Climate and Weather on Cameron Highlands
If you plan to go to Cameron Highlands, you may be interested to know what the weather is like up there.
In the day time, you can walk around in a T-shirt and jeans. It feels like in a nice air-con environment.
But at night, you would probably need a jacket. If you plan to go those peaks within Cameron eg: The tallest Peak 6666 (more of that later), you definitely need a jacket.
The jacket don't need to be those like stuff with cotton wool type lah. A sweater, jumper or even a Gore-Tex riding jacket will do.
All this is based on the climate we experienced at this time of the year.
On Cameron, it likes to suddenly rain. The rain are not heavy type. More like drizzle. The drizzle does not last long. And it does not drizzle all the time. Just that suddenly, it can drizzle. Maybe because we are living amongst the clouds.
But the rain is cold one and if you ride through it, you may catch a cold. So you need to have your rain gear on your bike all the time.
Morning Activities
Today is the first full day I will have on Cameron. It's a Sunday. So do what? We already visited some farms. Still more farms?
The Peak
This Mokamoka, from last night, keep saying that he want to go to "The Peak". I heard Simon advice better not go. Very steep. A lot of loose rock and pebble. Then if rain, can go up then cannot come down. I also heard another say another biker last time burnt out his clutch from climbing his bike up.
Wah say. Sounds like a dangerous place to go siah. So not my cup of tea.
But see this Mokamoka keep thinking of "The Peak" as if it is like F4 Girl Group's Peaks. Like that, I encouraged him and said let's go lah. You ride up "The Peak". I no skill, I ride until I cannot go then I wait for you.
So early in the moring, off we go to our secret excursion. This Mokamoka not only is going up, he somemore pillion DeuxMachina. I cannot imagine two of them going up the steep slope. Joining us is also Diversion900, JJusti and BB.
If you looked back to my map of Cameron, Mokamoka's "The Peak" is actually Gunung Brinchang---It is the Highest point on Cameron Highlands!
To go up the Peak, first we enter a tea plantation. There is this ominous sign that greets me.
The first part of the ride is actually very scenic.
I never know that tea plantation can look so beautiful.
So next time I drink teh tarik back in Singapore, I will try to remember the beautiful tea plantations. Then maybe my teh will taste extra siok.
So we ride up and up. Then the slopes start to get steeper and steeper. The road surface become very poor quality. From normal tarmac roads, deteriorate to worn out tarmac roads showing the pebbles underneath. Then deteriorate somemore, become no tarmac can be seen at all. Just pebbles stuck to the ground and a lot of pot holes here and there. Somemore the pebbles are wet from moisture and there are loose pebbles everywhere.
The slope not only steep. Some more windy. Some part the bend is so sharp that there are signs to ask you to sound your horn. Because the road, or rather path, is so narrow that if you don't sound horn, you have no place to siamp if got vehicle come down. Yes, some cars can make it to the top. Landrover loh. Before I know it, I am already on the steep part up the Peak.
The ride up is actually not that dangerous. On my Fazer1000, I don't need to use even first gear. Use second gear can liao. Also don't need to throttle too much. My rpm reads only like 2000 rpm. Also don't need to half-clutch, so wouldn't burn out clutch one. The trick is to maintain a balance on your throttle. Not enough power, your bike cannot go up. Apply too much power and you will go too fast around the steep and windy road. And your rear wheel will spin from all the loose pebble under it.
The slope is not so steep until only scrambler can go up that type. It is as steep as the Class2A and Class2 artificial slope in the riding test centres. So actually not that difficult. I am confident that if give me a Super4, I can ride up as well. But the heavier bikes like ST and BMW this type, I not confident because I never ride them before.
So we reached the peak. On the peak got nothing much. There is just some tall antennae and one building. Cannot even see far because everywhere is all clouds.
In front of the building, which probabbly houses the equipment of the antannae, got this wall.
I think 6666 means the height of the peak in feet. This makes it right that we call the Singapore's Bukit Timah Hill a hill and not a mountain.
If you see the picture probably, you will notice a very big moth or butterfly on the sign.
The moth not I catch and put there one.
Maybe it's a sign.
So I tell myself. Go back Singapore must buy one big one small. Maybe got chance to kui tao pio.
On the peak got this small little tower to let people climb up.
DeusExMachina and Mokamoka very fit. Already climb up there liao.
On the tower, wah, the wind is si beh cold.
Wear jacket still cold.
When the wind blow, your bone inside also cold.
