The Lord's Cafe, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands (Second Visit)

I once wrote about The Lord's Cafe back in 2014 if you're interested to read it :)

The Lord's Cafe has always been a "Cameron Highland's" staple to me.  It has been around for years and I've never failed to visit it whenever I'm at Cameron Highland. I recently visited Cameron Highlands, and dropped by The Lord's Cafe again, after about four years since my last visit!

The Lord's Cafe is located above Marybrown in the "main streets" of Tanah Rata. There's a large parking space located right opposite the row shops here so you needn't worry about parking unless you're here on an extremely busy weekend!

The interior didn't change much since my last visit four years ago :) Rattan chairs, rattan trinkets, travelers books that have changed hand multiple times sitting on the book rack. This cafe is often quiet and peaceful - with the occasional burst of laughter from the other tables and the roaring of engines from the main road.

This is my favourite spot, even after all those years. :)

The Lord's Cafe is a self-service cafe - you have to take the menu and a piece of paper + pen/pencil to your seat to write down the order, and pay for + collect your order at the counter yourself.

I was surprised that the price didn't change much compared to four years ago! Prices were pretty affordable as you can see on the menu :) 

Cream Scone RM2.80 & Passionfruit Tea RM3.00

Banana Chocolate Cake RM3.20 & Chicken Pie RM4.20

The selling point of this place is definitely its pricepoint - it is hard to find a cafe with food and drinks priced below RM5 nowadays. The food to me tasted homey - it isn't mind-blowingly great, but I like it - I loved the simplicity of the food. I loved the homey environment. 

The Lord's Cafe is definitely a lovely place for you to unwind and relax while having some scones and tea :) Do note that they are closed on Sundays so do plan your visit!

The Lord's Cafe

No.4, 1st Floor, Main Road,

39000 Tanah Rata,

Cameron Highland, Pahang.

Contact Number: 019-572 2883

Opening Hours:

Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm (Closed on Sundays)

Casa Loma, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands

Starting this post with a typical Insta-girl shot. Let me be :p

When I posted this photo on Instagram, I received a lot of interest regarding the location of this spot. This is the balcony of our room at Casa Loma, a lovely hotel/chalet located at Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands. 

Here's a short clip depicting the scenery/atmosphere at the balcony :) Listen to the peaceful rustling sound of the leaves, accompanied by birds chirping. You can see some birdies flying around and squirriels climbing around the trees too! 

Now I (think I) know what you're thinking - a place like this must be exorbitant, no? This may be subjective, but I find the rates to be pretty reasonable for the location (Tanah Rata) and experience - we paid RM200 (including taxes) for a night stay at the King room on a regular weekend, which amounts to RM100 per pax for a night. I thought it was okay for a hotel room in Tanah Rata with this kind of view!

If you know me well, you'd know that I always opt to just stay in an affordable guest house priced RM50< per pax when I travel. There are guest house priced below RM50, but I thought I'd just treat myself for this once, and I'm really glad I did. It was a really busy weekend at Cameron Highlands during my visit and it was lovely to have somewhere to escape the traffic and immerse in tranquility :)

I booked my room through booking.com. You may also book directly to them through their website. I booked through booking.com because the rates offered on booking.com were lower!

Casa Loma is located on top of a small hill at Tanah Rata, away from the busy main street, but not too far (it's about 10-15 minutes walk to the main street). From the parking lot, you'll walk on a short pavement with flowers on both sides that leads you to the reception.

The plants were well taken care of - I took a video because I figured it'd be easier to capture the beauty of that place through a video!

 View of the garden from the reception. It was a feast to my eyes, and it was quiet, peaceful and tranquil :) You could hear the bird chirping.

According to its Facebook page, there are only nine rooms on its premises.

The facade of our room - this building has four rooms - two on the ground floor and two on the first floor. We stayed at the room at the end on the ground floor.

I just realised that I did not take an overall photo of the room - but it felt as though we were in the forest, with the windows overlooking the trees outside :)

 View from the bed

Another highlight of this place - the shower which overlooks the greenery outside :p

The shower overlooks the trees outside. Some of my friends expressed concerns about peeping toms lurking around, but there's actually a curtain you can pull over to obstruct the view. Water pressure was amazing, I have to say. Strong water flow and consistent flow of hot water!

The balcony, in my opinion, is the highlight of this place. Behind the trees is actually the main road of Tanah Rata. We could hear cars whizzing past occasionally, but it was still really tranquil. 

We spent most of our time on the balcony - having tea, drinking, having dinner, and so on. There is no restaurant on the premise so we take away some food around the vicinity just so we can enjoy the balcony :) 

at night

There are a few things which I hoped could be improved though - we could hear the footsteps from the first floor, and the pillow was kinda soft. There is no refrigerator in the room too :( Wished there's one so that I could keep my drinks cold :p Parking on-premise is limited too, but you can park outside around the apartment units too!

But I'd definitely chose to stay here again when I visit Cameron Highlands in the future :) Would love to stay here for more than a night.

