Bhuping Palace, Suthep

Bhuping Palace

Suthep, Muang

Chiang Mai

Hours

0830 - 1530 daily

Entrance Fee

Foreigner: 50B

Adult: 20B

Also spelled as Bhubing or Phu Ping Royal Palace locally, this winter palace is located on Doi Suthep. It also double as royal guesthouse for prominent visitors. One can't miss the palace on the way up towards Hmong Village or Khun Chang Kian. You can take songthaew or hire private car or scooter to get here.

  Kalau nak bandingkan dengan Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Istana Bhuping atau lebih tepat lagi taman ni kurang popular. Banyak pakej yang bawa ke Wat Phra That Doi Suthep sahaja. Mungkin sebab bunga mekar cantik ikut musim. Jadi ada masa yang agak sendu dan kurang menarik untuk dikunjungi.

Note: Please dress conservatively. You're visiting a palace.

Ticket booth is near the parking area. After purchasing your ticket, cross the road and present your ticket to the staff. 

  Staff kat sini nampak macam pegawai tentera. Mungkin memang tentera agaknya. Kata istana kan? Lepas dah tunjuk tiket, jemput jalan kaki. Tak ada trem atau basikal atau apa. Jalan nak masuk tu macam jauh tapi tak terasa pun sebab ralit tengok bunga. 

My favourite area gotta be the rose garden. Colourful roses were blooming and gave off sweet scent. Some of them didn't have any scent but most were very fragrant! They even have different smell.

Rose Garden

Green House

Visitors will get to see the gorgeous royal garden filled with beautiful and colourful flowers and my favourite sweet-smelling roses. You can also take photos of the palace but won't be allowed to go near.

  The green house is near the rose garden and there are many interesting spots that will make gorgeous backgrounds for your photos. There is no specific route to follow. Just wander as you wish.

Notice the huge tree behind the signage?

Path across the palace area

At the end of the climb

A bridge

There is also a water reservoir you can check out. I didn't because... look at those stairs! But pics from Google looked pretty nice.

  Katanya ada fountain show juga tapi tak tahu la masih wujud ke tak.

Visit if:

• You have the time
• You enjoy gardens and parks
• You're dressed appropriately (no shorts, no sleeveless)
• You're willing to walk. A lot
• It's the "right" time of the year. I visited in late Jan and the flowers were blooming

Some people found the royal garden magical while others thought it was a waste of their time.

I don't mind. It's not expensive and the weather was nice

If you go, expect to spend about a couple of hours to explore the place properly.

Green View Garden, Tanah Rata

Green View Garden

11, Taman Matahari Cerah

Kampung Raja 

39010 Tanah Rata

Pahang Darul Makmur

Operating Hours
0900 - 1830 daily

Lavender Ice Cream

After exiting at Simpang Pulai and going towards Cameron Highland, you will eventually find Green View Garden on your left just before the junction to Cameron Highland. I've passed it a few times but only stopped during my last roadtrip to the East Coast.

I thought it was just another lame flower nursery cum strawberry farm with overpriced cafe. In short, a tourist trap. I was somewhat wrong.

Similar to many of the strawberry farms further up the hill, the entrance is free. Visitors enter through a shop/cafe or from the chocolate store next door. There is an ice cream stall right by the entrance if you're stopping only for snack. But if you have the time, check out the shop. They sold the usual souvenirs of Cameron Highland. You can also order food and drinks from a counter in this area. 

Pretty and interesting-flavoured cakes. Fair price too!

On the left of the counter, you'll find the dining area. At one end, the stairs to chocolate store and on the other side, the many attractions of this garden. The washroom (can't remember the charge- 30 sen maybe) is next to the dining area.

Kids will love the rabbit, duck, tortoise and fish. For a price, you can feed the bunnies and ducks or play mini paddle boats.

Being a garden, there are also plenty of pretty photo spots.

There is another souvenir shop with purple-theme selling lavender stuff. Since I love lavender ice cream so much, I thought I'd try a small bottle of lavender "juice". It wasn't a disappointment! Although it is more of cordial or syrup than juice, it tasted good.

The lavender syrup added a sweet, fresh scent when drizzled onto vanilla ice cream, giving a pleasant twist to the ice cream. I also like having it as cold drink by diluting the syrup with some water and ice.

Expect to spend about half an hour here even if just to take pictures.

Cameron Lavender Garden

Cameron Lavender Garden

Tringkap, Cameron Highland

Pahang Darul Makmur

(+605) 496 1208

Operating Hours

Monday - Thursday : 0900 - 1800

Friday - Sunday & Public Holiday : 0900 - 1900

Admission

Adult  RM8

Children RM5

Finding Cameron Lavender Garden is easy as it is right by the main road of Cameron Highland. From Simpang Pulai, it is after Kuala Terla and before Tringkap/Kea Farm. Parking spots are available in front of the garden and opposite the road. 

What can you do here aside from looking at the beautiful lavenders?

Shop

Souvenir shops are plenty in here. There are kiosks selling trinkets, herbs and snacks. Then there is a strawberry-theme shop and a purple shop called Lavender House. You can also get ice cream, yoghurt, jam, tea and lots more near the cafe.

Near the exit, there are row of shops selling plants, fruits, vegetable, food and toys. I bought sweet potato balls (crispy on the outside, chewy inside) just outside the gate. Yummy!

Pick

Pay only RM2 for a beautiful gerbera of your choice or RM10 for 6 stalks. Take lots of pictures for free. Strawberry picking also available.

Snap

This is a beautiful garden with many photo opportunities. Their latest addition is a bunch of adorable panda statues right in front of Strawberry Shop. There are what looks like postboxes, a cute little car, seven dwarfs, love lock gate and many more. Come early to beat the crowd.

Eat

I just love the lavender ice cream. It isn't too sweet and has (obviously) a mild lavender flavour. There was no after taste, until I burped and tasted lavender :) I had one cone on the day of my visit and paid for entrance again just to purchase another cone before I left for home.

You can choose to eat at the cafe or snack on the treats from one of the kiosks.

Souvenir Shop

Jam 'factory'

Flowers for picking. Strawberries in the back.

Soft Ice Cream (RM6)

Love Love Love <3

BOH Tea Centre Sungei Palas

BOH Tea Centre Sungei Palas

Brinchang, Cameron Highland

Operating Hours

0900 - 1630 (Tuesday - Sunday)

This is the one near Copthorne Hotel, on the way to Mossy Forest. The other one is in Ringlet so don't get confused. 

  The road to the centre isn't the best and can be quite scary especially if you meet huge car or bus on the way. To avoid this, wake up and be here early! Like before the opening hours. I was there just after 9 am and the tables were taken and queue was already long at their popular cafe. So I didn't get to breakfast here.

Gorgeous view along the way

Parking area

Walkway among the tea bushes...

... leading up to the famous cafe

Note: There's proper road if you need to push stroller or wheelchair up.

All that climbing for what?

Tea and scones (if you're lucky and patient) and the view~

Tea Shop

Reminder

quick stop to capture pics of the worker tending the tea bushes are okay though

And what's a visit without a picture of you among the tea leaves? :)