Hiking in the Cameron Highlands - Trail 10 - All You Need To Know!
Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands are criss-crossed by hiking trails. Read our guide for everything you need to know about the popular Trail 10. From its not so obvious starting point, to combining it with other trails, check out our complete guide!
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The Cameron Highlands are crisscrossed with multiple hiking trails. Initially made for the military and now open to the public, these walking routes pass through mossy forests, tea plantations and up soaring peaks to stunning viewpoints.
Some of the trails in the Cameron Highlands are better maintained than others
On our first day in the Highlands, we decided to opt for trail 10. There are many trails to choose from (over 12) but due to the climate and weather, some may be inaccessible or inadvisable, in particular trail 9 has a bad reputation. If in doubt, ask at your accommodation, we did this and they recommended route 10. So we laced up our walking shoes, doused ourselves in suncream, took a quick bath in some insect repellent (mosquitos do love Ellie) and headed out.
The wilderness however proved a little elusive as things didn’t get off to a great start. We diligently followed the map to what was supposed to be the beginning of the trail, but unfortunately this map had not been updated recently, as the supposed trailhead was now a massive construction site. As the construction site had no access to the walking trail, we Googled around to find we weren’t the first to come across this issue. Thanks to some helpful reviewers, we found an alternate way to join trail 10. Armed with our new knowledge of where to go, we doubled back to town and tried again.
Please see our tips section at the end of this article to see where we joined the trail.
The beginning of the trail is not glamorous, walking down roads still under construction, through a suburban neighbourhood and passing multiple garages and workshops we eventually came to another construction site. This was where John started to lose faith in trail 10.
A digger, or possibly a landslide had gouged a large chunk out of the hillside. To get to the path we would need to ascend this near vertical bank. At the top, after a prolonged search which involved going the entirely wrong direction for 5 minutes (again see our tips on how not to do this), we eventually found a rope which allowed us to haul ourselves up to a near invisible pathway which led into the dense forest. We had finally joined trail 10.
It was not an auspicious start to Cameron Highlands Trail Ten!
We soon lost sight of the houses and shops of Tanah Rata as the thick forest closed in all around.
This was soo much steeper than it looks!
The first portion of the trail is all uphill, the roots of the trees providing a natural staircase up the mountainside. Just because we’ve described this as “natural”, please don’t think that this means easy! The root staircase was perilously steep, often requiring you to climb with both hands and feet, grabbing hold of slippery tree roots to help hoist yourself up.
As we climbed higher, the forest became greener still. Moss carpeted the floor, enveloped the tree trunks and blanketed the branches above. The sounds of the outside world quickly faded away. In our green bubble, only the noises of the forest remained. The sounds of birds in our ears, the rustling of foliage and the glinting of light from dew covered webs, it was like we had stepped into a fairytale.
This moss covered wonderland wound up and up the hillside. There is another attraction in the Cameron Highlands called the ‘Mossy Forest’ which you can pay for a guide to take you round, but by most recent accounts, trail 10 gives you a vastly better experience for free. On this occasion we didn’t have to share our mossy forest with anyone else.
Eventually the thick foliage began to break, with more and more views revealing themselves between the trees. Our steep (and very sweaty ascent) was nearing its peak. As we exited the forest, we could see the top of the mountain with a massive electricity pylon marking the summit. At this point, you can go one of two ways. Turning left to join trail 6 which will eventually bring you down to the tea plantations, or continue up to the pylon to do a mountain top loop. For reasons we will explain in our tips section we decided to continue with trail 10.
We made our way up to the pylon and took in the views from the top of Gunung Jasar. The panoramic views were amazing. Sweeping out across the highlands, we could see just how high we had climbed. In the distance the colourful town of Tanah Rata, marked where we had joined the trail, whilst all around green forests, tea fields and rolling hills spread about.
The Trail 10 viewpoint really does give great views over the rolling hills and tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands.
After taking in the view, and seeing the misty clouds rolling towards us, we decided to call it a day, and head back down the mountain. The route back down is not the same path as the one we took up. It circles along the ridge line of the hill before sharply descending back through the mysterious mossy forest before spitting you out unceremoniously to a power plant. The power plant marks the end of the trail and where you can rejoin the main road from which it is a short walk back into town.
Trail 10 is sadly one of the last remaining trails in the Cameron Highlands. The focus for tourism now seems to be the strawberry farms, tea plantations and family activity centres with the old trekking routes slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, or being wiped out by development. Trail 10 was fantastic. The mossy forests are truly beautiful and we cannot imagine that the curated guided tours offered in the “Moss Forest” could be any better than the quiet, tranquil world we wandered through.
Tips and tricks:
How To Find The Start Of Trail 10?
The start of Trail 10 can be found here: (location)
When you climb up the bank at the start of the trail, there are paths leading left and right. With your back to the houses, head right up the steep slopes with the ropes.
Should You Do Trail 10 and Trail 6 Together?
Linking Trail 10 and Trail 6 is still doable from what we understand. The only reason we didn’t add the tea fields onto the end of our walk, is that the end of Trail 6 is several miles away from Tanah Rata, with only a walk along the very busy main road, hitchhiking or the very infrequent taxis (ride hailing apps are very slow and overbooked). If you’re going as a group, you may have transport arranged for you and therefore this wouldn’t be an issue. Check with your hostel as they may have an existing method to get you back at the end of the trail!
How Long Does Trail 10 Take To Walk?
The trail took us about three hours to walk including our search for the start of the trail.
How Hard Is Trail 10?
Trail 10 starts off with a very steep drawn out climb through the humid lower forest. On steep parts there are ropes to help, but you’ll still be using roots as steps and all four of your limbs to climb. After this steep start, the trail lets up all the way up through the mossy forest, past the pylon and back down and is much more forgiving.
How Much Does Trail 10 Cost?
Nada, nothing, zilch. There is no entry fee, just find the start of the trail and enjoy the walk.
What Do I Need To Bring On Trail 10?
There are no shops on the trail, so bring any food/snacks you will need with you.
You will be walking through forests and across hilltops, so make sure you have bug spray and sunscreen on.
There are no toilets on the route so…
Where Should I Stay In The Cameron Highlands?
Your best bet is booking accommodation in the town of Tanah Rata. There is plenty of accommodation to book from hostels, guesthouses and fancy hotels. Check out the map below for all your accommodation choices:
We stayed three comfortable nights in the Sleepbox Hostel in Tanah Rata. The rooms were in capsule like fashion, offering single pods or double pods with good hot showers, comfy beds, good size lockers and a good size common room. Book your stay here.
Tanah Rata is full of food choices, from street side stalls through to restaurants and is the central hub for backpacking the Cameron Highlands. All of the major trails start in Tanah Rata.
You can book buses and coaches to Tanah Rata from both Ipoh, Georgetown and Kuala Lumpur as well as most other backpacker destinations. For those who wish to book these tickets in advance, you can book these online via 12Go.
What else should I do in the Cameron Highlands?
The Cameron Highlands has a few other fun sights and things to do. One day we hiked up to the busy tea fields and there are plenty of trails (in varying states of repair) that criss-cross the surrounding mountains and valleys. There are butterfly farms and strawberry picking opportunities, if your into that…. The town itself has plenty of good food choices and quite a few bars to while away an evening in. There are also many places offering smoothies and inventive mocktails if alcohol is not your thing.
For a few other ideas for a day out check out Get Your Guide below:
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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