Planning a visit to anywhere is not easy especially if you are going to a different location as compared to your usual city and towns. Cameron Highlands is naturally in the mountains which means you need to do some groundwork before coming.
Perfect time of the year to come
If Cameron Highlands is in your bucket list, then you will know that it is one of the top tourist destinations not only in Malaysia but in the region as well.
This means that you have to contend with peak seasons. If possible, you should visit Cameron Highlands during the low-peak season. Peak seasons here refer to times of the year when there is a large crowd of people and visitors. As a rule of thumb, this is during the:
- School holidays
- Big occasions like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Christmas
- Long weekends – When a public holiday falls on a Friday or Monday
This is very crucial because being here during the peak season means that you might be shortchanged because of the crowd and traffic congestion. You want to be able to enjoy the scenes and take your own sweet time in appreciating the best of nature.
One of the biggest highlights in Cameron Highlands is the Brinchang Night Market (Pasar Malam) which comes out on weekend nights (Fridays and Saturdays). So, you would want to be here during the weekend but if you are caught during the peak season, it would be overly crowded.
Rainfall and weather – Be cautious in the year-end
The weather here is extremely cooling. In fact, with the temperature between 14 and 28 degrees Celsius, you can be assured of a sweet time when holidaying here at any time of the year. However, you must be cautious of the year-end raining season. This comes about from November to February.
In fact, there have been reports of landslides on the roads leading up to Cameron Highlands during the season. Hence, be careful if you drive here around those months.
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- It would be perfect to come here between February and April as it is the dry season
- May is the warmest month of the year here while January records the coldest
- July is the driest while October is the wettest
Traveling here – Self-Drive or other modes
If you are going to drive here on your own, you need to be extra careful. Even the local Malaysians practice caution when they drive up to Cameron Highlands because of the long and winding roads. You need to be vigilant and be very alert or it could be quite risky. Always check your tire pressure and use low-gear when driving up.
There are 2 ways up to the highlands where the Tapah road would be most common.
This would also mean that a lot of buses and lorries use the road as well. If you come from the north, use the Simpang Pulai stretch which is newer and nicer to drive. Try at your best to come here during the day and not at night.
Clothing and Apparel – Get it right!
There are no two ways about this. Cameron Highlands can be very chilly at night. Bring jackets and sweaters. However, it can be quite warm during the daytime which means that your jackets might not work.
Light clothing is good but do not over-expose or wear clothing that reveals too much as it might not resonate too well with some of the locals, especially if you are spending a night at a homestay (in a local family home).