Sanctuary in the Highlands
By A. Faisal Shaazi

I drove into the small but lively town of Tanah Rata in the cool afternoon air of Cameron Highlands after a 50 minute trip up the winding road from Tapah, passing the town of Ringlet and Bertam Valley on the way up. Thirty seconds after passing what essentially is the town centre of Tanah Rata, I made a right turn into Jalan Masjid right before the Tanah Rata police station. Pine trees left and right shortly gave way to a modern-looking complex that is Century Pines Resort.

We were greeted by Mr. Sara, the manager in duty, and his friendly staff. I and my wife checked in and we were given a room with a hillview. The hotel’s décor is subtle and pleasant, from the lobby to the elevator all the way to the spacious rooms. The walls are beautifully decorated with intricate carvings with plant motifs that depict vines, leaves, flowers, and other jungle plants – very traditional Malay. This décor choice is very apt since this is after all Cameron Highlands, famous for its flora and its fauna. I was impressed with the lengths the decorators went to in giving this hotel a feel that is modern yet local, friendly yet serene. The buildings themselves are colonial in design with sandstone outer walls. The hotel has a new 5-story block and an old 2-story block. The rooms on the ground floor of the old block each opens to its own well-maintained patio garden. I was told these rooms are very popular with elderly western tourists.

Hotels in Cameron Highlands need no air-conditioning, and Century Pines is no different. One only has to open the windows to let the cool, fresh and invigorating mountain air blast into the room. Even so, Century Pines has a built-in ventilation system to maintain healthy air flow in the rooms. The living area of the rooms have wooden flooring so that guests can walk barefooted and not get their feet too cold (important especially in the evenings).

One aspect that I do judge a hotel by is its bathroom. In this department, Century Pines is clearly on par with any five-star hotel, if not above most hotels in the same classification. The fixtures are luxurious, with pseudo-gold plating. I especially like the design of the bathrooms with separate shower and bath areas, making the bathroom occupy the equivalent of almost two bathrooms of other five-star hotels. Unlike other hotels that I have stayed in, the hot water here comes on almost immediately. There’s nothing like a hot shower after a slow walk in the cool evening air.

The room has several satellite channels and a DVD player – where guests can enjoy (ahem) low cost DVD movies they had just bought in KL before coming up to Cameron Highlands. Seriously though, the DVD player would useful if you have kids who would not go anywhere without taking their VCD/DVD of that unmistakable singing pink dinosaur.

Later in the evening, I and my wife drove up to another hotel where the local Japanese associations and other volunteer associations were holding a celebration of Bon Odori, a summer Japanese festival. In fact, Century Pines is so near to everything in Tanah Rata, we hardly needed to drive. Everything in town is within a slow 15-minute walk.

Coming back later that evening, we found the outdoor parking almost full with about 30 vehicles parked. That was not a problem because there was still ample parking in the basement parking area. Parking during peak seasons shouldn’t be much of a problem. The security guards were making their rounds and all the parking areas were brightly lit.

The next morning, I checked out the gym facilities. Century Pines’ gym has your basic weight training machines, free weights and cardiovascular training machines. Quite new as well. Unfortunately the spa and sauna were under maintenance so I was not able to try out those facilities. They also have a squash court and a tennis court.

Buffet breakfast was included in the stay package. We tried out the food which was your standard western breakfast with some local dishes such as nasi lemak and fried mee. The food was okay but nothing to write home about. Although I did notice the dishes were not labeled - which would be a good idea since a significant percentage of guests were non-Malaysians (in fact there were 4 western families, 1 middle eastern family and 3-4 local families at the restaurant when we were eating there). I would think that people would want to know what they are eating. Century Pines also has a pub and another café, but has left the Chinese restaurant niche to other hotels in town.

The hotel actually does not charge extra for up to two children under the age of 11 staying with the parents. As you can see, Century Pines Resort is a comfortable, family-friendly and tourist-friendly hotel, unlike many impersonal five-star hotels out there. This hotel was really designed to be a place to unwind and relax, while enjoying the serene natural environment of Cameron Highlands. Room rates are around the RM200 range (non-peak), with breakfast for two included. I highly recommend this hotel for families going up to Cameron for a short R&R in the highlands.