We had intended to wake up early for the famous Ipoh dim sum breakfast at Ming Court Hong Kong dim sum but unfortunately they were not opened on the day we visited and even our driver did not understand why they were not opened. So he recommended us to the restaurant just opposite to Ming Court which is equally popular. Foh San Restaurant is just located opposite Ming Court and is a huge double storey restaurant with plenty of seats.
You can choose to order the dim sum from the waitresses or get your dim sum from some of the dim sum station located near the entrance. You can find some of the hot favourites like har giaw and siew mai and bao. They have some very interesting bao with fillings like mushroom and yam. The dim sum is quite nice although you cannot compare it with the likes of actual Hong Kong dim sum restaurants. The make of the dim sum is more rough but with good flavours. It is worth your time to have breakfast here and see how the locals spend their mornings.
Address: 57, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia
Operating hours: 6.00 am to 2.30 pm ( closed on Tuesday)
We had half a day before our drive up to Cameron Highlands so we took a walk along the old streets of Penang and chanced upon this Ho Yan Hor herbal tea museum with free entry. Our initial thoughts was to visit the museum to escape the scorching heat. We were totally taken by surprise with the new things we learnt from the museum. The museum provided old pictures and write ups of the history of herbal tea and how the owner started the business from nothing. Last but not least, you also get to taste the different herbal tea they offer and you can purchase them directly from the museum. The tea is now conveniently packed in vacuum packed sachet.
Address: 1, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia
Operating hours: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm ( closed on Monday)
Further down the street from the Ho Yan Hor Musuem, there is another museum that features old toys and items used from the 1970s. They are not in full operation so they allowed us to go into the museum to take a look without paying. It is pretty interesting to take a trip down memory lane and see some of the items used when we were kids. There are also some pretty good merchandise here like the Ho Yan Hor tea and Penang white coffee. We started driving towards Cameron Highlands around 12.00 pm and it took us about 2 hours. The other way is to take a bus which is a much cheaper option but when you reach Cameron, it will be pretty tough to get around as public transport is limited in Cameron Highlands.
We checked into The Lakehouse Cameron Highlands which is an English styled cottage hotel. The hotel is located on a small hilltop and has fabulous views over the highlands area. It is about 10 mins drive away from the main town area which makes it slightly inconvenient to buy any items but it also means that it is fully serene and quiet for a good rest.
At our time of booking, there was a package deal for the Family suite and comes with a complimentary afternoon high tea. We booked into the family suite and found the room to be extremely spacious. The rooms are connected by a hallway and there is only 1 shared bathroom which is huge and spacious and bright. The rooms are decorated in Tudor style with a lot of wood based furnishings. The family suite is perfect for families as there is a king sized 4 poster bed and 2 twin sized beds and a TV area for you to lounge.
The same Tudor sized design is extended throughout the whole hotel starting from the grand staircase right in the middle of the hotel lobby. The lobby is pretty small but the staff were very helpful and friendly. There are a few lounge and reading rooms for the guests to enjoy their private vacation time. The hotel restaurant has limited seating and is usually full during breakfast times. As we were there during the off-peak season, we did not have to wait for tables at all.
After settling down and taking our rest, we headed out to town for our dinner. We had recommendations from friends to try this steamboat which is very famous. It is presumably a very enjoyable experience when the weather is cold and drinking a hot steamy soup. However, our experience was not fantastic as the weather was warm when we there and I found the steamboat to be quite mediocre. The ingredients were fresh but the cleanliness can be up a notch as we found a worm in one of the vegetables. Tired from the travelling, we ended our day 1 itinerary in Cameron Highlands with an early night.
We woke up pretty late the next day since it we are on vacation. The first activity we did was strawberry picking. There are plenty of strawberry farms in Cameron Highlands and we chose this Raaju’s Hill as it is one of the more popular ones. We suggest visitors to come earlier so that there is more strawberries available for picking. The farm is free for all visitors but if you wish to pluck strawberries, you will have to pay RM 30 for 1 basket and you can get to bring home the strawberries you plucked. If you prefer not to go through the hassle, you can buy the ready packed ones at the counter. There are also fresh blueberries and strawberries jam for sale and they taste pretty good without any preservatives.
Address: Cameron Highland, 39000 Brinchang, Pahang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 7.45 am to 7.15 pm
We visited the Rose centre next to see many different varieties of roses grown at Cameron Highland. The centre is quite huge with different flowers other than roses and it involves quite a lot of climbing to fully see all the areas. There is even an area where they have a fake windmill and statues for visitors to take pictures. Overall, the rose centre is not very well-kept and there are not many visitors at all. Some of the flowers were not so well taken care of and some roses were wilting. The entrance fee was quite cheap at RM 5 for adults and RM 2 for children.
Address: Brinchang, 39000 Brinchang, Pahang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 8.00 am to 6.30 pm ( closed on Saturday)
We visited the lavender garden next and they charged RM 10 per ticket for adult and RM 8 for children. The garden is quite small with only the front area filled with 3 different patches of lavender. The lavender here is mainly the Asian species and does not have much of a scent. But the rows of purple flowers are very pretty in photos and there are plenty of photo opportunity around the lavender field. Other areas also had roses and gerberas and sunflowers and they also have a café serving some special desserts. They served lavender cheesecake and strawberry milkshake which were not fantastic but just very general and it is quite pricey. The tickets to this farm is very pricey compared to the number of things you can see but if you have plenty of time in Cameron Highlands or you simple love flowers, you can still give this place a visit.
Address: Taman Tringkap, 39100 Brinchang, Pahang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm
As we are on a super relaxed itinerary vacation to recuperate from our daily grind, we booked a high tea session at one of the most famous hotel in Cameron Highland. The Jim Thompson Tea Room, Cameron Highlands Resort is voted as one of the best place to have a relaxing high tea session. The ambient is fabulous with a pianist providing background music. The food came in the usual 3 tier setting with scones at the bottom, savoury sandwiches on the 2nd tier and sweet pastry at the top-tier. The serving is quite small and the quality is mediocre for the price of RM 45 per person. The only redemption is the tea which is good and the live pianist atmosphere. This is a great place to relax for a vacation perhaps not for the high tea but for a simple coffee/ tea with a cake.
Address: Cameron Highland, 39000 Brinchang, Pahang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 12.00 pm to 6.00 pm
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