Ringlet

Cameron Highlands

Ringlet is the first township along the Cameron Highlands stretch from Tapah, the most established gateway to this resort destination from Kuala Lumpur via North-South Highway. Located about 45km away from Tapah exit, Ringlet welcomes visitors with a giant strawberry statue along the road right after crossing the Perak border into Pahang.

This little countryside town is home to a community of farmers, small-time business operators and migrant agricultural workers, evident by numerous vegetable farms hidden behind the hills. While mostly a backwater area, there are facilities such as banks, petrol stations, sundry shops, restaurants and even a lotto counter.

When not working, locals spend their time on snooker, chatter and beer among the shophouses and restaurants. Consequently, Ringlet has very little tourist development with barely any hotels providing basic accommodation (the sole exception is The Lakehouse, a colonial boutique hotel a few km north of town).

The town itself offers very little interest except for lunch or snacks at the food court before heading up to Tanah Rata 10km away. Further down the main road, visitors will pass by the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam, a large ochre-coloured lake that supplies some of the water in Cameron Highlands.

Proceeding after the dam leads to Habu, a neighbouring agricultural and residential district where the famous Boh Tea Plantation resides in the valley. Also located next to Ringlet town is Bertam Valley, a rural agricultural settlement that forms an alternative gateway to Cameron Highlands from Kuala Lipis or Raub via Sungai Koyan through Pos Betau.

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