Fraser's Hill - Day 1, Part 3 - The Rest of the Day

It's getting misty!The weather was fast becoming gloomy and the mist was closing in by 5.30. We could see the mountain tops being covered by layer of clouds and it was likely going to be raining lather in the evening. A perfect recipe for a night in by the heater I thought. One of our maid can't tolerate cold very well. She asked if she can get her some soup for dinner as my father-in-law would like to have dinner at the hotel restaurant that night, and she don't really know how to eat Western food. She found scones to be strange for a start.

The staircase at the main entrance

After the children had their shower and changed into their jim jams, myself and Puan Anita sneaked out to get some take-away while exploring for places to visit the next day. After about 20 minutes of driving, we stopped by the stalls to order the maid's soup. The cool weather made me kinda peckish. I ordered some yee mee to nibble on while waiting. The place was quite packed at that hour - 6 pm. After a brisk walk around, we returned to the hotel, had our shower and ready ourselves for dinner.

Anita discussing the menu with HenryThe restaurant had a decent selection in the menu if you are into Western food. Steaks, chicken chops, Yorkshire pudding are all on offer. I ordered some chicken pie, similar to what I had at the Smokehouse Restaurant in Telawi, Bangsar the other. I was curious if there were just as good. And they were. The steak that my father-in-law ordered were rarer than expected but the side salad and garnish were all authentic English. I have no complains with the quality and quantity of the food, but as from what I have read from other reviews, the price was a premium. To be honest with hose kind of ambiance and service I should bot really complain. One note of caution though. It was better to order up front as it took about 40 minutes to prepare our dishes.

Unwinding in front of the fireplaceAs we were in a group of 10, we were given a special long table. The eating area was well heated and the candle light added to the atmosphere. The lavatories were freezing however, and that was the only place with a sink. After dinner, we were offered a complimentary nightcap. One can order coffee or tea, or in my case, it was a cup of hot chocolate. We can either have them sent to our rooms and as what we did, had them in the reading room while reading some magazines. What a way to end our first day there.

* The second part can be accessed here, while click here to go to the next installment*

Fraser's Hill - Day 1, Part 2 - Arriving at the Smokehouse

Reading the website about Smokehouse gave me the impression that the place was trying hard to invoke a feeling that the visitors were in an English cottage rather than in Malaysia, but only succeeded in doing it half-baked. In the end the experience was rather hit and miss, some of the review good, some lukewarm while others were downright negative. I did not really have a great expectation of the place. And when I reached there, I was mightily surprised and hugely pleased. Having stayed in England for many years and spent a few weekends in English country cottages, I can assure you the feeling was nearly as authentic. It was like England in fall as the weather was not as dreadful - Yes! Weather is England is dreadful outside summer! This was especially true when it was misty at night. That old air into the lungs while listening to the tranquility of the forest is a contrasting experience, but something I would recommend to all you city dwellers. It was only 100km away, but it felt more than that.

Parking is rather limitedHalcyon rooms were located in the buildong on the left. The main building and the reception were located to the right.Flowers adorning the entranceWe were greeted by the Manager, Mr Hafiz, a smart gentleman in his late forties who seemed to always say the right word. I was initially put off with the fact that apart from him and a couple of cleaners, the rest of the staffs were from Myanmar. The feeling soon disappeared as they were eager to help, a couple of them spoke impeccable English and understood Malay. As an example, later in the afternoon, as we returned from getting our maids some soup for supper from a nearby stalls, rather than telling us off for bringing outside food, they actually offered some bowls and cutlery. That was just classy in my book.

Table set up for lunchThe table for our family, set for ten!Hafiz was leaving for KL the same afternoon, and we were under the capable hands of the Supervisor, Henry. The hotel comprised of the main house where the reception, TV room, restaurants and bar were situated. There were also a few of rooms there with a couple of small seating area and small offices should one need to do some work.

The sign at the bar My family and in-laws stayed at a small cottage at the back of the main building. We stayed in Owen Room, complete with a queen size bed and a pair of bunk beds. Unfortunately it was me who had to sleep on the bunk bed as the boys wanted their mother. There was no TV in any of the rooms. We were supplied with a heater and the toilet was very clean and comfortable, although as the floor was tiled, they were cold and slippery when wet. We actually used the supplied towels to line up the floor to make sure that the boys were OK. My in-laws stayed next door at Ashley, with parquet flooring. Therefore, it was conformable and warm. Owen had a balcony overlooking the mountain range. In the evening when it was misty, we had the feeling as if we were in the clouds. Insect was a problem however.

