Escape to Cameron Highlands to de-stress

By Sharen Kaur

It has been a while since I travelled to Cameron Highlands and after much persuasion from a friend, I decided to make my way up, also to de-stress myself as I have been under a lot of pressure. I needed cool days and cooler nights!

Having recently bought myself a Peugeot 308 Turbo, I decided what better time also to test its performance.

When I was ready, off packing I went for a lovely weekend getaway. Having stayed at the Strawberry Park Resort almost 10 years ago, choosing accommodation was easy for me.

Strawberry Park Resort is certainly one of the prettiest resorts in Malaysia, surrounded by virgin jungle with lovely mountain views. The breath taking natural surrounding offer comfort, peace and quiet, a distance from the hustle and bustle of daily city life.

Strawberry Park Resort (Source:Strawberry Park Resort)

The resort is one of the first few holiday homes that came up in Cameron Highlands. It was built in 1983, and did undergo several rounds of upgrading after the opening in 1985. It is ideally located amidst a 7-acre hill between the hamlets of Tanah Rata and Brinchang. The cool temperature of between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius makes it an ideal retreat for holiday makers.

With a "Resort Above All" tagline, Strawberry Park is the highest holiday home in CameronHighlands. And in almost any direction you look, there is a picturesque mass of soothing green, sometimes punctuated by hints of mist.

The resort has eight blocks of walk-up studio rooms and apartments with 148 units, all tastefully furnished. The rooms are averagely about 65 per cent occupied through out the year and majority of the guests are from Europe and the Middle East. Peak season is usually between May and September, and year-end.

The room rates are currently doing between RM320 and RM480 per room a night. While it may seem a bit expensive if compared to the rest of the resorts in Cameron Highlands, in return you get a peaceful and tranquil locale which money can't buy and other places can't offer as much. The environment is just right to recharge your batteries and rejuvenate your soul before heading downhill again back to daily life!

The last time I stayed over at the resort I booked myself a studio room, which was more than sufficient for two. This time, after hearing so much about the newly refurbished units, I decided for a change to take the one bedroom apartment. The apartment was spacious. And, in comparison with a regular hotel room, it is more than double the size. The apartment had a small living room, good enough to comfortably enjoy movies on the big screen. The balcony outside the living room gave an amazing view of the virgin forest. And when it rains, the view does get better.

View from the balcony

View from the balcony

The apartment has no air-conditioning or fan. But worry not as the unit is cooling almost anytime of the day thanks to its proper ventilation. For those not use to cold weather, you could shiver during the night hours.

Since I wasn't up to driving anywhere except to visit the Boh Tea and Bharat Tea Plantations for a hot cuppa, I stayed most of the time in the apartment. The bed was comfortable and sleep was peaceful as there was no noise from traffic.

Strawberry Park Resort has numerous food and beverage outlets such as the Jim Thompson Terrace, Tudor Grill and Strawberry Court, which offer an all-day dining experience, serving a wide selection of delectable local, Thai and Western cuisine. If you are not up to driving out then the restaurants are good to go and the food reasonably priced.

Smoked Salmon

If you are up to a few rounds of drinks, there is the Tudor Lounge to relax and unwind. And to add to your delight, the resort even houses the Strawberry Club, where you could party till the wee hours in the morning.

History of Cameron Highlands

The history of Cameron Highlands goes back to 1885 when a British colonial government surveyor, William Cameron, discovered it during a mapping expedition of the Titiwangsa Range. At that time Cameron and his companion, Kulop Riau were travelling using elephants to carry them to explore theTitiwangsa Range. They started their journey from Tanjung Rambutan in Perak and headed towards the south-east direction. A few months into travelling they reached the summit of Mount Pondok Challi. It was from the summit that Cameron saw a plateau, of an elevation of 4,400 to 4,500 ft, at an altitude of 6000 ft (1,800 metres) above sea-level.

The location of the plateau was confirmed by a consensus of reports in the 1920s from subsequent expeditions. Forty years after Cameron had sung the beauty of Cameron Highlands to the world; it received its first step towards the resplendent glory that we see today. Cameron Highlands was proposed by Sir George Maxwell as a hill resort in 1925.

