Mossy Forest (Gunung Brinchang)

About this place

At nearly two thousand metres, close to the summit of Mount Brinchang, the forest turns into another world: twisted trees wrapped in thick layers of green moss, hanging ferns, and mist curling through the branches for most of the day. This is a rare cloud forest that grows only in tropical highlands, and walking into it feels like stepping into a fantasy film. Visitors follow a raised wooden boardwalk about two hundred metres long, built to protect the fragile ground from feet and to cap how many people are in at once. The air really is cold here, sometimes below fifteen degrees, so bring a jacket even in summer, and the boardwalk is slippery after rain. The entry fee set by the Forestry Department is RM 30 for foreign adults and RM 15 for children, and it opens daily from eight to five. The road up to the summit is narrow and winding, which is why many visitors come on organised four-wheel-drive tours that combine it with the tea estates. Go early in the morning, before the mist thickens and the crowds arrive; on a clear morning you see the green hills and tea estates rolling away below. The forest is fragile, so do not touch the moss or leave the boardwalk.