The mentioned bunk beds in our room. Irfan was downstairs with Idlan occupying the top.Our driver, niece and the maids stayed in another building on the other side of the compound. These rooms were pretty basic, next to each other with an adjoining door. I can see these being suitable if you were visiting with a group of friends. It was called the Halcyon Rooms.

Scones anyone? These were freshly baked at the restaurantWith tea of courseAfter we settled in, I went out with my camera and started snapping. I was later joined by the rest for tea and scones. These were actually in the house, they were prepared in-house and was damn right tasty. We had it in the reading room while enjoying some music and reading the magazines. My boys were really excited with the tea and smearing the butter on the scones. We didn't feel like doing anything else, and after tea, the boys spend the rest of the afternoon on the swings at the garden next door.

* Part one can be read here and part three uploaded here *

Fraser's Hill - Day 1, Part 1 - Reaching the top

Welcome to Fraser's Hill. This is the roundabout in the center of town with the clock tower.I am sure many of the readers were aware that I spent the last weekend in Fraser's Hill. We stayed at the Smokehouse, an English Tudor house built back in the 1930s. We stayed for a couple of nights, driving up there on the Sunday Morning. We were joined by my in-laws and their driver, plus one of Anita's nephew. We set off early as we wanted the catch the 11am slot driving up from the Gap. The Gap is situated 9 km downhill from Fraser's Hill proper and as the name suggest, it was a small gap of road snaking up the hill, allowing a single file of traffic. The condition of the road was reasonable, but if you are prone to bee sea or in this case roadsick, beware. It will induce nausea. Irfan, my younger boy vomited driving up the Gap. Our two maids were given some medications to cope with the drive.

Waiting for the light to change at the bottom of the Gap

From our house in Gombak, we took the Federal Route 1 through Rawang, driving up a further 20 minutes turning past the town of Kuala Kubu Baharu. From then on, it took another 60 minutes before we reached the Gap when the road got considerably narrower and windier. We reached the Gap with plenty of time, enough for a 15 minutes stretching. There was a restaurant at the traffic waiting area but unfortunately it was closed for renovation at the time. There are comfortable restroom facilities there and a few stalls selling food and drinks.

The post officeThe traffic up through the Gap is controlled by a set of lights. The traffic going up starts at odd hours, 11am in my case for 40 minutes. At the even hours, the lights here turns red, and only downhill traffic were allowed, again for 40 minutes. They were allowed around 20 minutes transit time. I think the system starts everyday at 7am until late evening. With the incident we had, with Irfan puking and all, we made it safely up to the town in around 20 minutes. The first thing that greeted us was a small roundabout around a cute clock tower. The town center was charming with a small post office, a police station and a couple of inns - Shahzan and Puncak Inn. There was also a new sports complex being build overlooking the Golf Course.

The Newly renovated Puncak Inn seen from the Clock Tower

Since it was too early to check in still, we stopped for lunch at Puncak Inn. It was a newly refurbished hotel offering basic rooms. There is a coffee house where we had some food. While waiting for our orders, we explored the surrounding area, took some pictures. My boys ran around at a small park as the weather was cool even at midday. There were also a couple of small gift shops.

Ordering lunch at the Puncak Inn cafeThe Smokehouse is located further up the hill, along the road to the famous Jerlau Waterfall. It took about 5 minutes to drive up from the clock tower, past a mosque, the town council building, turning left uphill pass a second roundabout. That will take us past a small row of food stall - a must visit if you are visiting on a budget. We will then pass a children playground and a health center on the left. About 400 meters further, the Smokehouse will emerge on the left around a sharp bend.

* continued in Part II here *

Update on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at 8:38PM by Haris Abdul Rahman

A lot have changed since as far as The Gap was concerned. A new route was opened, for the traffic coming downhill just round the corner from The Gap. Now, one does not have to wait for the traffic flow coming up or returning down as the routes were now opened both ways. Therefore, The Gap was practically gone. There were no more traffic waiting to go up the hill, and hence no shops there anymore. Some of the charm was definitely lost, although the fact that parallel routes were opened splet convenience for road users.