Upon arrival, the town’s French heritage is immediately evident in lilting names like Haute Cabriere, La Provence and L’Ormarins. The main attraction, besides an exquisite setting, is its gourmet cuisine, accompanied by the area’s excellent wines. Around 30 restaurants offer superb Malay, country and Provencale dishes.

A unique experience is a visit to Cabriere Estate. After an interesting cellar tour, host Achim von Arnim cleanly shears the neck off a bottle of his Pierre Jourdan sparkling wine with a sabre, an old technique known as sabrage, before serving the wine.

Visible at the top end of the main street is the Huguenot Monument, unveiled in 1948 to commemorate the arrival of the French settlers. Among the lawns and fragrant rose beds, a wide semi-circular colonnade forms an amphitheatre for three tall arches.