Things To Do In Cameron Highlands – First Time Visitors, Take Note!
We’ll be frank with you, there are not a whole lot of things to do in Cameron Highlands. This is because many attractions are very similar. Thus, it can get quite repetitive after a while.
These are by far our favorite places to visit! And trust us, we’ve been almost everywhere in the highlands already.
Agro Market
If you can only visit one place but want to see many different things, then we recommend Agro Market.
Not only is parking free (and they always have enough parking), but the entrance fees are affordable considering all the attractions that they have here.
You can see beautiful gardens, a wonderful aviary, and right after the exit of this attraction, we recommend checking out this cool terrarium shop (Amazon Le Petit) and their charming café right beside the shop.
More about what you can see and do at Agro Market.
Green View Gardens
So many places in Cameron Highlands now charge entrance fees but not this place! This is one of the first places you can visit if you’re coming up from Ipoh. They have a sizeable visitor car park and a large souvenir shop with their own products.
You can sit down and relax at multiple areas here. Their garden is not so large, but they do have many photo set ups, a small aviary filled with budgerigars, and farm animals as well. There are also paddle boats for kids although you must pay to use these.
One section of the garden leads to a lovely Japanese styled café. The food here is not bad either (we do like their scones) – the higher pricing justifies the lack of entrance fees here.
See more photos of Green View Gardens.
Tanah Rata Coronation Park
We don’t take free attractions for granted and Tanah Rata Coronation Park qualifies as one of our favorite places to visit. The park is simple but well kept.
It’s very relaxing to walk among the large trees here. There are bridges over multiple streams, a clock tower, and a big playground too. You can also rent scooters or bikes here.
The park is next to a big field with a jogging track that is shared with the school across the field. We have been to this park in the morning, afternoon and evening and there are always people about.
Read more about Tanah Rata Coronation Park.
Cameron Highlands Flora Park
This is the most expensive place you can visit in the highlands. It costs RM50 per person but if you really like taking photos or looking at flowers, it is worth it.
The multiple gardens here are all very well planned and taken care of. There is also a hilltop café to check out and things like a staircase to heaven or tunnel full of golden ginkgo leaves that offers an interesting backdrop for photos.
Because this place is very big and hilly, we don’t recommend coming here if you have elders or wheelchair users with you as they won’t be able to see most of it.
Read more about how you can get to CH Flora Park (you cannot drive directly up to it).
Boh Sungai Palas Tea Plantation
This is our favorite tea plantation (and everyone else’s). They’ve got a nice visitor car park and a big visitor center too.
The two on-site dining venues at this plantation have excellent views of the plantation as well. The newer Terrance Terrace is very beautiful.
When it’s off-peak season, we enjoy the scenic drive into the tea estate too. Did we mention that it’s completely free to visit this tea plantation (and go for the on-site factory tours)?
See more photos of our visit to Boh Sungai Palas Tea Plantation.
Brinchang Night Market
To us, this local night market is much more interesting than Kea Farm Market. It’s almost more comfortable to explore this venue since the cool temperatures have already set in by evening.
You can buy about the same things here as in Kea Farm Market – clothes, live plants, vegetables, strawberries with chocolate, bee products, etc.
But there are more food options at this market. We do advise going for the stalls that make their food on the spot (rather than pre-pack them) to avoid any chance of food poisoning though.
What visiting the Brinchang Night Market is like.
Royal Berry Strawberry Park & Café
If you want to pick your own strawberries, and a have a place to relax (and maybe try some scones) afterwards, then we think Royal Berry Strawberry Park & Café fits the bill.
From a photographer’s perspective, this farm may be more interesting too as they’ve got white boardwalk that runs through part of the farm – it makes for a lovely contrast against all the rows of strawberries here!
See more photos of Royal Berry Strawberry Park & Café.
Cado Café
This is our go-to spot for cake, coffee and scones.
Sure, their garden is not as big or as lovely as the garden at the Barracks Cafe or at The Smokehouse, but we think that the quality of their food is great – much better than at the tea plantations or at Lord’s Café (although the latter is more affordable).
The seating area is spacious and there are a lot of plants around too. The only downside of this place is that their right next to a busy road!
What we have tried at Cado Café.
Jim Thompson Tea Room
Having high tea here is an experience on its own. Their tearoom is extremely elegant and sometimes, there’s a pianist at the grand piano. You won’t have this kind of ambiance elsewhere in the highlands!
The tea set is expensive (~RM200), but the food (and the tea) is good. We think that three people can share this tea set comfortably – it’s a bit too much for just two people to share!
You can walk out from the tearoom to their small but pretty garden too.
Cactus Valley
Some people feel that the entrance fees to Cactus Valley aren’t worth it since cacti are just about all you can see here.
But we think it is worth visiting. For starters, this attraction doesn’t have a lot of people visiting – we like that we have the whole place to ourselves.
There are many different species of cacti to see here. And the central atrium is a lovely sunny spot for photos too!
It’s quite a hike to explore all corners of this place though so we will not suggest it if you have mobility issues.
See more photos from our visit to Cactus Valley.
Coral Hill Hike
Coral Hill is a beautiful forest that you can visit for free. Parts of it look like the mossy forest. There are also a lot of wild pitcher plants at the top of this hill.
But do take caution if you want to visit this place – there is no clear signage or markers for the trail. And the outcrop at the top of the hill and end of the trail is very dangerous – there are no rails, and you could really risk falling down.
Furthermore, take great care not to step on the moss. It takes many years for them to reach that stage of maturity (this is why the mossy forest has a boardwalk for visitors).
Conclusion
There are plenty of other places you can visit in Cameron Highlands, but these are by far, our favorite spots.
We have purposefully avoided animal-oriented attractions (except for the first two) that potentially abuse their animal residents.
Cameron Highlands Itinerary
Don’t know how to make the most of your time in Cameron Highlands? We’ve got different itineraries you can check out!
When To Visit Cameron Highlands
The weather’s not always sunny or cold in the highlands. Plus, it can get really crowded during peak season. So, depending on your expectations and what you’re here for, you might want to read our guide on when best to visit Cameron Highlands!
