Bungalows above the tea

People who are tired of the heat eventually hear about the Cameron Highlands. The roads climb, the air thins, and the hills turn into tea. Tudor-ish bungalows, strawberry farms, a morning that wants a sweater. After months of air-conditioning, it feels like a different country that happens to use the ringgit.

The buildings are a colonial hill-station idea: solid, a bit theatrical, surrounded by a crop that photographs perfectly. You can walk a tea estate and look back at a roof the color of rust and understand why retirees keep a week here on the calendar. The lifestyle is fireplaces, gardens, and an early night.

It is a poor plan as a only home if you need a specialist hospital or a large market. The towns are small, rents jump when the lowland cities are hottest, and the roads demand a driver who likes bends. Treat it as the beautiful annex to a lowland life. Go for the air. Do not pretend the bungalow is Kuala Lumpur with a view.