team to join in the fun. Felix was there, Boy was there Hong was there, Jeremy was there too and it looked like everyone was there. Yay! We was so happy to had so many cars in touge - Sharing two things with one love and passion - Driving and Friendships!

+ Some nice hairpin turns and we believe it has never been published by anyone.

+ Now, isn't that looked like C=121 in Initial D?

Once we hit the downhill section, we were all guide by the Cameron Touge Team to a restaurant for some refreshment and later we all hit the touge again. This time it was pure fun as everyone go and hitting their car limit. Each corners being tackle at the average of 110 - 130km/h. Now what do you think? As we'said earlier, Cameron Touge Team is really good and they have skills to watch over. They even drift their machine and run sideways in mountain passes. Now that is very rare in a country like Malaysia. :D

+ Tanah Rata Town.

+ Berinchang night market.

We run uphill and downhill for one last time before we all parted and wave everyone goodbye and promises to see each others again in near future. Now, we are all has become one family!

We left Cameron Highlands through Simpang Pulai Highway exit at 2AM and reach Kuala Lumpur at 3.30AM. A very tiring day for us all. It was 10 hours of driving in the whole Cameron touge plus 3-4 hours of driving in highways make it 13-14 hours of non stop driving. Can you take that? Urghh.. We was all tired and exhausted but we was all having pure fun! Due to our slow internet connection, we promise to post the video later... For more info, please read TK's writing here.

Anyway, here a few pictures from many others... :cool:

KANSEI next expeditions stop - Bukit Tinggi touge in Pahang. ~ Date to be confirmed!

+ Girls and flowers cannot be separated.

+ Tea Session with Cameron Touge Team.

+ Tea Session with Cameron Touge Team.

+ Boy's newly owned the legendary TE72.

+ tea sessions.

+ The legendary TE72 with a Japanese words reading TOUGE with Team BC Machine sticker on it.

Yang pergi semuanya dalam 12 orang, termasuk Asyraf. Kebetulan aku dah rancang nak pergi vacation dengan dak Rap lepas dapat kerja, tengok-tengok ada peluang ni, apa lagi..kita joinlah sekali. So kami bertolak hari Sabtu pagi dengan naik kereta dak Rap. Mula-mula kami rasa sangsi sebab ada dua budak Perancis yang akan tumpang kereta kami tapi bila dah gerak, semuanya ok. Bukan macam ayam cakap dengan itik la

But actually it turns out pretty well. They’re an easy going person and I’m very comfortable along the hectic journey. Before we reached the top, the scenery below there was amazing. There was a beautiful hill that has a unique structure and the greenery forest just make me wanting more when I’m up there! When we reached halfway to Brinchang, the air started to feel cold and I felt like I could touch the cloud (I know it sound extreme but u got to experience it by urself). Around 1230pm, we reached Brinchang and we checked in into our budget hotel called The Green Garden. It just beside the roadside in the middle of the small and busy town. After we had lunch (Ok, the lunch wasn’t great since we ate in the filthy food court) we went to our first stop.

1) Strawberry Farm. This farm is extremely different from we expect because there was no strawberry! There have but the strawberry didn’t ready yet to be plucked. At there, there sell a lot of types of cactus. The price was also acceptable but I didn’t have interest to buy any cactus since it’s only meant to be watch (got what I mean, huh?). They also sell this weird fruit (and I can’t remember what its name). It’s in yellow color with a thin skin that needs to be open before we eat it. The taste is really sour and I only eat it only once. I hate the taste but all the French love it. Clearly we have a different taste bud huh?

2) Tea Plantation – Owh it’s darn freaking beutilicious! That tea farm was really amazing. It just beside the roadside and u could see a very fantastic view from the top. The farm is really huge and there’s a small river in the middle of it. This place is a must if you come to Cameron. We took a lot of pictures and we were like kids in kindergarten haha. It feels like a heaven that we were never imagined. I couldn’t help myself to take as much pictures as I can and it’s like every second everybody had to stop to take a picture. It was the greatest moment while I’m there.

