Cameron Highlands accomodation
 

We are going to be staying 4 or 5 nights in the Cameron Highlands ( is this too long ? ) but so far we aren't convinced that there is a decent place to stay. The best of a mediocre lot seems to be the Strawberry Park Resort and the Olde Smokehouse. Reviews of these 2 on sites such as asiahotels.com suggest that they aren't all that great. Can anyone tell me which is the better or maybe an alternative ?

Also what quality is the golf course ?

well, galiano, i was hoping someone would respond, but since no one did, let me post this.

i was last there quite a few years ago, and i loved foster's smokehouse. this might be the same as olde smokehouse. it was a very nice old english inn. it was great. i don't think spr was around at that time.

i did not golf, but as a golfer, i looked at that course, and unless you are a scratch golfer, and belong to a cc, the course at ch is good.

two nights is good enough. if you have the other two nites to spare, go to genting highlands, and try your luck.

Thanks for your reply. We're not into gambling so Genting is out. I hope someone who has stayed more recently at CH will respond.

You could try the Equatorial Hotel at CH, its newer than the Strawberry and less expensive than Smokehouse and is run by a reputable hotel chain in this region.
The golf course is ok but with the present rainy spell in the country, the course is soft and yr ball will get plugged quite often.

Thanks but the Equatorial Hotel looks too big. Either the Smokehouse or Strawberry Park once we get some feedback as to which is better and why.

Stayed at both of them a few years ago.
Had read a so-so review of the Smokehouse, and met some folks who raved about Strawberry Park. Couldn't get into Strawberry Park the first of three nights so booked there for nights two and three and night one at the Smokehouse. We loved the Smokehouse and left Strawberry Park after one night and checked back into the Smokehouse for our third night. The Smokehouse owner, Mr. Peter Lee was present and spent quite a bit of time with us - he's a most interesting man. The food was pretty good and the garden and atmosphere were super. The accomodations at Strawberry Park were showing wear, the place was overrun with families with young kids, and our suite overlooked a hilly road where lumber trucks noisily shifted gears all night. We found lots to fill up the three days we spent there - hiking, visiting a tea plantation (on our own, not a tour; just dropped in) and had a great game on the golf course across from the Smokehouse.

Thanks for your excellent reply. I was hoping to hear from someone who had stayed at both. I think we'll stay at the Smokehouse. Any particular room or part of the hotel you can recommend ? We will be without a vehicle. Could you tell me how you got around Cameron Highlands ?

I think our room was the "Garden" room - I know it had a king bed. We had flown from Phuket to Penang, where we rented a car and drove to Singapore, so had a vehicle for getting around. The Smokehouse is right across from the golf course, so if you're golfing you won't need transportation. We rented clubs - and saw a sign that said you needed golf shoes. Came back wearing loafers and was told you didn't need golf shoes. Rented the shoes, about two sizes too big. If you've got athletic shoes or whatever with you, be sure to wear them. I think there are tours available to the various sites, so you should be able to get along without a car. We really enjoyed the golf. It's better to play in the AM. If it rains, it's more likely to do so in the afternoon.

Hello again :

There are four of us and we are considering renting a van in KL and then doing CH, Penang and back to KL. How was the driving ? Is it easy enough getting in and out of the cities ? Also did you think it a big advantage over public transportation ?
One more thing - 4 days too long in the CH ?
Thanks again for your help.

If you are planning to golf at least once, do some hiking, visit a tea plantation, a temple, strawberry farms, etc. plus take time to relax, four days shouldn't be too long, although three would also allow you to do all or most of the above.
We generally prefer our own transportation - that way we can set our own schedule, stop when and where we feel like, and just generally have more freedom. Didn't have any problem
getting in and out of KL and Penang, but you may want to time it to avoid rush hour. The road up to CH has more curves than any I've ever driven. Be prepared for a fairly slow trip on that part of your visit. Don't know your country of residence - they do drive on the left. Penang is one of my favorite cities - be sure to at least have a drink at the E & O - or consider staying there. Also, if you have your own transportation, consider driving out to the Batu Caves in KL.
Have Fun!

Well it sounds like we should rent a vehicle. We're from Canada so driving is on the wrong side :-) of the road for us although we've done it in England with no problem.

As to Penang we plan on staying 3 days and we are going to book the E & O. It's expensive relative to the rest of the country but hotels like that often prove to be the highlight of a trip. Can you recommend any other hotels in Malaysia that you really liked ? Thanks again for all your help and I hope you don't mind if I get back to you with other questions as they arise.

We really liked the location and ambiance of the E & O. Besides CH and Penang, we only stayed in KL and Malacca. Stayed at Shah's Beach Resort in Malacca - actually about 5 miles out of town. The water in the Straits of Malacca is too polluted for swimming, but they had a nice pool. The accomodations were fairly basic but also pretty inexpensive. Country Western entertainment in the restaurant after dinner - evidently Malacca is the SE Asia center for country western music. Stayed at the Equatorial in KL and it was fine, but we're currently researching a Bhutan/Myanmar trip for a year from now, planning a stopover in KL for a night or so, and are leaning toward the Ritz based on our research so far. We're from the US so also used to driving on the "right" side, although we lived in Scotland almost 40 years ago and drove a Mustang with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side for Britain. Compared with that, driving on the left with left-side steering is a piece of cake!

OOPS! Must have been having a senior moment. Meant to say we're currently leaning toward the Oriental in KL. It's connected by walkway to the Petrona Towers and, acccording to photos, has a gorgeous infinity pool.

The Mandarin Oriental is a great choice. I personally wouldn't stay 4 nights, definitely not five nights in CH. The hotels really aren't that great, too grimy around the edges for my taste and the attractions are worth only a weekend to my mind. Sorry.

Thank you all for your really helpful replies. We're now going to rent a car and will probably stay 4 nights at the Olde Smokehouse. CH has the appeal of a more temperate climate and just sitting around sounds appealing. Any tips on the best places to eat in the CH ?