You don’t have to go all the way to Japan or Taiwan to experience the cold. Just a five-hour drive away in Malaysia is Genting Highlands, whose higher altitudes means weather is just a bit chillier than your average Southeast Asian city. In this place, you have literally everything in one place – from outlet shopping for you, to massive arcades for the kids.
Before you hop onto the next bus to Genting, read our guide to know what you can expect as well as hotel options to choose from.
The Genting Highlands Premium Outlets has stores galore for the average family.
Mums can look forward to a wide array of both middle and upper-tier luxury brands. From Michael Kors to Coach, you can expect to get up to 40 per cent off bags and purses.
For fans of Burberry like myself, though, they have limited choices available in store, so don’t expect too much.
For the husbands, brands like Braun Buffel offer sleek wallets perfect for everyday use.
For kids, they can look forward to shops like Hamleys that are full of children toys. And if they are getting too tired from shopping? Take them for a meal break at Burger King, Baskin Robbins, and many other food establishments.
And for shops for the whole family, nothing can go wrong with a trip down to Adidas and Puma for some workout gear for everyone.
If you’re taking a taxi down to the outlets, you can get one near Resort Hotel’s lobby. At a fixed rate of 52 RM ($15.63 at the time of writing), you can expect to reach the outlets in 15 minutes.
When in Genting Highlands there are a few hotel options to choose from, with many within walking distance of each other.
Crockfords
If you’re driving to Genting, Crockfords is a hotel that offers complimentary parking at SkyAvenue. It offers seven different room types ranging from the Superior Twin room to Villa, a three-room Villa for even the biggest families.
For Mahjong lovers out there, you can enjoy private games in the Executive Suit – Mahjong which features an automatic built-in mahjong table. All suites also come with a private in-room steam bath. Can it get better than that?
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I don’t know about you, but I love a hotel room with a bathtub. This four-star hotel (certified by Forbes) has three types of rooms, and all feature a bathtub and a sofa at least.
For dining, you have easy access to Hansburger, The Bakery, and Seasons (for authentic Cantonese food).
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Is your main reason for going to Genting to enjoy the Genting SkyWorlds? If you have kids that are sure to want to visit the theme park multiple times during your stay, then this hotel is the most convenient choice for you.
On top of that, if you stay during the weekends, Saturday and Sunday will be a blast. Your kids can get to meet the Genting Highland’s Heroes at 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
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Going to visit the Casino on your trip? Highlands Hotel is exclusively reserved for casino guests and Genting Rewards members. There are eight different room types to choose from; from a simple deluxe twin room to a villa with a private jacuzzi.
Dining options include Genting Palace (to settle your dim sum craving), Genting Garden Hotpot, and Cha Cheen Teng (a Hong Kong-style restaurant popular for the wanton mee).
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If you are looking for a basic room, Resort Hotel is the one for you. It’s a no-frills type of room perfect for those who are aiming to spend most of their time out and about instead of in the hotel.
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Genting Highlands is a great place for families looking for kid-friendly activities to do. Read on to find out what some of them are.
Everyone knows about Genting SkyWorlds, but the Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park is equally as impressive. Featuring indoor rollercoasters, carnival games, a Ferris wheel, and more, there is no shortage of fun to be had. And the best part? You don’t have to worry about the weather if you are going during the monsoon season.
SkyAvenue has one whole section dedicated to kid-friendly fun. Children can take a train ride around the area or race each other in formula racing. There are various animatronic scooters for your kids to ride (and I saw many, many little ones riding them). They can also take the opportunity to operate their own life-sized robot. Don’t forget the trick eye museum for the family to take fun, exaggerated shots together.
For those with older kids, you can play pool with them as well for an affordable price per game.
Indulge in old-school arcade games at Vision City Video Games Park located at Genting Grand. This massive arcade contains games such as Street Fighter and Pac Man. Of course, there are newer games such as the Pokemon Card game!