Cameron Highlands Smokehouse Hotel and Restaurant
The Cameron Highlands Smokehouse Hotel and Restaurant is one of the must-visit places when you make a trip to the highlands here in Pahang, Malaysia.
Ye Olde Smokehouse plaqueYe Olde Smokehouse, as it is known to many, has magically maintained the look and feel of this place for 80 years, where it was owned by four different people. Overgrown plants dominate the landscape of the well-manicured gardens; you can see a variety of lovely highland flowers here.
Main entrance
The Smokehouse is also strategically located between Tanah Rata and Brinchang and is just off the main road. This English Cottage is very popular with tourists as most of them would come here to take pictures of this beautiful place or drop by for some tea and scones, the Cameron way.
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| The beautiful English setting. |
Inside the restaurant, there is a covered patio area to enjoy your tea and scones, which cost about RM25.00 for a set. You can also have this throughout the day as it is served from morning to evening.
Various plants and a white piano is found in this patio, with a few tables scattered around. This portion of the building is connected to the main hall and also the restaurant area. This is the cooling area where you can light up your pipe or cigar.
The beautiful interiorMaking my way inside, the entire collection of eclectic furniture and fittings that are purely English cottage style caught my eye everywhere I looked. Every detail you see here seems to have been naturally set from back in the day.
The Smokehouse Restaurant menu.If you look at the menu, you will see that a dinner for two would cost around RM120.00 (US$35.00), and this is without wines. But it is a good experience if you want to try good old English food here.
The restaurant dining areaI pretty much found the dining area very well set up with lots of details. Wooden tables and chairs with napkins and cutlery all tidily arranged against the checkered black and white floor with a black beam across the ceiling.
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| Smokehouse Restaurant |
Some interesting facts about the Smokehouse were that it was initially opened on Christmas of 1937 by Englishman Douglas Warin. It was called Ye Olde Smokehouse Inn and had only six rooms mainly meant for homesick British expatriates based here in Malaysia.
There were four expatriate owners, Mr Douglas Warin, Mr MacDonald (A Scotsman), Mr Cowling, Lt.Col. Stanley Foster and finally Mr Peter K.H. Lee, a Malaysian businessman who bought the Smokehouse in 1977. The Lee family has been running this business ever since.
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| Smokehouse Living Room |
As for rooms, the hotel has multiple suites in this three-story colonial Tudor building, some of them doubles and triples while they have a honeymoon suite called Squire. Unfortunately, I did not manage to photograph this room.
The traditional fireplaceA lovely traditional fireplace is also located in the main hall, but I do not know if they use it. Still, I read somewhere that guests or walk-in customers would order a pint of Guinness and sit by the fireplace, slowly absorbing in the lovely ambience.
I noticed that the traditional English antiques and memorabilia around the Smokehouse are absolutely fascinating if you love all things English. Every nook and cranny will have something interesting for you to discover while in here.
Beautiful flowers at Cameron HighlandsFor a photographer, this would be a great place to explore your photography skills. I was informed by a worker at the Smokehouse that several people have their wedding photography done here. Please note that you can visit the hotel and its surroundings, but you cannot go inside for your photography unless you are a guest or have approval from the management.
Mock Tudor Architecture in MalaysiaI must admit that when I was a child aged about seven, my parents brought me to Cameron Highlands for a holiday, and we visited the Smokehouse to get some pictures taken. I remember this as I have an old photo of me here. (Sorry, I couldn’t find it to post here)
Outside the beautifully manicured gardens lies an octagon-shaped brick and glass hut. Apparently, there was a lot of junk inside it, and I wonder what this place used to be. Nearby, there is an old English red telephone booth in the area for those wanting to take some photographs.
The Smokehouse Hotel at Cameron HighlandsOn a personal note, if you are expecting one of those SLH (Small Luxury Hotels), The Smokehouse is not one of them. It is more of an English themed Bed and Breakfast (B&B) but priced higher than the ordinary hotel.
Most locals would simply visit this place for the excellent Tea and Scones or merely have dinner for the experience and soak in the ambience.
There is another cottage-style hotel nearby that I wrote about called Bala’s Holiday Chalets; if you are into this kind of boutique hotel.
Room rates at the Cameron Highlands Smokehouse
- Room Rates range from RM400.00 to RM680.00.
- Rates are inclusive of full traditional English Breakfast
- Weekday and Weekend rates are different.
Address and Contact:
The Smokehouse Cameron Highlands
P. O. Box 77, Tanah Rata 39007
Cameron Highlands,
Pahang Darul Makmur,
Malaysia.
Tel : 605-491 1215
Fax : 605-491 1214
Email: cameron@thesmokehouse.com.my
Getting to the Smokehouse in Cameron Highlands
- From the NKVE Highway to Ipoh, turn off at the Tapah exit
- Keep left after the toll booth
- Follow the winding road 60 kilometres all the way to the top
- First town – Ringlet, then Tanah Rata, then Brinchang
- Smokehouse is in between Tanah Rata and Brinchang town on the right as you head up
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