The Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands, high in the central mountains, are Malaysia's largest and best-known hill station, a cool, green retreat developed by the British as an escape from the tropical heat. Its rolling hills are carpeted with emerald tea plantations, strawberry and vegetable farms and flower nurseries, wrapped in patches of ancient mossy cloud forest, and it offers tea-estate tours, gentle jungle walks, and a refreshingly crisp climate a world away from the lowland heat.

What you actually see

• The tea plantations - the rolling emerald tea estates and their tours.
• The strawberry and flower farms - the farms and nurseries.
• The mossy forest - the atmospheric ancient cloud forest walks.
• The cool climate - the refreshing hill-station air.

When to go

Year-round, thanks to the cool climate, with the drier months of December to February slightly more reliable; it is a refreshing escape from the lowland heat at any time, though it can be misty and rainy, being a highland.

Honest expectations

The winding mountain roads up are long and can be nausea-inducing and prone to landslides in heavy rain. The area has seen a lot of development and land-clearing for farming, so it is not pristine wilderness, and the main towns are workaday. It is often misty and can be rainy. Its appeal is the cool air, tea estates and green scenery rather than dramatic sights.

Nearby

The lowlands of Ipoh and the route to Penang and Kuala Lumpur are the gateways.