I doubt any of the tour mates will consider eating their strawberry ice kleam up here.
JJusti got this watch every function also have type. Even got attitude meter.
See, never bluff you. It says 2,005 meters!
I thought modern cameras supposed to be autofocus and idiot-proof.
So we thought we very garang. Ride our bike to 2,000 meters above sea level. Then as we climb down the tower, we met this solo ang moh. Then we found out he walked his way up here. Xiao ang moh!
The way down is the way up. So we ride our way down the slopes. As long as careful, all of us experienced no problem riding down.
Once we descend to normal tarmac, we start to take pictures of the beautiful scenary there. The scenary is those type that no matter how kayu your photography skill is, you anyhow take, picture also come out nice one.
If you want to go Gunung Brinchang, you must see this sign.
Thumbs up because really never regret coming up the Peak.
Also thumbs up because happy I survived.
But the guy beside maybe suffer from attitude sickness or something.
Breakfast
So we returned back to our apartment to go with the rest of the tour mates to go for breakfast.
We go eat Bah Kut Teh. Rather delicious. Maybe weather cold. So make me hungry all the time. Eat and eat and eat. Eat until guilty but still hungry.
Today, some of the tour mates will be checking out and returning back to Singapore. These unfortunate souls got to work on Monday.
So after breakfast, do what? Quite a few of the tour mates developed a craving for the strawberry satu ringgit ice kleam ice kleam that we ate on the first day. So we rode to another strawberry farm to buy. But we discovered not all strawberry ice cream are the same. This one gets the thumbs down. So when come to eating, Singaporeans very xiao on. The whole convoy kaplakan poseng and rode out to the original strawberry farm we went yesterday.
There we ate our strawberry ice kleam to our hearts' delight. Eat already still not enough. A few of them some more ta bao 10 over sticks back to apartment to eat. Don't know why they addicted to it or what? Eat until hand very cold from squeezing the ice cream out of the plastic and still want to eat some more.
After this, something like free-and-easy time. Some tour mates want to go to tea plantation relax relax. I decided to join JJusti and BB to go riding. He says he take me to this road very nice one, called Gua Musang.
Gua Musang
To go Gua Musang, you can refer back to my Map of Cameron. It is at the top of the map. You can also see my previous picture with the sign board that says turn right to go Brinchang. Turn left to go Gua Musang.
At first, I don't know what is this Gua Musang Guava thing. The main attraction for me is that JJusti suggested that we swap bikes. He ride my Fazer1000 and I ride his Diversion900. I very excited to try his bike. So I can know how it feels to be like Traffic Police for a while. Kekeke. I tell you later about my review of the ride.
This Gua Musang, I tell you, has got the best road quality for riding I have experienced so far in Malaysia. I haven't been to Gerik yet. But it sure beats Route 3 to Mersing flat. Why?
As you can see, the road quality is superb. Smoother and cleaner than my face.
Somemore, many parts got 2 lanes wide. Then don't know why the Malaysia jaen hu got so much money. Build so good quality roads but very few people use the road one. So very very few cars use the road one. You can have the road all to yourself. But excellent for bike riding.
The road got long sweeping turns so you can swoop down quite fast. These curves are different from those coming up Cameron. Those of the slower type. Then left and right of Gua Musang road also got good scenary.
The Gua Musang road is very long. We ride for like one hour still never reach the end, then we U-turn back.
Diversion 900 Review
First, I must qualify. My comparison is against my Fazer1000. Then also it is based on riding for one hour on Gua Musang type of road.
This JJusti keep telling me the bike very slow very slow. So my expectation is low.
The first thing when I hopped onto the bike and noticed is that the handling of the bike is superb!
It feels as agile, if not even more agile than my Fazer. No doubt that the Diversion is a heavier bike when you moved the bike without power. But you can really play the corners with this bike. No wonder I see our TP can curb corner like nothing. Ceh, actually it's their bike good.
The Diversion's engine and gearbox are very good for city riding and long distance touring.
The gearbox is light and easy to shift, more so than my Fazer.
The Diversion's engine is more like a car engine. It revs comfortably and stays between very low rpm of 2000 to 3000. It is not an engine that is lively and eager to climb up and down the rev range like the Fazer's. But around its 2000 to 3000 rpmcomfort zone, the engine is torquey and very smooth, calm and quiet. It purrs away quietly like a gas turbine. So if you ride it daily or for long distance, it is very good and doesn't add fatigue to the rider.
