Best things to do with Kids in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
While we enjoyed our time in Kuala Lumpur, the vast majority of the trips we made in the city were focused on learning about Malaysian culture and history, with fewer trips taking us into nature. So, when we got the chance to check out the Cameron Highlands, we jumped at the opportunity to get out of the city and see some more nature-focused things to do in Malaysia!
What are the Cameron Highlands?
The Cameron Highlands are a popular tourist location situated a little more than 100 miles to the north of Kuala Lumpur in northern Pahang, and covering an area of roughly 250 square miles (712 km²). All of that area sits between 2600 ft and 5,259 ft above sea level, which is why they are called “highlands.”
That height translates into much cooler weather than in other parts of Malaysia, and makes the Cameron Highlands an excellent location for growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables that need cooler temperatures to thrive, including tea. In fact, many of our kids’ favorite outings in the Cameron Highlands were to check out some of the farming operations in the area. (More on that below.) If you’re looking for some cooler weather, visiting the Cameron Highlands is easily one of the best things to do in Malaysia!
Despite being quite a bit smaller and more rural than Kuala Lumpur or Penang, our family found plenty to do during our visit. And, in fact, we had to prioritize the things that we wanted to see and do, as we didn’t have enough time to see it all!
I’ve divided the different things that you can do in the area into two different sections, depending on if it was something that we had the chance to see or not, and each item includes a brief description and my honest opinion on whether it’s something worth visiting, or if you should skip it.
Family-friendly things to do in the Cameron Highlands – What we did
Despite only spending a few days in the area, I feel like we were able to see and do a wide variety of fun things during our stay. And, while not all of them were my personal cup of tea, I do feel like each of the items on this list were interesting experiences in their own way.
Mossy Forest Walk
One of the nice things about visiting highlands areas is that the temperature drops as the altitude rises. It makes for cool days and almost chilly nights. But the best part is what happens in the forests.
The Mossy Forest is a temperate rainforest, or cloud forest, similar to what you would find in the Monte Verde region of Costa Rica, or in the montane forests of Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s a forested area where the cooler temperatures birth clouds among the trees, and it’s often shrouded in mists during the early mornings.
That constant moisture is the perfect growing condition for moss, and almost every surface ends up covered in colorful mosses and lichens. It honestly looks like something out of a storybook.
The forest walk itself is a series of wooden walkways through the trees, including an observation tower, and various informational signs that have information about the unique plant and animal life that call the Mossy Forest home. It’s not a difficult walk, only taking about an hour to experience, but the beauty of the surrounding forest makes it worth checking out.
Getting there
The easiest way to visit the Mossy Forest would be to book a tour with one of the area’s many tour providers. These tours usually include transportation to the Boh Tea plantation, located at the base of the mountain, a 4×4 transport to take you up the mountain to the forest, and a guide to tell you about the forest.
We personally didn’t want to go with a tour group, as our kids aren’t really fans of needing to stay with the group. After a bit of digging, we booked transportation through a local driver who knew someone with a 4×4 that could take us up the mountain. Doing it that way, we still got transportation in, and we followed up our outing with a visit to the Boh Tea plantation for lunch!
Tea Plantations (Boh Group and Bharat Group)
Although there are plenty of great things to do there, the Cameron Highlands are first and foremost an agricultural area. And the main crop that is grown there, is tea.
Acres of tea trees sprawl across many of the hills in the Cameron Highlands. They are kept cut short, so the harvesters can more easily pick the young leaves that grow from the tops of the plants. And you can see at a glance if specific areas have been recently harvested or not, based upon the green of the plant’s leaves. Young leaves, ready to harvest are a bright, yellow green, while older, tougher leaves develop into a darker green.
There are two different tea groups that grow tea in the Cameron Highlands: the Boh Group and the Bharat Group. Both beautiful grounds that are open to tourists, cafes serving up delicious food and baked goods, and, of course, both have excellent tea.
I’ve heard from a number of people that the Boh Tea Plantation is better that the Bharat group plantation, but after visiting them both, I really think the experiences aren’t too much different. Bharat group’s tea houses are closer to town, and a bit more “touristy”, but that also made it more accessible for our family.
Pick your own Strawberries!
Tea may be the area’s major crop, but there’s no shortage of other cool weather crops around. Another popular crop is strawberries! We’re no strangers to strawberry farms, as we’ve picked our own berries at several of them in the States. But this was the first time that we’ve done so while overseas.
There are tons of different strawberry farms in the Cameron Highlands, and most of them offer a “pick-your-own” experience. We chose to visit the Big Red Strawberry farm for ours. There was a 1-kilo minimum on picking strawberries, which was more than enough for us, but you can pick more than that if that’s not enough.
