Fraser's Hill

Fraser's Hill sits on the ridge between Selangor and Pahang at around 1,500 metres, and unlike the other Malaysian hill stations it has stayed small: a clock tower, a handful of mock-Tudor bungalows, a nine-hole golf course and a scatter of guesthouses. Very little happens, which is exactly why birders like it. Species that are difficult to find elsewhere on the peninsula turn up along the roadsides here, including trogons, laughingthrushes and the occasional broadbill, and an annual bird count draws teams from around the region. Short marked trails run into the montane forest, and the temperature at night drops far enough to want a jacket.

History

The hill is named after Lewis James Fraser, a Scottish trader who came to the Federated Malay States in 1890 and set up a tin-ore trading post at Tras. The bishop of Singapore, C. J. Ferguson-Davie, came looking for him without success but saw the area's promise as a hill station, and research in 2019 showed that Fraser had in fact retired to Britain in 1900 and died in 1906 (Wikipedia, Fraser's Hill).

What you'll find

• Montane birdlife - trogons, laughingthrushes and broadbills seen from the quiet roadsides.
• The forest trails - short marked paths including the Bishop and Hemmant routes.
• The Jeriau waterfall - a cascade below the town, reached along a side road.
• The old bungalows - mock-Tudor buildings scattered around the golf course.

When to go

February to April tends to be clearest, though cloud rolls in most afternoons at this altitude in any month. Birding is best in the first two hours of daylight along the empty roads. Weekends fill the limited accommodation with families from Kuala Lumpur; midweek the place is close to deserted. Nights are cool enough for a jumper.

Good to know

There is very little to do here if you are not interested in birds or walking, and evenings are quiet to the point of dull. The road up is narrow, steep and prone to landslips, which have closed it for extended periods in the past. Accommodation is limited and some older properties are tired. Mist can shut down the views for days at a stretch.

Nearby

The Gap and Raub lie on the road down; the Genting and Cameron highlands sit along the same range.