A few weeks ago we visited Cameron Highlands. We make a habit out of staying at a different place every time we visit the place, this time we decided to stay at Gerard’s Place, a cozy and affordable guesthouse just outside of Tanah Rata. We already stayed at 8Mentigi once, also owned by the same people as Gerard’s Place. The popular Fathers Guesthouse is also part of the same group of owners, though this guesthouse is currently closed for various reasons (though they are intended to open soon).
As we were familiar in Tanah Rata it didn’t take that long to find the road that leads up to the guesthouse. If you are arriving by car from the Tapah exit (when coming from KL) then you need to take a right turn just before entering Tanah Rata, one of the main villages in Cameron Highlands. When you drove over the modern highway to Cameron Highlands (exit Simpang Pulai near Ipoh); you first need to drive through Tanah Rata and just when you exit the village, take a left turn. From there on you follow the road upwards as the guesthouse is located on a hill.
The guesthouse is actually located within a residential area, part of a few blocks of houses and opposite the Heritage Hotel. The actual house numbers are: Carnation Block C 9, C 10 & C 17 in Greenhill Resort. This already gives the guesthouse a pleasant feeling, you feel like you have arrived at home. The living room also gives that impression, there are a few beautiful pictures, a big screen television with cable tv, a shared fridge, a kitchen and an area with a pc that you can use to check the internet. As Cameron Highlands is a highland resort, it is usually not warmer than 24 degrees. There are no aircon’s, you have no use for them anyway. There is a small patio and a patch of green where you can site outside. At night you can actually spot fireflies right in front of the patio.
One of the great aspects of all three guesthouses, Gerard’s Place, Fathers Guesthouse and 8Mentigi, is that the same owners also operate the local tour agency Cameron Secrets. Besides the standard tours, they also offer very nice Eco-tours and adventure tours (like jungle treks and exploration tours). Standard tours typically last half a day, or a whole day and contains a visit to almost all highlights in the area. Besides tours, Cameron Secrets also offers transport to either Perhentian Island, Taman Negara (both via Gua Musang) and to Penang. If you book a tour with Cameron Secrets you will be picked up at the given time in front of the guesthouse.
Rooms are quite nice at Gerard’s Place. Some have a shared bathroom; others have a bathroom within the room. Showers worked great, though we found it a bit difficult to get out from under it, because of the cold temperatures outside. The bed slept great. Breakfast is very basic, but just enough to last you until lunch time. You can always bring you own stuff and keep it in the shared fridge or you can walk to Tanah Rata town in 5 minutes to enjoy a very nice breakfast at Rosedale Bistro.
Gerard’s Place offers free wifi. There are also quite a few nice magazines (mostly travel) for you to read. Some guests left their books behind for the next guests. From the guesthouse it is a 5 minute walk to the center of Tanah Rata. Because of the colder climate it is actually very pleasant to walk around in Cameron Highlands, a 5 minute walk in Kuala Lumpur would probably be a different experience because of the heat.
We paid between RM70 and RM100 for our rooms. During peak season and public holidays (like Chinese New Year) there is a surcharge. You can make reservations directly via their website (well, sort of as they do not have an official website yet). The best way is to call them, but you can also contact them by email.
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3 years ago
June 7, 2021 at 7:17 am
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