Genting - City of Entertainment

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We decided to head up to Genting Highlands recently for a little jaunt. It was my first time back to Gentings after close to 10 years and I was pretty excited as I heard that the place has changed a lot with lots of new theme parks and hotels added to it.

The ride up to Genting was surprisingly quite easy with the PLUS highway and we were soon at Gohtong Jaya, the foot of Genting Highlands, in less than an hour from Kuala Lumpur. You will have to pay a toll of RM5 to use this highway. From Gohtong Jaya, it is an uphill and winding road for approximately 30 minutes up to the peak of the mountain which stands at 6,000 feet above sea level. Although the road going up has been widened, do drive carefully and turn on your car headlights if the weather is misty.

While some complain that Gentings is no longer as cold as it used to be many years ago, that night was a particularly misty night which meant that the temperature was easily in the low 20s which was pretty cold! Car parks can be quite hard to find when at the peak, especially on weekends as lots of local and Singaporean tourists converge there for a day of fun at the theme park and casinos. Some car parks there are reserved for Gold and Platinum World Card members which are the big stake players in the casino. However, there is a multilevel carpark catering for the normal folk which is absolutely free.

The Genting Theme Park is a funfilled area of rides and activities for children and adults alike. Their signature rides include The Genting Sky Venture which stimulates a free-fall sky diving experience, Snow World where visitors can play amist a winter wonderland of man-made snow, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum and wild rollercoaster rides. Theme park tickets can be purchased at the Park on the day itself or prebooked via their online ticketing system.

Genting also has a whole host of hotels available for those who wish to extend their stay:

• Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Club - A hotel and apartment style type of accommodation amidst a sprawling golf course. Awana is much lower down the mountain so it may not necessarily be cool and can sometimes be quite hot.
• Maxims Suite - Top of the end luxury suites. The most luxurious accommodation on Genting Highlands.
• Genting Highlands Resort - A 5 star hotel that is right at the peak of the mountain and has been refurbished.
• Highlands Hotel - A 4 star refurbished hotel.
• Resort Hotel - A 4 star hotel located within the gigantic Gentings Resort.
• Theme Park Hotel - A 3 star hotel that is interestingly built with theme park architecture.
• First World Hotel - A 2 star hotel that is the cheapest hotel on Genting Highlands. Do be prepared to queue quite long for your check in.
• Ria Apartments - Apartments available for rent which may suit bigger groups.

All hotels are easily accessible to the restaurants, shopping, attractions and famous Genting Casino through walkways and overhead bridges linking all the hotels.

Genting Highlands is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur and provides a cool respite from the hot city. Often, international stars make their way there for performances in the Arena of Stars or for magic and themed shows similar to those in Las Vegas hotels.

Find out more at Genting City of Entertainment!