Charming Viet Nam

Fun for all in Genting Highlands

With everything from fairground rides to cultural festivals, Malaysia’s City of Entertainment, Genting Highlands, certainly strives to live up to its reputation – and earlier this month, the star attraction was Vietnam

The Charming Viet nam Week, held and sponsored by Resorts World Bhd and Viet Nam Airlines was aimed to boost tourism between the two countries.

Hundreds of guests headed to the resort’s Times Square where displays of Vietnamese culture took centre stage. The glitzy performances ranged from traditional drum shows, mua non (conical hat dancing), a display of ao dai (traditional dress) to martial arts and water puppetry.

Promoting Vietnamese culture was important to Malaysia, president of Resorts World Bhd Lee Choong Yan said at the event, especially as more Vietnamese tourists were booking holidays at Genting.

"Last year 58,000 Vietnamese people arrived at Genting. We also welcomed a party of 100 Vietnamese visitors on a caravan tour to Malaysia in February.

"The festival would also give Malaysian tourists a Taste of viet nam which would hopefully encourage them to go to the country to get first-hand experience," Lee said.

On the road

Initial construction on the resort began way back in the 1960’s when Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong started work on the road from Kuala Lumpur to the peak of the Gunnung Ulu Highlands. That was from 1965 to 1969. The road has been upgraded every year since then to become today’s impressive six-lane highway that leads up to Genting City. Lim opened the first hotel at the site in 1971. He died last year at the age of 90.

At around 2,000m above sea level, Genting Highlands Resort has plenty of rooms with a view, something we were able to appreciate from our position on the 26th storey of the First World Hotel. But natural beauty wasn’t the only awe-inspiring sight, as we looked out onto a scene that was "first world" through and through.

The resort includes the First World Complex, consisting of the First World Hotel, First World Plaza and Genting International Convention Centre. There’s also the Theme Park Hotel and Awana Genting Highlands Golf&Country Resort.

Our guide, senior media relations executive of Resort World Bhd, Ng Chan Kong, was keen for us to get an idea of the extent of activities the resort had to offer. "We aim to cater for many diverse cultures and visitors from all walks of life," he said.

One big hit for us was Genting Theme Park with more than 50 fun rides. We got a good view of the resort from the Flying Coaster, that is until we hurtled down the tracks, twisting around and around at neck-breaing speed. The adrenalin rush we got from the experience is enough to leave you feeling ten years younger. For less hair-raising but equally entertaining rides, there’s a parachute simulator and a climbing wall.

Appealing to different kinds of thrill seekers, there’s also a casino, an 80-store shopping mall and star attraction Genting Skyway – the longest cable Car in Southeast Asia – which spans 3.38km from mid-hill at Gohtong Jaya to Highlands Hotel at the peak.

All the excitement is enough to lure over 20 million local and international visitors to Genting every year, according to Ng. With six hotels with over 10,000 guest rooms, there’s certainly room for them.

Making sure there’s plenty of places to refuel after all the excitement, the resort is also home to 90 eateries. There’s options a-plenty, ranging from the a- la-carte menu at the Gentings Hotel, quick snacks at the Pizza Factory, Chinese cuisine at Ming Ren and posh nosh at Olive, which boasts a Michelin Star chef.

Island getaway

For some sun, sea and sand, many tourists in Malaysia head to Awana Porto Malai, a four-star resort on Langkawi Island. Opened in 1997, the Mediterranean-inspired sea front offers a panoramic view of surrounding islands including the famed Dyang Bunting (island of the pregnant maiden). The dawn and sunset views are stunning. There are also opportunities for visitors to get up close and personal with the natural surroundings on island-hopping tours that offer eagle-feeding.

One tourist, Nguyen Thuy Mai, who works for a foreign company, said she and her husband chose to spend their honeymoon in the resort last year. "It’s so relaxing. I want everyone in my family, my parents, parents-in-law and all my relatives to come here. The air is so cool and fresh. It’s like paradise."

Awana Porto Malai was perfect for honeymooners, Mai said.

"We spent two nights in the honeymoon suite. It was so romantic. There was a candle light dinner on the boardwalk, a sunset cruise and loads of gifts like a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates and a photo album."

Who could ask for more, Mai enthused. "For me, it was definitely the holiday of a lifetime."

(Source: VNS)

Tag: Airlines , Ao Dai , Asia , Caravan , Cuisine , Culture , Festival , Holiday , Hotel , Malaysia , Resort , Tour , Tourism , Tourist , Viet Nam , Vietnam , Vietnamese , Vietnamese Culture

Fun for all in Genting Highlands

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