My husband and I have been visiting Fraser’s Hill for the past 20-odd years. Not much changes there. Shops, restaurants and hotels open, move and close, in and around the main town centre, but the general look and feel remains the same. The cooler temperature and quiet familiarity are almost constants in the former hill station. Nice.

We drove up to Fraser’s Hill last Tuesday. A switch from the usual holiday at weekends and public holidays. We decided, when work load and commitments permitted, we would avoid the crowds and enjoy the better weekday rates. It worked rather well for us. We enjoyed a quieter than usual atmosphere and a much appreciated discount at the Ye Olde Smokehouse, a long-established traditional English boutique B & B.  For us, the main draw has always been the appealing weather, and the long and meandering walks that we enjoy in the early mornings and mid-to late afternoons. And, in recent years, staying at the Smokehouse, has made returning to Fraser’s Hill a real treat.

Temperatures ranging between 22°-28°C during the day and 16°-20°C at night are a welcomed relief from the often oppressive heat in Kuala Lumpur. At an average altitude of 1,200 meters, the cooler breeze is pleasantly felt almost immediately.

We are quite keen walkers, but for no reason at all, we don’t explore the many well marked trails such as Bishop Trail, Hemmant Trail, Maxwell Trail and Rompin Trail at Fraser’s Hill. We just walk on the roads. Our favourite is the route that takes us along Valley Road past the golf course via Peninjau Road into the loopy Girdle Road. The views are beautiful, and if we are lucky, we get to see and hear exotic birds chirping and flicking their tails, and monkeys hooting in the trees. The almost no traffic and tree-lined Girdle Road feels like walking in a misty forest especially when the clouds are low. But for the many pretty private and company-owned bungalows that dot the loop. Still very nice.

We returned from our walk just in time for afternoon cream tea that is served daily between 3-6 pm at the Smokehouse. Not wanting to risk losing out on tea in case we were late, we or rather I made a reservation. It wasn’t necessary, at least not this time, as there was only one other couple present. We had scones, slices of orange, chocolate and coffee cakes, an apple pie and tea, served in a posh teapot. What was yum were the crumbly scones and homemade strawberry jam, with real fruit. Despite having had afternoon tea several times there, it was still fun because the weather allowed us to sit out in the garden terrace until sunset, which was at about 8pm, making it a relaxing, long-drawn happy experience.

We only started staying at the Smokehouse in the last five or so years. In the early days, we used to book into our personal budget-friendly Shahzan Inn, Silverpark and Puncak Inn. The first hotel we stayed at was the Jelai Highland Resort. In our then cavalier attitude, we arrived at Fraser’s Hill on a Saturday afternoon with no reservation. We got caught out but luckily for Jelai Highland Resort. The room was a little musty but we had a grand time. We signed up for a night walk in the jungle, and learnt from our guide about using our senses in the dark, crickets that sounded like mobile phones and hermit spiders.

Having tried most of the available accommodation, what’s most inviting about the Ye Olde Smokehouse is that it feels like being in a big, old house in England. The triangular roofs, exposed beams, antiques, quaint knick-knacks and a real fireplace are all very non-Malaysian. The heavy wood, fabric and leather furnishings, candles and wall decorations in the suites, dining room, TV room and bar add to the Englishness. Fronted by a beautifully manicured garden with multi-coloured flowers, the Smokehouse is Instagram perfect.

That said, some of the windows in the suites and in the house could do with some serious repairs as they are broken and don’t close all the way. Not nice on a cold night. Mending and cleaning the fittings and fixtures, and clearing rubbish gathered at the back of the house are a few immediate must-dos. There are no TVs in the suites and the Wi-Fi is not fast. Customer service is a little suspect depending on who the server is. Still, the Ye Olde Smokehouse gets my thumbs-up as it is like a little England in the highlands. Nice.