Mossy Forest Cameron Highlands Oldest Forest in Malaysia

Mossy Forest, touted to be the oldest forest in Malaysia, is around 200 million years old and is a home to ancient trees. Locals believe that the forest could have existed during the time of the dinosaurs. Honestly, I did not know that this place existed until two weeks before this trip. The initial plan was to visit Cameron Highlands and to go on several short hikes. But when a friend showed me photographs of this mystical-looking forest, I knew I had to go there. Alas, just a few days before my trip, I found out that the authorities had closed several trails on Mount Brinchang and Mount Irau because of landslides.

Many hikers have come across Mossy Forest while hiking at Mount Irau and Mount Brinchang. Mount Brinchang and Mount Irau are among seven mountains in Cameron Highlands that are more than 1, 500m high, part of the Titiwangsa Range, the backbone of Peninsular Malaysia.

The Recommended Trail

There are about 14 recommended trails to explore in these mountains. Frustrated and with limited information on the alternative’s routes to Mossy Forest, I decided to contact a local guide whom I had found on the Internet. Sathur, who runs his own travel agency called Let’s Go Discovery, suggested that I book a morning tour of Mossy Forest which allowed visitors on the boardwalk as many trails were closed. When I told him that I wanted to set foot on the centre of Mossy Forest, he recommended a private tour. Although I was a little skeptical, I already had my mind set on making this trip happen.

Luck on our side

A day before our hike, it was raining in Cameron Highlands, and this made us anxious. However, it turned out to be sunny the next day. According to Sathur, it was quite unusual for Cameron Highlands to have such weather. “Usually, it is dry in the morning and rainy in the evening,” he said. The first part of we visited could be accessed by car. The government had built a boardwalk to preserve the land as there has been an influx of tourists to the area in recent times.