Take a Jungle Hike to see a Rafflesia
Coming into the Cameron Highlands, we didn’t realize that a Rafflesia hike was even an option! Luckily, we noticed an ad posted near our hotel and started asking around.
For those who don’t know, the rafflesia is one of the largest flowers in the world. It’s huge blooms only last for around a single week before dying, and the plant itself only blooms after between 6-9 months of maturing. Hiking out to see a rafflesia bloom in the wild was easily the most rewarding experience that we had as a family during our stay in the Cameron Highlands.
We technically had to leave the highlands on this trip. We had a driver that took us into the next state over, Kelantan, and brought us to a trailhead leading into the jungle. There, we met with our guide, who was an indigenous Orang Asli man. We followed him about an hour and a half into the jungle, crossing rivers, climbing up hills, and slipping and falling several times. It was incredible!
Even if we hadn’t ended the hike with a rare and beautiful flower, the hike through the jungle would have been worth it for us. For us, this trip easily made our list of the best things to do in Malaysia.
Do note that the availability of this tour depends on whether there are and rafflesia actively blooming in the area or not.
We found our rafflesia hike guide by asking one of our taxi drivers if he knew anyone, but if you prefer to be a bit more prepared than we were, this listing on Klook let's you book a hike online. The price is subject to change with the fluctuation of exchange rates, so follow the link below for more up-to-date details.
Check out the local Night Market! (Friday and Saturday Night)
While the jungle hike was my personal favorite, the Cameron Highlands night market was hands-down my kids favorite thing that we did during our week.
Taking place every Friday and Saturday evening, the night market had a definite county fair feel, complete with large crowds, inexpensive souvenir shopping, and SO MUCH friend food! I filled my stomach before we were half through with what was there, and was sorely disappointed that I didn’t have room for more.
Getting to the market was as easy as walking up to a taxi and asking for a ride, but by the time we were ready to leave, the whole area was one massive traffic jam. We had to walk about a quarter of a mile away from the market before streets were clear enough to get a taxi back home.
Cameron Lavender
The last major thing that we did was to visit Cameron Lavender. During my research online I had seen lots of people saying that it was a beautiful farm area where they grew not just lavender, but tons of other varieties of flowers, too.
The reality is, while there were tons of different flower gardens at Cameron Lavender, it really felt like more of a place where you could go to take pictures for social media, rather than a place to explore. Even so, my kids enjoyed looking at the different sets scattered across the farm, and they loved eating their lavender ice cream.
I personally would not recommend Cameron Lavender as an outing on its own, but as a low-key location to wander around and burn some time, it works well enough.
Things to do in the Cameron Highlands that we didn’t do (but might do if we came back!)
We only stayed in the Cameron Highlands for less than a week (4 nights) before heading onward to Penang, so we really didn’t have as much time as we needed to see and do everything in the area. Here are some of the other things that we heard about, but didn’t quite find the time to squeeze in.
Jungle Trails 10 & 4
Before the Cameron Highlands became a tourist destination, it was commonly used for training exercises by the Malaysian armed forces. These jungle trails are remnants from that time period.
From what I’ve heard, many of the jungle trails are not well-maintained, but most are still serviceable. Trail 10 is one of the most commonly hiked trails, and has connections to other, slightly more difficult trails. Trail 4 was recommended to me because I have smaller kids, and because it is relatively flat compared with the others. Plus, I was told there is a white monkey that lives somewhere along the trail that can sometimes (rarely) be spotted!
Learn how to cook Malaysian food
Cooking lessons are often one of my go-to experiences when I arrive in a new country, but we haven’t carved out any time for it in Malaysia, yet. However, I saw several ads promoting cooking lessons in the Cameron Highlands. If you are looking for an evening filled with fun and lots of flavor, booking a cooking lesson is one sure-fire way to do it.
Bee Farm
I’m a pretty big fan of bees. Not only are they some of the most industrious pollinators out there, but they also make honey. Put those facts together, and raising bees seems like a pretty sweet deal.
My family has loved visiting bee farms in the past, and we’ve visited them in America, Mexico, and even Egypt! I suppose that means we’ve had a bit too much of a good thing, though, since my kids voted to pass on it this time around.
If you do go, it might be worth looking into my Visiting a Bee Farm Field Guide packet for tips on adding some extra education into your trip.
Bees are one of the most important and interesting pollinators on the planet. Help your students learn all about this fascinating creature, whether you choose to take a field trip or not! This packet is designed with homeschoolers in mind, but can work great in the classroom, too!
