Cameron Highlands + Vegies

So when you're in Cameron Highlands, of course you're going to look for vegetables because the vegetables r supposed to b yummy!

Our guide Madi told us about what he says is the only REALLY organic vegetable farm in Cameron Highlands. They don't use any chemical pesticides or fertilizer. Everything's natural and organic. They use the river water that's still untainted to water the vegetables. And this is the place:

They don't use any chemical based bug repellents. So bugs thrive there on the yummy vegetables. They do hang bottles of some sort of vinegar around the vegetable plots that gives out a smell like fire burning that confuses bugs into thinking there's a fire though to keep them away.

Hmmmm...

I felt damn damn damn geli when I went near these bugs to take pictures ok...UGH

My favorite part of the tour was of course tasting! Have you ever drank Roselle before? This is how the seed looks like! You can peel the red outer layer off and eat it. It's quite yummy, sour and sweet!

This is a tea leaf! It's very very yummy. Tastes just like....tea!hahahaha..very strong tea.

We got to harvest a cucumber for ourselves too~

& Guess what this is??? 

Hint: It's a root vegetable~~

We guessed loads of times but didn't get it~~ Carrot~~ We felt really stupid we couldn't guess haha

We also saw birds' nests and took a dip in the cold and refreshing natural stream water. Nice!! I hope you guys visit him, very good experience! Do give him a call before going though~

Cameron Highlands Part 2

So I've been sick for the past week and wishing that I was in Cameron Highlands instead where the air is fresh and it's cooler up there!

I remember when we went hiking my family was the only one who signed up that day so we had the guide, Madi all to ourselves.

He was very communicative and told us alot about the plants, the system, the rivers and the Orang Asli and how a lot of silly farmers are clearing the forests to build strawberry farms and vegetable farms, using chemicals that pollute the streams and rivers that flow into the forest, causing a lot of bugs and plants to die as well as poison the Orang Asli. It was really horrible to hear about it. About how all these things can go on blatantly and how the government doesn't do much to abate it. Until maybe someone dies. And then they give the Orang Asli some money and the incident is forgotten then the same thing happens again.

If this continues to happen, we lose all of these:

Our rainforest is so beautiful! There are so many species of plants. In every tiny spot there's a whole ecosystem at work. It takes a couple of days to clear a part of the forest but it takes decades, maybe even a century to re-grow the forest. Takes so little to poison the rivers and streams, but once you've done it. Can you remove the poisons and toxins?

If we lose the forest, we lose eco-tourism and the country loses money. Can't the government see that? Instead of promoting 'eco-tourism' they should work on preserving and safeguarding the forest first.

Cameron Highlands

So, I went to Cameron Highlands recently!

I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it, but I did. A lot!

I think mainly it's because of the hotel we stayed at - Cameron Highlands Resort! We got a fantastic deal because of American Express so thank you Amex! To be honest, when I saw the facade:

I wasn't very impressed. I thought 'it looks old. Hope it's not run down'

But when I got in, my worries were laid to rest.

The place is soooo classy! Plush soft furniture, beautiful pictures, fresh flowers in vases, quaint rugs, soft lighting...i love!

The library had lots of interesting books to read and there was even a fireplace!

This is the corridor to the rooms, I really love the arches and the black and white motif. Feels like you're walking down to a secret place. Past the rooms there's a gym and also a spa ~ (spa is awesome by the way but I didn't take pictures because I thought it may be inappropriate)

Next to the corridor there's a koi pond with pretty flowers. All in all it's a very serene place. Open, spacious and cozy. Almost everything you need for a relaxing holiday. There's also a Jim Thompson shop there which my mom visited everyday. hahahaha.

The other 3 things essential for an excellent hotel are:

1) Things to do:

There's a snooker table there. Check out my brother's super pose hahahahaha..

There's also the gym, a ping pong table and the spa. Also TV (Star Movie avail, yay!) and of course your bed - so nice to nap/sleep in the cool highland weather!

There are also hikes/trails you can join which I'll come to again later.




2) Good service

I'm a little at a loss whether to say this hotel had excellent service or not. The staff were attentive and tried their best to fulfill all our needs and wants. I also like their attention to detail. For example, when the staff brought us to our rooms, he told us where the hair dryer was in the room so we wouldn't have to turn the whole room upside down later looking for it.

Also, in the evening, when we went back to the room (maybe after hiking/reading in the library etc.) to freshen up before dinner, they'd tidied up our room and also left a rose! <3

After we came back from hiking, they immediately took our shoes for cleaning and gave us bedroom slippers to walk around in. I thought that was awesome!

On the other hand, the front desk didn't seem very well versed with the other sections of the hotel. We were told we could eat at the dining room one night and at the Japanese restaurant another night. So we decided to eat at the dining room (Western food) the 1st night and at the Japanese restaurant the next.

But on the 2nd night, when we tried to book a table at the Japanese restaurant, we were told it was closed for the night -.- Why didn't they tell us it'd be closed the next night??

One of the staff then told us he could arrange shabu shabu for us in the dining room so we were then quite happy. When we turned up for dinner though, there was a normal steamboat pot, shabu shabu pot and sukiyaki pot. I'm sorry but the fake shabu shabu and sukiyaki didn't really impress me. Especially when the wait staff brought us fish balls etc. and said we could put them in the sukiyaki and shabu shabu pot I was just like...Seriously? But I guess he can't be blamed since he's not a cook. There wasn't ponzu or sesame sauce too at first.

Also when we tried to book sessions at the spa, the 1st person we spoke to said ok and we didn't have to choose what treatment we wanted.


Then later, when we tried to add a couple more people later, the staff (another one) said we had to choose the treatment and the spa was already closed so they couldn't confirm the time with us, we had to call the spa tomorrow. So I told them, can you call the spa tomorrow morning and let us know? The staff said 'I'm sorry I won't be here tomorrow, it's a different staff' -.- Can't they just co-ordinate somehow? Geez. And then, it seemed there was some confusion on the booking..I think the spa staff and the front desk don't communicate very well or something. Or their English isn't very good. Not sure..

3. Good food!!!! Very important to my family and me hahahaha

  

This is what we got for high tea. assorted cakes on the top layer; tuna and cucumber sandwiches on the 2nd; strawberries, scones, (good real) cream and dark melted chocolate on the bottom. With tea. Very nice tea. Soooo good!!!

 Everything was nice but the scones were my favorite. I don't know how but we managed to have dinner after that too!! The pasta was sooooooooo good...it was so good that I just ate and ate and forgot to take a picture! It was sooooo good that I wana have it for dinner now! It was soooooo good that my mom took a picture with the chef! But shy la to put the picture up

   

 

Breakfast was wonderful too. Definitely worth waking up for. You get to choose from a set menu. And the staff wheel around fruits and they cut it up for you if you say you want some. I wish PJ had really good all day breakfast joints

The sweet breakfast menu items were soooo scrumptious too! I tell you, If i woke up to this kinda breakfast everyday, I'd be soooo soooo happy.

And the desserts tasted as good and beautiful as they looked. Soooo good! Feel like going there just to eat~ 

Too bad about the fake shabu shabu and sukiyaki...Wonder if the Japanese restaurant had been open, would the food have been good? Has anyone been? 

instagram

The newest thing I've been finding fun that has actually been around for some time but i hadn't been able to use because i didn't have an iPhone is instagram!

One of the very first pictures I took with instagram is the wallpaper for this blog!

These are some of the other pictures I took with instagram that I like:

Which picture do you like most?Are you on instagram?