Genting. The place brings back memories of childhood, a time when many of us were young dependents looking forward to the odd 3D2N Malaysian highlands getaways with our parents during the school holidays. Back then, there was the excitement of being so “high up in the mountains”, coupled with “smoke” coming out of our mouths. For a Singaporean child who had known only heat and the sea, getaways to Genting were almost akin to a winter vacation many could not afford, complete with jacket and track pants. We could spent hours playing arcade games while sneaking longing peeks at the ‘adults’ arcade’ with strange spinning rows of apples, bananas and gold coins.
When Resorts World (RW) Genting invited us recently for a weekend getaway at its newly refurbished First World Hotel, I leapt at the opportunity to relive fondly nostalgic memories. Since the last time I was there was more than a decade ago, I was also keen to see the new offerings that have continued to contribute to the enduring popularity of this “City of Entertainment” up to today.
First World Hotel
After an extremely comfortable overnight six-hour coach ride from Singapore, we arrived at RW Genting in the morning and proceeded to check in at the three-star First World Hotel for a bit more shut-eye.
First World Hotel clouded by fog, which Genting is famous for.
With the addition of the new Tower 2 Annex where we stayed in, First World Hotel’s 7,351 rooms now makes it the world’s largest hotel! The XYZ deluxe rooms which we stayed in are for two people, and are functional and chic with coffee and tea facilities, a refrigerator, international multi-plug and USB charging points and a safe.
There is also a XYZ Deluxe Triple room which has one queen bed and one single bed and costs about RM50 more. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable, and we slept soundly until our scheduled lunch the next day. While I noted that like in the past there were limited TV channels (this hotel has a handful from Vision 4), RWGenting has so many forms of entertainment that you will not unlikely be needing the TV.
If you want a more luxurious stay, you can also choose the more spacious “World Club Room”, which comes with a resort or mountain view. These rooms feature a work desk, living room area and bathroom amenities. Rates fluctuate according to season, but expect to pay at least RM400 per night for these rooms, compared to the RM200 or less for the XYZ Deluxe Room during low season.
I must point out that First World Hotel is just one of several hotels in RW Genting, which is a real megaresort. There are four and five-star ones such as Crockfords, Genting Grand, Maxims, Resort Hotel and Awana, and a couple of these are for high rollers on an invite-only basis. As non-casino players, we found the First World Hotel adequate for our needs, and it is where most Genting visitors would stay.
Genting Integrated Tourism Plan
Currently undergoing construction at Genting is the very first and only 20th Century Fox theme park in the world. Once completed in end 2016, the 10-hectare theme park will feature about 25 rides with brands from films like Titanic, Avatar, Night At The Museum, Ice Age and the Alien vs Predator series. I can’t wait.
While we do miss the outdoor theme park which is no longer open, there is much to look forward to in the resort upgrades. Also on the cards is a new cable car ride, which promises to shorten the bus journey and a spanking new mall, Sky Avenue, which will feature 450,000 square feet of retail space.
Being extremely sentimental people, we did our very own visit to the current cable car stations and the indoor arcade landscape before it changes – thus for those wishing to relive your old memories, you will find good reasons to visit Genting now and after the transformations.
A sumptuous lunch – we were famished after the long ride!
We ate these by the platefuls.
Behind the Scenes Tour
We went on the “Behind the Scenes” of RW Genting tour, which is available to the public at RM28 per pax (RM25 for Genting rewards member). It is a comprehensive 2.5-hour experience that gives you an insight into the entertainment, dining, hotel and finally historical aspects of Genting.
Genting International Showroom
First stop is the Genting International Showroom, one of the resorts many event halls, where its audio-visual (AV) experts will take you throught the management of backstage lighting and sound controls involved during a show or event. This was an eye opener – no mean feat to be the AV manager given how critical special effects are to certain shows such as the magic performance we would watch later that night. The Genting International Showroom sits 1,000 but can fit up to 3,000 standing.
Voila! One of the men behind the scenes, Tony Lim, Assistant Manager of Show Productions and his trusty AV equipment.
First World Hotel’s Laundry
Next was my favourite destination, providing great fun for many of the kids in particular. We visited First World Hotel’s laundry plant, the largest one in Malaysia. Spanning over 26,000 square feet, it produces up to 38 tons of linen a day – that’s about 75,000 pieces!
The busiest time for the staff is the Chinese New Year vacation period. I typically do none of the laundry at home, but here I couldn’t help touching and feeling the giant washing machines, hotel linens and even steam at the ironing station. Now, for those who complain about laundry costs when staying at hotels, going on this “Behind the Scenes” tour and seeing the tender loving care bestowed upon your dirty linen will make you feel paying for laundry service is completely worth it.
New See Do Eat Workshop
The next workshop was another one great for the kids, as you will get to create your own savoury and sweet treats in the form of a sushi bento and create a doughnut masterpiece. I am evidently not the best food stylist in the world, but I had no fear as there were bear-shaped rice moulds and seaweed cutters to create the bear’s eyes and lips to help me along in my mediocre art works. Anyway, I was happy to eat them up as soon as possible.
