Cameron Makan Place ( sorry non-halal only )

Ringlet - None that is fancy
Habu - There is only a row of shops but the restaurant in the centre serves nice steamed Kam Foong
Nyonya style. Other dishes OK larr.

Tanah Rata - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
On the main road opposite Davy Hotel (closed liao) there are stalls built by the Bandaran on a car
park (adjacent to Bank Pertanian). There is a stall operated by one Indian lady and her daughter.
Nice roti chanai, thosai and rice. Not much variety but if you find food here not up to you taste,
then it is worse at the other restaurants. It's cheap though.
Lunch & Dinner
Perched on top a higher ground adjacent to Maybank, there is a Chinese selling Chicken Rice.
(he sells 'siu chow' as well) it's beside the abandon shopping complex.
Restoran SKG. Steam boat and 'tai chow' and they have ready packaged dinners for 2-3 pax, 3-6
pax, etc.
Indian food, Go to Restoran Chennai
T-Cafe , for scones and tea. entrance beside the building that houses Merry Brown Chicken.
Restoran Sakura in Royal Lily area.
If you miss Starbucks, one just opened here on the main road.
There is a food court inside the building opposite the main shophouses. Inside there is a lone
Chinese operator (hainanese). The menu is extensive and he used to serve the Sultan of Pahang.
Also not visible from the main road.

Brinchang - The happening place of CH nowadays.
For dinner and lunch, patronise Restoran You Hoo and OK Tuck. You Hoo serves ' chap fan' for
lunch. Night time steam boat is also available.
Cheap breakfast, go to the side lane beside Hong Kong Restaurant and Hotel.
Old Taste or ' Lo Chee Ho ' for ducks and roasted meats and also wantan mee. It is opposite
the Cactus Farm.
Supper and dinner, Restoran Seng Kee. Only locals dined here because it's hidden inside a
building. It's in a yellow/beige building on the right hand side of Rosa Pasadena ( if you are look-
ing at the hotel). A motel is on the 1st floor and Seng Kee is inside the building below.
You can find KFC here in Brinchang.
Char Kway Teow at the pasar malam is also OK.

Tringkap - Look for Restoran Tringkap (Beware though, Not Restoran Tringkap 77). Ask for Ah Kow and Mui
Chea. They used to be on the main road but they were planning to shift (landlord dispute). Their
speciality is Fried Kam Foong Fish (chiew pai yee), Steamed kg.chicken and deep fried oyster
mushroom. Off course they serve other dishes as well. Even Singaporeans knows about this
place.

Kuala Terla - Nothing fancy here

Kg.Raja - Ngau Kee, this place is a bit expensive but he has fresh river fishes caught in the wild. Supplied by
orang asli around there. I have tried Temoleh, Patin and Kelah, all wild.

Try this, Call Ah Ling - 05-4915306 , 05-4911328 ( she's a vege vendor in Brinchang and has 2 nicely furnished apts. in Tanah Rata with cooking facilities, astro and 3 rooms.

Alternatively contact Lily Holidays. They have 4 apartments in Royal Lily. Call Chai Hok Kwi/Wong Keat Yeen.
019-5487896, 019-4252253, 013-5255222

Try this last, he is a commission agent and handles about 50 apartments in Tanah Rata area namely , Desa Anthurium, Carnation Park and Royal Lily. I am sure this guy have apartments. His no. is 012-5066070

Jambu crystal is not a product of CH and once it was reported in the papers that it not very healthy to consume because the coloring they used is quite toxic. Try not to consume it !

He has to pay for permission to operate a commercial outlet on agriculture land and he has to pay for his Evo 7 and Hilux too. That's only one son! Not to mention an illegal motel on the premises. as I have recommended earlier on this thread, only You Hoo and OK Tuck can be trusted. Have you notice how precariously his restaurant is sitting on the slope?

