Camlodge Budget Hotel

The Block Where Camlodge Is

The ride from Tapah to the town of Tanah Rata runs through mountainous terrain where a highway has been cut through. It was a constant climb for the bus but it seems to be up to the task despite its age. Alarmingly, the driver of the bus chooses to showcase his driving skills here on the narrow mountain road. Sometimes overtaking oil tankers, perhaps worse is that the oil tankers themselves try to overtake on these roads. I don’t even want to know the accident numbers on these roads. If something does happen, it is going to be a long way down. Fortunately for me, the constant zigzagging of the bus didn’t affect me, perhaps the driver is really that good.

Queen Size Bed at Camlodge

When I got to Tanah Rata, I quickly tried to find a way back to Singapore. As it turns out, bus fares rise considerably during major public holidays. And that weekend, was the holiday of holidays for Malaysians. It was the Hari Raya weekend and a lot of Malaysians are on the move, transport operators take the chance to jack up their prices. When I found out that the price for a ride back to Singapore back MYR 140, I decided against it and opted for the cheaper MYR 35 ride to Kuala Lumpur. I was betting on the fact that there are way more trips going from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore rather than from Tanah Rata.

Unattached Toilet at Camlodge

My Malaysian companions were supposed to go to the next town of Brinchang so we parted ways and I needed to attend to my next need, accomodation. Most of the accomodation in Tanah Rata are of the budget kind so I was hoping that despite the expected increase in room rates, I would still be able to find an affordable place to stay in. My search brought me to a block with a lot of accomodations. One of them was Camlodge Budet Hotel, which I only found through a sign outside the door. They operate a guest house on the third and fourth floors. Be careful in going up though, the last step to the third floor is much higher than the rest, you might get your foot caught if you are not careful.

Camlodge Rooms Comes With a Television Set and Cable

Fortunately for me, I was travelling alone so I guess it was easier to find a place for me. I inquired about their cheapest room and all the lady could offer me was a room with a queen size bed. There was no attached bathroom though. The room was expectedly tiny, but the bed was already made up. The comforter was a little itchy for me though, but I had already gotten used to it. The room came with a small television set with cable TV which I didn’t really need. The other rooms look much better than this one but it is cheap so I took it.

Common Area at Camlodge

The bathroom though separate was just outside the room. The lady told me that the bathroom would be for my exclusive use, which was great. Later I would find out that the bathroom had a little few details I didn’t catch. Most glaringly was the fact that I couldn’t lock the door at all. Somehow the lock was shabbily done and I could not close it at all. Fortunately, not a single person barged in while I was doing my thing.

The place has a common area where you can mingle with other travellers though but it was used mostly by the families who were also on holiday. Which leads me to my next gripe. The walls or windows could not keep the sound out. So I would be able to hear every single thing the people outside were saying. It was quite irritating but I can’t do a thing about it since I don’t own the place. I was just thinking that they would be a little more considerate since it wasn’t their place either.

Reception Desk at Camlodge

The lady at the reception probably took pity on me and gave me a MYR 10 discount. As it turned out, the MYR 90 a day rate was already very good since I asked around and most of them did not go lower than MYR 150. I fortunate to have found this place or I would probably have gotten a ticket back to Singapore that very night. The staff were very friendly and would give me tips on where to go and how to go. Camlodge is a basic place but I guess it would do in a pinch.

Camlodge Budget Hotel
55 C & D, Persiaran Camellia 3, 39000 Tanah Rata,
Cameron Highlands, Pahang Darul Makmur
Malaysia

+60 (19) 4369489
+60 (16) 5989251

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