It is now the month of November and as I understand it is a good time for weddings. Like many others, a good friend of mine joined in the band wagon. He is from Cameron Highlands and naturally his wedding was held there. Since it was on a Sunday, we decided to spend two days there. So we were headed to CH on Saturday. Hoping to have a quiet, tranquil and relaxing short break; little did we know we were in for quite a bit of a surprise.
The day kicked off with a heavy shower over Ipoh which delayed our much anticipated trip. When it finally stopped raining we left Ipoh and took the Simpang Pulai – Cameron Highlands highway and sped off hoping to make up for lost time. We were greeted by a long string of cars which gave us an idea of what was to come up there. As predicted; it seemed like the entire country had planned the weekend at Cameron’s. We shocked to find ourselves stuck in a traffic jam as we approached Berinchang! We were speechless!! I have been visiting Cameron’s since I was 3 and I have never seen traffic of that sort in Cameron’s. It took us 20-30 minutes to get to Tanah Rata from Berinchang. How crazy is that!!
There were buses parked along the most of the areas. Unfortunately they were the cause of most of the traffic hiccups there. Towns like Tringkap, Berinchang and Tanah Rata were packed with tourists. These guys ranged from school children, senior citizens, tour groups from China and India. Vegetable farms, shops, strawberry farms and shops mushrooming all over the place. Thank God for the weather though. It was still as cool and crisp as the last time I was there. Having said that there is something about Cameron’s which gives you a sense a peace and tranquility as soon as you get nestled in. It is probably due to the weather and the picturesque backdrop consisting of vegetable farms and flowers and tea gardens perfectly landscaped. It gives a sense natural serenity (minus the tourists!!).
Having arrived earlier than our expected time to check-in; we decided to have lunch. After running around to find the right lunch to compliment the whole experience of being there; we could only settle for the famous steamboat dining. The vegetables which were served for the steamboat were fresh and cheap. The hot and soupy food went well with weather, as it had just stopped raining.
Just as we thought our luck was changing for the better; we found out Lady Luck was well out of it. The hotel we checked in was a disappointment. It looked nice from the outside but seemed very old on the inside. The staff wasn’t very friendly or helpful. We don’t think it will be appropriate and professional to mention the name of the hotel here, so we shall just leave it at that for now. A half an hour shut eye refreshed us and we were up and about our mission to turn our luck around. We decided to check out the BOH Tea plantations and for a cup of tea. However that quickly turned out to be a bad idea as it was packed (with you know who!!). We made an about turn and walked about Tanah Rata instead.
In the evening we headed to the night market in Brinchang. It too was packed with tourists but I guess it was ok. We feasted our eyes on the fresh vegetables and flowers there. The batter fried mushrooms and vegetables as well as fresh honey were a delight to munch on while we walked. Well even that came to an abrupt end when it started to drizzle. Sigh!!
As it was approaching dinner time we looked high and low for a nice place to eat and found this nice place called “Jasmine Café”. It is place which we will suggest to anyone going to Cameron’s to have a meal there. It is situated in Tanah Rata right on the main road. It gave a warm and inviting look.
The shop was orange with lots Dutch football paraphernalia which would make you feel like you are sitting in football pub cum bistro in Amsterdam. They served western food with a fair amount of liquor and a modest wine collection. I guess being 1200 meters above sea level and with kinda luck we have been having all day, any wine will do. The food menu was good and tantalizing.
We ordered a beef and lamb steak and can’t thank God enough for granting us a good meal. The steaks were cooked exactly the right way and the wine complimented the steaks. If my memory serves me right there was some sort of European folk music playing in the background. So was it a good way to end the night?? Definitely!!
The next day we forced to wake up early because our friend was about to (literally) tie the knot at 9.00am. We rushed to the breakfast buffet to see what was in store for us. As usual, the disappointment didn’t come as a surprise. Gobbled up what seemed edible and got ready for the wedding. It was nice to see my wife all dressed up in a saree. I must say she is getting better in tying a saree all by herself. We headed to the temple for my friend’s wedding. The temple was decked with the usual decorations and the advantage of having a wedding in Cameron Highlands is the flowers used in the decorations are beautiful, fresh and to some extend cheaper. It is always nice to be a witness to a close friend’s marriage. The wedding ceremony went on well and as soon as he tied the knot the crowd was up on their feet getting ready to bless the newlyweds. We too stood in line and when our time came we blessed the couple and had the wedding lunch prepared there; which I must say smelled exceptionally good in the cold weather.
We bade farewell to the couple and left to our hotel which was just in time for ‘check-out’. Since we were ahead of our schedule we decided to do some shopping. I must say the vegetable vendors did well to entice us to buy the crops sold at their stalls. The goods sold there appeared fresh, cheap and delectable. As soon as filed our car with vegetables, fruits and flowers we were made our slow descend back to Ipoh.
So to summarize this trip… Let’s see… never go to Cameron’s on a weekend or during the school holidays and never completely trust pictures or reviews of hotels you see online. Though the trip had its ups and downs Cameron’s is not all bad. It still has its charm of being a lush green picturesque place. It is a place where city dwellers hope to find peace and tranquility. The very sight of acres and acres of tea plantations, flower gardens, fruit orchards and vegetable farm eases the mind and brings peace to anyone who comes there. So are we going there again after this experience? Of course we will!!!!
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