Shahrom
Visitor
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Just got back from CH - 2001/05/07 16:51
Hi folks,
I just got back from CH recently and as promised, I’ll give you a brief account of the trip so that those that are about to go may benefit.
Firstly, not realizing that the Friday that I went was actually leading to a long weekend, I could not confirm my earlier reservations and had to hunt for alternative lodging at the very last minute. Finally I managed to get a 3-bedroom unit at Ole’s apartment. For less than half of the 5 star apartments. It was OK, clean, comfortable and fully furnished. No fantastic views though, only parking lot and small garden!
Started out on Friday morning and the traffic was very light after passing the Sg Buloh exit. It took us 2 hours to reach Tapah rest area from home in Klang going at an easy pace. Picked up a Highlands & Hill Resorts map at one of the stalls before continuing. The road going up was as winding as it was before. It took us about 1½ hours to get to Tanah Rata from Tapah, enjoying the sceneries along the way. Got stuck behind some lorries a couple of times. Driving up at night alone or a single car might not be a good idea unless you don’t have a choice.
We got to the apartment by 1:00 pm and organized lunch immediately so that we can start off in the afternoon. First stop was at the Cactus Valley. It was worth the 2 hours we spent there. Besides the wide varieties of cactuses, there were so many plants with flowers in bloom that there were so much vibrant colours everywhere. Simply amazing! Bring extra film.
Next was the vegetable market near Equatorial Hill. There was quite a large choice of flowers, vegetables and fruits available. Time was running out on us for the day. We made a quick dash up the road to see what’s available before turning back to Tanah Rata. It started to drizzle on our way back. Basically what you see on the map is where you want to go. If it’s not highlighted then its not a main feature and it might not be worth stopping by.
By nine the next morning we were out on the road again, first stop was the Aboriginal Village. We drove by slowly looking for a visitors or handicrafts center but could not find any. We made our way out as we felt that we were intruding the people on their morning activities. I felt it was such a shame as I’m sure that they have quite a lot to offer to visitors in terms of handicrafts or cultural heritage to say the least. A good model for them to follow is the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii.
Leaving the disappointment behind, we went to the Rose Center. There was a choice of Rose Center, Rose Valley or Rose Garden. We just picked out one at random. There were so many different types of roses grown here. From the fragrant to the largest and the rarest ones. If you’re the gardening type, you’re going to enjoy this place.
Coming out of the Rose Center we stopped at one of the vegetable farms displaying the sign ‘fresh vegetables for sale’. This was another fun place as you actually get the chance to select what you want and pluck or pick it yourself! Of course the price would be a fraction of what you pay in KL!
After lunch we went to the Butterfly Farm. If you have never had a chance to be close to butterflies this is the place. There are so many of them that some would actually settle on your body. Good for a photo session. If you were to venture into the next area, which is the insects’ section, try to get the caretaker to show you around. You’ll be pleasantly surprised I promise.
We headed towards the Sungai Palas BOH Tea Estate which was the nearest for us from where we were. Locating the slip road was a problem as there was some roadwork going on at the junction and there were no signs. We had to ask around before we got on our way. The drive in was quite a memorable one. The road was very narrow and winding with a lot of blind corners. You’d have to sound your horn to warn others of your approach. It was fun at first but it became serious after we actually came face to face with oncoming traffic. All this was going on beside some very steep slopes dropping to sometimes more than a hundred feet below! Some of the views were breathtaking. Neat rows of tea shrubs lined the slopes making a huge green horizon. By the time we got to the factory it was closing time, about 4:30 pm if I remember correctly. We made the best of it anyway by what else, taking photographs of the beautiful scenery. It was getting late after that and we called it a day.
The next day was or last at CH as we were leaving in the afternoon. The shopping stepped up a few notches as we were souvenir hunting and time was limited. We started with the Strawberry farms and revisited some of the places we went, this time with a mission! I noticed that like all the other farms, they don’t let mother nature run away with the end results anymore. Everywhere conditions are being controlled using modern farming techniques to give better agricultural products.
Final stop was the Wild Orchid Farm before we made our way home. If you were looking for a photo shoot you’d have to be lucky. This is probably one place where they don’t control the environment very much. Only about 5 % of the plants are in bloom. The choice however if you are interested in buying, is bewildering. There were so much of them. Easiest way out is to choose from the photo album, the wall where they have pinned up more photographs of the plants with their flowers in bloom or the ones on display up front. Prices can be quite expensive.
If you are trying to fill up your garden, try buying cuttings of plants instead. You save on space in you car and it’s cheaper. The only setback is that you’d probably be spending so much time watching for the signs of growth in your cuttings mornings and afternoons that you could be neglecting other more important things to do around the house!
It was a touristy kind of trip for us and our activities were also limited by the age of the youngest at 2 and the eldest at 74 years old. A comeback is a sure thing in future. Maybe this time we’ll spend more time and probably try going off the beaten track.
Personally for me CH has changed from what it was before. It has changed for the better in a sense that it has matured in what it can offer to the visitor. There are more facilities and more things to see or do now. Judging by the number of banks, offices and foreign workers, business is blooming, just like the flowers. However there is a concern by a lot of people when they ask you the ever so common question
“ Is it still cold? ” Subconsciously they are asking if CH is still well after all these years. With the amount of development going on, REACH’s concern is well founded. There should be some control over future developments to stop the rampant irreversible destruction of the hills.
I would like to one day have my children and my grandchildren take me up to the hills for the weekend and see that the hills are as cool and green and the water as clear as I had seen them before.
Regards/Shahrom.
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