Murder and High Tea in the “Cotswolds of Asia”

At the height of the Cold War, one of the most famous businessmen in Asia—an American ex-spy— went for a stroll in the mist-shrouded highlands of Malaysia… and was never seen again.

A team of 500, supported by helicopters and search-and-rescue dogs, combed the hills for 11 days. But no trace was ever found of Jim Thompson, the millionaire playboy Time magazine dubbed “The Silk King.”

It’s a mystery that still draws crowds of amateur sleuths, eager to crack the case on “murder mystery” tours. But it’s far from the only attraction—or mystery—Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands has to offer.

About a two-hour drive north of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, the arresting beauty of the Cameron Highlands has long attracted visitors looking for a peaceful, nature-filled getaway.

British explorer Sir William Cameron first tramped these jungle-clad hills in 1885, and reported back to British command in Kuala Lumpur about their mild climate. Here was a place where the temperature rarely exceeded 68 F. But nothing ever came of Cameron’s discovery (his maps were lost)… and for over 40 years, while the rest of Malaysia matured and prospered, the Camerons (as this area is locally known) remained untouched.

Like Sleeping Beauty waiting to be awakened, they slumbered until another expedition, led by Sir William George Maxwell, in the 1920s, ignited public interest, and it quickly became a popular escape for the expat community (mainly Brits) of the day.

Like many of the hill stations the British frequented around India and East Africa, the Cameron Highlands were seen as an exclusive British preserve—comfortingly English, though far removed from the homeland.

And there was much to draw them here… the cooler climate, the golf course (one of the oldest in the world), and the peace and tranquility. They established themselves in Tanah Rata, which became the main town in the area. It took on a very British look and feel, with Tudor-style cottages and rose bushes galore. You could say these hills are “the Cotswolds of Asia.”

In the early days of the British arriving the Camerons, the only locals allowed in the town of Tanah Rata were the servants of the British.

You see, Malaya (Malaya became Malaysia in 1957 after independence), was run by the British East India Company until 1874, and when the company was disbanded, the British government took over. For “security” reasons, due to “The Malayan Emergency” (a communist revolt in Malaya), there were certain parts of the country where locals couldn’t live, including the hill stations. Servants were allowed in the hills but everyone else was under tight control. And what took place in Tanah Rata stayed in Tanah Rata… this was party central for the British up in the hills. A place where they could get away from it all and really let their hair down… they couldn’t do that in the lowlands as they were expected to be shining examples of British excellence.

When Malaysia gained independence from the British in 1957, that all changed. The Cameron Highlands became popular with Malaysians looking to explore their own country.

Tanah Rata is now the commercial hub of the Camerons—there’s a well-equipped hospital with doctors and staff that speak English, a few banks with ATMs, and a bus station that serves the entire highlands area.

I first visited the Camerons as a child with my parents in the 1970s. Much has changed in 50 years (the one-way road to get here has been widened and makes for a far more pleasant journey), but these highlands still maintain strong echoes, and charm, of their colonial past.

As you pass through Tanah Rata, you’ll reach the golf course and the Cameron Highlands Resort—a stunning colonial mansion with Georgian arched windows and balconies, and generous landscaped gardens perfect for reading and forgetting about the world. The “Reading Room” in the hotel is more of a members club, with a magnificent fireplace big enough to walk into. It’s where upper crust British society, tea plantation owners, and colonial explorers would have relaxed with a Pimms and a cigar after a day of golf.

Mountain retreats, which is effectively what the Camerons are, tend to have lots of activities… but not so much here. Time slows down perceptibly as you drive through the clouds.

Tea plantations dot the countryside and spas offer tea baths (good for healing wounds and sensitive skin conditions) and hot-stone treatments, which are popular with the Orang Asli, the local indigenous population, as a way of purging the body of all kinds of ailments. Both treatments have also become popular as cures for stress and muscle aches.

