Exploring the Bungalows

Fraser's Hill as a settlement had a long colonial history. The British longed for respite every now and then while in Malaya and explored a few areas around the peninsular for some sort of retreat. And Fraser's Hill was one of them.

Unfortunately we being Malaysian, we see the British who once ruled Malaya as "penjajah" or colonist, and as much as we could tried to erase them from our history. Me, personally was always quite an Anglophile and keen to find out a bit more about the history of this place. I was sure it would make a fascinating read. After all, you can't change the past - although a few politician thought that they can!

Intricate set of stairs to negotiate the steep climbI think this one belongs to Telekom MalaysiaDriving around, you could have a feel of how advanced the settlement once was. I was sure 50 years ago, getting up and down the hill was both difficult and dangerous. And dangerous in the sense that there were Communist around and the British learned from the assassination of Sir Henry Gurney.

Despite that, I could see many buildings dating back from those times and more being built from the 70s and 80s. It was well known that Tunku Abdul Rahman used to come here for his holidays - another Anglophile. Many of the colonial buildings from the past had been converted into shops, rest houses and holiday bungalows. They were scattered around the hill, not just at the town center. Most of the bungalows were owned by large companies and these were used for their staffs for short breaks. Unfortunately, again due to economy and sign of the times, most looked to be in disarray. those which well-maintained looked empty even at this time of the year.

This one looks privately owned and well-maintainedKinda liked this one ....We ended up taking a peek as nobody was in ...Nice little pavilion to look down onto the valleyInitially we planned to rent one of the bungalows - Bungalow Rompin - but unfortunately since my brother-in-law was not able to join us, we decided against it and stayed at the Smokehouse instead, which happened to be just around the corner. On one of the afternoons, Anita and I drove around to explore some of the bungalows for rent, took the phone numbers and photos. Definitely interesting but certainly not a place to come with your elderly parents. But it looked fun to come with a few friends.

Fresh ....Stalking some more ...The message was clear ....Anita told me that during her childhood, the Armed Forces had a bungalow here as well where she stayed with her cousins. We found the place during the drive and it was located just up the hill from where we stayed. We also explored a couple of other bungalows around there.

Gone Miniature

We did that on the last visit and this time around, Idlan insisted on doing it again. A quick stop by the miniature golf course in the middle of town, with Irfan on tow of course.

The course was maintained well and everything was prepared for you for a small fee.

We only did a couple of rounds because it was threatening to rain. This was followed by push-bike session around a circuit, before calling it the day. The bed and scones at the hotel was so inviting ....

This entry was part of my trip to Fraser's Hill last December.

Around Town

There had not been much change with the town center since our last visit. If anything, it had gone quieter. And we were talking December here, at the peak of the school holiday season.

At lunch, I spoke to the store owner. Apparently, business only picked up during weekends and even then it was pretty modest. During weekdays, she only served a la carte. Compared to last year, business had really suffered.

Visitors tended to stay only for the day, not spending the night. After all, you could reach KL in under 3 hours from here. Those who came, tended to bring their own food and had a picnic, skipping lunch. Business at night depended on those who stayed and on one of the evening when we went out for dinner, the food court was practically empty.

Visitors also spent less, only coming for photographs and then head off home.

We drove around the smaller roads up the hill where the corporate holiday bungalows were. They were either empty or not maintained. Some of them were in really sad state. Even the roads were not paved well and clearly lacked maintenance. The golf course also looked empty.

One would expect that with the economic downturn, those who usually spent their holidays abroad would try something closer to home. Clearly that has not caught on. For a place which depended solely on tourism, this was worrying. It would be a shame should the situation deteriorate further as it would start a downward spiral .....

Time for some Morning Snaps

There were not that many flowers this time around. Maybe it had something to do with this being December. But still there were a few blossoms to enjoy.

I spent the morning walking around the hotel compound and the road downhill from it. Just around the corner, there was a small playground and barbecue area which was opened to the public. The weather was very changeable. It was sunny one minute and cloudy the next. And with the breeze, you could feel the chill. Best to wear a jumper or a coat.

With the hotel having a renovation, there was not much attention being put on the garden. Hopefully the renovation would bring something good for the years to come.

Botani Perdana

It had been a while since we went to the park. We hated going there mainly due to the traffic situation, often not finding a proper spot to park not to mention the aggro when there were a small lane opening while you were trying to pass.

The old Botanical Gardens, Lake Garden or Tasik Perdana has now been renamed Taman Botani Perdana. A lot of new infrastructure were being built, making the whole area - the Bird Park, Butterfly Gardens and Orchid Park seems more connected.

Irfan organising the drinksIdlan with his strap-on rubbery shoes ....Walking from the carparkLooking at the multistorey carpark from the groundFollowing our trip to the new Restoran Rebung, we learned that there was a new multistorey car park being opened. So, we parked there and walked across to the new area of the park where Panggung Anniversary used to be - there were renovations being done on the pavilion at the moment.

It was right pleasant and the place, being a Sunday afternoon was filled with joggers, cyclist and young families, some carrying picnic baskets and playing football.

Directions ....I want to roll down the hill on that grass ....Walking with dinosaursWalking onThe place was well kept and the walk across from the car park towards the children play area and the lake felt like a breeze. Pleasant weather and fresh air. We stopped for photos, quick drinks and fed the koi fish when we reached the lake, white people were running around having a good time.

Next stop, the lakeFeeding them turtles ...The crowd soon build up ....Ironic that people playing football by the sign ....Anita wished that she carried her picnic basket with her. But there were plenty enough seat for us to sit and have some ice cream while enjoying the surrounding.

The hard part was walking back to the car park - uphill mind - rushing there before sunset. But I must say we were pleasantly surprised with the day out and would definitely be coming again.

Enjoying the scene while doubling back ....Panggung Anniversary being rebuiltAlmost back to the carparkI was sure in the months to come, more attraction would've been ready, including the newly refurbished Panggung Anniversary. Looking forward to that.