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settlement was developed, with a road
carved into the hill for easy access and
extra buildings added. A golf course was
also created in the rolling hills to amuse
the visitors, and a round of golf can still
be played on the green today.
Many of the original cottages and
buildings remain at the picturesque hill
station now known as Fraser’s Hill. Visi-
tors can enjoy a little taste of colonial life
by taking tea in the cosy former cottages
and curling up beside log fires that chase
off the chill that descends as the sun sets.
Aside from the golf course, there is
also a boating lake, horse riding op-
portunities and plenty of walking trails
to keep nature and birdlovers satisfied
for hours. ‘Birders’ in particular will
be in raptures, as the hill top attracts
around 270 species of bird, some of which
journey from Siberia.
Thanks to its proximity to the capital,
Fraser’s Hill is a popular place and well
worth a visit if you have a day to spare.
Enjoy the fresh air, the lush setting and
ponder the man who established this little
gem and yet left nothing behind but his
name and an air of enigma hanging over
the charming hill station.
get
away
Fraser’s Hill is a hill station with an intriguing past but a charming present, making for a
weekend break like no other.
Mr Fraser’s Vanishing Act
W o r d s :
S a r a h R e e s
W
h e n
t h e
heat of the
city gets too
much, there is
nothing better
than escaping
into the hills
for some cooler temperatures and the
pleasure of lush surroundings. Fraser’s
Hill is one destination that offers all this
and more, from old colonial architecture
and outdoor pursuits to a mysterious
story that continues to intrigue all those
who hear it.
Located around two hours north
of Kuala Lumpur in the mountains of
Pahang, Fraser’s Hill is a popular spot
for weekend breaks and day trips from
the city thanks to its pleasant cocktail
of comfortable temperatures, beautiful
surroundings and chilled ambiance.
While the British colonials maintained
and adored the town for much the same
reasons as today’s visitors flock there,
Fraser’s Hill has a far more interesting
history than many similar high spots,
having been founded by a mysterious
gentleman on a hunt for gold.
In the 1890s, a Scotsman by the name
of Louis James Fraser lived at the base
of the Tittiwangsa mountain range in
solitary simplicity. He operated a mule
transportation service that connected
Kuala Kubu Bahru and Raub and lived
alone, having made Malaya his home
after a failed attempt to mine for gold in
Australia.
The clock tower marks the
centre of the hill station
The lure of the glittery stuff was what
drew Fraser’s attention to the then unex-
plored heights of the Tittiwangsa range
just outside his front door. Unbeknown to
the army or the British rulers of the time,
Fraser decided he would explore the ridge
in a hunt for gold, enlisting a number of
locals to help him hack a path through
the tangled, wild forest.
Although the hills proved to be devoid
of gold, Fraser discovered a deposit of
tin and swiftly established a mine. He
attracted local workers and built them
homes on the ridge, as well as establish-
ing a gambling den in which he could
win back the money he paid his workers
as a salary.
Then, just as mysteriously as he had
arrived, Fraser simply disappeared just
as the tin ran dry. He left behind a ghost
town, as the locals departed soon after,
and bamboozled the search party who
combed the hills but found no trace of
the mysterious Mr Fraser.
What the searchers did find was a
superb spot for a hill station; a destination
to offer some respite from the heat for
the colonial families living and working
in the surrounding areas. Fraser’s initial
Ye Olde Smokehouse is
the hill station’s most
well-known restaurant