Tea, temples and tunnels

We took a short overnight sojourn to Cameron Highlands recently, along with some friends and a group of foreign monks from Sri Lanka and Myanmar. On the way, we made a stop in Ipoh to visit a few tourist spots. It turned out to be a rather satisfying detour as we managed to fit in both the mirror lakes and four of the well-known cave temples.

Up in Cameron Highlands, we were treated to spectacular views at the BOH tea plantation, and we spent the night at a well-furnished—and more importantly, clean—three-bedroom apartment at the Palas Horizon Residences. There were seven of us in one unit, while the five monks had the other to themselves. It worked out fine.

I hadn’t been to the tea plantation in decades, and it’s changed quite a bit. Facilities have improved tremendously. A proper tarred road now leads directly to the BOH tea centre, which houses one of their processing factories, a popular café and an incredible viewing platform. The landscape of rolling hills blanketed with neat rows of tea bushes stretched away from us in every direction. You could drive straight up to the tea centre, or stop near a Tamil school and take the long flight of steps up instead, which we did and rather enjoyed. The road remains narrow, with cars squeezing past each other in both directions, but that only adds to the charm of the place. We went midweek and I can’t imagine what the traffic’s like on weekends or during the school holidays.

Back in Ipoh, we began with the newer of the two mirror lakes, Tasek Chermin 2, where we took a short boat ride through a 120-metre tunnel. On the other side was a hidden lake, completely enclosed by limestone cliffs. The water was so still it produced a perfect mirror effect of the foliage. The temperature dropped the moment we entered, and as the electric-powered boat glided silently across the lake, we could hear nothing but birds chirping and insects screeching. It felt like a secret place.

The older Tasek Chermin 1, just a short distance away, hasn’t changed much, except that there’s now an entrance fee to go through the 90-metre tunnel. At least they’ve installed lighting. In the past, visitors used to have to stumble through the dark, and there were puddles everywhere, even on dry days.

The Perak Cave temple was impressive. Decades since I last entered the premises. The main hall opens up into a vast cavern with a large seated Buddha at the centre. With everyone wandering off in all directions, I alone made the climb up the steep staircase at the back. The steps seemed more demanding than I remembered. I never made it to the top as Saw See called to say that our group was waiting for me. The descent was just as challenging. At one point, I faltered but luckily gripped the handrail tightly. Next came the Sam Poh Tong. We stuck together this time and made our way into the inner cave, taking in its cool stillness and the tortoise pond just outside. At the Ling Sen Tong and Nam Thean Tong which were both next to each other at the foot of the same limestone outcrop, we lingered outside while the monks wandered inside. Ling Sen Tong is garish, with a riot of statues and colourful figurines depicting Chinese folklore clustered around courtyards and artificial rock formations. Nam Thean Tong, by contrast, was quieter and more subdued.

The Perak Cave was the first temple we visited. It is located off Jalan Kuala Kangsar, about six kilometres north of the Ipoh city centre. Nestled within a limestone hill, the temple is set against a dramatic karst landscape.

The foreign monks from Sri Lanka and Myanmar at the Sam Poh Tong cave temple

A landscaped garden at the Sam Poh Tong temple

The Ling Sen Tong featured gigantic statues like this one of Lao Tze, founder of Taoism 

There are also gigantic statues at the Nam Thean Tong

The monks, all with safety hard hats, about to enter the water tunnel at Tasek Chermin 2

It was a 90-metre walk to see the lake at Tasek Chermin 1

Fabulous limestone hills outside the two mirror lakes

Halfway up the long flight of steps to the viewing platform of the BOH tea centre

Such greenery before our eyes from the BOH tea centre's viewing platform

We ordered too much food from this restaurant in Tanah Rata. I think the happiest person here was this person, fourth from right, who was the restaurant's proprietor or supervisor

Our final stop was at this Hobbitoon Village on the way down from Cameron Highlands