The Strawberry Park Resort Hotel is built right in the heart of Cameron Highlands plateau. Surrounded by a 7-acre hilltop jungle, it makes for a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Located inside the hilltop jungle, you will need to drive up from a junction next to the Cameron Highlands Golf Course. A sign from the road will direct visitors as to the correct side road to turn in.
There are some stalls at the junction selling flowers and plants and a farm called Kajimanis Strawberry Farm. Perhaps you might want to savor some strawberries before proceeding to a resort that is named after it?
There are some turn offs along the way, one of them will lead to the Moonlight Bungalow where the famous Jim Thompson once stayed before his mysterious disappearance!
On another bend is another road turnoff that is quite narrow and winding that passes by several bungalows. It leads all the way to Brinchang and along the way you can have a nice panoramic view of the Brinchang town! If I’m not mistaken, this road also passes by Cluny Lodge, a bungalow guesthouse catering only to Singaporeans.
Mixture of Tudor Style buildings and Contemporary Designs
The moment you arrived at the Strawberry Park Resort, you will be greeted with the white wash walls of Tudor style buildings, with an under utilized outdoor garden dining area, surrounded by fern trees and palms which seem rather out of place for an English garden setting.
A rather nice rock garden waterfall garden with the Strawberry Park Resort logo on it never fails to entice visitors to take memento picture to show to friends and relatives alike that they have stayed or visited the popular Strawberry Park Resort!
Strawberry Park Resort has six blocks of studio rooms and apartments with every room balcony planted with lush bougainvilleas growing out of it.
But from what I spied, not every bougainvillea seems to be thriving with some rather dingy branches hanging out on some balconies. Well, hope you get those rooms with the healthy ones when you book your stay there.
For myself, I’m pretty fortunate to stay here many times because my wife gets staff rate from her employment.
The studio rooms are nice and cozy with sliding door partitioning the bedroom and the living room. Useful when one partner wants to snooze and the other wants to stay up a bit watching the TV! As usual, do keep the balcony door close to keep out the many unwelcome little friends from buzzing around in the room! Of course for those who really want to feel to full effect of the cool cold nights of Cameron Highlands, you can leave it open!
Spectacular Mountain Views
The mornings are beautiful, waking up to be greeted by the cheery chirping sounds of the highlands birds in the morning! If your room happens to face the jungle side all the more intense the sound of the bird’s chitter-chatter.
And of course you can hear the loud enthusiastic happy sounds of your neighbour’s kids running to and fro. Still want to snooze like a log? C’mon, rise and shine, my dear! Lots of things to do at Cameron Highlands!
If you need someone to organize your tour of Cameron Highlands, there is an office by the lobby that you can inquire. From jungle trekking to a general tour of the area, many choices to choose from.
I happened to meet up with the manager running the tour office on of my trips in Cameron Highlands and I asked him about some of the jungle trails that I could try.
Since I will be trudging the jungle path on my own and wanted something a little more challenging then the simple Parit Waterfall trail and Robinson Waterfall trail, he suggested I try the Arcadia path #3, since other path would be too difficult and would require a guide to safely trek through.
Well, I heeded his advice and tried that trail. Not too bad. It was fairly easy though I didn’t go all the way up to Gunung Beremban since I didn’t have the luxury of time to go through the entire length of the trail. Maybe next time then!
Charcoal Steamboat available here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPht4rlnd0o
Strawberry Park Resort had a charcoal steamboat dinner special just for that month in the outdoor garden terrace. My wife and I gave it a try just to feel the difference with that of Highland Restaurant.
The verdict? So-so. But sitting out in the cold night at the outdoor garden terrace was a little bit too chilly for our liking. Unlike the town area, the jungle air is cooler.
Reminds me of the time when I was in Queenstown New Zealand for a vacation many years ago sitting out in the cold Spring air out in the open of the Pig and Whistle Restaurant with the cold, cold wind blowing at us. It was totally cold and I was shivering away! Of course Cameron Highlands was not that bad and the hot pot of Steamboat did warm us up somewhat.
So how much is the usual rate of Strawberry Park Resort? According to the brochure I have in hand, it cost about RM198++ for a studio room.
That’s not all; they are giving away a RM70 cash voucher which you can use at any of their Food & Beverage Outlets, Tours & Recreational Activities, Gift Shop purchases, etc. Sounds like a good offer! This offer is valid till 31st December 2006.
If you think Strawberry Park Resort is the place to stay, give them a call at telephone +605-491 1166, or email them at [email protected]
You can find out more about them at their website: www.strawberryparkresorts.com