Looking for car rental here is scarce! Might as well rent from where you are from, meaning if you are from KL, rent from KL. Saves the bus fare! There are daily tours using mini vans though. They charge by the person, like jungle walks, half day tours to temple, strawberry farm ETC. and even tour to the Lata Iskandar waterfalls. Noy many people rent cars here.As for budget hotels, there is but prepare for dirty ones. Then when you walk in they will put up a high price and you start bargaining with them. I once bargained from RM60 to RM30 but cannot sleep anyway, too dirty!

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Added on December 13, 2009, 5:25 pmFor a family of 4, I suggest you rent an apartment. cleaner and you can cook simple meals yourself ( don't have to be eating outside all the time) Check my earlier replies further up the thread, I did give a few contacts on apartments.
Then again, your date is the peak period, better book before going.

This post has been edited by etigge: Dec 13 2009, 05:25 PM

Peak season is actually quite high. During CNY, they even shoot up to RM600 a day. That is why I don't go for hoildays during peak seasons, you will be fighting for food, traffic is congested and hotels are expensive, There's a cheaper alternative though but the apartment is in Tringkap (near Rose Valley). Call Mr. Lee Chun Choy hp. 012-5514218. He is a DJ in a karaoke joint located in Rosa Passadena. If you are staying here, remember to look for Ah Kow (Restoran tringkap) for his famous 'chiew pai yee' and deep fried oyster mushroom.

Cameron Highlands is the place of opportunity, for the operators actually. They make a killing during the CNY and seasonal holidays. Some stalls (especially those renting from Bandaran) opens only holiday seasons. At times if you walk in during the night especially after 9pm you can really bargain for rooms.

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Added on December 18, 2009, 6:07 pmFor 2 persons, it is not that difficult. I think chances to get a room is good. So many hotels there. There might be cancellations too. Worse comes to worse enjoy yourself there and after 10 pm (town almost dead liao) drive down to Ipoh. Rooms cheaper and nicer also there. Can enjoy dim sum also for breakfast.

This post has been edited by etigge: Dec 18 2009, 06:07 PM

That's the busiest part of Cameron Highlands, market at the front and main road at the back. easy for makan and pasar malam though. The only charcoal steamboat is beside it. Behind it is the place where locals eat 'chap fan' afternoon and 'tai chow' at night. The food is good and the price is quite OK larr. Beside Public Bank side lane, walk towards main road and you see Hong Kong Restaurant at the left and sundry shop at the right. Just beside the sundry shop is 'you Hoo' restaurant. It's the best place for meals in CH.

I have tried all three of them but maybe," one man's meat is another man's poison". Don't really like Nyonya Fern's food. Mayflower is my friend. He's got another pub operating in Royal Lily. Their restaurant shifted just beside Nyonya Fern now. The V restaurant tapow and Mayflower shifted there. The Hainanese cook from Restoran Cameron Highland close down ( now CIMB ) is now the chef in Hong Kong. Good fried beehoon, it is his speciality.

T-cafe in Tanah Rata. Entrance is beside Marybrown in front of Tanah Rata bus station. The cafe is located on the 1st floor. If you can afford, scones in Lakeside Hotel is also good, it's near Habu.

Only steamboat near EQ is the restaurant something 'view' at the junction in Kea Farm or 'get your throat cut' in Watercress Valley.

Check my earlier replies! I noted a few apartments (private ones) clean and cheaper in fact.

Try this, Call Ah Ling - 05-4915306 , 05-4911328 ( she's a vege vendor in Brinchang and has 2 nicely furnished apts. in Tanah Rata with cooking facilities, astro and 3 rooms.

Alternatively contact Lily Holidays. They have 4 apartments in Royal Lily. Call Chai Hok Kwi/Wong Keat Yeen.
019-5487896, 019-4252253, 013-5255222

Try this last, he is a commission agent and handles about 50 apartments in Tanah Rata area namely , Desa Anthurium, Carnation Park and Royal Lily. I am sure this guy have apartments. His no. is 012-5066070

Nope, this one.

