The Mossy Forest of Gunung Brichang is the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia that is accessible by road. There is something eerie about the atmosphere of the place, engulfed in blanketing thick sheets of clouds and completed with the soft, green colours of the forest, that are almost glowing, in the rare occasions, when the forest is bathed in sunlight.
Situated at the very top of one of the hills, the Mossy Forest lived up to its name. The remoteness of the place contributed to its raw beauty and mysterious appearance. We reached the Mossy Forest almost around noon, but it felt, as if it was early in the morning. Low-level clouds blanketed the forest, giving it a constant supply of mist and moisture. The soft, grey mist was slowly making its way, crawling into every small space between the oak tree branches.
The air was crisp and significantly cooler, compared to Tanah Rata. We welcomed the chill breeze with a relieve, after driving for almost an hour, being stuck in the traffic jam in the warm and humid Malaysian weather.
The road to the Mossy Forest was narrow and as we got closer to the mountain top, it merged into a single lane, forcing us to drive slow. There were few occasional cars, but the majority of the traffic was comprised by motorbikes. On the way up, we were surrounded by stunted stumps, wrinkled leaves and gnarled branches of oak trees clumped together.
There was a wooden path winding deep into the woods and a slight hint of a morning dew. As we were making our way through the forest, we were captivated by the magnificent and rich layers of the moss that draped the tree trunks and buttresses, giving them a soft, green appearance. The rich and dense tree crowns appeared, as if they were touching the very top of the sky.
The board walk lead us deep into the forest until it stopped abruptly. It seemed that a construction work was underway and there were dozens of newly polished wood planks, waiting to be assembled on top of the wet soil, that was covering the ground. There was the option to continue even further into the evergreen forest, reaching the very top of Gunung Brinchang.
If you want to explore this enchanted forest, you can make your way by renting a car from Johor Bahru or any other place in Malaysia, and drive to Tanah Rata. From there, it is a short drive through Brinchang. Look out for the sign to the Mossy Forest, that will be on your left side. From there you will make a turn to a smaller dirt road, passing through the beautiful Boh tea plantation. As you drive further into the mountain, the road will become narrower, but as we managed to reach the Mossy Forest in a Toyota Camry, you don’t necessarily need a 4×4 wheeled car.
This place will definitely transport you to the magical world of fairy tales and castles. All that was missing was a big dragon and we would have been convinced that we were in a Grimm fairy tale.