The highlands become more popular for health, pleasure, gardening and farming purposes. Over the years roads were constructed, cottages, hotels and holiday apartments built, recreational areas and parks planned, vegetable and fruit farms tilled and tea plantations were established.

At the Tea House

It is said that the highlands' first holiday-makers were wealthy Chinese businessman who sought the solitude of the hills by building a mansion for seasonal visits. With the building of rest-houses and hotels, numerous British civil servants stationed in Malaya flocked to the highlands, taking to the cool weather as if they were back home in England.

When the Second World War broke out, the highlands saw no more visitors except for holidaying Japanese officials at various rest houses and bungalows during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya. When the war was over, holiday-makers and nature enthusiasts returned to the highlands.

Tours

Strawberry Park Resort offers several tour packages, saving you the hassle of going through the brochures and wasting hours deciding what to do, and where to go.

There is the half-day country side Tour, taking visitors to the famous Boh and Bharat Tea Plantations, local fruit and vegetable markets, the butterfly garden, the Sampo Chinese Buddhist Temple, the Cactus and Flower Garden and the all time popular Strawberry Farm.

Other activities at the highlands that you could partake in include visiting the countryside, the hill forest, mossy forest and survival village walks, Orang Asli village tour, Jim Thompson walk, Kampung Attap walk, Rafflesia tour and the Gunung Brinchang tour.

Orang Asli Village (Source:Strawberry Park Resort)

I have been on some of these tours when I first visited Cameron Highlands about 10 years ago so gave it a skip to focus on my stay at the resort.

Location

There are few routes that you could take to Cameron Highlands and up to the resort. The highlands is accessible via the North South Highway. You could exit at Tapah or Simpang Pulai to get to the resort.

If you are coming from Penang, it is recommended that you use the Simpang Pulai (Ipoh) access road. This route will take you a total of approximately 3 hours. And if you are coming from Kuala Lumpur, you may use either the Tapah Road or Simpang Pulai road. Both routes will take you approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.

Just for your information, it would take you about 1.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur to reach the foothill of Tapah via the North-South Highway. And from the foothill to Cameron Highlands, it would take another 1.5 hours. If you want to come through Simpang Pulai, it would take you about 30 minutes to reach the foothill from Tapah, and an additional one hour to hit Cameron Highlands.

Alternatively, you could travel by rail from Kuala Lumpur to Tapah, which would take about 2.5 hours, or by air from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh, which would also take approximately 2.5 hours.

Strawberry Park Resort does arrange transfers to and from the railway station. And if you want, special arrangements can be made to pick you up from the airport in Ipoh.

Fresh air on the highlands

Story and photos by Sharen Kaur
Published in NST in April 2008

SHAREN KAUR talks to Krishna Badhur and learns how he built his career from scratch, hit rock bottom and finally became manager of one of Malaysia's oldest and most cherished highland hideaways.

This pleasant, dynamic man landed his first job as a front office receptionist at Regent Hotel Kuala Lumpur (now Parkroyal) when it was located at the intersection of Jln Sultan Ismail and Jln Imbi, after completing a hotel management course. He soon became a tour manager and then got promoted to duty manager.

Lots of hard work, dedication and sheer perseverance later, he was made assistant front office manager, before finally assuming the post of front office manager, all in 12 years.

"When Parkroyal took over after the Regent relocated to Jalan Bukit Bintang, the company retained me in the same position," Krishna said. "After a year, I ventured into the food business but things didn't work out well."

"A year later, I joined Crown Princess Hotel and then moved on to Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which is under HPL Hotels and Resorts," he added. "Within the HPL Group, I had an opportunity and experience to

manage Casa Del Mar in Langkawi for two years and also worked in more challenging countries likeMyanmar and Bhutan."

Relax by the fire place

But that's history. For the last five years, Krishna has been managing The Lakehouse in CameronHighlands and is quite happy to stay in these cool climes for a while.

