This is about my recent trip to Cameron Highlands, which was 9 years since I last went with sis and family. Read about that last trip here.
A shot of my itinerary where much of it revolves around food, of course. It is always important to also note when a particular eating outlet closes as well to avoid any disappointment amidst a rumbling tummy. Alternative eating places are in hand too for cases where a traveling buddy gets too emo due to unexpectedly long queues.
So, what's the deal with Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah, Perak?
I've read about this haunted Scottish mansion and finally got to see it myself. Nope, no haunted sightings for me (even the ghosts would be insane to come out under the hot blazing sun), though I don't mind a little history lesson on Kellie's Castle. The story goes that some Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith and wife had started building this castle back in 1915 but unfortunately it was left unfinished due to his death from pneumonia. So what's left today is an abandoned castle filled with mysterious hidden rooms and a secret tunnel.
What lies beneath the basement was a pretty cooling wine cellar with an eerie feeling.
All other parts of the castle (all empty of course!) has a little short description
As the castle was left unfinished back then, there weren't many places to wander around outside. Except for those bougainvillea bushes, the rest of the ruins were the original structures.
Going back out to the grounds of the castle.
On the roof top where it was much more airy, nevermind that the sun was still scorching hot.
Moving back down into the castle
We ordered their most famous meat variety and signature acar.
Due to my last-minute accommodation booking, there weren't many choices for me and so I settled for Zenith Hotel located in Tanah Rata. The location was fine as food was easy to find and we didn't need to drive all the way up to Brinchang (where all the happening places in Cameron are!)
Our room was super spacious
The hotel is quite a new one hence everything here looks spick and span.
With the hotel in the background, there is a night market just a stone's throw away, ie a 5-minute walk downhill from the hotel. Walking back to the hotel is a free cardio work-out for everyone.
One of the many steamboat restaurants found in Cameron. Why the name 'apple' beats me.
I wanted to try out this halal place as it has both steamboat and grill, ala buffet style.
Huge place and almost packed to the brim, we were very quickly ushered to our table. Apart from bringing us our steamboat pot and grill pan, everything else is self-service, including the cutlery and utensils.
Vegetable bar has lots of selection.
Zenith's buffet breakfast occupies a huge space.
What seems like a huge spread of breakfast goodies!
Guaranteed ample sitting spaces.
The spread.
Very promising. At first.
Sad-looking bowl of yogurt.
The many trays of food seen earlier turned out to be rather disappointing as they were either empty (food not replenished fast enough!) or its contents were not what I would expect from a 5-star hotel. Or did i get the number of stars wrong?
..before this lil fella was brought out.
No one bothered clearing our empty plates and bowls.
I do hope the hotel would buck up on their breakfast spread and services. I do think it is very crucial to impress the guests with a good wholesome breakfast experience before they start off their hectic schedule for the day.
Check out their meat and seafood soaking in marinade of sorts. Take as much as one can consume as waste not want not.
My favorites that night were their large fresh prawns and bamboo clams (check out their size!). Overall it is quite the value for money (unless one decides to eat only chicken!)
Wishing the hotel staff would be more diligent in cleaning up the mess
 |
| Potato, Sweet Potato and Tomato occupying one tray each...Bananas being served? |
 |
| Could have been more creative in presentation of their mushroom pie |
 |
| Seriously, Japanese toufu in oyster sauce? |
 |
| What they claimed as 'Oden' was perhaps the most unappetizing-looking dish |
 |
| Indeed this was definitely 'For Display Only' as it was left empty for the longest time |
..before this lil fella was brought out.
Nevertheless, back to the highlight of my Cameron holiday - Flora Park located pretty high up in Brinchang. Nope you can't drive yourself to this floral heaven however your admission fee covers a short, bumpy and steep ride up...and down.
Frankly, if one has not been here before, it's best to not read on further (seriously, it's like spoilers sucking the fun out of this place!). It's advisable to be totally clueless and get bestoked with all the 'oohs and aahs' as you explore this floral paradise.
Here's what to expect from this upscale stunning flower park, which has an indoor and outdoor area.
 |
| Indoor section is closest to its entrance |
Flowers were literally in full bloom EVERYWHERE you turn.
Interestingly, there are also few wooden patios built for small families or couples to enjoy their outdoor picnic.
I only wished the picnic area weren't so open to have passers-by gawking at picnickers eating their pastries and sipping tea.
Going through the myriad of flower fields again.
Finally out in the open-air section,
I was amazed at the architectural design of the flower walls that accompanied us all along our climb.
A swing made for photo taking mid way up. Expect a queue for this.
Once you've reached the top, seeing this little achievement board will definitely put a smile on your face.
A mini cactus garden.
A couple of cafes at the peak boast some light meals and snacks for visitors looking for a place to chillax while enjoying the cool breeze.
This is as high as it gets.
Found some empty stools ourselves...
...to enjoy Cameron's famous Puku Ice cream.
Nice creamy strawberry ice cream stick.
Coming back down to the indoor area, enjoying hot steaming fat corn kernels. Really good, i must say.
Just some of the colorful array of flowers found at the park.
Speaking of moving creatures, I also popped into The Sheep Sanctuary to reminisce the 'sheepy' days during my NZ hols years back.
It is home to some Australia-imported sheep who are free to roam the sheep pen and mini pasture.
A couple of bucks got us some boxes of feed for the fluffy creatures.
Mark was busiest with the feed.
Cute lil fella with a neat trim.
A stone's throw away from the sanctuary is another kind of sanctuary, for home-grown strawberries.
We were met with a flight of long curvy brick-lined stairway leading up to more surprises. There's definitely a European countryside feel to it but the steps (sometimes uneven and steep) could be quite daunting for the faint of heart so it's advisable to take it slow and easy.
From the map, it seems that there's more to come!
At the time of our visit, entrance fees was RM 50 for adults (ie 12 yo and above). Can't recall paying for the kids though. 😏 For my first time visit, it was totally worth it. One would probably spend about 2 hours here (lesser for someone who is the 'see one flower, see all flowers' type). I'm guessing the admission fees are not cheap due to the high maintenance of this place plus returning customers' business is not something they could rely on. Unlike the zoo, a flower park is pretty much stagnant without moving active creatures.
At least they looked healthy and white!
Another recommended steamboat place in Cameron is Jin Steamboat.
Ending our Cameron Highlands hols on a high note, i end this post with Darren's impersonation of a tea-sipping uncle. 😁
 |
| Cameron Valley Tea plantation |
.jpg)
