Ye Olde Smokehouse
A nostalgic visit to Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia
Forty-eight years ago, my wife and I had our honeymoon in Fraser’s Hill, a hill resort in Pahang, Malaysia. On this trip back to Malaysia we decided to visit Fraser’s Hill once again for a taste of nostalgia.
We booked a three-night stay at the same hotel where we spent our honeymoon, “Ye Olde Smokehouse.” The Smokehouse is an English Tudor-style building built in 1926 that is nestled in the highlands of peninsular Malaya. Originally a convalescent home, it was later converted into a hotel and restaurant and exudes the charm of English country living.
Fraser’s Hill, originally Pamah Lebar, was a tin mining community established in 1890 by James Fraser. The tin mining venture ended in 1913 and the area was abandoned. Later the area was rediscovered as a suitable hill station retreat to escape the hot climate of Malaya. The resort construction began in 1919 and the area was renamed Fraser’s Hill. The mountainous terrain, which ranges from 1,050 to 4,790 feet above sea level, has an average temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Fraser’s Hill is a beautiful forested area rich in biodiversity.
We lucked out on travel when our friend James and his partner decided to join us on the trip and drive us up the mountain. We left Port Dickson at 10:30 AM and drove via Bentong, a town at the base of the mountain. Bentong was a very interesting stop and we spent about an hour walking around and sampling some of the local food.
The road up the mountain was narrow, long and winding. The one difference I noticed was that the Gap road up the mountain is now a one-way road. In the old days, there was a timed schedule for ascending and descending traffic, so if you arrived at the base at the wrong time, you had as much as an hour’s wait before you were allowed to drive up. Since our last visit, a new separate road was built for descending traffic.
We arrived at the Smokehouse just after 4:00 PM and checked into our beautifully furnished rooms before proceeding to the open patio where we were served traditional English high tea complete with cakes and scones!
When we were first there in the mid-1970s, I recalled some additional chalets at the side of the main building. Today, there are just 8 suites in the main building and 6 rooms in an adjacent lodge. Although the building needs a little sprucing up, Ye Olde Smokehouse still delivers. With its beautiful Tudor-style building amidst green lawns and forest, it offers an atmosphere of peace and serenity coupled with service and cuisine to pamper its residents.
While one could be more than content just relaxing and enjoying the ambience of the Smokehouse, the more adventurous (like us) could opt for hikes in and around the forests through well-marked trails. We did some long and interesting hikes. Here is what my wife wrote about them in her Medium post.
The drawback (or blessing) to the visit was the very poor cellular signal in the mountains and spotty WiFi receptivity. I was “forced” to go offline for the three days we were there, and just simply enjoy all the area had to offer.
On our last night at the Smokehouse we decided to have our dinner at the dining hall. For dessert, we had Bombe Alaska, a concoction of cake, fruit and ice cream, baked in a meringue and flambéed with brandy at the table. A fitting tribute to time with good friends and the end of a very enjoyable return visit to Fraser’s Hill.
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