Most of us remember visiting Genting Highlands in Malaysia as children, and have fond memories of it. My last family holiday there was in the 90s, which means I haven’t been back for 25 years.
Since then, Resorts World Genting has undergone a massive revamp, and there’s a whole bunch of new things to see and do. While the 20th Century Fox World theme park has yet to open, you can visit hip restaurants and shop ’til you drop at its new mall, SkyAvenue, so there’s plenty to do with your family even if you don’t visit the casino.
Plus, if you miss the “Singapore winter” we had in early January, where temperatures dipped to 22 C, you’ll relish the chance to pull out your winter wear again. Average temperatures in Genting are between 14 and 22 C all year round, so you can enjoy the crisp, cool air.
We’re giving away a family trip to Resorts World Genting: Just scroll down and fill up the form below our gallery! I visited Resorts World Genting with my husband and two-year-old daughter recently – here are the top 10 attractions we loved best.
This trip was sponsored by Resorts World Genting.
Photos: Resorts World Genting, Jungle Gym Genting & Lisa Twang
https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/family/best-genting-resorts-world-family-singapore/
The Top 10 New Things In Genting That Singapore Families Will Love In 2018
1. Awana SkyWay Cable Cars
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As kids, many of us rode the cable cars up and down Genting Highlands: There’s no better way to enjoy the mountain views and cool air. Awana SkyWay is Genting’s newest cable car system, and ferries passengers from Awana station to SkyAvenue station. Visitors can also stop midway at Chin Swee station to explore the Chin Swee Caves Temple.
The new French-made gondolas are more spacious than the old ones, and there are also glass door gondolas that offer stunning views of the rainforest below. We recommend the glass floor gondolas for the full cable car experience: Even with my slight fear of heights, the ride felt extra magical as I watched the world go by below us.
2. Burger & Lobster
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We’re not exaggerating when we say a meal at the UK chain Burger & Lobster is worth making the long trip to Resorts World Genting for. Resorts World Genting’s Burger & Lobster is first outlet in Asia, and crowds have been flocking there since its opening last year for its signature lobster rolls, grilled or steamed lobsters, and gourmet burgers, all at relatively affordable prices.
As a big fan of Burger & Lobster in London, I was delighted to find Resorts World Genting’s outlet to be equally good. Their lobsters are all air-flown live from Nova Scotia, Canada, to ensure they’re fresh when served. Don’t miss the Original Lobster (RM155/ S$52) – the tender, juicy lobster is cooked to perfection, and tastes absolutely divine with the lemon and garlic butter. We also enjoyed the Chilli Lobster (RM175/ S$59, pictured): Served in eggy chilli crab sauce, it’s surprisingly spicy. End the meal on a sweet note with the Durian Tempura dessert, which melts in your mouth.
Pro tip: The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so to avoid the long queues, visit at off-peak times like weekday afternoons.
3. Motorino
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Savour authentic Neapolitan wood fired pizza at this cosy family joint, which started in New York and also has outlets in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore.
Unlike Motorino Singapore, Motorino Genting‘s menu is completely pork-free, and offers a special surprise on the side: Sambal sauce. You can enjoy the Egg, Beef Bacon & Chilli Pizza (RM52/ S$17.50 each) with a spicy local kick, too! The mild sambal won’t blow your tongue off, but it goes surprisingly well with the pizza’s flavours. We also liked the Cherry Stone Clam Pizza (also RM52), with its creamy sauce.
Kids will enjoy watching their their pizzas being baked in the wood fired oven in the restaurant’s front window. With oven temperatures as high as 480 C, your pizza will be ready within a few minutes, which is great for starving little ones.
4. Theme Park Hotel
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Built next to the future 20th Century Fox World theme park, the Theme Park Hotel is a family boutique hotel that caters specially to large groups. Its cosy rooms have quirky illustrations, and some offer views of the Talking Garden and Awana SkyWay cable cars.
A Quads Room, which is where we stayed, has two queen-sized beds for families of four, while the Sixers Room accommodates six guests and has bunk beds and different colour themes of blue, pink, yellow and magenta. Cots for children are also available upon request. Parts of the Theme Park Hotel are being revamped to cater to more visitors in future; visit their website for updated room rates.
5. SkySymphony: Theatre Of Lights And Sound
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For an impressive art display, check out the free-to-the-public SkySymphony shows at Resorts World Genting’s SkyAvenue mall. Watch stories come to life through giant LED screens, each four storeys high, and 1,001 coloured winch balls which form beautiful patterns choreographed to music.
The Chinese New Year 2018: Zodiac SkySymphony show (above), which depicts the 12 animals of the zodiac racing through the cosmic kingdom to attend the Jade Emperor’s banquet, runs daily at every hour from 10.00am to 12.00am from now til March 4. Other shows include The Forest, Urban Symphony and The Goddess.
6. SkyAvenue Mall
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Accessible by the Awana SkyWay cable cars, the SkyAvenue lifestyle mall has over 80 retail brands and 70 food & beverage outlets. Its top level has an Alfresco dining area where visitors can enjoy the fresh mountain air, and Jungle Gym Genting, which has a ball pit, crawling tunnels, trampolines, air-guns and so on (pictured below). A two-hour playtime session costs RM53 (S$18) for Genting Rewards members, and RM58 (S$20) for non-members. There’s also the Alive Museum, where you can take photos with the 4D Trick Art: Kids below 36 months old enter for free, and standard admission costs RM38 (S$12.90) per entry. Also opening soon are Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Adventureland, the Jurassic Research Centre for dinosaur-loving kids, and Zombie Outbreak.
