Brinchang

Brinchang is the highest town in Cameron Highlands, situated 1450 meters high on a gently sloping plateau along the main road, about 4km after Tanah Rata or 3km before Kea Farm. While relatively small compared to Tanah Rata, Brinchang attracts the most visitors of local origin and Singapore, drawn by the town's dominant Chinese ethnicity and flavour. The inclining terrain and lack of flat land areas have resulted in commercial activity and urban development being concentrated at a small pocket of town. This epicenter of Brinchang is where numerous restaurants, shops and hotels huddle among densely packed shoplots, jostling fiercely for tourist customers.

Gunung Brinchang, the second highest mountain in Cameron Highlands is the origin for the town's name. Because of the high altitude, the environment is frequently blanketed by heavy mist, especially after rainfall. On clear days, large clouds creep ominously across the narrow horizon, evoking magnificent scenery (especially when lit by an evening sun) while giving the impression of a town perched within the sky. From town, narrow roads fork into the surrounding hills, the paved surfaces giving way to gravel and rocks as they lead to vegetable farms, flower nurseries and fruit orchards perched on steep slopes at the Kea Farm. Some of these farms are open to public, cultivating popular tourist products, such as strawberries and cactus.

The town center is where much of the action lies; Chinese restaurants are found in abundance, many of which serve steamboat cuisine, a popular dish for chilly weather. During the day, shops sell tea, toys, souvenirs, handicrafts and edible goodies like local chocolates and pickled fruit. The night market, or 'Pasar Malam', is an evening bazaar on weekends (occurs daily during festive seasons) retailing the best of Brinchang's produce with a tacky assortment of tourist merchandise. At heart, Brinchang is very much Cameron Highland's own Chinatown, though it is not identified as such by locals or tourists. Accommodation is easy here; budget hotels and apartments are abundant throughout town, while Equatorial Resort offers luxury accommodation at Kea Farm.