3) Night Market – The location is just near from our hotel and we just had to walk. Despite the fact that I hate the crowd, the market was great. It sells almost everything from a souvenir until a fresh honey. My favorite was a chocolate strawberry! The taste is so great (and it was my first time I tried it). The chocolate is really rich in flavor; add with a sweet sour taste from the strawberry. I don’t know when I will get to taste it again. Fact: A French people doesn’t care about the strawberry because they had enough back in their country. It just like Malaysian comes to French and sees the rambutan. Next!

4) Dinner – We tried steamboat and it was my first time too. We ordered for 9 people but it seems they served to 20 people. There was a lot of left out and no one is willing to finish it since everybody is already full. We just wanna to say thanks a lot to Nico, Jeff, and Emmanuel because it’s all on them (it means they belanja maa). But one thing for sure, it’s quite expensive. But like Jeff said, “It’s our pleasure”.

The next day, after we checked out, we went to the real strawberry farm with strawberry in it. Unfortunately, they don’t allow people to pluck it by themselves. But what the heck, as long I can take a nice pictures and taste a fresh strawberries from the farm, is just enough. After that we went to the Blue Valley (unfortunately everything is green there) to see a flower farm. I wasn’t very excited because I felt a bit dizzy and it just like I will vomit anytime. Our plan to go to the Lata Kijang waterfall was cancelled because the rain was really heavy. I’ve never experience that kind of rain.

Around 830 pm, we reached UTM. Again, I’m the last one who arrived (I can get The Most Sopan Driver of the Century I guess = p). To sum it up, it was a great getaway, far from hustle and bustle of KL city. It’s not going to happened again anytime soon but perhaps there will be another chance.

]]> http://curiousfoodie.wordpress.com/?p=76 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:32:20 +0000 amsiewong http://curiousfoodie.wordpress.com/?p=76 My helper cooked a stir-fried cabbage dish this morning and it was good. However, nothing can really beat the vegetables I've tasted at Cameron Highlands last year. The vegetables there were fresh, crunchy and sweet. In addition, the strawberries were so plump and juicy.

Here're some photos from the trip.

Check out the colours on these.

Honestly it wasn't that much fun travelling up and down the steep slope to Cameron Highlands in a bus, but these fresh produce sure made it more worthwhile.

Tempat ketiga yang terdapat dalam trip ni adalah kat MARDI Cameron Highland. Kat situ dapat gakla layan strawberi. Kat sumer tempat ni ade dengar taklimat dan lawatan site skali. Cuma ade satu tempat je yang dapat dengar taklimat iaitu tempat yang last skali. Taklimat tu dibuat kat satu hotel kat Cameron Highland tu.

Tapi aku rasa malas la nak tulis panjang² pasal trip tu kat sini. Aku semacam takde mood. Ah, lantakla. Biarkan aku macam ni.

Lagipun aku kene hantar laporan lak pasal trip nih. Baik aku tulis laporan tu daripada aku tulis kat sini kan. 1st thing 1st. Baru tadi aku transfer gambar daripada kamera aku ke komputer super aku. Dan baru aku perasan yang lebih 50%daripada gambar dalam dalam kamera aku tu mengandungi gambar Gadis Itu. Err, gambar aku dan dia adelah jugak..hehe.. Banyak mana tu, tak pasti lak kan.

Arghh, assignment berlambak lagi. Tak disiapkan lagi. Okeyla, aku mau cau dulu.

sekiranya berkunjung ke Cameron Highland jangan lupa makan jagung manis mentah...sedapnya bukan main..bukannya mahal sangat rm 1.80 je..panjangnya, sehasta..Aku beli kat kedai cina...

Cameron Highland - 10.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

In Cameron Highland, taste yummy!

Cameron Highland - 10.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

A little bit out of focus, but the result is not that bad at all...

Cameron Highland - 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

The beautiful yellow.

