In August 2007 we enjoyed a pleasant overnight stay on Fraser’s Hill. The drive from Kuala Lumpur would probably take about 2 – 2 ½ hours, but we took our time and made several stops. One stop was for lunch in Rawang at Lotus Restaurant. If you happen through town at mealtime we would recommend it. It is delicious Indian food you can get served on a banana leaf. After you pass the main downtown business district and start up a small incline, it is in a plaza behind the Petronas station on the right.
The old system of odd hours up/even hours down on the one-lane road up to Fraser’s Hill is now obsolete. A new road is open that is always up, and the old road is always down. The new road is one switchback after another that took just over an hour and had me quite nauseous by the time we got to the top. If you are prone to motion sickness you might want to take your medication before.
We stayed at Shahzan Inn. This was a last-minute trip on a holiday, so we paid the holiday rate of RM250++, which was more than it was actually worth. Some rates I spotted on the Internet of RM150-170 are more reasonable.
The Inn would not be to our standards for a long stay, but was good enough for overnight. We were greeted by a nice lobby, and the desk clerk showed us the room before we committed. There was a room deposit required at check-in (I think RM50) the balance of which was returned at check-out.
The room was of average cleanliness, and very basic. It had twin beds, tv, and small balcony with view of the first fairway of the golf course. The pillows were way too thick to use, so I used my sweater as a pillow. The bathroom had a tub with hand-held shower (mounted so low on the wall that even with the hose stretched out my 6’ tall husband had to bend a little to wash his hair.) Interestingly, our friend staying in the room right next door had a walk-in shower with regular wall-mounted shower head. Two towels, soap and shower cap were provided, but no shampoos, no washcloths, no bath mat, no hair dryer, and no safe or clock in the room. The shower was nice and hot, though, which was welcome after a cool hike in the forest.
The walls must be paper thin, as we heard every noise made in the room next door. Sleeping with the windows open in the cool mountain air was nice, but we were shocked from our sleep at 6 a.m. by the wake-up call from the mosque.
The restaurant had indoor and outdoor seating, and the special BBQ dinner that night (in celebration of Merdeka) was delicious. Breakfast was mediocre.
The best part about Shahzan Inn is its location – right in the heart of the village. The golf course, shops and eateries are right outside the door. Just don't expect luxury.
For hiking on the hill, we tried Bishop’s Trail, which is not for the squeamish. Wear sturdy shoes and watch for leeches. I wore bug repellent, but we hardly saw any flying insects.
