A trip to ‘The Little England of Malaysia’.

On Friday noon, 18 June 2010, to take part in the Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race 2010 as novices in a team as well as to escape the sweltering heat of Sungai Petani which has caused me to sweat profusely and has given me uncomfortably hot nights with days of torturous heat for the last one month, a lady friend, my son and I headed for Fraser’s Hill, also known as ‘The little England of Malaysia.

It was not a promising start with the friend arriving without being able to find her driving licence. So I had to do the driving after all. Not familiar with her car, it took me a while to get used to it, moving at a moderate speed initially but as I got the feel of the Pajero’s gears, brakes and power, I found it strong going up slopes, very steady and comfortable. I never drive at my usual speed unless I am familiar with a car. We went along the highway southward to Tanjung Malim, then Kota Kubu Bahru where at five o’clock we stopped at a well-known Hainanese chicken rice restaurant for an early dinner. The taste was good but the lady in the group considered it excellent and thought the thirty ringgit for three person’s rice and chicken reasonable.


After dinner, we went along a forty kilometer winding uphill road. Though winding and most difficult to overtake our vehicles as the road is narrow, the road has its attractions, though the driver must not take his/her eyes off the road for too long. There was this beautiful expanse of water and the scenic view deserves a camera’s capture of its beauty for delightful memory. However, at one point we slowed to a snail’s crawl with a long trailer in front carefully negotiating the bends.
Fortunately, the trailer’s driver was understanding about our slow tiresome tailing of his vehicle and at one point where the bends are slightly further apart, he stopped the trailer and allowed us to overtake it.

After about half an hour we arrived at the ‘Gap’, the bottom of Fraser’s Hill. We discovered that the entrance had been blocked as it was five minutes to six. According to a signboard, vehicles are permitted to go up the hill at odd numbered hours which are one, three, five and seven o’clock. And twenty minutes before the end of the hour, vehicles are no longer allowed to entrance anymore as it takes twenty minutes to reach the top. Thus, we had to wait for an hour before we could make the ascent. I used the time to take photographs of the flora and fauna there. The road to the top was another driving practice with bends one after another and I had to use the second gear at a speed of forty kilometers an hour. Of course, and fortunately as it is really narrow all the way, by having such a time-table, the road was effectively turned into a one-way street.






Well, though it was winding along those two stretches of road, I must admit I enjoyed maneuvering the Pajero along those fascinating curves.

By the time we have found Jelai Resort and entered our naturally cool room to have a warm bath and rest, it was already half past eight. Everyone was tired and after some chit-chat, we called it a day.