Cameron Highland - 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

Lovely flower...

Cameron Highland - 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

at Rose Garden in Cameron Highland.

Cameron Highland - 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

I always wonder why the picture turned out so different whenever I am taking the picture of this flower as compared to others...

Cameron Highland 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

In Butterfly Farm at Cameron Highland.

Cameron Highland 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

from Mt Brinchang, Cameron Highland.

Cameron Highland 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

Wide green carpet at Sg. Pulas tea plantation, Cameron Highland.

Cameron Highland 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

...from tea plantation at Sungai Pulas, Cameron Highland.

Cameron Highland 09.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

Yeah, this is the ideal place of my favourite Cameron Highland. I could live here for retirement! :)

Cameron Highland 08.11.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

One of the famous landmark in Cameron Highland, built in Tudor-style...

Cameron Highland 13.10.2007, originally uploaded by micpohling.

Tea plantation at Cameron Highland, my favourite place in Malaysia :)

and actually we reached KL Sentral, which is supposed to be spelled as Central at appox 5pm++. took taxi back to condo, approx rm20. and reached home at 6pm++ and went to pyra at 7++.

rolling back the tape, friday , its the last day of school. the whole next week would be our mid sem break. friday night is the 2007monash ball night at the mandarin oriental hotel. i didnt go, but sally, donna, and the rest went. but most of my friends were not going.

so at that night i went to vita's place to asked about how's the holiday plan going. apparently we'll be going at 11.30am on sat. susu, cencen, mega, budi and handoko went in the morning. and those going for the afternoon bus vina vita sari aku fenny wenda.

the journey was 4 hours from Pudu Raya bus station and by the time we reached there, its noon and its quite cold. oh and btw 11 of us were not staying at hotel. we rent apartment for 2 nights instead.

by the time we get there, we rushed to find a place to eat. we decided to have steamboat coz its really cold at night. its cheap and it cost me approx rm15. hehee..

steamboat night 22 sept 07

we spent the night by taking pictures and finally decided to sleep. before sleep, sari and i went to twin's room to chit chat. and the topic leads to ghost story. hehehee.. so finally we decided to sleep no matter wad. coz we booked the tour for the next day and all of us must be ready by 9am.

picture taking at the apt

the first destination on 23rd sept was the flower garden. some pics were taken. =p tadaaaaa

flower garden 23rd sept 07

then we head to strawberry garden. well nothing much here. hehehe.. we just bought some dried strawberries and head to next destination

then we went to the butterfly park. really nothing special, got bored. hehehe.. but sari did enjoy their time to buy small cacti.

next destination was the market. and bought nothing too. again, bored.

hhehehe..

last stop was the tea plantation farm, which is owned by BOH tea. the view were amazing. but there's really nothing to do there.

then went back home. we gave ourselves time to take nap. some people sleep. some people watch tv. but sari and i were chitchatting by ourselves in our room.

and when the night comes, we went to another area in cameron called Brinchang. well im not sure of the spelling but thats the spelling id take. hehehe.. we had friedrice, really nothing delicious. but we do enjoy our time. they bought absolute vodka. and headed home.

at home we were playying cards and some people drink. some people gone mad. some people threw up and luckily im not one of them. hehehe

then we slept at the living room. huge living room. couldnt sleep well and woke up at 9.15. woke up and showered. hehehe.. btw aku mandi sama sari. hehehe.. erm we had roti telur at the stall next to hong kong restaurant.

and apparently its 24th of sept. hehehee. we're heading home at 1.30.

i looked at my watch and its 1 and a half hour of belok2an. and i almost vomit. eww.. and i can say this might be my first / last time there. though the view were amazing.

like they always said, shit happens, so, good and bad things happen most of the time. so tho its really amazing to be there. some things were just went wrong. and thats life. LIVE IT! ill not throw my rant here coz its been really tiring, and i guess ill not upload the photo now. im so tired now.

yea its true, shit happens. and i just wish ill forget the not-so sweet memory of this superb weekend. goodnight

The first thing that strikes one is Medan Gopeng (MG) is located slightly on the outskirt of Ipoh. Hence, one need to hop on the local bus service or taxi to get to the town center. This brings one to another important bus station to know - Medan Kidd (MK). MK is the old bus station that houses all bus services to other hamlets, countryside and regions around Perak state. So, the mantra is "MG for longhaul bus and MK for within-state travels". Between them is a short 20 mins ride under normal traffic conditions.

