Saturday December 22, 2007
By Revathi Murugappan
For a relaxing retreat combined with spa treatments, drive up to the Cameron Highlands Resort.
The largest hill resort in the country, Cameron Highlands is a popular holiday getaway for families and couples. There is lodging to suit all budgets but if you’re looking for luxury with a bit of pampering, a good choice is Cameron Highlands Resort.
Unlike its sister resorts in Pangkor and Tanjung Jara, Cameron Highlands Resort is small and resembles a typical English colonial home. The resort exudes English elegance and tropical chic.
The high life: This is Cameron Highland Resort’s treat for guests — tea amongst tea bushes in the Boh Sungai Palas Tea Centre
The 56-room boutique hotel, formerly called the Merlin Inn, was taken over by YTL Hotels and Properties Sdn Bhd just last year and already it is drawing in the crowds. Recently, the resort was voted amongst the five best tea plantation hotels in the world by UK’s The Independent newspaper.
So, off we went on a three-day invitation to enjoy the cool climate of the highlands and bask in opulence. We had a speedy Gonzales of a driver who drove us from Kuala Lumpur to our destination in slightly less than two hours!
The usual check-ins and whatnots followed before we explored the place at our own pace. For a truly sensational experience, they treated us to one of their signature tea plantation experience one morning – a visit to a tea centre.
Typically, such a day starts with a 4WD picking up guests and taking them to the Boh Sungai Palas Tea Centre. A tea sommelier will lead you on a tea appreciation tour before explaining the intricacies of tea tasting. You’ll get to enjoy your cuppa while overlooking the valley.
Once you have warmed up, the adventure begins as you hop into the vehicle and drive deeper into the valley. Amidst rows of fragrant tea bushes, a picnic table is set up under a large white umbrella. A personal Nepali butler awaits with a delightful brunch spread and choices of wine, juices and hot beverages.
The view is simply gorgeous but if it rains, then you can scurry for shelter at the nearby “bus stop”.
After binging, we skipped lunch and opted for tea, which incidentally is the new rage all over the world now. Food, food and more glorious food! If you’re a tea lover like moi, you must try the English afternoon tea at the Jim Thompson Tea Room.
The homemade scones, pastries, finger sandwiches and fresh strawberries topped with sinful chocolate might affect your waistline, but hey, when you’re on holiday, calorie-counting goes out the window. Besides, you can always work off the pounds later.
Bellies expanded and breathing heavy, we decided it was time for a snooze in the king-sized four-poster bed. The deluxe rooms are comfy and feature a seating area with French doors opening out to the balcony. Polished timber flooring has replaced the musty carpets of the old Merlin Inn, while the bathroom is in old-fashioned black and white marble.
All rooms either overlook the golf course or the lush forest.
Resident naturalist Shahril Kamarulzaman with some guests on the Jim Thompson trail. — Ong Soon Hin/The Star
The only drawback was that my room faced the main road (golf course) and the traffic was noisy. I kept waking up annoyed from the car honks and loud chatter of pedestrians, even with the windows and shutters closed.
A visit to any of YTL’s luxury resorts is incomplete without the spa treatment, for which the group has garnered many international awards. I was recommended the Fresh Strawberry Escapade, which includes a tea bath, a body polish and a massage – all using fresh strawberries, which have properties to soften skin and reduce inflammation.
The tea bath was supposedly a sensual experience. The tub is filled with tea leaves and warm water, and you jump in. You can place cut cucumber on your eyes, rub sugar to exfoliate your hands, and sip ice lemon tea to cool yourself while listening to meditative music on the earphones.
While I loved the soaking, I found it uncomfortable as the tubs were not meant for tall people! I couldn’t find a comfortable position to place my long legs and relax.
The body polish, made of strawberries, yoghurt and crushed oatmeal was delightful, although the chilled concoction initially sent shivers down my spine. My therapist ended the treatment with a massage using soothing, long strokes and medium pressure. I would’ve fallen asleep but dinner was calling.
Plans were made for us to dine under the stars but since it rained, we headed indoors for a specially prepared steamboat dinner. Guests have a choice of three restaurants to choose from, one being the Gonbei, an offshoot of the Japanese restaurant at Feast Village in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
After dinner, guests can head back to the tea room to enjoy the delightful piano tunes played by Uncle Stephen or try a game of snooker. Or if you’d rather be outdoors, and the weather holds up, take a stroll along the main road to the nearby night market.
The next day was spent leisurely hiking along the Jim Thompson Mystery Trail with Shahril Kamarulzaman, the resort’s naturalist, who specialises in wild orchids.
Thomson, the American Silk King, mysteriously vanished on Easter Sunday in 1967 after going for a walk in the surrounding forests.
There are many theories regarding his disappearance, some plausible, others ridiculous.
“He is believed to have walked around the vicinity but I’m not sure of the exact trail,” quipped Shahril as he showed us endemic plants and flowers in the botanical paradise. The pleasant walk was marred by the appearance of many illegal water pipes in the forest due to poor enforcement by the authorities.
The walk ended at the fringes of an Orang Asli settlement and, after a quick lunch, we parted ways.
Cameron Highlands Resort
Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands, Pahang
Tel: (03)2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
www.cameronhighlandsresort. com
Room rates begin at
RM670++ per night.
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