Cameron Highlands

10,000 shades of emerald greet visitors who make the long and winding bus ride up to the mist-gathering Cameron Highlands. This is Malaysia's tea kingdom, far away from the sultry cities and buzzing resorts on the coast of the Malay Peninsula. Its towns look more like Swiss villages, a taste of the half-timbered alpine in each of the homes and hotels. Its landscapes straddle the highlands and the tropics, fusing spear-like pines with waxy jungles.

Tanah Rata is the central hub of the region. It's the best place to go to find in-the-know Cameron Highlands tour guides, to organise trekking excursions through the forest-clad peaks, or to see the pockets of tea fields unfolding in the middle of the mountains. Some of the most dramatic vistas are at Bharat, where a trio of hill stations offers different views over the plantations. Head there, and you'll encounter plenty of tasting shops and leaf sellers offering the locally-grown brew. There are loads of natural draws in the Cameron Highlands, too. Rose gardens and orchid-peppered valleys abound here, so be sure to bring along the hiking boots. Most guides say the Mossy Forest and its verdant tree trunks is a must, and so is the viewing platforms atop Gunung Brinchang, for sweeping panoramas of the emerald hills.