CAMERON HIGHLANDS HOLIDAY!!
We headed out on a bright and sunny Saturday morning (A day before Hari Raya...hmmm...not too bright, huh??) and were pleasantly suprised by the smooth flow of traffic on the PLUS highway until we got to a "Hentian sebelah" or rest stop, near Tapah. Stuck here for an hour, just to move 200m!!! (Why Malaysians behave this way during the holiday season will be another posting!!) It was a better drive once we got off the highway and started our accend through the trunk road from Tapah to Tanah Rata. It was a great drive up to the top from there. (Maya slept through the entire winding climb!!)
We stayed at the Old Smokehouse Hotel (Pretty pricey but worth it la...) and it was impressive. Built in the old Tudor style with multiple fireplaces and an amazing garden. Actually, as I turned into the driveway of the hotel, it felt like I was somewhere in the UK. (Or pulling into the driveway at Mary's parents in Portloise in Ireland)
The garden was their best asset and Maya just ran around all day, even when it rained.
And then there were the scones!!! Emmmmmm...
The scones, jam and Devonshire cream were seriously the best I've ever had. (RM 8.50 for 2 of them.....good things never come cheap, do they?)
The temperature was a chill 18 Degree C so the fireplace was the place to hang out in the evenings. (The bar had a fireplace too!!)
Oh...almost forgot to mention a very important fact......the food is NON HALAL!! (So all you "bacon, eggs and bangers" people....the English breakfast is a REAL English breakfast!!)
We did do the regular tourist route of the tea plantation, bee farm, butterfly park, etc but we did some other pretty weird stuff like helping a Punjabi bunch of kids with their "amazing race" around Cameron Highlands, lunch at Starbuck's (Why??? Becos it's there??..duh.??) and a full blown "Mutton Peratel" banana leaf dinner!! (Maya loved the papadams!)
Overall, Cameron highlands still has it's charm as colonial hill station and staying at the Old smokehouse did indeed deliver that experience.
