Fraser’s Hill hidden village



The tranquil hilltop town with its picturesque surroundings, is definitely the destination for those who seek nature. The cool atmosphere added with the chirpings of the wild birds and the cries of the gibbon add to the charm of this little town dubbed as ‘Little England’.

Fraser’s Hill is named after a Scottish explorer and trader James Louis Fraser who started tin mining and operated a primitive mule train activities in 1890s until the first decade of the twentieth century. However, the Fraser’s legacy came to an abrupt end when he went missing in 1900. In 1910, Bishop Ferguson Davie of Singapore combed the mountains in search of Fraser which proved fruitless but had on the other hand discovered a perfect hill resort and Fraser’s fate still remains a mystery till today.

Four boys missing in Fraser`s Hill found alive
Four boys were lost on Fraser’s Hill in June 2005 after walking along the Bishop’s Trail, a short (1.5km) well-defined path.

When a 160-strong search and rescue team, including police, resident volunteers, tracker dogs, helicopters and the famed Senoi Praaq Orang Asli trackers, still could not find them after three days, there was speculation that the bunians (goblins) had “hidden” them from sight.

Leong Chin Awau, 55, a resthouse caretaker there recalled that years ago, several children were lost for three days in the jungle. When they were found, they reported that they had met an “old man” in the forest and stayed with him in a mansion for a few days. Is there more to this than meets the eye?

If age-old forest-dwellers’ wisdom asks us to take certain safety measures, including spiritual ones, when trekking, are we being foolhardy in ignoring them? Or should we, as they say, do as the Romans do when in Rome?


SAFE AND SOUND: Jeremy being lifted to a waiting ambulance after he and his cousins were rescued by orang asli trackers in Fraser’s Hill.