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110493067531990419139.00044f70723a3695627ae&s=AARTsJqNp0-wZc-AewPFD0HwzfZDdmK1Mw&ll=4.588916,101.093102&spn=0.059889,0.072956&z=13&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
The blue balloons indicate the bus station; left for Medan Kidd and right for Medan Gopeng. Zoom in and out to look at how the road grid connects them. Don't attempt to walk. It's a long way in the hot sun. Taxis usually charge RM10-15 for a one way trip between the stations.

Look out for Ipoh Omnibus Co.'s bus that shuttles between Medan Kidd and Medan Gopeng. Bus departs every 30 mins or so during daytime.

For the time being, there's no hotels or tourist amenities around Medan Gopeng but food is easy to come by. There's also a 24hours Mc Donald eatery opposite the bus station.

We'll let pictures show you the way .....

(Editor: Please bear in mind that fares and timing shown may have changed since the photos were taken in end 2007. However, they are a good estimate to help you plan and budget your visit around Ipoh)

Long haul buses - Transnasional is a popular bus service used by locals for long journeys to all parts of the country. However, the station is also teeming with other official ticket counters that offer a good range of services. Medan Gopeng play host to buses that link Ipoh to these destinations .....
- Penang island bus station in Sungai Nibong
- Mainland Penang's Butterworth bus station
- Kuala Lumpur Puduraya and Duta bus station
- Malacca
- Seremban
- Johor Bahru
- Singapore (night bus)
- Kota Bahru
- Kuantan
- Kuala Terengganu
- Alor Setar

Kuala Lumpur bound - Those travelling between Ipoh and the capital enjoy good offerings of departure times and there are many companies plying this route. Picture shown above is snapped from Konsortium bus ticket counter

KLIA/LCCT airport bound - At time of writing, departures to the international airports from Ipoh are scheduled at 2:30am, 6:00am, 1:30pm and 8:30pm.

Cameron Highland bound - Kurnia Bistari's buses are perhaps the most popular among backpackers as they get you direct to Tanah Rata and back. Buses leave at 11:15am, 1:15pm, 5:15pm and 6:45pm.

Taxi kiosk near Medan Gopeng offers rides to Penang, Butterworth, KL, Lumut, Cameron Highlands, Taiping and course anywhere in Ipoh (usually RM10 fare one way). A one way daytime fare to KL is about RM200, Cameron Highlands RM120, Lumut RM90 and Penang island RM220. As some taximen may not understand English, it's best to get the kiosk administrator to communicate with your taxi driver and agree on the price before hopping in.

Taiping / Lumut / Pangkor bound - This route requires a tad more effort. If you drop in via Medan Gopeng there's no direct bus to Lumut. You have to first use the Ipoh Omnibus to get to Medan Kidd. Once there, you must remember there 2 bus stations near one and other. The bigger one play host to buses that service areas such as Taiping, Kuala Kangsar and the interiors of Perak states. If you are aiming for Lumut (mainland jetty for Pangkor), look for a smaller station with maroon buses lined up. They are tagged "Perak Roadways"

Perak Roadways buses are unmistakable. The 1.5 hr journey from Medan Kidd to Lumut takes one pass paddy fields, hamlets and countryside towns like Ayer Tawar and Bota. You won't be bored.




Copyright reserved "Take The Path Less Ordinary". No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission. © Outskirt Outreach, Malaysia.

