In 1885, surveyor William Cameron, described the 1,500 m-high Cameron Highlands as, ‘a fine plateau with gentle slopes, shut in by lofty mountains.’ For decades, the idea of heading for the hills has appealed to many, with hill stations being developed throughout Asia as an escape from the tropical heat and humidity of the lowlands. Fraser’s Hill and the Cameron Highlands are two hill stations located in Pahang. They developed as holiday destinations in the 1920s and flourished as there were few other options. The Cameron Highlands provided a venue for expatriates especially to enjoy a climate similar to Europe. Tudor Revivalist architecture was popular back then, and mock Tudor-style bungalows were built and gardens were established. The Cameron Highlands extend up to Gunung Brinchang at 2,032 m altitude, and the mossy forest that flourishes here is one of the highlands’ most enchanting sights. Farming activity and the unique patterns of tea plantations provide inspiration to many visitors. Visitors can also hike forest trails with an experienced guide.

There are several mountain attractions, including strawberry farms, flower gardens, cacti nurseries, markets, a butterfly farm and honey farms. Most of Malaysia’s cut flowers, temperate vegetables and fruits are grown in the highlands, and visitors can purchase these products at farms and markets. Enjoying a cream tea of scones, cream and locally produced strawberry jam is one of many indulgences that the visitors can have a taste here. The Cameron Highlands are very much a tourist destination, so there are numerous restaurants, cafés and coffeeshops where specialty local dishes can be enjoyed. Steamboat is a favourite while some outlets specialise in traditional English fare like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding while others serve uniquely Malaysian dishes such as strawberry nasi lemak. One of the main tourist activities is to visit a tea plantation, with BOH Tea and Bharat Tea having the best-developed tourist facilities. Both serve tea and snacks, including indulgent cakes, making them perfect for morning or afternoon tea. BOH Sungai Palas Estate has a tea house with views over the meticulously manicured tea plants in the valley below. The views from the approach road that winds its way to the estate are as spectacular as the tea is tasty.

Photographers usually flock here to capture the beauty of the sunrise. While there are several large hotels, visitors seeking a quintessential highland experience should check into an old world boutique property. Hotels like the Cameron Highlands Resort and The Lakehouse provide restful retreats with a heritage ambiance. There are alternatives, including staying at local family homestays in Kampung Taman Sedia. Golf on the 18-hole Sultan Ahmad Shah Golf Club, located between Tanah Rata and Brinchang, offers a unique Malaysian golfing experience. There are three main highland towns. Roads from Raub/ Kuala Lipis and Tapah meet at the township of Ringlet, a service centre for the surrounding farms. Tanah Rata is the highland’s main commercial and tourist town, located just 6 km from Ringlet. There are numerous restaurants, shops, budget accommodation and service facilities in the town. Brinchang is situated at the highest altitude of the three highland towns. Like Tanah Rata, it has similar facilities in the bustling town centre. The only way to reach the Cameron Highlands is to drive or be driven. Public buses operate from Tapah (connecting to the railway at Tapah Road) to Tanah Rata.

While Kuala Rompin, or Rompin Town, faces the South China Sea, the vast expanse of Rompin State Park is a premier eco-haven. Kuala Rompin is a service centre with exciting attractions on the land and in the adjoining sea. From here, visitors can explore various attractions such as Rompin State Park, beaches, rivers and forests. Most people usually travel here to relax by the beach and savour delectable seafood. Visitors can enjoy a river cruise to admire the mangroves lining the Rompin and Pontian Rivers. Pantai Hiburan is a local’s favourite, especially during sunset as they relax and snack along the beach while enjoying nature’s beauty. Fish can be caught along the beaches, rivers and in offshore waters, with charter fishing companies providing access to offshore sites where the biggest fish await.

The Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge promotes sport fishing. Fish and seafood are served in many restaurants, with udang galah (river prawns) capturing most of the attention. Several restaurants north of Kuala Rompin serve them fresh from being caught in the Rompin River. Though Restaurant Udang Galah Mak Ngah is highly rated, there are also other stalls serving dishes featuring river prawns that visitors can try. In town, the roadside Cendol Awe stall offers diners complimentary refills of its cooling cendol as well as its unique nasi lemak hijau. This popular rice dish has a distinctive green colour from being cooked with pandan. Not to forget, the locally grown ‘Rompine’ (Rompin pineapple) is one of Malaysia’s sweetest fruit. Rompin has various accommodation options from shoplot hotels to riverside chalets and Villea Rompin Resort with its adjoining golf course. Rompin Beach Resort is located along the beachfront near the town and Cemara Riverview Chalets offers raft chalets where the guests can fish from their riverside balcony.

