Satu Tahun & Cameron Highlands

Trip sempena satu tahun perkahwinan memang sudah dirancang. Tapi mau kemana tu yang jadi masalah besarnya. Nak pergi Terengganu la, Langkawi la, situ la sini la... nyaris juga dah nak terbeli tiket MAS ke Langkawi RM96.00 je pergi balik untuk seorang (hish.. makin murah je tiket kapal terbang masa zaman gawat-gawat ni.. sabar! sabar!). Dipendekkan cerita, setelah membuat pertimbangan yang sewajarnya, maka Cameron Highlands menjadi pilihan.

From wiki :
Cameron Highlands is a highland region located about 121 km east of Ipoh and about 214 km north of Kuala Lumpur, in Pahang, Malaysia. At 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level it is the highest area on the mainland, enjoys a cool climate, with temperatures no higher than 25 °C and rarely falls below 12°C year-round. Cameron Highlands is actually a district in the state of Pahang Darul Makmur although the road entrance is via Tapah and Simpang Pulai in the state of Perak Darul Ridzuan. Cameron Highlands district is bordered by Lipis district on the south-east, Kelantan on the north and Perak on the west. The size of the whole Cameron Highlands district is roughly two and a quarter times the size of Singapore.

The Highlands were named after William Cameron, a British colonial government surveyor who discovered the plateau during a mapping expedition in 1885. The fame of Cameron Highlands then grew during the colonial era when British planters realised the potential of its fertile mountain slopes for growing tea, then a prized commodity. Cameron Highlands is still home to many tea plantations, being Malaysia's largest tea-producing region. With its many farms the area is also known as a major supplier of legumes and vegetables to both Malaysia and Singapore, and is one of Malaysia's prime tourist destinations.

Apart from the cool weather, key attractions in Cameron Highlands include a butterfly farm, strawberry farms, rose gardens and vegetable gardens. There are also the Brinchang Hindu Temples and the Sam Poh Chinese Mahayana Buddhist Temple. Other features include Cactus Point, Cactus Valley and the BOH Tea Plantation. There is Market Square, the Cameron Highlands Time Tunnel Galeria (at nearby Kea Farm) and accommodation at the Kampung Taman Sedia Homestay, Tanah Rata and The Smokehouse Hotel.

There are eight towns in the Cameron Highlands:

1. Brinchang currently is the biggest town in Cameron Highland. It seats several hotels, night markets, military camps, public service and commercial centre. The people here are mainly Chinese.

2. Tringkap is well-known for its popular business centre where most people can get fresh vegetable, fruit and flowers here arrived daily and fresh from the farms.

3. Tanah Rata is one of the major hub in Cameron Highland whereas it seats several hotels, parks and comercial centre. Main attraction in Tanah Rata is the Mardi Plantation Centre
and its business centre. Several shops have been opened in the town including Starbucks
Coffee. There is also a budget traditional Malay Kampung Homestay located at Kampung
Taman Sedia. The people here are mainly Malay.

4. Bertam Valley is one of hub of Malaysia's local vegetable farm and international flower
farm such as Roses & Chrysanthemums.

5. Kampung Raja is the rural area in the Cameron Highland whereas it seats only residence
zone and several comercial zone.

6. Blue Valley is well-known for its tea plantations that are ranked as one of the best in
Malaysia. A few to be named are Blue Valley Tea Plantation and BOH Tea Plantation.

7. Ringlet

8. Kuala Terla

Dari Puchong ke Cameron kalau ikut Simpang Pulai adalah dalam sekitar 3 jam perjalanan. Hujung minggu adalah hari macet di Cameron. Ramai sungguh umat.. dengan bas sekolah, bas pelancong, kereta dll. Dari Simpang Pulai mau naik ke Cameron sudah hujan. Sabtu tu cuaca muram je, jadi tidaklah kemana-mana. Kami check-in hotel di Brinchang. Malam tu ada pasar malam di Brinchang dekat dengan Balai Polis. Tapi hujan yang turun membuatkan kami tak boleh lama-lama di situ. Sudahnya kami bercinta dan tengok tv je la kat hotel.

Pasar malam Brinchang

Hari kedua kami pindah & check-in hotel di Tanah Rata. Tanah Rata agak menarik dari Brinchang. Cuaca agak bersahabat hari ini. Lepas check-in langsung keluar jalan-jalan. Pertama kami ke Cameron Valley tengok Ladang Teh Bharat. Hijau je pemandangan. Opismet kata, kalo ke Cameron kena makan Scones. Sedap juga scones kat cafe Ladang Teh Bharat tu.

Ladang Teh Bharat

Seterusnya ke Ladang Teh Boh. Perghh.. lagi besar ladang tehnya. Teh saja di atas gunung-gunung itu. Macamana la teh-teh tu dibawa keluar dari kilang. Sebabnya lori2 besar tak boleh masuk pun, sebab jalan kecil. Angin sangat kuat disini.

Singgah di Kasimanis Strawberry Farm. Pakcik Google tulis, Kasimanis antara yang terkenal, tapi langsung tak menarik pun. Tidak membeli apa-apa pun di sini.

Ingat nak dinner di T Cafe, tapi tutup la pulak. Akhirnya dinner di Gerai Opah di tepi jalan Tanah Rata dekat dengan Starbuck. Masakannya sedap... betul!!!! Malam di Cameron agak sunyi. More photos di flickr ya!