Some pointers:
- Try to book early - there are only nine rooms here so it might get sold out fast, especially on weekends
- Try to request for the rooms on the first floor (based on my experience hearing footsteps from the upper floor while staying on the ground floor)
- Do keep your volume down staying here :) It's a peaceful & serene place, and voices travel far from the balcony

Casa Loma

Bungalow Green Hill, 

Green Hill Resort Tanah Rata

Contact Number: +60 19-627 2199

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/admincasalomacameron/

Sunrise Overlooking Boh Tea's Plantation @ Cameron Highlands

"Want to wake up early to catch a non-existent sunrise across the tea plantation?" I (half-jokingly) asked my travel companion, since I've read that sunrise may be hard to catch in Cameron Highlands, due to the fog and frequent rainfall obstructing the view. I've read many blogs and online forums stating the best way to catch the sunrise is by hiking to the top of Mt Brinchang, which is the highest peak around Cameron Highlands, where you'll be above the fog. Some suggested going to the tea plantation but there's a high risk of not catching any glimpse of the sunrise (due to the fog!)

We decided to try our luck anyway and drove out to Boh Tea's plantation with zero expectations and...well...I was utterly taken aback (in a good way). I guess having zero expectations elevated the wow-factor too.

So sunrise view in Cameron Highland at the tea plantation is possible. Since I didn't manage to find much info about this place, here's a rough guide/write-up I hope will be helpful for you to plan your visit :)

The lookout point where the above photo was taken is marked as "Roberston Rose Garden" on google maps - it is en route to Sungai Palas Boh Tea's Plantation. 

If you've been to Boh Tea's Plantation, you'd have known about the notoriously narrow and windy road leading into the tea plantation, and the lack of space to stop or park your car along the road leading into the tea plantation. 

We left our hotel before the crack of dawn (around 6.20am) when it was still dark out there. There are no street lamps as far as I know along the road leading into the tea plantation, and I am not confident with my driving skills navigating through the narrow road. Hence, I decided that I will not drive into the tea plantation, and parked my car right at the junction where you see the Boh Tea's signage, at the very start of Jalan Gunung Brinchang. 

There are actually proper parking spaces there. There are some newly developed shop lots that are not updated on maps yet (as of July 2020). Alternatively, you may park opposite the road, around Cameron Square. 

Anyway, it actually got pretty bright when we reached the parking lot (around 6:40am) even though it wasn't sunrise time yet (sunrise time was 7:08am on the day of visit), so the lack of street lamp...might not be too much of a concern.

From where we parked, it was a 10-minutes (950m) walk to Roberston Rose Garden. I wished I had brought along my scarf when we started the walk, as it was rather chilly. But we warmed up soon after we started walking so it's all good. We started walking around 6:40am, so that leaves us about 28 minutes before the sunrise time (7:08am). Plenty of time to spare, no?

The walk wasn't strenuous as there was no steep uphill inclination. We kept stopping along the way to admire the sky - the colour kept changing and it was just utterly beautiful, albeit being obstructed by trees/villas.

I didn't realise that we were spending so much time stopping and taking photos, and it was almost sunrise time! We were really taking our time because we were under the impression that the sunrise might not happen but judging from the skies...we deduced that we might be able to see the sunrise! 

boleh jadi iklan x?

At this point, I started running - because I didn't want to miss out on the sunrise over the tea plantation, and the changing skylight/pattern of clouds forming. I'd always thought the skies before sunrise is somewhat...limited edition (pardon my lack of imagination in describing this) - you'd never get the same sunrise view. The skies are different every day, and I want to take in every moment of it. 

*Plays Aerosmith - I Don't Want to Miss a Thing*

So aku lari.

Anddddddd I made it.

Note: You may see the sunrise along the route but the view may be obstructed. Don't need to lari macam orang giler macam saya. I just wanted an unobstructed view and my sunrise photo over the tea plantation.

Wished I could catch a glimpse of the fluffy clouds tainted in red as shown above across the tea plantation but I was a little too late for that. But I'm still grateful to be able to catch this breath-taking view :)

"patutlah kamu lari!" (that's why you ran!)
a group of tourist commented when they saw this view :p

It started getting crowded with visitors around 7.15am armed with their cameras and phones, "oooohhh" "ahhh-ing" over the beautiful view.

Again, I felt that my photographs did no justice to the beautiful sunrise :) You really have to see it for yourself!

Word of advice:

- Come early. Perhaps at least half an hour before sunrise to get that "limited edition" view :p 

- There are some spaces for a limited number of cars to park by the roadside of Roberston Rose Garden. But it is very very limited (probably could fit up to 3~5 cars tops, and it seems like a private property so I wouldn't really recommend it. Apologies for the vague description - as it was just a patch of land at the side of the road which I can't really quantify it properly)

- I really recommend that you walk instead of drive, mainly because of the lack of parking space, and also there are some really nice views along the way which may be hard to enjoy if you're on a car :) 

- You may also join a tour organised by locals for the sunrise. I've seen shops promoting sunrise packages for RM10-30 per pax, which includes transport arrangements into the tea plantation so you don't have to worry about it! 