Hutan Lipur Menchali is a peat swamp forest located close to the sea, 20 km north of Kuala Rompin. It is an important bird habitat, and a few forest trails providing access to birdwatching sites. The highly valued medicinal plant tongkat ali flourishes here. Rompin State Park is a vast expanse of pristine lowland forest that adjoins a similarly large forest in neighbouring Johor. The combined park has two sections, with the Pahang Park Headquarters located at Sungai Kinchin Base Camp, 35 km from Kuala Rompin. This remote and rugged park of 870 km2 is mostly a wilderness, with the only infrastructure around park headquarters. Facilities here are good, with chalet accommodation, an interpretation centre, campsite, suspension bridge and an observation tower. Visitors can experience the magic of the rainforest with its towering trees, wild rivers and the 50 m-drop of Seri Mahkota Waterfall. The Rainforest Discovery Centre has an interactive interpretation display with detailed information on the park’s flora and fauna, including the giant fan palm, Livistona endauensis. Birds like hornbills, kingfishers and pheasants are just part of the 250 species recorded here. Well-prepared adventurers can head upstream to remote camping sites and mountain summits. Guided walks with a local Jakun Orang Asli are highly recommended, especially for jungle treks into the remote areas. Fishing is possible along the Kinchin and Kemapan Rivers. Tanjung Gemok, a riverside town in southeast Pahang, is the ferry departure point to the delightful tropical holiday destination of Tioman Island.

Situated at the mouth of the Pahang River, the royal town of Pekan is home to the Pahang Sultanate with its majestic palaces, mosques and mausoleum. Pekan has been a strategic port for goods imported from the region and products exported from the interior. The Abu Bakar Bridge extends over the river near the town centre to provide a link for north-south traffic. Before Kuantan, Pekan was the Pahang capital after Kuala Lipis. Now, it is known as Auto City for its vehicle assembly plants and related infrastructure. Two-storeyed shoplots dating to the 1950s line the town’s riverfront. Each layer of paint offers a tale from Pekan’s colourful past. The walls of some of these buildings and adjoining alleyways are decorated with artistic murals. Pekan’s Heritage Route weaves through the town centre, along the riverfront and esplanade. Pekan’s heritage precinct includes an impressive mosque, Royal Mausoleum and Sultan Abu Bakar Museum. Displays are dedicated to the royal family, natural history, tin mining and ceramics. Nearby, the setting changes to village life with traditional houses, gardens and a relaxed ambiance.

Here, the Istana Abu Bakar Royal Residence adjoins the Roya Sports Field including the Royal Pahang Polo Club. Istana Mangga Tunggal is a modest wooden building located opposite of the Chief’s Rest House. The Royal Pahang Silk Weaving Centre and Museum that is located at Pulau Keladi is also known as the birthplace of our 2nd Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak. Accommodation options range from the deluxe AnCasa Royale Pekan overlooking the river to welcoming homestays. Inderapura Lake Resort is located beside a lake to the north of the town. The Chief’s Rest House, built in 1929, with its open-sided verandahs appeals to those who love heritage and nostalgia. Local hospitality is also available at suburban residences like Homestay Pinggiran Polo.

The locals are proud of the specialty dishes served in Pekan’s restaurants. Puding Raja (Royal Pudding), a favourite of Pahang royalty, is a combination of fried bananas, custard, dried fruits and egg floss. Other popular dishes include ikan bakar, nasi dagang ubai, durian cendol and murtabak. Murtabak Mengkasar Haji Din has a reputation that surpasses its modest roadside setting. Sumpit-Sumpit Restaurant offers a rustic setting perched over the ponds, in which, the fishes can swim freely. Its special dishes include ikan bakar pepes petai and nasi ayam bakar kicap expertly grilled over charcoal. Elsewhere, nasi dagang ubai is a well-loved rice dish, with the shoplot at Ubai Perdana has been specialised in this since 1958. Further afield, Tasik Chini is a significant wetland with economic, cultural and ecological value for the Jakun Orang Asli who live around the lake and fish its waters. Visitors can rent a boat to explore Malaysia’s second largest freshwater lake. Tasik Chini comprises a total of 12 lakes and flooded forests.