He admitted there were challenging times during his various stints, working irregular hours and having to balance his time between work and family. The hardest was when he hit rock bottom when he ventured into the food business.

"I've learnt many things, understanding people's needs and being able to fulfill their expectations, and I find this is the most satisfying," said Krishna.

"I had the opportunity to learn and understand the laws of nature when I had failed in my food business," he recollects, and is emphatic when he says: "When you hit rock bottom, the only course is to move up."

"I've also learnt that failure is only a passing tide and that there is ample opportunity to derive from this."

So, what is Krishna Badhur doing for the 18-room Lakehouse in Cameron Highlands, which was acquired by the HPL Group, helmed by tycoon Ong Beng Seng, in 1989?

"I want to position the brand as one of the most reputable destinations around and ensure that guests go home with a memorable experience," he said.

The Lakehouse is located about 1,000 metres above sea level between Ringlet and Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia's popular hill resort, about 200km north of Kuala Lumpur.

It was built by Colonel Stanley Jack Forster, of the British Army in 1970, and is a splendid Tudor-styled boutique resort complete with artifacts from Europe.

Set in an area dubbed `The Valley of Eternal Spring', this idyllic country house rests on a hill, surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens, overlooking rolling hills, verdant woodlands and a tranquil, albeit man-made, lake.

The nicest feeling about being at The Lakehouse is the calm, serene ambience within, and lush greenery and soothing sounds of insects from the nearby jungle, birds chirping all day, running water, and a nice little Hindu temple sitting on a hillslope within the compound.

Beauty!

The temple is owned by The Lakehouse and built in 1992 after a passing monk visited the place to relate that an elephant deity had wanted to sit up there. Krishna says that the management decided to build a small

shrine to keep the harmony of the place.

Forster passed away in 1984 at a time when the HPL Group was scouting for a property and came across The Lakehouse by coincidence. It was up for sale, and HPL bought it lock, stock and barrel.

The interior was refurbished in 2005 when bathroom tiles and ware, fabrics and carpets were replaced and paint work done.

"It used to be plain Tudor-style black and white inside, but now there's pink and cream so it doesn't exude a dull, monotonous character," Krishna said.

Well, if you're a writer or a retired couple longing for peace and quiet, The Lakehouse is just the place. It does not offer television sets or a pool to laze in to begin with.

There are other things you could do; spend time at the Reading Room where you could sit by the log fireplace and enjoy some quiet time, or play Scrabble or other board games over a glass of wine at the Highlander Lounge, also a lovely, romantic place to snuggle up in the chilly evenings.

Or simply just sip on English tea and scoff warm scones at the al fresco Lakeview Terrace. The scones are warm and the nicest I've had, and they go very well with the rich, pure strawberry jam and perfect whipped

cream.

Otherwise, you could just relax in your room if you want all day and order room service.

The Restaurant, the resort's most popular dining area, offers some good local and western dishes, courtesy of Chef Edmund Ling, who has been mannning the kitchen for 17 years.

Whilst you are there, don't forget to pick your favourite wine from the display table at the entrance, where vintages from around the world are arranged neatly and attractive, too. Each bottle costs RM150 and above.

All rooms and suites are comfortably and elegantly decorated in the style of a bygone era. Lush and quaint furnishings form a wonderful backdrop at The Lakehouse where four-poster beds, winged chairs, antique

cupboards, table fans and fresh flowers from the garden complete its old world charm.

There are 11 deluxe rooms (RM582 nett each), three junior suites (RM679), three family suites (RM800) and even a honeymoon suite (RM922), all inclusive of breakfast.

You also breathe fresh air because none of the rooms are air-conditioned. There's netting on the windows to keep pesky mosquities out.

Finally, when you do go to The Lakehouse, get it to book you some tours to the Boh Tea plantation and factory, strawberry farm, vegetable farm, bufferfly garden, Orang Asli village and to the highest peak at Mount Brinchang.

"We offer some good packages which cover meals, accomodation and tours, but at the end of the day, it's the service level that makes everyone feel at home," added Krishna.