Find out the best time to visit the Cameron Highlands.
Rain or shine, Cameron Highlands still has its charm.The weather in Cameron Highlands is temperate/cool all year round. The temperature here ranges from a minimum of 14o C to a maximum of 28o C. Rain is common throughout the year although the monsoon season is from Nov-Feb. The dry season is from Feb-April.In the recent years, the temperature has been rising and it can get really hot in the day. The coldest time of the year is between December-February where the temperature can drop to 10o C at certain places.
Strawberry farms are immensely popular attractions at Cameron Highlands, as visitors are fascinated with the idea of dainty fruits of temperate origin growing on local soil. The cold climate makes it suitable for cultivating strawberries all-year-round; some of the harvest ends up at supermarkets and grocers across Malaysia and Singapore, but much is snatched up by tourists. You can find many strawberry farms around Tanah Rata, Brinchang and Kea Farm, but a minimum purchase is often required (conveyed by self-plucking) to see the actual farm. Consequently, growing strawberries is one of Cameron highland's most important economic sources and activities.
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Strawberries have even become a shopping fad among visitors (especially children), spinning a profitable industry of gaudy pink or red merchandise; keychains, toys, pillows, blankets, T-shirts, fashion accessories and lamps. At cafes and shops around Cameron Highlands, strawberries infuse cakes, pastries, ice cream, waffles and other snacks offered on the menu. Stock that goes unsold at farms and markets gets processed into jams, pickles and chocolates. While the cold weather enables the planting of strawberries, mature fruits are not necessarioy sweet and succulent. Strawberries grow ideally under cold and dry conditions - the moisture-rich highland climate, courtesy of prevailing rains and mist, results in fruits that are soggy and sour.
Hence, the best season to enjoy strawberries is from April till June, the general months with least rainfall in Malaysia. While not a challenge to continental imports, the strawberries are at least decently acceptable. Once upon a time, strawberries were grown from the ground up in Cameron Highlands. Today, farmers use hydroponic methods, placing each plant inside individual bags filled with rich soil, and stacking them up on racks. This yields a larger harvest and faster rate of cultivation, but many old-timers attest that such modern-day strawberries have lost their 'ground' flavour. When tourists visit strawberry farms, they're often 'invited' to make a minimum half-kilogram purchase. This allows them entry into the actual farm, where they can see the plants closely, while carefully choosing and plucking the best fruits to fill their quota.
Non-buying visitors can only ramble around the farm's shop and cafe. A basket is given to place their pickings, and weighted and charged accordingly at the exit. The price usually hovers around MYR20-25 for half a kg, which is significantly higher than buying them from markets; you are in essence paying for the farm visit and plucking experience. The exception is Big Red Strawberry Farm (Taman Agro Tourism), located at the back of Brincang town, which is free to enter without a minimum purchase. While many visitors obsess silly with eating strawberries, continental tourists are conversely amused - fruit plants native to their land, growing and producing substandard strawberries in a tropical region, all for the amusement of locals
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