A tour by any other name?
Anyway, the next morning, waiting outside for the CS van, another van pulled up, the driver went inside and came out with a couple of peoiple. I was surprised to see he was still looking for someone. He spoke with me and I told him I was waiting for the Cameron Secrets people. Time marched on and it turned out that Ganesh had booked me with this tour company. I was not best pleased and was rather annoyed - turned out they were kind of friends. And I found out later that the full day tour going to the Orang Asli Village was running because I met some people who were doing that. I still enjoyed the tour anyway but the point was it wasn't the one I had asked for. My advice - if booking a tour through your accommodation, make sure it is the one you want.
Below is a map showing the places we went to.
We started out, picked up a few more people and from memory there was around 10 or 12 of us all told. Nick, our tour guide said we would be going to Mt. Brinchang but as we drove along, he said we'd go to the insect farm first instead of last as the day was a little cloudy still and you get a much better view from the summit when it's sunny.
The entry fee for the insect farm was not included and I had no intention of paying to see a bunch of bugs and insects. Yewk! Definitely not my scene - animals and birds alright but creepy crawlies - no. So I took myself off for a look around. There weren't really that many shops but I espied a nursery across the road with some lovely plants and flowers.
They also had a strawberry farm attached - pick your own. This was happiness indeed. I just love fresh strawberries and spent a very pleasant time pottering around. Came out with strawberries and three small packets of lollies to give to the kiddies back home.
I tried to buy a cup of coffee from the place next to the insect farm and after over-coming the language barrier we did alright. Coffee wasn't bad either.☺
The others came back and we piled into the van once more and were off. As we climbed higher round and round a very winding road, the rolling hills were covered with tea plants - it seemed everywhere you looked were tea plantations.
Mt. Brinchang
Mt. Brinchang (Gunung Brinchang in Malay), 2032 metres above sea level, is the highest mountain in the Cameron Highlands and is on the Perak-Pahang border. The road leading to the summit of this mountain is also the highest road in Peninsular Malaysia.
The lookout tower which is 15 metres high, offers breathtaking views of the Titiwangsa Ranges from the summit. We all took turns climbing up the steps (carefully) to the top and our hair blew in all directions - it was very windy and a bit cool. Climbing up them there steps - they're quite steep, so watch your knees! - there wasn't room for everyone at the same time, and those standing at the top were buffeted by the wind. Great views though.
A panoramic view of the peak of Mt. Brinchang. It's said that on a clear day you can actually see the town of Ipoh from the top of the lookout tower. Although we had some blue skies there were a number of clouds so it wasn't all that clear in all directions.
The communication towers stationed on top of the mountain are actually visible from quite a long way off and can be seen from some of the hotels in Brinchang.
Views from Mt. Brinchang lookout tower
Since my trip, I've since learnt the best time to take photos here is either early in the morning to catch the sunrise or late afternoon when the mist starts clearing for that brilliant shot. If the day is clear, best time to go is in the early afternoon when there's the right amount of sunlight and very little mist. You do get long-distance views of the Titiwangsa Mountains whatever time you come up here.
Titiwangsa Mountains
The Titiwangsa Mountains ( Banjaran Titiwangsa in Malay) is the mountain range that forms the backbone of the Malay Peninsula and starts in the north as a continuation of the Phuket mountain range in Southern Thailand. Running approx. southeast and ending in the south near Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, the highest elevation is the 2,183 metres at Gunung Korbu. Called "Banjaran Titiwangsa" or "Banjaran Besar" (Main Range) by the locals, the ranges divide Peninsular Malaysia into East and West Coast regions and is about 480 km from north to south. There are a number of popular tourist destinations located on the range - Cameron Highlands, Fraser's Hill and Genting Highlands.
Below are some of the shots of the ranges that I took from the lookout tower.
This pretty little blue and white building is especially equipped with an air conditional unit and also doubles as a police station.
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