Gunung Brinchang, Pahang

Gunung Brinchang is the second highest mountain in the Cameron Highlands of Pahang state. Standing at 2031 metres above sea level, it is only beaten by Gunung Irau in height. Overall Gunung Brinchang is the 29th highest mountain in Malaysia but it is the highest mountain that you can actually drive on tarmac road to the peak.

The road to Gunung Brinchang actually starts from Kea Farm. From Kea Farm, take the road towards the Sungai Palas Boh Tea Plantation. Drive about 2km on the narrow winding road until you come to a fork in the road where the entrance to the tea plantation is . Instead of going straight on to the plantation, take the left turn instead. After a short distance, you will come across another fork in the road. Take the left turn again and you will soon be climbing up the mountain through picturesque tea plantation land.

The scenery can get spectacularly beautiful as you wend through the tea estate, that you will want to stop and take photographs of the landscape. Choose your spot wisely, as the road is narrow and lay-bys are critical for opposing vehicles to be able to pass each other.

Can you not resist parking and taking a photo?

Spectacular view of the Sungai Palas tea plantation.

Abundance of tea.

Now some of you may wondering whether you can actually drive up the mountain in your own car. While the local farmers and tour agents will zip up the mountain in their pickup trucks and jeeps; I've seen people driving up in their peroduas and proton sedan cars.

However, there is no denying that the road is very steep. And as the road is very narrow, with many blind corners, there is a certain driving skill set you need to go up the mountain. Certainly it is not a road for a learner driver to attempt! 

The condition of the road varies from good to very potholed and muddy. At the beginning of the climb you will pass through the plantation, then basically some vegetable farms before winding through verdant rainforest. The road runs about 7km uphill before reaching the ridge on top.

At the start of the ridge you will see a clearing for parking your car and a concrete roofed structure. This is the start of the hiking trail to the Mossy Forest and Gunung Irau.

The sign says it all.

The trail head begins next to the sign. A timber boardwalk leads up into the misty rainforest.

A timber boardwalk marks the start of the trail.

The boardwalk goes through the rainforest following the border of Pahang and Perak states.

The border.

If you go early in the morning, the crisp cool mountain air and the absence of tourists make this a surreal place to be especially in a tropical country. 

The trees are covered in moss, hence the name "Mossy Forest".

Eventually you will come to a small pavillion at the marker point of 2000 metres above sea level, where you are afforded a view out of the rainforest.

Thats how high you are.

If you are lucky, at this point the mist will clear and afford you a view of the countryside.

The boardwalk carries on until you eventually come to another pavillion where the trail goes downhill and splits into two. Don't worry over which trail you take as it is actually a loop, so if you go down one way, you will come back the other way.

The trail on the right downwards is blocked by a fallen tree. Just go under it.

Moss grows everywhere, even on the branches of trees.

Morning dew on the moss covered branches.

Eventually you will reach the final pavillion at the end of the timber boardwalk. This marks the endpoint of the walk for the leisurely tourist.

The last pavillion.

After the pavillion, the timber boardwalk changes into a muddy footpath heading off into the distance. For the adventurous and the nature hiker, this marks the start of the walk to the neighbouring mountain of Gunung Irau. At 2110 metres in height, Gunung Irau is the tallest mountain in the Cameron Highlands and the ninth tallest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia.

The end of the timber boardwalk and the start of the muddy trail to Irau.

By other accounts, the hike to Gunung Irau from here would take about 3 hours or so, a distance of about 2.3 kilometres. The trails is perpetually damp, moist and muddy due to the climate, so anybody attempting the hike should have proper footwear. Unfortunately for us, this was just a recce trip, so we had to turn back here and go back up the other loop of the timber boardwalk.

Going back upwards under the roots of trees.

Even from this short snippet of the Mossy Forest, the tranquil calm and beauty of the moss-covered montane trees is like something from out of this world for people living in a tropical country. As others have said, for you Lord of the Rings fans, it looks like a part of Mirkwood or Fangorn forest.

