The first time I went to Fraser's Hill in Pahang was after climbing Gunung Ulu Semangkuk back in July. Then it was only for a short drive through and some lunch at the food court there. My next visit was when I climbed Pine Tree hill along with my wife and hiking buddies. It was a nice place, cool, quiet and serene. I thought someday I wanna stay there for a short weekend getaway or vacation or something. The opportunity came when my sister organized a little family trip there and we decided to stay at The Pines Resort, a big resort but with budget hotel facilities.
The Pines Resort is located towards the exit to KL/Bentong. It's the last resort you're going to encounter before you leave Fraser's Hill. We rented a three bedroom apartment costing RM320 that is after a hundred ringgit peak season surcharge. Which is okay I guess since we had three family staying there so it's about 100 ringgit each.
It rained all the way from Kuala Kubu Bahru to the The Pines Resort so it was all misty and really cold when we got there. The resort doesn't have air conditioners (they don't need any) only a couple of wall fans in every room. The master bedroom has a little balcony of it's own and and a bathroom with a bath tub. The bath tub is missing it's drain stopper so it's pretty useless. The living room is quite spacious and the private balcony overlooking the hills gives you quite a scenery. There's a dining table in the little space they call the dining room. The kitchen is pretty basic - a double sink, some plastic plates and tap with hot water and that's about it. There's also one little fridge but no stove for cooking. At least there's ample hot water for everyone. Trust me you're gonna needed for shower.
The bulky TV in the living room show nothing but local terrestrial channels and the reception was pretty bad. We had to go to the local restaurant in the town center to watch our favorite football game. At least they still have Astro at this remote place. We were given food vouchers which entitles us free breakfast for 6 the next morning. Breakfast wasn't really mouth-watering. They cooked up some half-arsed nasi lemak with greasy sambal which surprisingly would all be gone by 9:00 AM. Apart from that there's also sausages and toast but the roll-on toaster was broken (it didn't really toast our bread).
Is it worth it to stay at The Pines Resort? For RM320 definitely not. Honestly I'd pay more to stay elsewhere. You go to the Pines Resort only as a last resort when everywhere else is fully booked. The sheets and blankets looked worn and seasoned. The carpets was all but faded. For a place with such beautiful scenery all around and so much potential, they managed to keep the place running with only the bare essentials.
Fortunately our maiden visit to Fraser's Hill wasn't totally ruined by a substandard hotel. Like I said, I really like the cool and serene environment in Fraser's Hill. We had a little jog in the misty morning fog from the resort to the town center while enjoying the cool fresh air. We could have gone for a hike at one of the many trails there but time were pretty limited so we had to skip that. The food price at the food court that we went for the third time by now is pretty reasonable although those near the clock tower were pretty expensive. The kids get to play at the park and playground next to the food court so at least they were not thoroughly bored there.
So if you're planning a visit to Fraser's Hill, book a place anywhere but at Pines Resort. The reviews were not exactly stellar and I must agree with all their complaints.
They can definitely reduce their rates. The resort looks like it has seen better days, maybe 20 years ago. But still, Fraser's Hill is a wonderful place to hike and relax. I myself often go there with my friend, and we also stay at the Pines Resort. Great weather, and undisturbed forest.
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