There’s no shortage of places to pamper yourself here, but Spa Village (in the Cameron Highlands Resort) offers a variety of ways to relax, including a Yellow Rose Tea Bath, traditional Tungku Batu heated stone therapy, and a Strawberry Body Polish (prices range between $45 and $90, depending on the treatment). The staff are friendly and not overly attentive, meaning that you set the scene—if you want to talk, you’ll get their life stories, but if you don’t, it will be one of the most relaxing spa treatments you’ll ever experience.

If you prefer to drink your tea rather than bathe in it, take a trip to the BOH Tea Plantation. J. A. Russell, an astute British businessman with tin mining and rubber interests in Malaysia, bought the plantation in the midst of the 1929 market crash. “Have no fear,” he said. “The world loves tea and they will love me all the more for saving this estate right now.”

Today, BOH is the largest tea plantation in the country, with 1,200 hectares producing 9.6 million pounds of tea per year. The afternoon tea service alone is worth the visit to the Camerons, with a delicious range of teas and delectable homemade pastries.

If you feel like getting away from all the “Britishness,” check out the village of Ringlet—one of many villages you’ll drive through on your way to Tanah Rata. It’s the best place to get Malay street food, along with locally grown organic strawberries, organic vegetables and fruits, fresh honey, handmade chocolates, a variety of delicious curries, and of course tea from the various estates in the area. The locals are great sources of highland information too, and are happy to chat about their favorite hikes and swimming holes, some of which are not in the local hiking and walking trail guides.

These trails are another major draw for visitors to the Cameron Highland. There’s a network of 14 hiking trails in the area for every level of ability. Hikes range from one to four hours (one way), and some lead to a specific stream or waterfall. (This website gives a good overview of all the trails.)

If you’re hiking, always take a light windbreaker with you and a baseball cap. The weather here changes constantly, and it’s not unusual for the day to start out sunny, then rain, then, as you enter the forests, for the temperature to drop by 5 to 8 degrees. (The cap will also protect your head from low hanging branches.)

My favorite hiking spot (and my favorite part of the Camerons in general), is the Mossy Forest. At about 200 million years old, the trees here offer numerous fairytale-like labyrinths to meander through. And you’ll really want to take your time here… it’s enchanting and emanates that special je ne sais quoi only an ancient forest can give off.

Tucked in the highlands of Mount Brinchang at roughly 6,500 feet, there’s an aura about the Mossy Forest that’s Tolkienesque. It will have you hugging and touching the ancient trees regularly, wondering what they’ve seen and what stories they could tell. From this elevation, you also have views of one of the most beautiful tea plantations in Southeast Asia, Sungai Palas.

The Camerons are also a birders-lovers paradise, with over 900 different species calling it home. There’s an array of other creatures in these jungles—toads, lizards, butterflies, and such—and all are, thankfully, harmless.

Getting around this whole area is relatively easy. There are well-maintained roads throughout, and if you love driving, it’s a great place to hop from one venue to another—from hiking trails to the tea plantations and the numerous villages that make up the collective Camerons.

If you don’t want to take your car, leave it at the hotel, and jump on any of the buses that depart from the Tanah Rata bus station.

Taking the bus is a good way to see the Camerons at a leisurely pace if you have a few days to spare. Timetables are posted throughout the station, but just go with the flow and catch the buses when they arrive (the buses are never on time anyway, it’s all part of the relaxed “Cameron schedule”). There’s always room on the buses, so no need to worry about finding a space.

And of course, if you’re coming to the Cameron Highlands, it’s almost obligatory to attempt to solve the Jim Thompson Murder Mystery… though I may already have.

The Camerons are still home to a handful of retired and eccentric British Army types. Over a cup of tea, I asked one such gentleman (he’s in his 90s and has lived just outside Tanah Rata for over five decades), who claims to have been good friends with Thompson, what really happened to him.

“Oh, that’s an easy one,” he told me. “When Thompson went for his daily 4 p.m. stroll, he was accidentally hit by a car driven by an Indian gardener. The chap was so distraught, and worried he would be arrested, that he bundled the body into the boot of his car and disposed of it down the hill in the jungle.”

How did my newfound friend solve a case that’s confounded authorities for over 50 years? He wouldn’t say, so that too will forever remain a mystery…