Cycle Route: Tapah to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

December 11, 2013

GPX Track

Distance

The total distance of this route was 59.69 miles (96.06 km). We ended up only cycling a few miles, then flagged down a van and paid 200 ringgit for a ride up to Tanah Rata. If you are feeling adventurous, we included elevation information for this ride below.

Elevation

Max Elevation	4229 ft	1,289 m
Min Elevation	0 ft	0 m
Total Climbing	5,456 ft	1,663 m
Total Descent	1,410.8 ft	430 m

Terrain

Our bicycle ride was an easy few miles on a flat road. If you are thinking about cycling up the mountain, it is possible, but will be very difficult and dangerous. The road is steep and treacherous, twisting its way up to Tanah Rata. Many sections were narrow, under construction, and had no shoulder.

There is a nice waterfall on the way up with plenty of food vendors around, which would be a great place to rest. If you manage to cycle to the top, please let us know about your experience in the comments below. You’ve earned the right to brag!

Accommodation

We stayed at Father’s Guesthouse for 60 ringgit. It was great hotel in a central location. It had AC, shared bathrooms and good wi-fi. We really enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend it.

Food

We ate nasi padang for breakfast for 25 ringgit at a small restaurant near the spot where we caught a ride up the mountain.

We were told by several people to try steamboat. It wasn’t our favorite dinner, but Haley thinks its worth a try. Matt thinks if you like drinking broth and eating boiled food, you’ll be in heaven.

The Lord’s Cafe

You don’t need to love Jesus to love a good scone. This was our favorite breakfast spot in the highlands. They serve delicious strawberry scones with fresh strawberry jelly. You can also get a fresh cup of Cameron Highlands tea.

Points of Interest

Cameron Highlands Tea Plantation

We somehow neglected to take a tour of a tea plantation while visiting the highlands, but we did stop at a teahouse to enjoy a fresh cup and admire their beauty.

Big Red Strawberry Farm

This was a huge farm with hydroponically grown strawberries and lettuces. Admission was free. We spent about an hour exploring and taking pictures. They have a cafe where you can buy a variety of strawberry snacks, like juices, milkshakes, tarts and muffins. You can also pay to pick your own fresh strawberries.

Butterfly Garden

Admission for adults costs 5 ringgit and 3 ringgit for children.
This beautiful garden houses a variety of insects like beetles, scorpions and spiders, and other exotic wildlife like lizards, snakes and frogs. We spent about 2 hours here and loved every minute of it.

Costs

Our ride to Tanah Rata, three nights at Father’s Guesthouse and all of our meals and activities cost us 877.50 ringgit. Altogether, we spent around $275.64 USD in the Cameron Highlands.