It includes a Parent’s (Teacher’s) guide for engaging your kids, a beehive coloring and identification activity, a facts and questions sheet to jump-start your students’ curiosity, a jot sheet to encourage students to ask their own questions, and a list of other “free-bees.”
Time Tunnel Museum
Looking to learn more about the history of the Cameron Highlands? The Time Tunnel Museum is the place you need to go! Not only do they have exhibits laying out the entire history of the area, but they also have tons of interesting and unique antiques from Malaysia’s past!
Cameron Highlands Flora Park
This is another place that looks absolutely stunning online, with tons of flowers, beautiful views, and a Hobbit Hole(!) where you can have tea. However, after doing some digging, I would be willing to bet that, similar to Cameron Lavender, it is mostly an area that is beautifully set up for taking pictures more so than a place where you would go for an educational experience.
That’s fine, of course. It looks beautiful for what it is, and if I had had longer in town, I probably would have stopped by. If you decide to check it out, I’d love to hear what your experience was like.
Sam Poh Temple
Visiting the country’s huge array of diverse temples is easily one of the best things to do in Malaysia. That’s because it is chock full of beautiful temples, from the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, to Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang. The Sam Poh Temple is one such beautiful temple, nestled in the hills of the Cameron Highlands. It’s a Buddhist temple, and features Chinese architecture in its design.
As a architectural cultural experience, it’s a bit different from the numerous nature-focused experiences in the area, but it’s definitely worth a look!
ESCAPE Cameron Highlands: Ski Park
Last of all, when we do head back to the Cameron Highlands, we would love to check out the new ESCAPE park scheduled to open in 2024!
ESCAPE has 3 other parks that are already open elsewhere in Malaysia: a water park in Penang, an adventure park in Petaling Jaya, and an outdoors-focused park in Ipoh. Their upcoming offerings in the Cameron Highlands are slated to be a European-themed park with five alpine-style villages and a 1.2 km sky lift, as well as the first ever dry ski run in Malaysia! All you have to do is show up, rent your gear, and hit the slopes!
Of course, you don’t have to wait to get a great skiing experience. There are great ski resorts all around the world ready for you to experience right now. And, no matter where you end up going, your experience will be better if you have your own kit! (Rentals work, but having your own is way better.) Happily, if you find a good ski store online, you can stock up on all the essentials for your whole family before you go!
Important things to note about visiting the Cameron Highlands
Be sure to check out these suggestions to help you make the most of your visit to the Cameron Highlands.
It can get a lot colder here than in other parts of Malaysia
In the evenings and mornings we were happy to have brought jackets and long pants along with us. During the heat of the day, it still got warm enough that we changed into shorts, but don’t expect to get by with just shorts during your stay.
My wife picked up a light jacket from Decathlon while we in KL, and I had my trusty fleece pull-over that I’ve literally been wearing across the globe for the past 5 years plus. It’s not so cold that you’ll need more than that, but you will want something.
That said, the cooler temperatures were a pleasant break from the tropical heat elsewhere in Malaysia, so enjoy!
I literally cannot find the jacket that I own anywhere on the internet. However, when it comes time to replace it, this is the jacket that I'll probably go with.
How long do I need in the Cameron Highlands?
My family only stayed for 4 nights, and I felt like we were able to see a good amount of things, though, definitely not everything. I would probably suggest staying for a week, if you wanted to see a bit more than we did.
Where should I stay in the Cameron Highlands?
There are several different population centers in the Cameron Highlands, but most people who visit decide to stay in the areas surrounding either Tanah Rata or Brinchang. Both areas have a ton of lodgings available, from budget-friendly guesthouses to some seriously fancy stays.
If you’re looking for budget accommodations and a main strip filled with great places to eat, Tanah Rata filled that need spectacularly for my family. Brinchang, on the other hand, is closer to most of the things to do in the area, which cuts down on travel times. Plus it has a fancy looking mall!
How do I get to the Cameron Highlands?
There are not any airports located in the Cameron Highlands, so if you choose to visit, you will need to drive yourself, take the bus, or hire a driver.
As we didn’t want to deal with having a car during our trip, we chose to hire a driver to take us from Kuala Lumpur to the Cameron Highlands. However, the bus terminal in Tanah Rata is located really close to a lot of great lodging spots, so buying a bus ticket would also be a great choice!
Far and away, the Cameron Highlands was one of my family’s favorite things to do in Malaysia!
While the cooler temperatures and sprawling plantations didn’t feel a whole lot like the other places we visited during our time in Malaysia, the cooler temperatures and laid back atmosphere really made it one of the highlights of a trip that was already pretty amazing. Simply put, the Cameron Highlands definitely deserve a spot on your family’s itinerary.
