Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A DETOUR
GENTING HIGHLANDS
This hill station, 50km north of Kuala Lumpur on the Pahang border, is in stark contrast to the old English style
of other Malaysian upland resorts, its raison d'être being
Resort World Genting
( 03-2718 1888;
www.rwgenting.com
) - this glitzy casino is the only one in the country. In its slender favour is the cool weather;
at 2000m above sea level there's no need for air-conditioning. Bird lovers should also note that this a prime loca-
tion for
bird-watching
, with around 254 species seen here.
The 3.4km-long
Genting Skyway
(one-way RM6; 7.30am-11pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Fri-Sun) is a
gentle 11-minute cable-car glide above the dense rainforest. Kids will also enjoy the various theme-park attrac-
tions here including those at the
First World Indoor Theme Park
(adult/child RM32/30). The outdoor theme
park is closed until 2016 to create a Twentieth Century Fox Theme Park.
Genting is an easy day trip from KL but, if you'd prefer to stay, the resort has a choice of five hotels (sleeping
a total of 10,000 people). Rates vary enormously, the most expensive nights generally being Saturday and public
holidays; check the website. There's no shortage of places to eat, including cheap fast-food outlets and noisy food
courts.
Buses leave at hourly (and sometimes half-hourly) intervals from 7.30am to 8.30pm from KL's Pudu Sentral
bus station (adult/child RM10.60/9.50, 1½ hours), and on the hour from 8am to 7pm from KL Sentral (RM10.30/
9.20); the price includes the Skyway cable car. A taxi from KL will cost around RM70.
The
Go Genting Golden Package
(RM60) includes return transport from KL, the Skyway transfer and either
an Indoor Theme Park ride pass or buffet lunch at the Coffee Terrace. Buy the pass from Genting's ticket office at
KL Sentral or from its
main sales office
(
2718 1118;
www.rwgenting.com
; 28 Jln Sultan Ismail, Wisma
Genting;
8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat), where you can also book resort accommodation.
Klang Valley
Explore
Heading southwest of KL along the Klang Hwy, the Kota Darul Ehsan ceremonial arch
marks the transition between the city and Selangor. Just over the boundary is the satellite
city of Petaling Jaya (PJ), best visited for its shopping malls and great places to eat. Next
along, Shah Alam, the staunchly Muslim state capital, blends into Klang, the old royal
capital - pretty much all in one seamless stretch of housing estates and industrial parks.
Efficient public transport makes for easy day trips along the Klang Valley to see the
scattered sights. For a complete escape from urbanised Malaysia, journey to the end of the
rail line and hop on a ferry to Pulau Ketam, an island with a picturesque fishing village
surrounded by mangroves.