The only thing that spoils the effect, is the usual Malaysian problem of rubbish. Come on guys, surely if you can bring stuff in, you can bring your rubbish back out, no?

Making your way back to the carpark, you can drive further up along the tarmac road until you come to the end of the road at the peak of Gunung Brinchang where the sight of telecommunication towers greet you.

There is an observation tower here where you can climb to view the surrounding countryside. Some say on a clear day, you can see as far as Ipoh, but everytime we have been here all we have seen is .... mist.

Telecommunication towers.

Clinbing up the observation tower.

Not afraid of heights, right?

View from the top.

A trip to Cameron Highlands for me would be incomplete without experiencing the natural side of the highlands away from the unsightly and overdeveloped scruffy towns and industrial shacks of the vegetable farms. A trip up Gunung Brinchang is well worth the effort it takes to get there!

Kedai Kopi Yung Siong, Sabah

The small town of Tuaran lies 34km to the north of Sabah's state capital Kota Kinabalu. The main population consists of ethnic Dusun of the Lotud clan, with Bajau and chinese of Hakka descent making up the remainder.

Tuaran is hemmed in on three sides by a loop in the Tuaran river. On Sunday mornings, a Tamu, or open air farmers market takes place in town, with various produce on display on the streets beside the Tuaran river.

Tuaran's other item of interest is a nine-storey chinese pagoda, which is about the only prominent landmark in the town.

The name "Tuaran" itself is believed to be a corruption of the word "Tawaran", which basically means "to bargain". This alludes to the areas importance as a market place for trade and barter since before the British took control of the area in the 19th century; and still continues until today with the weekly Tamu. "Tawar" also means freshwater, which could also be a source of the name "Tuaran".

Tuaran's other claim to fame is a noodle dish called "Tuaran Mee" which is essentially handmade egg noodles which is fried and served with egg roll slices and roast meat.

However whenever I'm in Tuaran, its not the Tuaran Mee that I go looking for, but the Soto Tuaran. Soto is of course a traditional soup or broth of indonesian origin comprising of meat and vegetables. There are many variations throughout the region; while the version in Peninsular Malaysia is usually compressed rice cakes ("nasi impit") in yellow chicken broth with chicken strips, bean sprouts and fried mashed potato meat cakes ("bergedil"); the Sabah version is usually rice vermicelli with chicken, beef and other mystery cuts of meat with cucumber strips, sliced hard-boiled egg and coriander in beef broth.

The best Soto in Tuaran, and possibly the whole of Sabah is at this chinese coffee shop ("kedai kopi") called Yung Siong. Finding it is easy, just look for the old clock tower which marks the centre of the small town of Tuaran.

The Kedai Kopi is the corner lot of the row of shop houses and faces directly onto the clock tower.

In true Sabahan muhibbah (unity) style, the owner of the shop is chinese and serves the drinks, whereas the muslim lady of indonesian origin sells the food from the stall in the front of the coffee shop.

The menu consists of only three main items, Soto with various versions of mystery meats, Sup Tulang ("Bone soup") and Rujak.

Rujak is basically blanched yellow egg noodles with slices of cucumber, turnip and egg drenched in peanut sauce. It comes with a small bowl of yummy Sup Tulang. At Yung Siong you can choose to have the Rujak with beef slices ("Rujak Daging"), chicken slices ("Rujak Ayam") or both beef and chicken together ("Rujak Campur").

As yummy as the Rujak is, the undoubted star of the show is the Soto Tuaran. Be sure to squeeze the lime slices into the broth for the best flavour.

You can chose to have the Soto with chicken, beef or mixed; just like the Rujak. Or if you are adventurous go for the Soto Urat (tendon), Soto Perut (tripe) or Soto Usus (intestine).

If you want to try the Soto here, go early in the morning or at noon. By afternoon, it will be sold out, such is the popularity of this restaurant.