Tanah Rata
The administrative and tourist center of the Cameron Highlands, where Tudor-style buildings, cafés, restaurants and the bus station are concentrated along one main street.
Tanah Rata, meaning 'flat land' in Malay, is the main town of the Cameron Highlands, at an elevation of about 1,440 meters. Long-distance bus stations, hotels, backpacker hostels, banks, travel agencies and restaurants cluster along a main street about 500 meters long, making it the most convenient base for exploring the highlands. The town keeps its colonial-era Tudor-style buildings and green spaces, and many restaurants serve steamboat (hot pot with clear broth and local vegetables), Indian pancakes, English afternoon tea and scones. The cool evenings are good for a stroll. Around the town are several numbered forest trails (jungle trails), including routes to Robinson Falls, Gunung Brinchang and Trail 9 (to the BOH Tea Plantation). Some trails are remote, and there have been incidents of hikers getting lost, so always hike with a companion, let your accommodation know your plans, and hire a guide for some sections. Between Tanah Rata and Brinchang is the Smokehouse Hotel, an old Tudor-style hotel that opened in 1937, where you can enjoy English afternoon tea. Getting there: direct buses run to Tanah Rata bus station from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Parit Falls
- MARDI Agrotechnology Park
- Robinson Falls
- Ye Olde Smokehouse
- Brinchang Night Market
- Gunung Jasar
- Sam Poh Temple
- Brinchang