Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill)

Malaysia's oldest hill station, accessible only by Land Rover from Taiping

Bukit Larut, formerly Maxwell Hill, sits in the mountains above the town of Taiping in northern Perak. It is the only place in the country accessible exclusively by government-operated four-wheel-drive vehicles — private cars are not allowed on the steep, narrow road. Land Rovers leave from a depot at the foot of the hill several times a day, taking about forty-five minutes to climb the 12 km of switchbacks.

At the top (1,250 m), the air is cool and the views — when not socked in by cloud, which is most of the time — sweep across the Larut plain to the sea. There are a handful of bungalows for overnight stays, a couple of walking trails through mossy montane forest, and an old colonial garden. Bookings for the Land Rover and the bungalows must be made well in advance. Bring a sweater and a rain jacket.

things to do sight
A story
**Bukit Larut** is the oldest hill station in Malaysia, opened by the British in 1884 — twelve years before Penang's Bukit Bendera. It is also the wettest place in the country, with around five metres of rain a year, much of it falling in steady drizzle. The British administrators built it as a retreat from the lowland heat, and the rest house bungalows are still in use, run by a state-owned tourism office.