Chinese New Year's holiday gave the kids and Joe a couple of extra days off, so we decided to visit Frasier’s Hill for a change of pace and a bit of cool weather. Our weekend get away was at Ye Olde Smokehouse near the top of Fraiser’s Hill-about 62 miles from KL at an altitude of about 1200-1500m above sea level. Nice and cool! As the name implies, it is a very British residence in it’s origins, furnishings, food options, and host manners.
In the 1890’s, Frasier’s Hill started out as an area for tin mining. As tin mining dropped off, it was opened to visitors as a cool, easy retreat from the lowland heat. Today, the hill station continues to be visited by folks who want a weekend away from the busyness, heat, and humidity of KL. Birding (270 species of local and migratory have been seen here), jungle trekking, and golfing are some of the most popular activities offered in this area.
We had a very relaxing visit, doing a little jungle trekking and bird watching with a self taught naturalist, general exploration, and some archery at a local archery range. And mostly just enjoying the cool weather...
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| street sign coming into Frasier's Hill |
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| Madeline in our room |
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| fresh bouquet of flowers in our English bedroom |
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| our room at Ye Olde Smokehouse |
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| love the roofs |
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| getting ready to leave our cool weekend retreat :( |
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| outside Ye Olde Smokehouse |
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| front entryway, Ye Olde Smokehouse |
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| loved the cool weather in our British weekend residence (1200-1500 meters above sea level) |
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| Ye Olde Smokehouse |
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| lovely entryway with swing |
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| wood fungus in the forest |
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| here are a few of the many species of birds found in Frasier's Hill |
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| loved the entry gate |
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| my lovely daughter, looking relaxed before she knew about the leeches! |
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| cool, tarzan style forest vines |
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| green laser light being shined on the web entrance to tarantula tunnel hole |
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| ...and here is the tarantula... |
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| native orchid |
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| more roofs! |
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| trapdoor spider |
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| same door, now open... |
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| where's waldo??? can you see the camouflaged catapillar? |
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leech-Gabe's pants saved him from an attachment this time, but Joe,
Gabe, and I were all bleeding after at least one encounter with a leech! |
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| partially decomposing building in the jungle |
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| peacock fern |
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| jungle ant nest in the tree |
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| unfurling fern |
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| pitcher plants, in situ |
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| another trapdoor spider, even more camouflaged! |
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| surprise! |
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| he looks worried... |
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| she looks ??? |
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| hey, this is fun!!! |
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| not my cup of tea... |
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| can you believe the view here? |
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| the mountain man... |
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| beautiful flowering vines spilling over mossy wall |
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| back staircase at the Smokehouse |
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| graceful tree ferns abound in the forests here |
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| cool moths captured in the stairwell at night |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| night moth |
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| bleeding heart |
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| Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia |
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| Silver eared Mesia |
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| Long-tailed Sibia |
