Genting Highlands is like a small version of, say, Las Vegas in the USA, or Macau in China: a place where casinos abound. People from all over the world usually visit Genting Highlands with the purpose of gambling in various types of games prepared for them by the Genting Malaysia Berhad, a subsidiary of Genting Group. Also known as City of Entertainment, Genting Highlands is also the perfect gateway destination for Malaysian and Asian people who want to stay out of hot and humid weather.  As the name implies, Genting Highlands is located at the Titiwangsa Range at about 1760 meters (5710 feet) above sea level, making its temperature hover between a cool 15 to 25 degrees. Also, Genting Highlands has a range of affordable accommodation to suit all budgets. Genting Highlands was founded by Lim Goh Tong, a citizen of Fujian, China, in 1965. He came to Malaysia at that time the country was known as Tanah Malay  (Federation of Malaya) in 1937 and started off as a lowly carpenter. During the following years, he dedicated to vegetable farming and petty trading before involving himself in the scrap metal and heavy machinery business. It was through this business that he finally became rich. The idea to open Genting Highlands came to him while having a meal in Cameron Highlands in 1964. He thought the place was marvelous but a bit too far from Kuala Lumpur, which made it inconvenient to some people. Next, he had a good look around the mountainous area near the capital city, and eventually found a suitable spot on the peak of Gunung Ulu Kali, one of the highest mountains on the Pahang-Selangor border. After studying the topography and planning the development, Lim pooled out his recourses and energy into creating a Highlands resort complete with accessible roads, infrastructure, clean water and electricity supply. Most people at the time thought he was a bit eccentric and the project a crazy one, but Lim Goh Tong did not give up easily. His hard work paid off: not only Genting Highlands opened for business in 1971, but the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, granted him the only casinos license in the country. Genting Highlands quickly grew from a simple casino resort to a modern tourist destination, fully equipped with parks, hotels, large roads and a cable car. Today, Genting Highlands is one of the most popular destinations attracting tourists from all over the world. A visit to Genting Highlands gives you the chance to read some of Lim Goh Tong famous and inspiring quotes: – “Laugh at me as you please, but nothing will deter me from going up that mountain.” “I had fallen head over heels with this virgin wilderness and vowed to transform it into my dream resort.” “I am confident that Genting will continue to be a key contributor to the nation’s economy.” Back to my visit, there are plenty of thing you can do when you are in Genting Highlands. Once you are in the area, you can easily walk around directed by convenient signboards along pedestrian walks. The most common question I get thrown at me is: What are the main attractions there? Like I mentioned earlier, Genting highlights is the casinos, and do not worry if your budget is low: you can either choose to play in a VIP area or in a normal area. But casinos are not all: there are comprehensive rides and attractions in indoor and outdoor theme parks: First World, SnowWorld, Sky Venture, Genting Bowl, Vision City and Funtasy World Video Game. On top of that, you can treat yourself with some shopping, watch shows and performances, visit the Ripley’s Believe it or not as well as the Chin Swee Caves Temple. I was there and I enjoyed it. How about you? GETTING THERE Genting Highlands foothills can be reach from Kuala Lumpur by bus – your best starting point is Puduraya, Kuala Lumpur central bus – taxi or private car.  One popular option is the Genting Skyway cable car, recognized as the World Fastest Mono Cable Car System thanks to its maximum speed of 21.6 kilometres per hour! The fare costs RM 6.40 per way – RM 12.80 return. Express one way is RM 31.80 and Hotel Guest Leisure Return Ride, if you are staying at on the local establishments, is RM 10.80. Operational hours are 7.30 am to midnight. For more info browse http://www.gentinghighlands.info or http://www.rwgenting.com

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I was a bit tired from the drive from Kuantan when I suddenly told my friend to stop and stay overnight somewhere before heading to Genting Highlands. It was past 6 pm and the sky was already dark, the night was coming to replace the day. There was no point in continuing the drive, so we stopped for a light dinner in Genting Sempah, where we googled for a reasonable hotel or small inn to stay. DHill Inn Genting, at the Genting Foothills, not far from the Genting Skyway Cable Car, seemed to be the best choice. I called the hotel phone and booked a room for RM 85, which was within our budget. Plus. we urgently needed to rest our mind and body from a long journey. It was dark when we arrived at the hotel parking lot. The small town near the inn looked amazing and so full of decorations, it looked like Christmas was being celebrated, reminding me of English movies filmed in winter. I parked the car and headed to talk to the lady at the reception about the inn accommodations and prices. She told me the price is a little bit cheaper in weekdays, when the area is also not so crowded. Good for us, I thought. Our room was quite pleasant and designed in a very local way. The inn has 3 floors consisting of several rooms. The first thing I noticed was the window, with its wonderful view. I opened it, and felt a cold breeze enter the room. I loved it. The room had LCD Television, a fan, a king-size bed, shower with hot and cold water, a toilet bowl and a make-up table. No air-condition, but I guess you can imagine why: it’s Genting foothills and I can assure you it was icy cold. I was very happy with the room, though I wished the blanked had been thicker… As the DHill Inn is located by a small town, you do not need to worry as there are plenty of restaurants where to eat and plenty of stores where to buy essentials. DHill Inn is at 5, Genting Permai Boulevard, Genting Highland, Pahang 69000, Pahang. The inn is at 10 Kilometres from Genting Highlands. Find them at https://www.facebook.com/pages/DHill-In-Hotel-Genting-Permai-Genting-Highlands/538684362825623 Enjoy your stay.

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