KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Fraser’s Hill is one of Peninsular Malaysia’s popular hill resorts, the other two being Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands.
Fraser’s Hill is an ideal place for relaxation. The resort is located far away from the hustle and bustle of big cities. It is also an ideal place for newly-married couples who are looking for honeymoon destinations.
Its cool climate with temperatures between 17 and 24 degree Celsius and beautiful flower gardens as well as beautiful scenery resembles the atmosphere in a European country.
Fraser’s Hill (Bukit Fraser) was named after a Scotsman, Louise James Fraser, who discovered the hill station in 1890.
There are two ways to reach Bukit Fraser. One way is by road, through Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor. The other way is via Raub, Pahang over a distance of 140 km from here in some one and half hours.
LITTLE ENGLAND
The exhaustion experienced when going up the rather ‘tortuous’ road from a place known as ‘The Gap’ dissipitaed upon reaching the top with the presence of the infamous roundabout and the old tower clock, which is the landmark of Fraser’s Hill.
Recently, this writer and her friends from the media industry had the opportunity to visit Bukit Fraser, under the Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia programme organised by Tourism Malaysia.
It is no surprise that the hill resort is called ‘Little England’, as the buildings at the centre of the small town look like old colonial buildings, including a post office, police station and a hotel.
Most of the buildings are painted black and white. There are no steel railings. Instead, there are lots of well-trimmed shrubs that act as boundaries between buildings.
People attributed the colonial features to the British heritage but a closer inspection reveal that the buildings resemble the ‘tudor style’ of dwellings in the interiors of Scotland.
The best way to enjoy the natural beauty of Fraser’s Hill is by either taking a leisure walk or by cycling. Bicycles can be rented from hotels at RM10 per hour.
NIGHT LIFE
Although Bukit Fraser is filled with life in the day, at night, it is pretty dull. However, Bukit Fraser promises adventures, and this writer and her friends did not waste the opportunity to explore many trails after sunset.
The night walk was supervised by Fraser’s Hill Development Corporation (PKBF), with the help of several guides.
According to one of the guides, Abdul Zairi Abdullah, visitors need to inform the PKBF’s information counter if they are keen on participating in trail adventures. Then, the PKBF’s information counter will make the necessary arrangements for a guide.
According to Abdul Zairi, there are a total of eight trails. The most difficult trail is the Pine Tree Trail, which is 5,000 metres long, followed by the Hemmant Trail, which is 1,000 metres long, Bishop’s Trail (1,500 metres), Mager Trail (1,000 metres), Maxwell Trail (1,800 metres), Rompin Trail (500 metres), Kindersley Trail (750 metres) and Abu Suradi Trail (500 metres).
Abu Suradi was the first Malay tin miner on Bukit Fraser and his operating area is now the resort’s golf course.
Along the way, this writer saw wild plants, including wild bananas, white ginger plants, wild ferns and nocturnal insects, including tarantula spiders and crickets.
BIRDS
Fraser’s Hill is also known for its bird race event. The event is actually ‘bird watching’, where visitors try to identify various species of birds found at this hill station. There are more than 250 avian species, and every year, many environmentalists and bird lovers gather at this hill station to take part in this event.
Participants are required to record all the species of birds they come across during a specified time. Then, judges will tabulate their points to determine the champion.
PKBF’s General Manager, Datuk Md Hanafiah Abd Talib, said this activity is Bukit Fraser’s premier event, and it attracts 10 percent of foreign tourists to this hill resort. “During the competition, bird lovers should record the species of birds they come across. They may have the opportunity to view migratory birds from Japan, which stop at Bukit Fraser before flying to New Zealand in June,” he said.
Among the birds that can be seen at this hill station are the Rhinoceros hornbill, the mountain tailorbird, the silver-eared mesia, the chestnut-capped thrush, the mountain imperial pigeon and the long-tailed sibia.
Md Hanafiah said the PKBF is encouraging 1,000 people who live at Fraser’s Hill to plant flowers to attract more tourists to this small town.
“The cool climate is ideal for flower cultivation and this factor should be capitalised upon by the residents,” he said.
— BERNAMA
