Getting To Cameron Highlands And The Trip Back To Kuala Lumpur

Our Journey To Cameron Highlands

After attending the two weddings in Raub (the ones that I wrote in previous posts), we headed off to Cameron Highlands. Instead of the usual route, we decided to try our luck using an ungazetted, still constructed strecth of road linking Sungai Koyan in Raub direct to Cameron Highlands via Bertam Valley. Locals, including my father had used this road to get to Cameron Highlands so we knew that is is reachable by car.

From Sungai Koyan, we turned to the intersection going to Pos Betau and it was a smooth journey for about 80km or so.

Then we hit the dirt road (the still under construction part of the road) for about 12km before reaching Bertam Valley. If you look at the photos, the condition of the road wasn't all that bad, but I wouldn't dream of using this road during the rainy season!

Sightings of lori balak (lorries carrying timber - this is Pahang after all) and lori hantu (unregistered lorries plying the construction area) were common but the lorries did gave way to the private cars using the road.We also got to see Orang Asli settlements along the way.

Our journey from the Petronas station in Sungai Koyan to Ringlet was just a little under two hours. The balance of the journey up to Kea Farm where Equatorial Hotel was located took a while because we did make a few stops along the way and also due to some seriously bad traffic jam in Tanah Rata and Brinchang.

Reaching Habu, we made a pit stop because I needed a toilet break but the public toilet was padlocked shut, so we decided to check out the stalls by the roadside there. We got to try some really sweet Jagung Madu (honey corn?) and ate them raw. We bought a rock melon too to eat along the way, and it was really sweet and refreshing.

Our Trip Back To Kuala Lumpur

For our trip back to Kuala Lumpur, we decided to use the Tapah exit and the North-South Expressway. Although this was an uneventful journey, using Tapah to go/return to Cameron Higlands may not be a good idea for those with weak stomach. Those long winding road that seems to go on forever! (Actually, about 40km from Tanah Rata).

The total journey via Tapah to Kuala Lumpur was about 230km and it took us about 3 1/2 hours with RM19.40 toll for using the North-South Expressway. If you were to use the Simpang Pulai exit (a much stomach friendly route, I was told), you'd have to pay RM24.40 for toll.

As a comparison, a total journey from Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands via Raub using the road in Sungai Koyan and Pos Betau was 240km and should take about 4 - 4 1/2 hours for the total journey. And you pay RM8.00 in total for tolls using the Karak Highway. Travelling time should decrease considerably once the road is fully completed.

I can't wait for this road to be completed soon because then, travelling to Cameron Highlands would be a breeze! And it should be a much more comfortable ride because the road was not as winding and dizzying as the Tapah one.