Bukit Larut

Bukit Larut Maxwell Hill
Elevation of 1036 metres at the Land Rover station
Coordinates: 4°51′44.28″N 100°47′34.8″E / 4.8623000°N 100.793000°E / 4.8623000; 100.793000Coordinates: 4°51′44.28″N 100°47′34.8″E / 4.8623000°N 100.793000°E / 4.8623000; 100.793000
Country	Malaysia
State	Perak
District	Taiping
Founded	1884
Elevation	1,250 m (4,100 ft)
Time zone	MST (UTC+8)

Bukit Larut, formerly known as Maxwell Hill (but still often referred to by its latter name), is a hill resort located 10 km from Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Founded in 1884, it is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. It is approximately 1250 m above sea level. Bukit Larut receives the highest rainfall in Malaysia because it is located in the wettest part of the country.

Maxwell Hill was named after William George Maxwell, who was the British Assistant Resident in Perak.

Not as developed as other hill resorts such as the Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands, Bukit Larut retains a colonial atmosphere with its quaint bungalows and English gardens.

Access is available only by (government owned) resort authority's Land Rovers (private vehicles are not allowed without a permit) although people are free to walk up the hill as many do for exercise (reaching the peak can take up to 3–5 hours). The journey, 13 kilometres from the base to the top of Bukit Larut using Land Rovers take around 30 minutes. Maxwell Hill still retains its colonial origins with its old bungalows and gardens. This hill is ideal for birdwatchers and nature lovers, as the area provides a welcoming environment for the local wildlife.

Temperature at Maxwell Hill is between 15 and 25 °C and can drop to 10 °C at night.

Bukit Larut is one of the wettest places in Malaysia with heavy rainfall all year round that can reach up to more than 4,000 mm (160 in) yearly.

Unlike more developed hill resorts in Malaysia, Bukit Larut has remained pretty much as it was years ago, hence its low impact on tourism. Up on the peak, the cool weather is a welcome to many visitors who are mostly nature lovers and birdwatchers. The appeal of the resort lies in its untouched beauty, embellished with flowers, birds and tree ferns.

There are many jungle trails and one of the popular ones is the Gunung Hijau trail. This trail leads to the peak of Gunung Hijau at 1,449 m above sea level. Along the way, one will be able to see many species of birds, the vantage view of Taiping town, the exotic wild orchids, ferns and other flora and fauna.

A few metres below Bukit Larut Rest House is a playground. Nearby it lies a bridge that leads to a watch tower, from where one can have a beautiful view of Taiping. On a clear day, one can even see the coastline all the way from Pangkor Island to Penang.