Drive Up To Cameron Highlands

"For Cool Walks in Mossy Wilderness"

An escape from the tropic heat for over 100 years, Cameron Highlands stands out as Malaysia's premier montane hill station.

Discovered by a British surveyor in 1885, the highlands became a Wildlife Sanctuary to protect special forest plants and animal species found in hill and mountain habitats.

Today tea plantations carpet the valleys mixed amid holiday hotels, flower and strawberry farms and tourist cafes.

Thousands of city dwellers from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand visit this highland destination each year. Besides the cool temperatures (normally under 25℃), more than a dozen jungle trails traverse the moist habitat and elfin 'scary' forest of the high peaks, rising to 2031 meters (6664 feet).

A great place to hang out for nature worship and just walk for exercise, take an early morning stroll to find pitcher plants, wild orchids, funky fungi, tree-bound epiphytes, huge tree ferns and lipstick plants.

Birders can linger to look for over 70 species of montane rainforest birds like trogons, whistling thrushes, and forktails. Search for tracks of the rare clouded leopard or black panther, be aware of poisonous pit viper snakes, watch for green lizards and catch a glimpse of a civet.

Remember that all of these wild creatures live in the misty forest.

Cameron Highlands: Jungle Trekking Trails

Hit the jungle trails early to avoid afternoon showers and to enjoy the rainforest in the warm sunshine. Please take heed of the field notes to determine the best trail to hike depending on your fitness, time available and possible wildlife and plant sightings. Enjoy the variety of Cameron Highlands trails to explore the the special ecology of the highlands.

Trails	Rating	Field Notes
Trail 1	Tough	A climb up to Gunung Brinchang (2032 meters) starting north of Brinchang town; over 1-hour walk up with another hour walk back on road; alternatively drive to summit and walk down Trail 1; another option is to trek back and forth on part of the dense mossy forest ridge trail to Gunung Irau (2090 meters) that takes 3-4 hours one-way; all trails not well marked; use a guide.
Trail 2	Tough	Need to be fit and prepared for this 1.5 hour up and down walk over rough terrain; not well marked and merges with Trail 3 for a longer trek; starts in Brinchang at Sam Poh Buddhist Temple
Trail 3	Moderate to Tough	Starts at Arcadia Cottage near the golf course; a 2.5 hour steep climb to Gunung Beremban (1841 meters); shorter alternate paths to Trail 2 and Trail 5; longer treks join Trail 7 or Trail 8 from atop the mountain (allow 2 more hours)
Trail 4	Easy	A 30-minute stroll to Parit Waterfall, the path is paved in stretches with a turnoff to the watchtower; start near the Forestry Department
Trail 5	Easy to Moderate	A 1-hour walk over wooded terrain that merges with Trail 3 to split off towards Gunung Beremban or to Arcadia Cottage, with the option to shift to Trail 2 to Sam Poh Temple; start at MARDI (Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute)
Trail 6	Moderate to Tough	A poorly marked and confusing path that starts at Bharat Tea Estate road, continues along ridge and merges with Trail 10 at Gunung Jasar summit (1670 meters); 2.5 hours but easy to get lost so use a guide; do not be confused by another Trail 6 runs short from Parit Waterfall to join Trail 5
Trail 7	Very Tough	A 2-hour haul starting from MARDI with a steep ascent to Gunung Beremban on overgrown path; descend from the top on Trail 3 (recommended) or hike down Trail 8 for another 2-3 hour adventure
Trail 8	Very Tough	A difficult 3-hour climb starting from Robinson Waterfall to Gunung Beremban
Trail 9	Moderate	A 1-hour hike down from Robinson Waterfall to the power station following pipeline on a slightly steep descent with some difficult scrambling; alternatively walk down Trail 9A and return up via this path (2 hours) or take a local bus back to Tanah Rata.
Trail 9A	Moderate	Less steep than Trail 9 along a gradual path that exits near vegetable farms and the Boh Tea Plantation road after 1.5 to 2 hours; alternatively walk up Trail 9 behind the power station or take a local bus back to Tanah Rata
Trails 10, 11 and 12	Moderate to Tough	An arduous climb up to Gunung Jasar, the path starts near Oly Apartments and continues towards Gunung Perdah (1551 meters); to avoid the summit splinter off to Trail 11 along a parallel path to Gunung Perdah where both trails merge with Trail 12 to the weather station near the golf course road; unclear on markings and time estimates; Trail 12 also leads down to exit out of the Orang Asli village with a walk back by road or straight back via Dahlia Villa
Trail 13	Moderate	Start behind Cameronian Holiday Inn for a 1.5 hour walk with a stream that merges with Trail 14
Trail 14	Moderate	A good day hike to experience enclosed, mossy forests on way to Gunung Mentigi (1535 meters) before exiting on the Tanah Rata road; return via local bus; may need a guide and can last up to 4 hours

Cameron Highlands: Jungle Trail Map

Study the Cameron Highlands trail map to find the starting points and exits for the various trails. Not all trails are marked well and it does get confusing at times. Have an alternative plan to exit early or head back the same way in case of bad weather or time constraints.

Cameron Highlands: Wild Species And Wild Photos

All of the Cameron Highlands trails are good for brisk morning walks and great exercise outdoors. Try approaching jungle trekking by taking it slow and easy to enjoy the nice little surprises hidden in the montane rainforest.

On each trail you can find interesting plants and animals or observe rainforest birds or beautiful orchids. Take a pair of binoculars or a camera and linger among the fungi, mossy forest and monkeys to capture a glimpse of these diverse habitats.

Trail	Wild Features & Photography Options
Trail 1	highest peak G. Brinchang; excellent mossy forest; pitcher plants, orchids, fungi; birdwatching
Trail 2	birdwatching; small stream; millipedes; moss, pitcher plants, orchids
Trail 3	vistas of Tanah Rata; monkeys; birdwatching; gingers
Trail 4	steep trail to watchtower with panoramic views; ferns, gingers
Trail 5	secondary forest; stream; snakes, millipedes; bird's nest fern, palms
Trail 6	scenery of G. Jasar; Orang Asli village
Trail 7	secondary forest; rattan, ferns, orchids, palms
Trail 8	Robinson Waterfall; forest scenery
Trail 9	birdwatching; lizards; frogs; squirrels; Robinson Waterfall; fungi, ferns, orchids, gingers, lianas
Trail 10, 11, 12	panoramic views; Orang Asli village; butterflies; flowers, wild pepper
Trail 13	small river; tree ferns; mossy forest
Trail 14	mossy forest; lianas; historical war remnants

"Get Cool In Cameron Highlands"