Actually there is a highway linking Ringlet in C.Highlands to Gap near Frasers Hill. The trip took less than 80 minutes. Part of the road was not laid yet but accessible with 4WDs. The last time they did the trip was 2 years ago and I still do not know the status of the highway. The broken length was not long as they said. The road near Bertam Valley is ready for the opening. It is a long delayed project and I think it should be ready. A lot of Cameronians are going to become poorer once it is ready because they say trip to Genting HIghlands is just over 2 hours.

Try Michael = 012 5066070. He drives a Kancil with flyers stuck on his windscreen. Also bargain with him.

Most local tourist find CH nice because it is cooler and the coolest months coincides with the monsoon. So the coolest days are about now and will get hotter after March. If you see locals wearing 2 layers of clothings then it is cold. The coldest I have experience is 13 degrees but very seldom. The locals told me during the British eras the temperature can go down to 3 degrees but not any more.
Strawberries are grown whole year round.

"Juz gt bac after 4d3n up there. Stay in Cameronian Inn... n 90% of the guest is Mat-Saleh.
Drive in Sg Palas Boh Tea Plantation in the early morning! Cool and chilling... took some special picture while av1 watching us! Using Simpang Pulai, very nice view and i m feel its shorter compare to snake turning via Tapah."

Actually if you are travelling from KL, it is nearer via the Tapah - Ringlet route. I normally take that route to KL as it cuts almost an hour off from the travelling time, not to mention the cheaper toll charges. If you are from Taiping or Penang then off course it is nearer via the Simpang Pulai road. If you use the Simpang Pulai road you have to travel to Brinchang or Tanah Rata from Kg.Raja which might take another 30 minutes or so.

"Juz found out recently inside Jln Jasar, Tanah rata, there's a shop inside feel with cheese aroma. Best Strawberry Cheese cake i ever try in Cameron! And its only RM4.00. And mores..."

This must be the cake shop in Carnation Park. It is called Richbake. Have you tried hiking up Gunung Jasar. It is the mountain behind Carnation Apartments. The hike takes about 90 minutes. At the last 5 minutes of the trail just before the summit (there's an electrical pylon there) the ground is mossy and damp.

Yes, I agree with your comments. I personally prefer the Tapah route, maybe I am used to driving there. I can make it in 50 minutes from Tapah toll exit to Ringlet. The road is also traffic free at nights, no lorries as the veges lorries starts their journey after 11.00 am after the veges have been collected. Saturday is an off day in Cameron so lorries are even less.As for the Simpang Pulai stretch, you should be careful when descending to Ipoh. The ending stretch nearing the quarry is where the our 'cari makan' guys hangout. The speed limit is only 50kmh(I think) but the stretch is so open and straight and also downhill, so going over 50 is just a breeze. Telcos has already put up repeaters in Simpang Pulai-Cameron road so phone line is available there but they did not do so on the Tapah stretch!

That stretch is really a bore ! Sometimes when you see those 4WDs from Cameron speeding down, it really boils you up. You just cannot resist hitting the accelerator. I mean the road is so open and last stretches with concrete dividers and downhill. Sometimes patrol car hides among the shrubs there and at times the traffic policeman hides atop some of the slopes with their radar guns. 80kmh or 90kmh is OK but 50kmh really kills your patience !

I think for 30 pax. it is better to stay lodgings like Strawberry Park. Seems with that crowd you probably travel with a coach, so travelling will not be much of a proble. It will be better if the organiser travel with a mate in a car independantly as it makes organising easier.

As for bungalows in Puncak Arabella, I have forgotten the contact but you can call the grocery shop, Excel Trading in Tanah Rata. No. 05-4911186 ask for Mr.Chong. They supplies most of the frozen food in CH. You can also buy your beef fillets, chicken wings, breast etc. from him for BBQ. For stuffs like these, better to check with locals. Mr.Chong is a nice man and friendly, maybe you can ask for his suggestion and maybe you can get to rent his bungalow.

You should have gone next door. Locals eat there! Food is also better