Weekend Escape

The Lakehouse Hotel, a Tudor-style country house is a heritage of Malaysia’s colonial past. Discovered by British surveyor, William Cameron on a mapping expedition in 1885, the fame of Cameron Highlands grew during the colonial era. British expatriates would frequent the highlands to relax and escape the lowland tropical heat and British planters soon realised the potential of its fertile mountain slopes for growing tea, then a prized commodity. Today, Cameron Highlands is still home to many tea plantations and no trip to Cameron Highlands would be complete if you miss the tea plantations. The Ye Olde Smokehouse Hotel, also a charming country house, serves the best scones I’ve ever had. They come with Devonshire cream, strawberry jam and spoon twirled butter. Very pretty. We had our afternoon tea at the beautifully tended garden enjoying the cool breeze and far from the maddening crowd. It would have been perfect if not for the overpriced tea sets and rusty table and chairs.