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.

Breakfast at the Terraces

With the nice weather, we were treated with breakfast out in the open during our stay. Although it was a bit on the chilly side, the warm meal soon thaw us up. It was nice actually, with the birds chirping and all.

The only problem was the boys refused to come down for breakfast, electing instead to stay in bed. So, Anita and I had to take turns to come down for our meals.

The room included full English breakfast, with choices of eggs, plus bacon and sausages. Great way to start the day. Sorry, no nasi lemak ....

The Honeymoon Suite

As mentioned, we book a couple of rooms. A family suite and the honeymoon suite. Those were the only ones suitable for the family since most of the other rooms were closed for renovations.

The honeymoon suite is called Guinevere. I was sure there was a fascinating tale behind the name. And the room was excellent. It came with a four-poster bed - plus the extra bed which we ordered on the side - with a sitting area with sofa in the main room. On the side, there was a small room with a table and a couple of chairs - which I was using to blog and write. You can actually have meals there but we didn't check if they do room service here.

And then there was a separate powdering room with cupboards and mirrors, leading into a big bathroom, complete with shower and jacuzzi. Yes! You heard me right. A jacuzzi for two! And yes, the boys christened them on the first afternoon.

The bathroom was very cold in the morning - but the hot shower was a blessing! And the jacuzzi, heavenly! Definitely would be asking for this room again in the future ....

A Perfect Place to Blog

The hotel was not blessed with wifi, but it more than made it up with the isolation and cosiness. And I have converted the mall sitting room into my blog space, with a nice view to boot overlooking a couple of windows on two sides.

I could imagine doing a manuscript uninterrupted in this kind of setting. It could do with a small heater when it was cold at night though ... but as it was, it was perfect!

And now for the small matter of waking up the boys for breakfast. I wished that I could spent all morning in here just writing and reading ....

Arriving at Smokehouse

Some things were never meant to change. And the welcoming air at Smoke House was certainly one of them. This would be third time we stayed here, since 2009. My children still remember the place fondly.

We had the choice of either going to Singapore or coming here. The weak ringgit made the decision easy for us, and we spent less here at Fraser's Hill compared to Singapore and was able to bring Anita's parents along for the ride.

The staffs were all new compared to our last stay in 2012. So was the chef as the menu was slightly different - no, there was no return of the pastry chef from 2009 with the gorgeous croissant. The scones were still good though ....

We had our afternoon tea after we arrived and checked-in. We booked a couple of rooms. Since there was only a single family room available, which was located on the ground floor, we had to let our parents stay there. we were there in 2012, and we remembered the extra bed, plus a separate sitting area and a large toilet - although cold.

For us, we went for the Honeymoon Suite. But with an extra bed for me unfortunately .... which was located on the first floor. The hotel was undergoing some renovation at the time and not all the rooms were opened. And to be honest, there were not that many visitors despite this being December which was supposed to be the peak month. The economy was clearly bad ....