SkyAvenue’s third floor carries high street fashion brands like PANDORA and HLA Men’s Wardrobe, which carries cool K-street fashion pieces. On the second floor, you’ll find Uniqlo, American clothing brand Chaps, and Swiss luxury watchmakers like Omega, Popular restaurants like Motorino and Burger & Lobster are housed on the first floor, which will also be connected to the Skytropolis indoor theme park, which is set to open very soon. SkyAvenue’s first floor will also lead to the 20th Century Fox World outdoor theme park in future.
7. Genting Highlands Premium Outlets (GHPO)
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If you can’t travel to the US or Europe to get your outlet shopping fix, you can always stop over at the Genting Highlands Premium Outlets. With 150 outlet stores like Coach, Kate Spade New York, Moschino, Polo Ralph Lauren, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Tumi and more, there are good bargains to be found. The cool weather also makes shopping in this semi-outdoor environment much more pleasant than the Johor Premium Outlets branch.
Entertain the kids at the play area, or rent a car stroller at the Information Counter for RM30 (S$10) per day, with a RM100 ($33.50) deposit. My daughter had a blast being pushed around in her crocodile car stroller, and there are duo-seaters if you have two kids who want to share a ride.
8. Malaysian Food Street
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Satisfy your Malaysian hawker food cravings at the Malaysian Food Street in SkyAvenue mall. It gathers the best of Malaysian street food from five regions: Kuching, Malacca, Ipoh & Penang, Little India and Petaling Street. Many stalls are collaborations with famous Malaysian hawker stalls, which were chosen by Resorts World Genting team to represent the best in local fare.
We went a little bonkers and tried about 10 dishes in the name of research – our favourites were the famous Kajang Satay Rono and KT’s Curry Laksa (pictured), as well as the Googgle Man Penang Char Kuay Teow. My Malaysian husband enjoyed the dishes immensely, and was happy to sample his favourite childhood foods again. Each dish costs around RM20 (S$6.20) – more than your average Malaysian hawker meal, but acceptable by food court standards. The Malaysian Food Street operates on a cashless card payment system, so purchase your card at a kiosk before buying your food – and don’t forget to collect your RM2 ($0.67) deposit and remaining balance within 72 hours of purchase.
9. La Fiesta
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If you love authentic tapas, La Fiesta is the place to be. Visit this cosy, Barcelona-inspired restaurant in a large group so you can try as many tapas dishes as possible.
I’ve had a soft spot for Spanish food since visiting tapas restaurants in Barcelona, and La Fiesta had some truly outstanding dishes. I recommend the soft, tender Pulpo al Feira (octopus with paprika potatoes) (RM35/ S$11.70), and the Mix of Iberico Cuts & Cheeses platter (RM60/S$20.20). The latter had rich, nutty jamon ham cuts and a variety of creamy and hard cheeses to go along.
10. SeniKome
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Genting isn’t just about eating and shopping; you can also visit the SeniKome Péng Hēng art museum in the First World Plaza dedicated to local Malaysian culture. SeniKome translates to “Our Art” in the local Pahang dialect, and it showcases art and cultural scenes from Peninsular Malaysia’s East Coast states, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
Children can try their hand at traditional kampung games in the museum, like congkak (a game played with marbles and a wooden board), zero-point, gasing (wooden tops) and hopscotch. You can also admire the traditional wau bulan kites, batik textiles and sculptures and paintings depicting the martial art silat and wayang kulit puppet theatre.
There is also a East Coast Art & Souvenir centre on your way out from SeniKome, where you can try local delicacies like Malay kuih, keropok lekor, nasi kerabu and dessert like Apa Pun Ada Ice and Bubur Chacha. You can also pick up souvenirs like batik sarongs and shirts, pewter keychains, wooden artwork and more.
The Singapore Women’s Weekly is giving away 2 x 2D1N Quads Room Stays at Theme Park Hotel, Resorts World Genting, worth over $600!
Each winner will receive:
- 2D1N Quads Room stay at Theme Park Hotel, Resorts World Genting *
- One-way Awana Skyway Glass Floor Gondola x 4 pax **
- One-way Awana Skyway Normal Gondola x 4 pax **
- RM100 Malaysian Food Street Meal Voucher x 1 **
- RM100 Motorino Meal Voucher x 1 **
*Not redeemable during weekends (Friday & Saturday), public holidays and eve of public holidays, according to Malaysian calendar. Black-out dates apply. A deposit of RM200 will be collected upon check-in at the Theme Park Hotel, which is refundable upon check-out. Winners will also be subject to a tourism tax of RM10 per room per night.
**Terms & Conditions apply.
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Contest is valid from February 2 – 15, 2018.
Terms & Conditions
All The Singapore Women’s Weekly giveaways are open to all residents of Singapore, other than the employees and their families of SPHM Pte Ltd and its associated agencies. Prizes offered are not transferable, exchangeable for cash or any other products. Prizes are subject to stock availability and may be substituted with other items of similar value. SPHM Pte Ltd will be notified by post or e-mail. SPHM Pte Ltd reserves the right to amend any of the terms and conditions without prior notice.