It is famous for its lotus and lily flowers and the pandanus-lined foreshore. Activities include hiking to the summit of Bukit Chini, fishing, birdwatching, photography and boating. Legend has it that the lakes are home to a mythical serpent, Naga Seri Gumum and possibly an ancient Khmer village. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia conducts fieldwork and research here at the Tasik Chini Research Centre. Visitors arrive by boat from Kampung Belimbing across the Pahang River and then via a lock that ‘raises’ the boat into Sungai Chini. Acacia royal honey is harvested from the forests around the village. A chalet and campsite located at the Tourism Complex Lake Chini in Mukim Penyor is a base for adventurous activities including a rope course, abseiling, jungle trekking, off-roading and a flying fox. Pekan is located 46 km south of Kuantan, 276 km from Kuala Lumpur and 296 km from Singapore. Tasik Chini is located 50 km west of Pekan.

Tioman, once a pirate hideout, appeals for its underwater wonders, beaches and laidback village life. The producers of the 1958 movie South Pacific were so amazed by the beauty of the island that they decided to use Tioman’s twin mountain peaks of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut as a backdrop for the movie. This attracted global adventurers and it has been a favourite getaway ever since. Tioman is the largest among the 60 volcanic islands in the Seribuat Archipelago. The main island of 39 km by 12 km is surrounded by turquoise water making it appealing not only to its divers and snorkellers but to the visitors as well. There are also a few villages on the island, and the majority of it is carpeted in rainforest. Tekek is the largest settlement and administrative centre. Accommodation is available in small resorts offering comfortable facilities. The airport connects the island to Kuala Lumpur, while restaurants, a bank (ATM) and shops cater to tourists. The Marine Park Visitor’s Centre, a short walk from Kampung Tekek, has displays of the nine islands protected within the park - Chebah, Tulai, Sepoi, Labas, Sembilang, Tioman, Seri Buat, Gut and Tokong Bahara Islands. There is a protected flying fox colony along the beach, and a walkway continues through to Air Batang Village. Kampung Salang, the northernmost village on the west coast, is a haven for divers and snorkellers as it has some of the Tioman’s best dive sites including Magicienne Rock, Tulai Island, Malang Cave and Seafan Garden.

Swim-through dives in waters between 10 m and 25 m are some of the attractions. Restaurants, bars and shops cater to visitors, with some chalets extending over the water. There are several dive operators here since learning to dive is quite popular in this area. Kampung Air Batang (ABC) is a village where visitors are being treated as long-lost friends in the family-operated chalets fronting the beach. Restaurants and a few bars provide venues to admire the sunset over a beverage or meal. There are several scuba operators, with diving conducted around islands to the northwest. Kampung Paya is one of the most visited villages and its mid-scale resorts contribute to its popularity. Diving, snorkelling, kayaking and forest adventures are among the activities that can be done here. ATV vehicles are available and guides lead adventurers along trails. There are few resorts in the southwest, but it is the solitude that makes those here so appealing. Japamala Resort is a boutique resort surrounded by forests that fringe the beach. The resort offers Tioman’s most refined accommodation and two restaurants serve innovative dishes. Kampung Genting’s palm-fronted beach extends on both sides of the jetty. Batik classes are offered and several dive operators conduct classes and dives. Restaurants serve Malay, Western and Chinese dishes, while there are a few bars.

The twin peaks of Nenuk Semukut and Batu Sirau (‘Dragon Horns’) tower over Kampung Mukut, Tioman’s southernmost village. While the pace of life is slow, some operators conduct dives to Batu Sepoi and Batu Jahat. Ascending the saddle between the twin peaks and then, for experienced climbers, the opportunity to climb the ‘Dragon Horns’, is popular among the adventurers. Asah Waterfall is another must-see attractions. Simple beachside chalets are available while larger resorts are located nearby. Kampung Juara, the only village on Tioman’s east coast, caters to those who enjoy village life, diving and surfing when favourable winds blow. Chalets offer comfortable beachside accommodation. Juara Turtle Project supports turtle conservation and volunteers can assist with beach patrols. Ferries from Mersing (Johor) and Kampung Gemok (Pahang) connect Tioman to the mainland. Tioman is especially popular from June to August, while the monsoon extends from November to February.