Cameron Highlands
Sunrise at Gunung Brinchang
A 4:30 a.m. alarm, a mossy forest and a flask of kopi that was still too hot to drink at the summit.
The Cameron Highlands are at their best before anyone else is awake. We left Tanah Rata at 4:45 a.m. with headlamps, two Trail Bottles of hot kopi and a plan to be above the cloud line by sunrise.
The road climbs past the tea estates, then the mossy forest closes in: everything is wet, green and quiet, and the temperature drops to around 14 degrees. It is the only time in Malaysia we have wanted gloves.
At the top, the kopi was still too hot to drink. We stood there blowing on it while the valley filled with light.
What we carried
One Trail 750 ml each, filled with kopi at 4:30 a.m., a Kopi Cup to share, and a Carry Sling so our hands were free on the slippery boardwalk. Everything else fitted in a small daypack.
In this story
If you go
Go on a weekday, check the weather the night before and start early: by 8 a.m. the cloud often rolls back in. Our Tanah Rata store opens at 7 a.m. on weekends and refills hot water for free.
