Bentong

Bentong sits in a valley on the Pahang side of the main range and has one genuinely national claim: Bentong ginger, grown in the surrounding hills, which has a reputation for being less fibrous and more aromatic than other Malaysian ginger and sells at a premium across the country, appearing in everything from soup to ginger candy sold in every shop in town. Beyond that it is a pleasant small town with a prewar shophouse centre, murals through the back lanes, a Saturday walking street and night market, a hot spring at Bentong Hot Spring outside the town, and a fresh market that is worth an early morning. It works as a stop on the way to or from the east coast, and the Chamang waterfall and Janda Baik are both close.

What you actually see

• Bentong ginger - the local crop sold fresh, dried and as candy through the town.
• A prewar shophouse centre - with murals through the back lanes.
• The Saturday walking street - the weekly night market through the middle.
• A hot spring - the pools outside town, developed and busy at weekends.

When to go

All year; Saturday evening for the walking street. A day.

Honest expectations

It is a small working town and half a day covers it. The hot spring is developed and crowded at weekends. Most of the ginger sold as Bentong ginger elsewhere is not.

Nearby

Chamang waterfall and Janda Baik are close; Genting Highlands is on the ridge.