The trail climbed steadily, the path was somewhat overgrown but here I was, hiking with my two 3.5 year-olds, husband, a guide and a pleasant Japanese couple. What a highlight (our first hike as a family!) of our recent trip to Malaysia’s most popular hill station, Cameron Highlands. And I have the charming Strawberry Park Resort to thank.
Strawberry Park Resort is not only a very family-friendly, affordable place to stay but their tour desk located at their lobby makes it that much easier to see the sights here.
Rather than drive around this hill station on your own or try and book a taxi once you’re there, try making arrangements at the tour desk (more on this below). When you have two very young kiddos in tow, it’s good to have everything booked in advance.
Rooms at the Strawberry Park Resort
Located on a sprawling mountain landscape, Strawberry Park Resort has been around for some time. While it may not be a new and sparkly hotel, the upkeep is nothing short of exceptional.
Rooms are spacious with a nice large bath/shower area and comfortable beds. We had a Tioga Deluxe Suite for our family of four which had a gorgeous view of the surrounding valleys. There was a sofa in the room which my husband willingly slept in comfortably. I had a large bed to myself with the two kids.
The rooms are not air-conditioned nor are there fans. We felt maybe if we were in the room during afternoons, it would be best to have the option of switching on fans. However we did not feel warm as the cool air (mainly in the mornings and nights) cooled the room completely. (Temperatures can hit a cool 19-24C in the mornings/evenings to even 16C overnight!)
They have a couple of Family Suites with two to four bedrooms, ideal if you’re planning a huge family vacation and looking for affordable accommodation.
A charming half-circle balcony offers up a quiet spot to just sit in bliss and sip your coffee before the kids wake up and, well…
Room Tips:
- Request for a unit on the lowest level if there are any elderly guests in your group. Rooms are all walk-up only.
- Check what type of view the room you’re planning to book has.
Tours by Strawberry Park Resort
The tour desk can save you time and the holiday stress you don’t need. For as low as RM25 per person up to RM135 per person, they will arrange it all. Depending on the tour, a minimum number of people of two to eight persons apply.
We joined the Mossy Forest Tour. It was a two-hour enjoyable hike, accessible from the resort itself (there are different trails into the forest). A bottle of water was provided for each person.
Surrounded by dense foliage and towering trees, we found the hike highly rewarding, thanks to our guide. Heaps of beautiful trees covered in moss, a pitcher plant species, herbal and medicinal plants, cinnamon barks – were all pointed out by him.
Other family-friendly tours you could opt for include those to the strawberry farms, butterfly garden, honey bee farm, the market square and tea plantations. If you have young kids, I would highly recommend to opt for half day tours.
More adventurous tours include the mountain biking tours and night forest walks. Do inform the desk in advance if you want to join.
Food at the resort
Western, Indian, local and vegetarian food is easily available at the restaurants in the resort. The breakfast options at Brasserie’ 85 are fairly moderate but good. Look out for the roti station that serves up piping hot local delights like roti canai. Other dining options like the more formal Tudor Grill and Mulberry India Restaurants only open in the evenings.
There is also a bar at the lobby and a large outdoor garden terrace with seating for dining options.
Location
The Resort is a few minutes away from the main towns of Brinchang and Tanah Rata. Attractions like the various strawberry farms, butterfly garden, rose and lavender gardens, cactus valleys and tea plantations are all located in proximity but are not within walking distance.
*Look out for our upcoming post on places worth visiting in Cameron Highlands with kids.
What you need to try
- A steamboat dinner is one of the best experiences in Cameron Highlands. Thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, seafood and tofu are all cooked in a simmering hot pot which is placed at your table. For RM70 per nett, the resort can prepare a steamboat set for two persons with advance notice.
- We heard the scones here are very fresh, buttery and light accompanied with yummylicious homemade jam. We tried our scones at a cafe outdoors but if short on time you can try them at the resort.
- Also for RM70 try out their hi-tea set for two at the Garden Terrace from 3-6pm. Sipping hot tea in Cameron Highlands, now that’s doing it right!
- The resort has a full service spa but what I found most interesting was the outdoor jacuzzi with a view of the glorious mountain range!
Weekdays or weekends?
The most important tip if you’re planning a trip to Cameron Highlands would be to come on weekdays. Traffic on the narrow and windy roads on weekends has been frequently described as nightmare-ish. Thankfully the resort has awesome weekday promo rates going from RM240 for a studio room to RM590 for the bigger suites.
Final tips
- There is a mini playground in the resort property perfect for little ones to have some play time after breakfast!
- Lovely landscaping around the resort for perfect photo opportunities with the kids.
- Go for breakfast early to avoid big groups getting ready for their tours which usually begin at 9am.
- If you’re coming from Kuala Lumpur, a great stop along the way to Cameron Highlands would be Ipoh’s Lost World of Tambun which you can read about here.
- Look out for our upcoming post on the best places to go in Cameron Highlands for a family with young kids and if you think they can take the drive from KL!
You can check the latest prices and book your stay here.
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