Little-Wonder.Net - Personal domain and blog of Brenda Tan

I will definitely return to Cameron Highlands for the third time if I do get the chance.

There is a certain quiet serenity of that place that could put one’s mind at ease. The air is fresh. Very fresh, considering the sheer amount of greenery around. The views are breathtaking, and locals at Cameron Highlands are (mostly) friendly and approachable.

The epitome of the perfect holiday destination. Especially for nature lovers like me.

The coach ride up there nearly spoiled the whole trip, though.

The coach ride
We were assigned a coach that was in terrible shape. The suspensions were kaput - and so, I had to put up with annoying, squeaky noises that made my hair stood when travelling through bumpy roads.

The window next to me was leaking. Considering how there was a heavy downpour throughout most of the journey, I wasn’t spared.

Lastly, I had to put up with a particular bus driver who treated my group like dirt. Seeing how I was travelling with three other friends of similar ages, he probably dismissed us as a group of mere youngsters who wasn’t worth his time.

I guess we were just unlucky this time round. My previous experience on a coach hadn’t even been half bad.

Needless to say, I was in a pretty bad mood once the coach ride was over. However, it all changed once I took a deep breath of the fresh Cameronian air.

Aaaahhhhhhhhhh.

Even as I am typing this, I miss the place already.

Bala’s Holiday Chalet
Our accomodation in Cameron Highlands. Self-booked online because it had the cheapest rates among most of the hotels.

It was known to have a olden-day colonial style architecture, and so, we looked forward to a different experience. We certainly weren’t disappointed when we saw the place for ourselves.

The resort was stunningly beautiful. Flowers lined the cottages, rooms and what-have-yous. There were gardens in every direction we walked. The entire place was indeed colonial-style as initially promised, making it seem as though we had travelled back in time.

The quiet chirping of the various varieties of birds around added the finishing touch.

The exterior of the hotel was a lovely sight to behold, but not the interior.

The interior of the hotel was pretty much normal - mostly like the furnishing of a typical apartment in Singapore. The only exception was the coffee house that was completely constructed in wood. Pretty red lamps dangled from overhead, with a fireplace in one corner.

The hotel rooms themselves were the worst.

The room was dusty. The doors couldn’t lock properly. The walls weren’t soundproof. There wasn’t any thermostat control nor heater - which was critical considering how cold Cameron Highlands was. The beds creaked. The towels provided were stained.

And ooooh, have I mentioned the bathroom?

Cobwebs lined the ceiling. The floor was sticky, and the sink was tiny. The icing on the cake was a clogged hot water pipe which couldn’t dispense hot water properly. One minute, you are having a nice warm shower as a reprieve from the cold mountain air outside. The next minute, all the hot water disappears, and you find yourself suddenly doused with icy cold water.

And the following minute, you are screaming in agony, cursing, swearing, and knocking the shower head against the wall repeatedly in frustration.

However, I got used to all the downsides of the accomodation and the place turned into one that was (mostly) liveable.

I especially love how there is a fireplace in almost every room. We made fondue with strawberries almost every night there.

Sightseeing
Since it wasn’t my first time there, most of the sights weren’t new to me. Although I must say that I still enjoyed the sightseeing experience despite all that.

Ever since I returned from my first trip to Cameron Highlands in June earlier this year, I yearned to go back there again because I just could not get enough of the peace and quiet, plus the breathtaking scenery that the place offered.

Photographs wouldn’t suffice. I just wanted to be there in person.

My wish was fulfilled.

Back to the tea plantations, tea factories, forests, strawberry farms and flower gardens I went. Click, click, click, went my camera.

I oohed, I aaahed.

Breathe the air. Just breathe, breathe, breathe.

It was yet another experience of a lifetime.

Companionship
The most important aspect of any vacation, I daresay. No point taking a trip overseas alone, aye? It is the people around you who make you smile, or tickle you pink. My group of friends did just that.

Their witty remarks, their sarcastic humour and various puns have been embedded in my mind for a long time to come, and will never fail to make me cackle each time I recall them.

There was one particular night where I laughed till I peed in my pants - literally.

Our personalities seemed to be so astoundingly loud that as a group, we caught the attention of almost every person we encountered during our tour.

By now, I guess that almost every staff member of Titiwangsa Tours and Travel would have known us as the group of four girls who would turn hysterical at everything they see, or squeal in fright each time the vehicle makes a sharp turn while other members of the tour group would remain silent.

On the whole, I’ve had a jolly good time.

My Illness
Having been down with a new onset of allergy reactions a few days before leaving for Cameron, the cold air and the sheer altitude of the place seemed to have triggered it off further. Asthmatic cough attacks are getting more frequent again, and my medicine dosage has been upped once more.

Just when I thought I was able to shake those pills off once and for all. - Le sigh.

After having a talk about allergies with the group of friends I travelled with, I have more or less come to terms with the fact that I could be one of the very few people existing with allergies amounting to a total of nine - something which I would have to live with for the rest of my life.

The queerest issue of all was how the violent asthmatic coughs could surface again despite me taking my medication religiously every single night - with the purpose of preventing such reactions from happening.

I can’t believe I got an allergic reaction from Cameron Highlands’ air.

And everything went wrong nearing the end
The journey back to Singapore was the most unbearable of all. Nearly threw up while the coach was maneovering the winding roads of Cameron Highlands on the way back to ground level. Plus, yours truly struggled to hold back another attack of asthmatic cough while on the coach.

What made it all worse was the fact that my music player’s hard drive had crashed on me the night before and thus, I was stuck having to face a ten-hour coach ride - with no music.

Argh.

Meanwhile, I guess it is yet another trip that will remain in my memory. I hereby declare the holiday season over for me, and school re-commences in about four more days.

Say hello to days and days of stress and long work hours once again.