Genting Highlands, an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, is a famous destination for locals who wish to escape the urban heat and relax in a higher altitude retreat. Nestled on top of Titiwangsa Mountains at an elevation of about 1,800m, it was built by Genting Group (Resorts World) in 1969 and expanded since then. This lavish resort boasts high-end hotels, casino, themed parks and a scenery to die for.
How to get there
We took the LRT from KL until Gombak station. From there, we took a bus to Genting Highlands. It took about an hour of zigzags and fog. But don’t worry, roads in Malaysia are very good. We reached the boarding point of the skyway, presented our prepaid tickets and flew rode all the way to the top. We were up in the air for 30 minutes and the view was breathtaking. A Skyway cable car can fit 8 passengers at one time and cuts off the travel time to more than half. If you are afraid of heights, you can opt to take a bus which, of course, takes longer travel time.
Click here for the bus and skyway schedule and ticket prices. I only spent MYR18.80 for a round tip fare from Gombak to Genting Highlands. There is no entrance fee to the resort. Outdoor theme park ticket (ride all you can) costs MYR50. Food and drinks can be as cheap as MYR15.
Top: The bus station at Gombak. Bottom: Our bus and Skyway tickets.
Our video while taking the Skyway ^_^
What to do
Genting Highlands is a huge complex of hotels, shopping malls, casino, theme parks and restaurants. I thought we were just going to a shopping mall; I didn’t expect that it is a mini-city in itself. You can check in at one of the hotels to make the most out of what the place offers. Since we didn’t have much time, we just spent a whole day there.
1. Stroll inside the First World Indoor Theme Park.
2. Feel the adrenaline rush from the rides of the First World Outdoor Theme Park.
3. Check in at one of the hotels.
First World Hotel
4. Watch cultural shows. Below is a video I took of a group composed of different nationalities dancing to the tune of an Indian song and with me and my Chinese Malay friend exclaiming our admiration in Japanese. How diverse could that be?
5. Try your luck at the casino. I did but I wasn’t able to find mine. We decided to cap off our day in the casino and played a bit at the cheapest table we could find. I thought Genting Highlands will be kind enough to a foreigner like me and double my money. I ended up losing all (it’s not much!) after getting impatient with my series of losses. Patience is a virtue and luck follows through, I guess. After whining about my lost money, I cheered up myself by taking a breath outside and admiring the beauty that embraces this commercial complex.
5. Don’t forget to pause for a while, smell the flowers and enjoy the view.
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Feature Image: Photo credit goes to http://www.1malaysiatravelblog.com/
Related articles
- Genting Skyway (alamakgirl.wordpress.com)
- Genting Highlands Trip (KL Part 2) (chryztyners.wordpress.com)
- Genting Highlands (gintai.wordpress.com)
Glad to see you found the little garden with that great unobstructed view down the hillside to the temple (your final photo).
I was in Genting Highlands about a month ago for the first time. I found the casinos smokey and expensive – we were there during Chinese new year and they were charging about four times the usual price for table minimum bets (according to my brother-in-law). We also couldn’t check in at a hotel because it was totally booked up for lunar new year – so for us it was just a day trip.
I don’t care for rides, so this wasn’t really the best adventure for me. We did find a fantastic bar/lounge called Olive somewhere in that maze of shops and restaurants – and that made the whole trip worthwhile. Not sure I’d go back to Genting Highlands though. I enjoyed the Cameron Highlands way more.
We almost crossed each other’s paths. We were there last 22nd of Jan. It’s true. My friend told me that the casino usually charges higher during holidays. And because of CNY, hotels are fully booked so we didn’t even attempt to check in.
I love rides, speed and heights that’s why I like the Skyway and the Outdoor Theme Park. It’s not the place’s main attraction though so I understand the “simplicity” of it. Its altitude, isolation and propinquity from KL make Genting Highlands a popular weekend destination for locals so I’m glad my friend brought me there. I guess I always find something beautiful in every place I visit.
Cameron Highlands is now on my list for my next visit in Malaysia. Thanks!
Oh by the way, there’s a non-smoking area in the casino ^_^ Happy travels! And terima kasi for the comment.