Day 86: Cameron Highlands – Day 2
We had a busy, busy sight-seeing day scheduled for our only full-day in the Cameron Highlands – we booked a half-day tour through our hostel, Father’s Guesthouse, to visit the BOH Tea Plantation and the Mossy Forest. On the way back, we had the option to get dropped off in the neighboring town of Brinchang to continue exploring on foot. We needed a lot of energy to keep going, so we had a hearty breakfast at the hostel café – as long as no sickies cough on us and get us ill, all will be fine.
A girl was coughing up a lung behind us – Lindsay has now developed an “I hate sick people” face
Our tour guide, Francis, picked us up from the hostel in a 4×4, along with a French tourist (we’ll call him “France) and a German couple (yup – another one). On the way to the Mossy forest, we stopped at the BOH tea plantation for a quick photo-op (we would do a full tour on our way back down). It was so beautiful – there was even a bride and groom getting their wedding photos taken along the roadside as well.
Quick stop in the BOH tea fields, where our guide gives us a basic introduction into tea harvesting. While many postcards show native women walking through tea bushes with wicker baskets strapped to their heads, that is just for show. All harvesting is now mechanical – basically a team of two will slice off the top of the bushes with a hedge trimmer with a bag on the end to collect all the young, tender leaves.
So many great photo-ops in the tea field!
This poor couple was trying to get their wedding photos taken when a half-dozen tour groups showed up.
Inspired by the romantic scenery…
The BOH Tea Plantation
Before hiking into the Mossy Forest, our guide took us to the top of Mt. Brinchang for a bird’s eye view of the Cameron Highlands. There are several “jungle walks” in the Mossy Forest (including some multi-day treks, for those who want to find the big stinky Rafasia flower) – our guide took us through an unmarked trail he preferred because it was quieter. Indeed, it was – the moss acted like sound-proofing, muffling any ambient noise outside the trees. The Mossy Forest truly lived up to its name – it felt like we were on a Lord of the Rings movie-set.
Climbing the observation tower on Mt. Brinchang
View of the Cameron Highlands from Mt. Brinchang
Descending into the Mossy Forest
The forest was magically creepy – you could easily pretend you were on an adventure in a fairytale land!
Igor exploring the Mossy Forest
Moss!
A pitcher plant and a thistle – you know – for a bit of variety
Back to the moss.
After our little hike, we drove back to the BOH Tea Plantation for a self-guided tour of the factory & museum. The BOH Tea Estate was founded by a Scot back in the early 1900s and is still a family-run business – the granddaughter of the original owner is the current CEO. In the factory there is a short hallway with windows looking in on the different production departments so that you can see the five stages in progress: Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying and Sorting. After all that learning we made a stop in the cafeteria for – you guessed it! – a pot of tea!
Short, self-guided tour of the BOH Tea Factory
We have never been so thirsty for a spot of tea
Enjoying a pot of BOH Tea…UMMPH!
View from the BOH cafeteria
When we reached Brinchang, we asked the driver to let us out. The German couple and France also wanted to do some additional sight-seeing, so they got out as well. Since we were all planning to see the same attractions, we fell in step with the German couple. France, however, must not have wanted to hang out as the fifth wheel with two couples, as he power-walked ahead of us. We kept running into him throughout e day. Whatever – France can be a loner if he wants to.
Visiting the Sam Poh Temple in Brinchang
Walking through the streets of Bringchang, we saw tons of homes and hostels with elevated strawberry gardens above their roofs – giving us new ideas for redesigning our backyard garden when we get back!
The Cameron Highlands have strawberry-fever – there are giant strawberry statues all over town. It’s impossible to not get a craving, so we headed over to the Big Red Strawberry Farm
So much strawberry!
Igor embracing the love of the strawberry
In addition to strawberries, they also grow a fair amount of lettuce – this pic is for my Mama – getting my GREENS!
While a taxi back to Tanah Rata was only 10RM (USD $2.50), it was still early in the afternoon, so the four of us decided to take the jungle route
The German couple had taken a photo of the map of the jungle trails the day before so we knew which trail we needed to be on (No. 3 to No. 5) – even so, the signs on the trail were so far apart we were constantly worried we were going the wrong way. Apparently we were not the only ones – about halfway into the walk, helpful graffiti starting showing up on the official signs, giving more detailed instructions on how far you had to go.
Ending the day with another delicious Indian food dinner at Caermon AA Cury House, and bringing a bottle of wine back to the hostel
Lindsay…I like your “I hate sick people face”. The various jungle treks you have been on are amazing. The Mossy Forest does make you feel like you are on an adventure in a fairytale or visiting the hobbit shire. The tea plantation pictures are awesome and glad you are getting your “greens”….