Cameron's climate may be cold but locals have the warmest smiles.

To help you get your bearings right, whether you're coming from north, south, east or west, here's an overview map that indicates major roads linking to Cameron Highlands. If you're coming from KL, taxis and buses would most probably traverse the old Tapah - Tanah Rata road. It is not advisable to use this road at night because it is narrow, windy and peppered with blind corners.

When people say Cameron Highland is densed with tea, they weren't joking. You can practically swim in it.

The Simpang Pulai - Kampung Raja road was completed in 2005 and it is a safer option. The roads is broad and also fringed with fabulous highland scenery. Sadly, only chartered taxi and one bus service (Kinta Roadways, green coloured bus, 4 times between 8am-6pm, departs from Medan Gopeng) ply the new road.

Touristy hubs are centred in Tanah Rata and Brinchang. Holidaying in these places are no-brainers and there are enough glossy maps distributed freely around the towns' hotels and souvenir shops. However, these maps funnel everyone into conveyor-belt tourism spots.

Titiwangsa's spectacular rainforest and mountainous backdrop flank Simpang Pulai - Cameron Highland route. From far, one can see jagged peaks that make up Mount Korbu, the 2nd highest mountain in peninsular Malaysia. The new road cuts through virgin jungle and is dotted by quaint Orang Asli tribal villages.

Now, if you are free-spirited and have a tad more adrenaline in the blood, read on. We have some trails that should interest you.

Word of caution

Before we ramble on, there're some things you should know. If you are new to hiking around Malaysian countryside and highland, and we don’t mean national parks where trails are proper and well marked, do it with some “what if” preparation before you start. You should know that Jim Thompson’s disappearance in March 1967 slingshot Cameron Highlands into limelight for the wrong reason. The American entrepreneur and World War II military officer went for a stroll and never came back.

Some trails shown in the map are beaten and some aren’t. With the exception of Mount Brinchang jungle trekking trail that runs from Cactus Valley, other trails are well scrubbed by local hikers. But because you may come from non-tropical country that spot a different landscape, do whatever you are comfortable with. If the path ahead looks nasty to you, backtrack. Remember, once you press on and hike with the fear of getting lost, it isn’t holiday anymore. It's good to start your hike in the morning. It's cooler and you can take your sweet time.

Lastly, always register with the police (there are police stations in Tanah Rata and Brinchang) before you hit the trails. This ensures someone is monitoring your safe return.

We don’t mean to cause any alarm but it helps to be prepared with some jungle trekking know-hows. See this link Jungle survival.

SO, YOU'RE GAME. HERE'S OUR TAKE.

You get pumped just from using the PC mouse.

If you fall under this category, try trekking these trails that would not take more that 2-3 hrs to complete, one way.

Hillslope blanketed by tea scrubs at Habu tea estate.

Tea plantation workers at Sg Palas estate are always willing to strike a pose for passing photographers.

Sg Palas teahouse rewards hikers with a sprawling view of tea hillslopes, and of course, the freshest tea straight from the plantation.

You are born with rocket fuel running through your veins

We know some of you are experienced trekkers and need a tough trail or two to call it a holiday. The thing to remember before hitting these trails is - always register yourself at Tanah Rata or Brinchang police station. Mind you, lost trekkers fuel the headlines every once a while. It's a good thing the police is well prepared and will come looking for you if you don't make it back within stipulated time.

Bring minimum 3 litres of water, lots of energy bars, compass and raincoat. Never start trekking in the afternoon. The sun sets early and it gets dark in the forest by 5-6pm. Compounded by mist and cloud shrouding the mountain side, loosing your way can easily be a hazard if you trek during late afternoon.

Uphill trails are steep and muddy at times. Wear long pants and long sleeve shirt if you must. A good pair of trekking shoes is indispensable. However, you do not need ropes or mountaineering skills to reach the peaks. Take heart, avid trekkers from KL, Ipoh and Penang scale them for exercise on weekends.

