Getting There and Around in Cameron Highlands
Part of the Cameron Highlands travel guide — see every topic in All Cameron Highlands Guides.
The Cameron Highlands is reached by road from the lowlands up one of two mountain routes, and the journey is a real part of the trip: switchbacks, forest, and a temperature drop of fifteen degrees over an hour of climbing. From Kuala Lumpur it is about four hours by bus or car. Once there, a single main road runs the length of the highlands linking Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang and Kampung Raja, and everything is strung along it — which is why weekend traffic is so bad.
Getting there
From Kuala Lumpur, express buses run from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan to Tanah Rata in about four to four and a half hours for 35–50 ringgit. From Penang or Ipoh, three to four hours. From the Perhentians and the east coast, a long day. Two roads climb up: the older, narrower and more winding route from Tapah, and the newer, wider route from Simpang Pulai near Ipoh, which most buses now use and which is considerably easier on the stomach. Motion sickness is a genuine issue on both.
The layout
Four settlements strung along one road over about thirty kilometres. Ringlet at the southern end is the working town, with the reservoir nearby. Tanah Rata is the main visitor centre, with the bus station, most of the accommodation, the restaurants and the trailheads. Brinchang, five kilometres north, is smaller and has the night market and more hotels. Kampung Raja at the northern end is agricultural. The tea estates and farms are on side roads off this spine, several of them steep and narrow.
Getting around
There is a local bus running the main road between the towns for a few ringgit, which is useful for Tanah Rata to Brinchang. Taxis operate on fixed fares and are the main option for the estates and the Mossy Forest, at 30–80 ringgit depending on distance; Grab coverage is limited and unreliable here. Half-day and full-day tours at 60–150 ringgit are the standard way to see the tea estates, Mossy Forest and farms, and are the sensible choice given the roads. Car hire is possible but the side roads are demanding.
The traffic problem
Everything is on one road, and at weekends that road does not work. The Kea Farm market strip above Brinchang generates a stationary queue on Saturday and Sunday that can add an hour to a five-kilometre journey, and the tea estate access roads are single track with limited parking. Go midweek if you possibly can. If you must go at a weekend, start everything at seven in the morning, and be aware that leaving on a Sunday afternoon down the mountain is its own slow experience.
Getting There and Around at a glance
| From Kuala Lumpur | 4–4.5 hours, RM 35–50 by express bus |
|---|---|
| Two roads up | Tapah (older, tighter) and Simpang Pulai (newer, easier) |
| Main town | Tanah Rata — bus station, accommodation, trailheads |
| Getting around | Local bus, fixed-fare taxis RM 30–80, or a tour |
| Tours | RM 60–150 for a half or full day |
| Weekend warning | One road; the Kea Farm strip jams solid |