Fidgety Fingers: EVERYTHING ENGLISH HOMESTAY IN CAMERON HIGHLANDS

I arrived very early in the morning with the bus from Singapore. Fabian and Lilian drove up hours before the check-in time to accommodate an early check-in. Much appreciated. Their holiday home is very cosy and makes one feel very relaxed and personable. This experience is very unlike a hostel or hotel. They made sure we were sorted with tours, maps and all the tips we needed. They also checked on us everyday.

The many couches and chilling corners at the homestay.

Pretty with the misty skies, green balcony and warm interior of the homestay on a chilly morning.

Lilian's beautiful wedding dress, packed and ready to be brought back to their place in Ipoh.

The view from their balcony. Loads of potted plants on the balcony. The balcony next door belongs to the master bedroom. A nice chilling area for couples.

View of Brinchang Town from Sam Poh Temple which is just 5 minutes from the homestay.

TO STAY AT BRINCHANG OR TANAH RATA
A friend who frequents Cameron Highlands advised me to stay at Brinchang rather than Tanah Rata. Reason being, it is closer to all the attractions, restaurants and markets. Their home is a flight of stairs to Brinchang Town which only takes about 3 minutes to get to. You will experience local Chinese, Malay and Indian restaurants. There is a Malay food court. There is a supermarket and also several small provision shops.

THE VICINITY OF BRINCHANG : AROUND THE HOMESTAY
One rather gourmet provision shop sells alcohol, organic products and also specialised ice cream like, black charcoal, strawberry cheesecake, teh tarik (pulled milk tea) and my favourite, salted gula melaka (salted palm sugar caramel). A small morning street market is also 8 minutes away, behind KFC. The pasar malam (night market) is about 10 minutes away. They sell clothes, trinkets, fresh produce, cameron specialties and hot food to go. The market opens on Friday and Saturday nights, but we were lucky as it opens everyday during Malaysian school holiday. Try the fried sweet potato balls, grilled mutton, ayam murtabak (chicken and egg pancake) which is not greasy and more like a tortilla. So you do get a very local experience at Brinchang, rather than a touristic and more expensive one at Tanah Rata. Honestly, why would anyone travel all the way up here to experience bars and Starbucks altogether again? You are at home here with friends!

The homestay is located in a private estate which means awesome quiet nights. I was lucky all the guests got along so well together during my stay. We were like a family. We would buy food from the market to share, chat and watch the quality DVD collection. Lilian made sure the pantry was well stocked. So we had biscuits, tea and coffee, bread and Fabian's famous fluffy scones. They also have a water filter so we didn't need to buy bottled water. They have pretty tea cups and pots, so we were indulging in the Cameron tea culture everyday.

The wifi was strong and I was able to be in touch with friends. I was also able to watch my videos on stream. Not that we were spending a lot of time indoors, most things are walkable from the homestay we were out and about a lot. Big Strawberry Farm is very near and we also walked to Smokehouse Inn for tea. All in all, I love my experience staying at Fabian and Lilian's. This is my first Airbnb experience and I am just afraid the future experiences will not be able to top this.

Fabian's famous fluffy scones. And yes, he will teach you how to make them if you are keen.

Lovely pancakes and local strawberries can be enjoyed on their balcony.

The humble kitchen where all these magic happens.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOMESTAY
Our 3 bedroom apartment with attached bathrooms is tucked away in a lively town of Brinchang in Cameron Highlands with an annual temperature of 20 C. Just 5 minute walk away leads you to the town centre where there are excellent restaurants and shops

The space
Experience warm English hospitality in a cool environment. We have 2 dorms with 4 bunk beds in each dorm and attached bathroom. It is from RM60.00 per bed per person per night in a shared room. We also have a double room with a double bed with different rate if you wish to have more privacy.

Guest access
Cosy lounge and reading corner. No cooking is allowed but any requests can be considered.

Interaction with guests
Will be present during guest's stay most of the time.

The neighbourhood
Quiet neighbourhood and beautiful landscaped garden. Short walking distance to the 4th largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia and a beautiful Hindu Temple.

Getting around
It is centrally located in the town centre with public bus available. A perfect base to get to all the local attractions. Parking is available at the premise.

Other things to note
We love our lovely home and we have extra rooms to spare and we wish to share our cosy home with travellers and let them experience some warm English hospitality.