Estimated trek time, one way

Mardi - Mount Beremban, 1.5-2hrs.
Sam Poh Tong - Mount Beremban, 2hrs.
Oly Apartment - Mount Jasar, 1-1.5hrs.
Oly Apartment - Mount Perdah, 1.5-2hrs.
Bharat Tea Estate - Mount Jasar, 2-3hrs.
Sg Palas Teahouse - Mount Brinchang, 1.5-2hrs.

Mount Brinchang - Mount Irau, 3-4hrs. On the map, it looks like a short trail but believe us, it's a heck of steep and muddy climb through dense mossy forest. This is the most challenging trail.

Sam Poh Tong temple marks the start of trail to Mount Beremban.

You can't miss it. Mount Brinchang is the one topped with multiple telecom towers. Road leading to the telecom towers is reputed the highest paved road in Malaysia.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Cameron Highland doesn't stop throbbing after dark

Brinchang’s night bazaar swings into life from 6pm to 10pm with locals hawking extensive agriculture knick knacks – you name it, everything from avocado to zucchini.

Cool crisp air really helps too as one could rummage the place without breaking a sweat. And if you’re like the food pyramid – top narrow, wide at the bottom – and want cut some flab, you’d thank this place for making vegetables look so good. Even for someone who is remotely interested in cooking would find exotic vegetables like asparagus, purple cauliflowers, jalapenos, shitake mushrooms, brussel sprouts ..... hard to resist. And the flowers, oh yes glorious flowers, are sold by the dozens at unbelievable rock bottom prices. Go ahead, buy the biggest bunch of roses for your sweetheart and give her the high without leaving the pocket dry.

Tanah Rata and Brichang is slewed with vegetable peddlers that colour the night

Lingering floral scent in the air is enough to drive any Romeo and Juliet go all romantic. Interestingly, there’s also a chap selling bottles of honey laced with ginseng and tongkat ali for those who need something frisky. Of course, the bazaar is also riot of fruit stalls. One cannot imagine being there and not load up on strawberries, passion fruits, avocados and mandarins. As a general rule, the average price for strawberry is RM7.00 for 500g. So don’t get all too impressed if someone offers you cheap, check out the weight – they have a crafty way of packing these juicy bomb lets in big casing. “But these are bigger ones and grown organically”, laments a seller who wants to be only known a Choy Moey and she is not joking. OK, average market price may not apply to her mutants that are abnormally huge – fertilisers can do wonders – never mind if it’s organic, size does matters after all.

Cameronians love piping hot street burgers

Kids have a knack for business at young age

Hot snacks freshly made from highland ingredients keep suppertime foodies cranking

Honey seller

Honey oozes out from honeycomb

Go late, say 9:30pm and peddlers would even throw in some freebies along with your purchase; locals prefer to sleep early and rise before dawn to work at plantations. Choy Moey’s 6 years old son has the rosiest cheeks, which is quite common for local kids, you’ll want to give it a pinch to see whether they are real. You gotta admit, mountain air does wonders to human too.

Simply put, Brinchang combines things that every holidaymaker love – cool air, people and the demeanour of a cosy hill town that is sure to make one’s trip memorable.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Scenes around Cameron Highland

HERE ARE SOME shots taken in August 2007 we figure independent travellers and backpackers would be interested in.

Brinchang town center

Timeless Convent school perched on hillside overlooking Tanah Rata.

Fresh market stalls add colour to Kea Farm trail.

Riot with fresh roses, Kea Farm is a perfect place to pick up some flowers to coo your lady mates.

If you have a deep pocket, enjoying a cup of fresh Cameronian tea in Smokehouse's English garden is the best way to rekindle bygone colonial era.

Spanking new "Freesia Terminal" bus station in Tanah Rata.

We hope these photos would help traveller make good estimates on transfer services and cost. We went about the bus station and took photos of various signages displayed.

(Editor : Please bear in mind that details provided in these shots may change in from time to time. Use your discretion.)

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