Pulau Mawar, Mersing, Johor

So I have relocated to Johor from Selangor early this year because of my, uh, career choice (The 'uh' was totally necessary to emphasis on, uh, certain things). One thing I am grateful of being relocated to a different state is the heightened sense of exploration. My desire to explore got heightened as I am residing in a state that I rarely visited once upon a time. The opportunity to explore places I have never been before also increases as residing in a different part of the country, reduces travel time to certain part of this country.

One example is Mersing. A drive from Selangor to Mersing would take more than 5 hours. But a drive from Johor Bahru to Mersing would take less than 2 hours. :D

So on a very beautiful morning, we decided to go on a day trip to Mersing. And we stumbled upon this place called Pulau Mawar, which is what this whole blog post is going to be about. So read it or leave it just kidding please read on hahaha.

Pulau Mawar, is a small island located about 20 minutes drive away from Mersing town, that is only accessible during low tide (similar to Cramond Island in Edinburgh!).

I somehow discovered this place while googling about places to visit for a day trip from Johor Bahru  - I came across a photo of "Heaven's Gate", which caught my attention & I knew I have to see it. 

Note: Do check the tidal chart here before you visit Pulau Mawar! Make sure to plan your journey well so that you have ample time to explore Pulau Mawar (& not get stuck there because the tides are high!)

Getting to Pulau Mawar

I followed the instructions on Catherine's blog (a blog I found on Google thank you so much!) to get to Pulau Mawar. Search for "Jalan Penyabong Carpark" on Google Map, park your car there, and start walking along the sandbank, where you'll see a mangrove far forest ahead of you.

The walk on the sandbank should be less than 1km, though the walk might feel like forever if the weather is scorching hot.

You'll arrive at Pulau Mawar after crossing the sandbank. Navigate your way into the Mangrove forest. Walk along the shore so that you won't get lost. Truth to be told I was a little nervous at first - there was no one else but us there. I wasn't really sure if we got the location right. I kept looking back and made sure I can see our car from where we were to make sure we know how to get back!

Mangrove

Jia Qi walking along the mangroves.

Jia Qi posing with the mangroves.

Jia Qi walking in the mangrove forest again.

The path is relatively clear - albeit not clearly marked. (This sounds a little contradicting but please bear with me, you'll understand when you're there) There were two motorcycles that zoomed ahead of us so we followed their track and we walked along the shore so that we won't get lost. We went too far ahead to a rocky beach area, where we could see many anglers fishing, and the two motorcyclist told us to make a U-Turn to the entrance to the hiking trail of "Heaven's Gate" They told us that the entrance should be on the left side (if you're walking from the parking lot) , where you'll see the trees forming a little "arch" on the right side of the trail. The marker is a torn up Pakatan Harapan flag. UPDATE: FLAG IS NOT AROUND ANYMORE. The entrance is BEFORE the rocky beach area. You'll have to try to look for the entrance which is basically an "arch" formed by trees on your left side.

*Entrance as of 30 July 2019*

We made a U-Turn and found the entrance to the trail to "Heaven's Gate":

A little limbo is needed!

The trail is really short and easy - it'll take you less than 5 minutes to reach "Heaven's Gate". Proper hiking shoes are recommended though, because of the rocky terrain. Just keep following the path, and soon you'll reach a small steep inclination, with ropes to help pull yourself up....and volia.

Mersing's "Heaven's Gate" :D 

 Beautiful, innit? Oh you need to haul yourself down a ladder made of wood to approach the beautiful arch. Not challenging, but you got to watch your footing!

Behind "Heaven's Gate" you'll find a beautiful secluded (Okay maybe not so secluded - someone was having a wedding photoshoot there) rocky, pebbled beach, which really reminds me of the beach at Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy!

The water were crystal clear, and strong waves crashed on the rock, sea breeze welcoming us to this little enclave. I wished if we had packed some food to picnic there.

There's a mini cave on the left side of the beach, full of bats and reek of bat urine. Didn't explore it as we didn't want to come out smelling like bat urine!

I've come across some photos of the "Heaven's Gate" with the milky way behind it! However, camping overnight...well, I wouldn't really recommend it after all, the tides will rise and I'm not sure how high it'll be, and I'm not too sure about the terrain for camping overnight there (the beach is full of pebbles). We came across some hikers and had a casual chat about camping overnight and they too, were against the idea of camping overnight at Pulau Mawar.

We hanged around the beach for a short while before turning back as we were starving (and also, the rising tides!). I really do recommend visiting Pulau Mawar in Mersing! It is easily accessible, and the hike is rather short & easy (you can easily reach the arch in 20 minutes from the car park!). And remember, check the tidal chart here before embarking on your journey!

TLDR,

Pulau Mawar
Difficulty: Easy
Duration of hike: 20-30 minutes (from car park)
Check the tidal chart here before embarking on your journey!

Other places to visit near Mersing:
1. Gunung Arong
2. One Day Island Hopping

Other places to visit in Johor:
1. Blue Lagoon of Kangkar Pulai
2. Rainforest Treehouse, Pulai
3. Aw Pottery, Ayer Hitam