Brinchang is a small town on a ridge at about 1,400 metres, and it is the cool, damp heart of the Cameron Highlands. Developed by the British in the 1920s as a hill station after William Cameron mapped the plateau in 1885, the area is known for tea, strawberries and vegetables, which grow on terraces that cover the hills in intense green. Mist hangs over the slopes, and the temperature is far lower than on the lowlands, often below twenty degrees, so a light jacket is welcome. The nearby settlement of Tanah Rata, about three kilometres away, has a larger shopping street, and the nearest city is Ipoh, over thirty kilometres away.
The ride up from the lowlands is the high point of the trip. The road climbs from Tapah through rainforest with a steady series of bends, and the air cools gradually. The surface is variable, with some bumpy sections and areas affected by landslides in the rainy season, and trucks, buses and cars share the road. Fog can come in quickly in the afternoon, so take care, and use your lights. Early morning is best, when the road is quiet and the sunlight comes through the trees.
Tea is the signature. The Boh plantation, founded in the 1920s, has a visitor centre with views over the rows of tea bushes, and you can have a cup of tea and a slice of cake. The Mossy Forest, high above Brinchang at Gunung Brinchang, is a cloud forest where trees are covered with moss and ferns, and the ground is spongy. Strawberry farms sell fruit and ice cream, and the Sungai Palas tea estate is a lovely place to walk. Most of the produce is also sold at local markets, where flowers are plentiful.
Brinchang has fuel stations, restaurants and shops, and also a night market on weekends. Steamboat, a hot pot meal, suits the cool evenings, and scones with jam are a nod to the colonial history. Weekends and school holidays bring heavy traffic, so aim for weekdays. The dry season, around February to April, is most reliable, but showers are possible all year. Enjoy the cool air.