O&R Garden In Cameron Highlands

Previously named Orchid & Rose Garden, O&R Garden in Cameron Highlands is one of many flower gardens/ nurseries that you can visit in Cameron Highlands.

We made our first visit here on a weekday at around 9 am after having breakfast at Tanah Rata.

Here’s our personal take on this place!

Table Of Contents:

Location

This inconspicuous garden is off the main road. And just behind Cameron Square.

Parking at Cameron Square’s basement parking, by the way, costs RM5 per entry. But if you’re lucky, you can park in the front row for free.

From Cameron Square, go around and walk down a steep road to the nursery. There is a large signboard to point the way.

It happens to be within walking distance from other attractions like the Butterfly Garden (or more accurately, butterfly farms since there are 2 of them).

Flower Cart Display At O&R Garden
Flower Cart Display At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Opening Hours

This place is open every day from 9am to 6pm. It’s one of the few attractions that are still open after 5pm.

And hence, you could come here if you want to spend some time before dinner.

Entrance Fees

For Malaysians, it costs RM16 per adult to enter. You can purchase fish food for RM3/ packet too.

Note: Prices as of May 2024

What To See

Past the huge statue of a pitcher plant, our initial impressions were disappointment. It looked like very little for what we paid.

1. Koi Pond

The first attraction that we came to was the koi pond after some photo props like flower carts. Many koi will approach the edge of the pond for food.

Feeding Koi Fish At O&R Garden
Feeding Koi Fish At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Tip: Don’t give all of your fish food to this pond, there are other fish at the exit

Around the pond are seemingly abandoned cages and aquariums. And a table of small potted succulents.

So we were not too impressed at this point.

2. Pitcher Plants

However, the deeper you go in, you’ll see that the property is quite vast.

Pitcher Plant Walkway At O&R Garden
Pitcher Plant Walkway At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

There is a map too (we didn’t follow the map, we just randomly wandered around) right after you head down the ramp of hanging pitcher plants.

Map At O&R Garden
Map At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

We had one member in our group who is a keen pitcher plant enthusiast, and he was pleasantly surprised with the variety albeit the conditions of the plants could be better.

Blood Mary Pitcher Plants At O&R Garden
Blood Mary Pitcher Plants At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

3. Geese And Ducks

Loud honking caught our attention, and if you follow the sound, you will come to another smaller fish pond (fish were not in the best condition) next to an enclosure housing a group of lively ducks and geese.

Ducks And Geese At O&R Garden
Ducks And Geese At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Note: We’re not so sure that you can feed them the same fish food as before.

There is a small bridge that goes right over their enclosure.

4. Mini Zoo

A few steps from the geese and ducks, there are more enclosures.

The Mini Zoo At O&R Garden
The Mini Zoo At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Occupants of the small but well-kept cages included helmeted guineafowl, a turkey mama and her chicks, a few different types of chickens, guinea pigs (they looked the most content), etc.

Guineafowl Enclosure At O&R Garden
Guineafowl Enclosure At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

The rabbit hutch looked a little barren at the time of our visit but it was spacious.

A Curious Rabbit At O&R Garden
A Curious Rabbit At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

After the rabbits, are the goats in their individual (sometimes shared) pens! The pens are clean given that there are so many goats. We hope that they get to go out sometimes, but they did seem healthy.

The Goat Pens At O&R Garden
The Goat Pens At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

PS: It smells like mutton in the pen

5. Herbs

We do not have a keen interest in herbs but there is a neat section dedicated to herbs like thyme and rosemary. The herbs are labeled too.

6. Jungle Walk

Surprisingly, there is a jungle walk section. And at some parts of the trail, there is a decent amount of moss growing over the roots of surrounding shrubs and trees!

A Portion Of The Jungle Walk At O&R Garden
A Portion Of The Jungle Walk At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Not unlike what you would see in the Mossy Forest.

The loop track consisting of old tires goes up, around, and back down to the start via another path. And where the greenery gives way, you have a view of the vegetable fields.

Vegetable Fields Seen From The Jungle Walk At O&R Garden
Vegetable Fields Seen From The Jungle Walk At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

It’s a very short walk – took us less than 5 minutes to complete. And it is probably doable for kids although those with knee problems may find some parts a bit tricky.

7. Orchids & Other Flowers

During our visit, there were hardly any flowers in the orchid section but it is well presented.

Pretty Hydrangea Display At O&R Garden
Pretty Hydrangea Display At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

They tend to arrange flowers by species. There are simply too many to name if you’re just a casual visitor like us!

Their hydrangea setup is simple and too pretty for any flower lover to pass on.

As are their archways featuring jade vines and red jade vines.

8. Rose Garden

The rose garden is quite a substantial section with towering bushes of roses (growing in tires) in all imaginable pink shades.

Flourishing Roses At O&R Garden
Flourishing Roses At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Notes: Tires feature prominently for use as upcycled pots, steps, fencing, or decoration.

Large Rose At O&R Garden
Large Rose At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Related: Other Lovely Rose Gardens To Check Out In Cameron Highlands

9. Photo Spots

Aside from the flower carts and giant pitcher plant statue at the front, there is an old jeep, a wooden hut display, horoscope signs, and other displays just begging you to stop for a selfie!

Decoration At O&R Garden Features Ample Use Of Tires
Decoration At O&R Garden Features Ample Use Of Tires – Photo by Travelswithsun

If you have a group of photogenic friends, you’ll likely be here for an hour as every corner of the garden is a delightful photo opportunity.

One Of The Selfie Displays At O&R Garden
One Of The Selfie Displays At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

10. Views

Just before the exit, there’s a balcony that looks out to the hills and farms. It’s a nice view since this place is quite high up.

Surrounding Scenery At O&R Garden
Surrounding Scenery At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

11. Shop

Yes, there is a shop at the very end. The plants and other gardening knick-knacks here are for sale and we did enjoy going around the small but attractive displays.

Plants For Sale At The Shop Section Of O&R Garden
Plants For Sale At The Shop Section Of O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

When you leave the shop, there’s one more pond and this one holds some pretty large local catfish.

Facilities

There are toilets strategically placed close to the exit and entrance.

Toilets At O&R Garden
Toilets At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

And for the weary, there are several benches all around the garden.

A Bench At O&R Garden
A Bench At O&R Garden – Photo by Travelswithsun

Conclusion

Overall, we did like visiting O&R Garden.

Maybe it has something to do with going in the morning on a weekday when there are no crowds. We could take our time and not have to hurry along like sheep with other tourists.

There is plenty to see for the entrée fees. And compared to pricier gardens, we think a visit here is great value for money.

Places like Cameron Highlands Flora Park charge RM50 per adult to enter but they are a lot bigger. And you’ll spend much longer exploring the park.

Lavender Garden, on the other hand, is between the two at RM20 per adult. We find that the maintenance at Cameron Highlands Flora Park is better than at Lavender Garden though. But Lavender Garden does offer visitors a chance to pick strawberries!

Similar Posts