Walk to Brinchang

Cameron Highlands Brothers Drive – Part 10

After settling my Doctor brother down into our triple room at the Copthorne, we decide to take a walk to explore. Not to the tea plantation today, but an urban walk to Brinchang. Traffic seemed to be at a standstill that day, thus we decided that by taking a walk, we might actually cover more ground and would also be a great warm-up to our hike up Gunung Brinchang the next day.

No umbrellas this time, we decided to take a chance with the weather, and we figured that if the weather takes a turn for the worse, we could find a place to sit down, have a drink and to wait out the rain.

Our walk begins with an unsightly reminder of the dark side of the tourism industry:

Seems to be the leftovers of a roadside stall. I wonder when it will actually be cleared up.

The Sheep Sanctuary

A bit further down the road, we find this cute little place and decide to go in to take a look. There is an entry fee, but it is pretty reasonable and you get a bag of food each to help feed the sheep.

The place isn’t big, but I think this is a good place for the kids to experience getting up close and personal with livestock. The sheep are very friendly and they will come right up close to you. Plenty of opportunities to get a great photo.

Value for Money (8/10): RM4 for entrance fee with a packet of feed. Very reasonable.
Quality of Experience (6/10): Very simple place, but it provides the experience that it promises, so no complaints. I hear that there are some plans for an upgrade so it will only get better!
The Kids Loved It (8/10): We didn’t bring any kids, but I’m quite sure the kids would love it here… unless your kids are not the type that like to get kissed by friendly sheep.
The Adults Loved It: (6/10): Surprisingly, we did enjoy it, maybe we are still kids in spirit.
Memories Created (7/10): Some good photo opps with the animals. They will oblige provide you give them what they want. yum yum.
Crowds (7/10): It wasn’t too crowded when we were there.
OVERALL RATING: (7/10) Nice place to have a bit of laugh with the family.

Cactus Point

After saying hello to the sheep, we make our way further down the road towards the “S curve”. That’s where Cactus Point is, and we go in to take a quick look.

Entrance is free, and you get to browse the amazing array of cacti and other interesting souvenirs. These make for some lovely gifts for your friends of for yourself!

Time Tunnel

After negotiating our way down the S-curve, we proceed on towards Brinchang and reach the row of shops which include the Time Tunnel Museum. This is a nostalgic place which exhibits Malaysian memorabilia from decades past. It is a good place to bring your parents or grandparents as the stuff here will bring back many memories from their childhood. Games, foodstuff, tools, life scenes from a distant past. We didn’t go in this time, but I have been inside before, and it is worth a visit.

Along the same row of shops is the Melipoly showcase. Do go in and sample their honey. Very interesting tastes and good for the health. The bottled sparkling honey is extremely refreshing!

Big Red Strawberry Farm

A little bit further down the road, and we reach Brinchang Town. A 4km walk which seemed to go by in a flash. It was a good walk, but we arrive too early for dinner. We decide to take a look at the nearby Big Red Strawberry Farm while waiting for our restaurant to open.

The strawberry farm was PACKED, full of visitors. The farm is spacious and well laid out, but in spite of this, the crowds were overwhelming (It was a Saturday afternoon). The lines for the food at the cafe were ridiculous. This isn’t the only Strawberry Farm around town, but I’m quite sure it is the most popular one. Entrance is free, but if you wish to pick strawberries you need to pay a fee. There are other interesting things to see here. Some animals, and beautiful flowers make for a worthwhile visit.

Value for Money (10/10): Free admission. Real value!
Quality of Experience (8/10): Lots of sights for kids and adults. Not just strawberries… plenty more!
The Kids Loved It (9/10): The kids would especially like the animals, the kiddy rides, the photo ops.
The Adults Loved It: (8/10): Great cafe food, and a good place to pick your own strawberries.
Memories Created (9/10): Plenty of places to take a good photo!
Crowds (2/10): Overcrowded. Not comfortable for those who get claustrophobic.
OVERALL RATING: (8/10) Definitely worth a visit. Can’t go wrong here!

After dinner and a massage, it is time to walk home. The road back towards Kea Farm is still jammed, but in the opposite direction this time. Everybody is heading towards Brinchang to the weekend night market at Golden Hills.

Total walking distance covered: 8km