Life is in many ways like a doughnut – you can’t imagine the infinite variety of things people can do even if they start off similar.
And you also can’t tell how it will all work out. Disclaimer: this was too pretty to be mine.
My very own. Those lips, those eyes…forgive me for the green-orange tummy and the bizarre lightning streak of white, I think I just wanted to eat some roe and mayonnaise.
Horizon 50
The final stop of the tour was in many ways the most important. Horizon 50 is a journey through the history of RW Genting, showcasing a glimpse of the past and current, as well as the future snapshot of developments at the resort, via state of the art technology and curved screens. The greatest lesson for me though, was in the founding of the resort by Tan Sri Dr. Lim Goh Tong. It is amazing how a person can take action on a sliver of inspiration and create life-changing transformations.
The story goes that after Tan Sri Lim had dinner in some highlands in Malaysia, he stepped out into a particularly soothing breeze, and then it occurred to him that people would appreciate a mountain resort for relaxation and recreation. He identified a suitable location for this idea, proceeded to apply for the necessary licences for his resort project and the rest is history. While Tan Sri Lim passed away in 2007, his legacy is continued by his son, Tan Lim Kok Thay, who chairs the Genting Group.
Other spots of trivia I learned from the Horizon 50 exhibit:
- RWGenting uses 15,000 bottles of mineral water a day.
- In 2007, the resort attracted 19.6 million visitors (its highest ever).
- When completed with the upgrades, the resort will cover 14 million square feet.
- RW Genting’s current brand ambassador is Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian-born Hollywood star.
RW Genting staff Irene Chua explains to us Tan Sri Dr Lim Goh Tong’s founding of the resort. I was truly inspired by his vision.
Watching a video on the legendary breeze and scenery that inspired the founding of the resort.
Resort Seafood Steamboat
After the tour, there is nothing more satisfying than to have a simmering steamboat in the cool of the highlands. At RW Genting, the newly revamped Resort Seafood restaurant provides options of fish head stock and kampong chicken soup with an array of meats, seafood and vegetables to choose from, together with about 20 different dipping sauces.
The ones with incorrigibly spicy palates were spurred to be innovative and mixed spicy sauces in one out of two soup bases to create our very own “mala” spicy “yuan yang” hotpot. Despite being in high altitude, the seafood was extremely fresh – the restaurant has a range of top-notch swimming live snow crabs and geoduck clams if you have an adventurous palate.
Geoduck clam, anyone?
Resort Seafood offers set menus from RM108 to RM638 (two to eight persons) and a la carte dining priced by item, which can range from below RM10 for each portion of vegetables, to over RM50 for portions of wagyu beef and above RM7o for premium items like one of Chinese cuisine’s ‘treasures’, sea cucumber. (Don’t forget to try the ostrich meat!)
Note the DIY ‘yuan yang’ mala and chicken soup, the former our own creation by adding in chilli paste.
To take some heat off the spiciness, we ordered a refreshing calamansi drink each (RM4) and were surprised by RW Genting with a ‘Steamboat’ ice cream with fresh strawberries at the end (RM98).
This was the star of the show that fed us all to the brim.
Just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, dessert appeared. And again, our stomachs felt like they could start afresh.
After-Dinner Entertainment
With dinner done, we were all ready for the show that we had all been waiting for the whole day. The sneak peak at the Genting International Showroom was already enough to prep me to watch the Superstars of Magic 4, my very first live magic performance. As its name suggests, the popularity and wow effects of magic mean that magic shows are an everlasting favourite that RWGenting tends to bring back again and again, with different magicians.
We were on a high after the magic show and the night being still young, we were determined to relive our childhood memories all over again. Like kids on a day out (without their parents), we wandered around the resort’s many retail and entertainment options, even taking our favourite kiddy rides and playing retro arcade games, many of which can no longer be found in Singapore. Yes, I’m talking shooting actual water at physical targets and fishing rubber ducks out of a ‘pond’.
Like squealing kids, we rushed to take this ride which both of us took on our previous visits (not without me verifying with the staff “adults still can take right” first.
Many retail and entertainment outlets close at midnight or later and we did all that we could before we retired to our rooms. Even without the outdoor theme park which is still under construction, RW Genting offerings are comprehensive enough to entertain for a family-friendly 3D2N getaway and of course, even longer for those who wish to spend time at the ‘adult arcade’ (that with the roulette and machines with the pineapples and apples and coins).
One of the many charming indoor rides which gives you a bird’s eye view of all that is happening in the mall.
There were the arcade games.
The bowling alley goes into glow-in-the-dark mode in the evenings.
I decided to take my childhood memories all the way and also order a kids’ meal at Marrybrown (no, actually, it was more like I only wanted iced milo and a single drumstick for supper).
Genting continues to create that magic that brings out the child in every one of us. While everyone is anticipating the opening of the new 20th Century Fox theme park, there is plenty of reason to visit it from now till next year, given the number of big-name entertainment acts and international names that the management succeeds in attracting from all over the world. Visit Genting now, and bring out the child in you.
Resorts World Genting
First World Hotel
Genting Highlands Resort,
Genting Highlands 69000,
Malaysia
