Bukit Larut

Bukit Larut, formerly Maxwell Hill, was established in the 1880s and is the oldest hill station in the country and by far the least developed - there is no town up there, only a scatter of colonial bungalows, a small garden and the road. That road is single lane with hairpins and no passing places, so private vehicles are banned and access is by government Land Rover from the station at the bottom, which runs to a timetable, carries a fixed number of passengers and books out. Walking up takes about three hours. Taiping below is the wettest town in Malaysia and the hill is wetter still, so cloud, drizzle and leeches are the normal condition rather than the exception, and the views everyone hopes for across the Larut plain to the sea appear only in gaps.

History

The hill station was built in 1884 and named after the British administrator George Maxwell, and its first bungalow, The Cottage, was put up that year for the Resident-General of Perak. After a 1997 plan for more tourist building met public opposition, the state chose instead to renovate the old bungalows (Wikipedia, Bukit Larut).

What you'll find

• Colonial bungalows - a handful of old rest houses, no town at all.
• The jeep road - single lane hairpins, government vehicles only.
• Constant cloud and rain - the wettest corner of a wet country.
• Gap views over Taiping - across the plain to the coast, when it clears.

When to go

All year; there is no dry season here. Half a day.

Good to know

Jeep seats are limited and book out, especially at weekends; queues form early. It rains most days and the view is often entirely closed. There is almost nothing up there beyond the walk.

Nearby

Taiping Lake Gardens and the zoo are at the foot of the hill.