Malaysia’s ‘Little England’ Thrills APU International Students

Enjoy mother nature while sharpening social interaction, teamwork, critical thinking, cultural, and networking skills
 

Among the international students who participated in the APUMA club and society trip to Cameron Highlands.

International students from the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) club and society had the opportunity to explore Malaysia’s Little England, located in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, on 11 and 12 June 2022.

Nearly 40 students from the APU Muslim Association (APUMA) participated in this social interaction trip and learned to explore Malaysia's wonders, as well as improve their communication skills, foster teamwork spirit, and discover their own potential.

The social and learning activities were also designed to encourage critical thinking skills and the importance of cultural awareness and networking opportunities for the foundation, diploma, degree, and postgraduate students.

The journey started at 7 a.m. from APU Bukit Jalil campus, with a breakfast stop at the Tapah Rest and Relax (R&R) area before continuing to Cameron Highlands. The trip was quite tiring as students experienced sharp twists and turns along the winding roads.

At midday, the group stopped at Tanah Rata Ark Strawberry Farm for a taste of delicious fresh strawberry juice before continuing on to the Cameron Valley Tea House, Malaysia's second-largest tea plantation, for a cup of tea and cakes while posing for photos with the spectacular scenery of the tea plantation.

Abdallah (middle, black shirt) from Mauritius is visiting Cameron Highlands for the first time with his APUMA friends.

Then it was onward to Century Pines Resort for a short rest before having dinner and partaking in the local shopping experience at the Golden Hills Night Market.

The President of APUMA, Abdallah Abdool Raheem (Business Management student), stated that as an international student in Malaysia, he had a great time visiting and exploring so many places and that the Cameron Highlands trip was one of the best first trips he took with his friends.

“I never imagined that the weather in Cameron Highlands would be so cold, and despite the fact that it was a short visit, we visited almost every place in Cameron, and in my opinion, it can be the best place for a holiday trip to any individual who likes to live in a quiet, cool, and foggy place with lots of natural beauty,” he said on behalf of the guys in the group.

After breakfast the next morning, they move to The Sheep Sanctuary, which is located in the heart of the bustling Kea Farm Market, Brinchang.

This location is well-known for its fluffy, white, adorable, and cuddly sheep. Just like the sheep we see in New Zealand photos and videos. They are, indeed, white! About five fluffy sheep greeted the APUMA group at the entrance, with more sheep down the slope.

Uzma (fourth from the right) was thrilled to be able to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Cameron Highlands with her friends.

Rounding up the trip, the group visited Raju's Hill Strawberry Farm, Kea Farm Market, and Medan Agro, all of which are nearby.

Before returning to campus, they stopped for a visual treat at Cameron Lavender Garden, Cameron Highlands' largest flower garden, located between Tringkap and Kuala Terla.

The lavender in the garden is in full bloom, with purple, red, and yellow varieties. They were fascinated by the ocean of colourful blooming flowers on display, as well as a variety of other continental flowers, and were surrounded by colourful statues and objects inspired by European countryside scenery.

“Even though it was my first tour, I was very excited about it, and when we arrived at the Cameron Lavender Garden, which is located on the side of the road, I felt like this was the best place in the world.

“The Cameron Highlands land is full of tea trees, and it looks so green and well managed that for a few moments you could feel like you lost yourself in a huge green garden and get a deep connection with mother nature,” said Uzma Fatima Ilyas Mohammed (Computer Engineering student), representing the girls in the group.