Getting To Cameron Highlands
The only way to get to Cameron Highlands is by road. Until a few years back, you could only get to Cameron Highlands from the south via Tapah but since the opening of the Simpang Pulai road, travelling to the highlands has become much more easier. You can also get here from the east coast via Gua Musang in Kelantan and there is also a new road being build from Kuala Lipis which should be completed mid 2011.
Self drive
From the South via Tapah (Old Road)
Cameron Highlands is about 300kms from Kuala Lumpur and it takes about 3 hours to get here via the North-South Expressway (NSE). If you are driving from Kuala Lumpur, find your way to the NSE by following the signs to Ipoh. Once you're on the expressway, keep on driving north for about 1.5 hours until you reach Tapah.Take Exit 132 and you will be at the Tapah toll booth. Once you have paid the toll, turn left at the traffic lights and from here onwards you will be on the long winding road to Cameron Highlands which is about 60 km's away.
If you're driving from the north just take Exit 132 at Tapah and follow the same direction. It takes an average of 1.5 hours to reach Tanah Rata from Tapah. Please note that there is no petrol station this point forward until you reach Ringlet so if you need to fill up, you'll have to head to Tapah town.
Driving Tips :
- The toll rate from Kuala Lumpur (Jalan Duta Toll) to Tapah is RM19.40. The last rest area along the expresswy is the Tapah Rest Area which is about 3 km from Exit 132
- The road from Tapah to Cameron Highlands is narrow and has a lot of sharp bends. If you have passengers who get motion sickness, its time to get those plastic bags out (just in case)
- There will be lots of heavy vehicles going up and down this road so be careful especially when you are overtaking. Most local heavy vehicles will give you the signal to overtake when its safe so be patient. Its also common courtesy to let the vehicle behind you overtake you if you're driving slower that vehicle.
- Road works ongoing along the Tapah-Ringlet strecth and uneven patches at certain sport. Overall...the road condition is still good.
- Watch out for fallen rocks and trees along the road
- There are a few spots along this road where you can get Maxis and Celcom signals. Watch out for the signs indicating these areas.
From the north via Simpang Pulai / Ipoh
Now that the road from Simpang Pulai is open, more people are using this route to get to the highlands. The road condition is much better here than the Tapah route and it only takes about 45 minutes to get to Kampung Raja from Simpang Pulai.
Take Exit 137 (Simpang Pulai) and turn right at the traffic light right after the toll booth. Turn right again at the next traffic light about 200 metres away. You are now on the way to Cameron Highlands.
After about 1 hour, you will reach the Kampung Raja junction where you will have to turn right from the new road into Kampung Raja town. You're now in Cameron Highlands and you can just follow the main road to your destination. Brinchang & Tanah Rata is about 25-30kms from here.
Driving Tips :
- If you are driving from the south, this route would be longer if your destination is Tanah Rata or Brinchang.
- Driving up this road is a pleasant experience as it gives you some great views of mountains.
- Since the roads are less winding, people tend to speed here but watch out for the sharp bends at some stretches.
- There is limited mobile coverage along this road.
For more information on the NSE (North-South Expressway) please visit http://www.plus.com.my/