The Diversion's 5th gear (it's tallest gear) is very good. Very flexible. You can accelerate with it from 60 kmh to 140kmh (the fastest I have gone on Gua Musang). The funny thing is that on 5th gear, the engine is more willing to pull above 3000 rpm than on other gears. So it makes a good long distance touring bike.
I need to get a bit of using to the brakes of the Diversion. It is not bad, because when JJusti was riding his Diversion, he could stay with me on my Fazer. Maybe it is because I am still new to the Diversion. And maybe because my Fazer's front brakes come straight off a R1.
The seat of the Diversion is very comfortable. No wonder TP can sit on their bike whole day long. The pillion seat is even wider than the rider's seat. So if your cai got sensitive buttock, this bike make her love you more.
JJusti's bike got a aftermarket screen. It is quite tall and deflects wind to the upper part of the helmet. So you can ride at high speed and still not feel wind blast to your helmet. The problem for me is that I am not used to the tall screen. I was a bit uncomfortable looking through it. And because it is so calm behind the screen, after riding for 1 hour on Gua Musang, I start to want to fall asleep even though we were sweeping the curves at over 100.
This is when I tried to tell JJusti that I want to stop and rest. But basket, this JJusti hor, I think he so happy playing with my Fazer that he forget to return my bike. Worse, he ride so fast and cannot even hear my horn. So I tried to race up to next to him to signal to him to take 5. But maybe because I am new to his Diversion and scared to langa it. It takes me a lot of effort just to catch up and ride side by side to him.
Finally, we take 5 and decided it's time to U-turn back. Because it's also about time we meet up with the rest of the tour mates.
After we changed bike, BB said that on the Fazer, her neck like want to break liao from kena the wind blast. Of course lah, at the speed JJusti playing with my bike. On the Diversion with the taller aftermarket windscreen, she wouldn't have this problem.
Air Panas
If you are Bahasa-challenged, just like me, it is pronounced "Ai-ye Par-nahs". It means Water Hot.
Yes, on the way back from Gua Musang, we passed by a Hot Spring. I think it is about 20-30 min from Brinchang/Gua Musag fork road. There is a big sign on the Gua Musang road that says Air Panas.
This is what the hot spring look like from afar.
The big pool at the foreground is not the hot spring. When I walk towards it, I was thinking where got hot spring?
Zun boh? Cameron Highlands so high up, so cold. How can hot water from the bottom of the earth come up so high?
How come I don't feel anything hot?
The hot water is slightly further up the slope towards the background on the left side of the picture.
As you walk amongst the rocks over the stream of water running down the rocks, you suddenly feel a blast of hot air.
Wah, the water is really hot!
The water is as hot as those type of water you use to soft boil your egg.
So if you walk on the rock and you slipped and fall into the water....
From this picture you can see, we are not the only ones that whole day think of eating. You can see empty egg shells left behind. So got people actually bring egg come here and cook!
You still don't believe the water is hot is it?
Nah, I show you this photo.
You can see the ripple on the water surface?
The water is so hot got bubble boil onto the surface.
This friendly man lives in Cameron Highlands. He eagerly explained to JJusti that long time ago, wild elephants like to come to this hot spring to drink water!
At the background, there is something that looked like a hut. It is actually a shelter that lets you sit over the hot water below the hut. So it is actually a natural spa!
If you want to go to this Air Panas, you may want to bring some eggs along.
Night Activities
By the time we ride back to join the group, it is time for dinner.
Tonight, can't go back to pasar malam anymore. Because I was told it opens only on Saturday night. Alamak, missed all the good food.
We ate at Brinchang town again. It is quite crowded. Actually, most of the tourists that go to Cameron Highlands are Malaysians. I think as high as 95% are Malaysians.
If only Singapore's Sentosa can be so successful and don't need to rely on only foreign tourists. Than the various attractions on Sentosa don't need to keep close down and open new ones again.
The roads in Brinchang are quite well lit at night. So you can ride around safely. Except that when we went there, a small stretch of road was under construction. That part got no street lighting. The road is so pitch black that you ride off the road also don't know. So the lead bike better have a strong beam.
After we returned back to our apartment, it is strawberry ice kleam time, again.
Together with real strawberry coated in sugar. Don't know like that will kena diabetes or not.
We eat and eat until peng shan.
Although some members have already returned home and there are available space in the room, because I slept so well in the hall last night, I decided I am quite happy to be ting zang again.
But tonight, don't know why, the night was quite warm. Half my body outside the sleeping bag. So last night slept better.
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