Fraser's Hill in Two Days

A recent visit to Fraser's Hill to hike Pine Tree Hill with my bootcamp friends became an overnight trip for me because it has been ages since I visited Fraser's Hill. That and I desperately wanted to escape the KL heat then.

Map of Fraser's.

I booked a studio apartment with Puncak Inn through Agoda a few days before the trip because it was super cheap at only RM120 a night for three people. Upon check-in, we were directed to Silver Park Apartments which was about a 3 minutes drive from the iconic Fraser's clock tower. Our top-floor apartment was there and although it could do with a fresh coat of paint and carpeting, the single room apartment was a comfortable home for a night.

Silver Park apartment.

We had hiked Pine Tree Hill and Twin Peaks prior to checking in and were in dire need for a good hot shower. You can read about the mentally-taxing hike here. Besides Pine Tree Hill, there are seven other trails around and about Fraser's that cater to various fitness levels. I plan to strike off those trails on my next visit.

Ye Old Smokehouse - exterior

Anyway, after a quick shower, we headed out for a late lunch/tea at the Ye Old Smokehouse and to fulfill my craving for my hard-earned scones. Ye Old Smokehouse's scones are highly recommended as they are served fresh and with clotted cream and strawberry jam. In the chilly hilly weather, it makes the ideal tummy-filler alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee. At RM33, you can get the high tea set for two that comes with scones, cakes, pastries and tea. Bare in mind though that the cakes and pastries are sample-sized and aren't really that good.

Scone set for two.

The scones however were the best I have ever eaten. Crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside, it was delicious especially when slathered with jam and cream. My friend who had the hot chocolate said it was good as it was velvety and smooth.

Hot chocolate.

Ye Old Smokehouse - interior

We drove around after that, while being mindful of our petrol gauge as there was no petrol stations on Fraser's. As I was still hungry, we stopped by the food court along Pine Tree Road and the playground. Parking here however was a bit of an issue as there were many inconsiderate drivers double-parking and blocking the road at their own convenience. While my sister reverted to her second childhood and bought bubbles, I went looking for hot soup.

Second childhood.

There were a few cafes there that offered Chinese, Thai, Western and Malay food. There was a corner Malay store that offered soup tulang (beef soup) but the old lady there was so rude and selective with her customers. She ignored my table to serve a family that walked in after us.

After 5 minutes, I walked out and went to the next door cafe that also had soup tulang, burger, fried rice and many other dishes. Here we were promptly served by a friendly lady who quickly sorted out our orders and drinks. If you're planning to drop by this place, her cafe is right in front of the western place. I slurped up my piping hot soup tulang and teh tarik with gusto and forgot to take a picture in process. In the evening, life on Fraser's pretty much slowed down and we returned to our apartment for an early night.



Best nasi lemak in Fraser's.

Nasi Lemak was on my agenda the next morning and we headed back to the food court to Green Roses cafe. Nasi lemak here was really good as the rice was still steaming hot and soft with flavour. The sambal was sweet and spicy and a yummy add on to the rice. We were there at 9am and half an hour later, the nasi lemak was sold out.  That indicated its popularity.

Horseback-riding at the paddock

After the scrumptious breakfast, we checked out and drove to the paddock where it was my turn to relieve my childhood and go horseback-riding. At RM1.50 an apple, we could feed the horses there while patting them. One round around the paddock was RM5 and usually there will be a Pakcik to guide the horse for the inexperienced rider or children. However he allowed me to ride the horse solo and was kind enough to let me go one extra round. I think he wanted the horse to exercise more with extra load on its back.

Hawkeye-wannabes...

Archery was a popular activity after horseback-riding and Hawkeye-wannabes can practise their aim at RM8 for 10 arrows. I realised when going through the pictures that I have a nasty habit of straightening my bow arm resulting in the string bruising the arm skin there when released. But my sister, a natural at firearms and weaponry nailed the perfect form on her first try.

Simple pleasures in life....bubbles.

On the way down, we played with bubbles on the drive down while listening to Aqua's Barbie Girl on the radio. At the old Gap, we stopped to relieve memories of having to stop at the ironic Tudor rest house for 30 minutes everytime we head up to Fraser's. Sadly (or not) a new road has been built for cars coming down so the rest house has been abandoned and left to rot on its perfect perch overlooking the hilly Malaysia.


Nostalgic memories indeed.



To see more photos of random things on Fraser's Hill, check out my album here.