FRASER'S HILL

Fraser's Hill

By : NURUL ALEEYANA BINTI AJAMAIN
(SMK SERI ROMPIN)

Fraser's Hill, or Bukit Fraser, is spread over seven
hills straddling the Pahang/Selangor border just over

100km north of Kuala Lumpur. It is an area of
unspoilt rain forests and rich biodiversity.

Thanks to its high altitude of around 1500m, it enjoys
relatively mild daytime temperatures of between 18

and 25 degrees.
At nights it is cool enough to wear a sweater and light

a log fire and most of the old bungalows have
fireplaces.

History
Fraser's Hill is named after a Scottish adventurer, Louis James Fraser, who first penetrated these

unexplored hills in search of gold in the early 1890s. He did not find any gold but instead
discovered some tin deposits.

After Fraser mysteriously disappeared in 1917, a search party came across these highlands and
found that they were suitable to establish a Raj-style hill station for colonial types looking for a

respite from the heat.
By 1922 an access road had been hacked out of the jungle and British administrators and
businessmen set about recreating a corner of England complete with mock Tudor stone

cottages, pretty gardens, a clock tower and a post office.
You could be forgiven for thinking that not a great deal has changed at Bukit Fraser over the

decades since.

The main attractions are:

Golf. There is a nine hole course (Fraser's Hill Golf Club ) which is open to non-members (there was an 18 hole course but it

closed down a few years ago).

Hiking. There are eight established walking trails at Bukit Fraser which were once the only way that residents were able to get

around. Nowadays they are only used by intrepid hikers and some of them are in a state of disrepair.

The trails are:

- Bishop's Trail (70 minutes) - 1500m

- Rompin Trail (15 minutes) - 500m Except for the last one, the trails are short in distance but not that easy. Some are steep,
- Kindersley Trail (25 minutes) - 750m slippery in the rainy season and home to a lot of leeches. I took my family on the Bishop Trail.
- Maxwell Trail (70 minutes) - 1800m It was muddy and there were a number of leeches trying to climb aboard. The view was very
- Hemmant Trail (30 minutes) - 1000m limited as the path was surrounded by thick vegetation and it was very hot. All in all, not the
- Abu Suradi Trail (20 minutes) - 500m most enjoyable hike I have ever had.
- Mager Trail (25 minutes) - 1000m The Pine Tree Trail is a day-long hike to the summit of Pine Tree Hill from where there are
- Pine Tree Trail (5 - 8 hours) - 5000m good views. Bird Watching. Bukit Fraser is promoted as a first class bird watching

destination with some 270 species of local and migratory birds said to inhabit or frequent

this area. In June each year they hold the Fraser's Hill International Bird Race which attracts

birders from near and far.

Archery and horse riding are available at The Paddock while boating and fishing are

possible at Allan's Water. There is also a flower nursery located next to this former

reservoir

A short distance (4km) out of town is Jeriau Waterfall, a 6 meter high waterfall with a pool

suitable for bathing.

Bukit Fraser Accommodation
There is a range of accommodation available including Ye Olde
Smokehouse, a mock-Tudor hotel with wooden beams, spacious rooms,
some with four poster beds, British style cuisine and a cosy bar with a log
fire.
Other hotels include the Pines Resort, Fraser's Silverpark Resort and
Puncak Inn.

For something different you could stay in one of bungalows and
cottages which are available for rent. Some come complete with
a cook and caretaker.