When I first heard the name “Genting Highlands”, I thought it was a footwear brand for gents.

I mean, we’ve got a brand called Woodlands in India, so why not have Highlands, yeah?

But then I saw a picture of Genting Highlands which showed a bloke on a roller coaster and it made me wonder if the shoes from this brand give you the same thrill.

Turns out the ad was for the roller coaster and not for the shoes that the man on it was wearing.

Hehe….

Genting Highlands is a hill top amusement park located in the Titiwangsa Mountains in Malaysia. It is situated atop Mount Ulu Kali, making it a scenic getaway from the bustling energy of KL and a perfect spot for breathing in some fresh mountain air while getting your sinuses cleared on the roller coasters:)

Ok, so that’s two benefits of the park.

I went to Genting Highlands with my mum and the whole dynamic of the trip was that she was to avail the first set of benefits i.e taking in the scenic getaway from the metropolitan vibes of KL while I was to get my adrenaline thoroughly rushed by sitting on all the rides.

With that plan in mind, we set out from our hotel, early in the morning and hit the highway, watching the buildings turn to trees, traffic sounds turn to birdsong, damp air turn to cool breeze and discounted prices turn to the value of the national debt.

Hehe….

No, seriously, Genting Highland had all elite level shops in the lobby and the price was sky-rocketing. However, when you go inside the park, there’s reasonably priced merchandise so if you want the shopping to be pocket friendly, shop from inside the park.

Right, that finishes the traveller’s tip. Now, let’s get on our best footwear and stride into Genting Highlands and get that thrill going.

Leggo!

Genting Highlands is essentially a hill station. The theme park is literally on a peak and in order to get there, one has to use a cable car, unless you’ve got Superman on speed dial:) If you’re travelling to the Highlands by cab, the car can only drop you till the lobby which is at the foothills. From there, you get to the cable car station and find yourself a pod which takes you over dense rainforest, to the theme park.

The above is a picture taken from the cable car. I love the greenery here and I was really hoping to see a wild animal on my way up because the forest looked so tranquil and alive. I also love the feeling of leaving the city behind, that comes from the tiny skyline in the background. The contrast between the concrete jungle and an actual rainforest brings in a vibe of delicate balance and coexistence.

The cable car ride to Genting Highlands has a stop at the the Chin Swee Temple Caves and there’s a lot of tourists who cover both, the temple and the amusement park on their trip. We didn’t visit the temple this time but it’s definitely something interesting to explore on our next visit.

Here’s a pic of the Chin Swee temple. It’s a Taoist temple and I love its proximity to wilderness. I feel that the visitors and residents of the temple must be having run-ins with wildlife quite often and I will visit the temple next time to have a close interaction with a leopard.

hehe.

Here’s the entry to Genting Skyworlds, the outdoor theme park at Genting Highlands. I love how the entrance resembles the theme park emblem and the techno colour scheme is completely up my alley. Since we were early, we didn’t have to stand in line for too long which was great because whenever I enter a theme park, I get butterflies in my stomach and I cannot contain my excitement:)

Genting Highlands, like all theme parks, has sections dedicated to different themes. There’s the Ice Age section, the Rio section, the America section, the Sci-Fi section and the Robots section. I went to all of them but the big thrill rides were in the Ice Age section and the Sci-Fi section. So imma begin by telling ye about the Ice Age section.

The Ice Age section is the best place in Genting Highlands. The figures are so well made and the roller coaster is very thrilling. That figure of Manny and Sid pulling Diego up is a part of the set up for the roller coaster which has interjections by waterfalls or stray acorns. The entry to the roller coaster is in a cave and on holidays, the queues can stretch up throughout the cave which contains miniature fossils since the ride is set in the Dawn of the Dinosaurs movie. I didn’t get any pictures of the cave because I didn’t take my phone inside but this figure is the best part.

The roller coaster in itself was big thrill and it sure did clear my sinuses:)

Here is a picture of me with Ellie and an upside down Peaches in the background:)

While I was getting my adrenaline rushed on the roller coaster, my mum won a turtle plushie in a fishing game and here’s me posing with that plushie because it’s just such a cutie patootie:)

I won a baby tiger in a spin-the-wheel game too!

Isn’t he just so cute?!

Hehe….

Up next, there’s the Rio section. This was a very colourful section and the spinning teacups ride was right in the middle of it.

I didn’t go on this ride but I absolutely loved the set up:) I mean, the jewelled macaws are so well detailed and the big macaw in the middle almost feels life like. The wings actually move when the ride starts so that is even more spectacular.

In the Rio section, I sat on a gentle swing ride which was fun and refreshing. I also bought a Blu plush pillow and some magnets from the merchandise shop. Here’s the pillow, along with the other plushies.

The bag beside me contains all the merch and I will be doing a separate blog on the souvenirs from Malaysia where ye lot will get a full ‘What’s-in-the-bag’ blog. Here’s a sneak peak to show you just how much bliss soft toys give me:)

This is a picture from the Bird Dance in the Rio Section. Like I said, the section was very colourful and lively and I couldn’t resist staying for the show. The dance was like a salsa and I love the birds adding their feathery fun into it.

The Ice Age and Rio sections gave me so much of nostalgia. I’ve grown up watching and enjoying the Ice Age movies, even though they made me cry sometimes and I am a champ in Angry Birds:Rio.

I dare you to challenge me.

Winner gets a cake.

Hehe….

Here’s a panorama of the streets connecting the sections. I love the blast of colour and the fun comic vibe that this place brings. A lot of the arcade games are kept on this street, hence it’s a place for winning big and maxing out at the arcade.

My mum and I are huge fans of going to an arcade. Both of us are really good at the games and the trip to Genting fulfilled our game-loving hearts:)

This is where we stopped for lunch at the amusement park. Harry Ramsden’s Fish and Chips is a crowd favourite at Genting and with good reason. The fish and chips were absolutely delicious and even though a plate is very filling, I couldn’t help craving for more.

Fish is my favourite food and I always love the people who do a great job with fish.

10/10 recommend this place if you’re in Genting.

This is the America section which takes one to the streets of The Big Apple with Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York playing in the background:)

We watched a singing show here, which was brilliantly done.

We also went to a Night at the Museum ride which was like a shooting game through the various exhibits from the Night at the Museum movies:)

The ride was actually closed for a long time but we were lucky to have it open when we visited and I’m glad I went on it. The ride leads to a souvenir shop and the lobby has an exhibit of Dum-Dum without a Gum-Gum, the Easter Island statue.

Hehe….

I was half expecting the exhibit to talk but it didn’t. Maybe I should visit at night….

hehe….

Finally, here’s some glimpses from the Sci-Fi and the Robot sections. The robot section was under maintenance. It is also for younger kids, which is why the decor is really cute.

The Sci-Fi section has one big thrill ride but the queue was mad and it requires a separate coupon for entrance. There wasn’t too much open in the Sci-Fi section either because the park was just opening up after the pandemic and a lot of attractions needed maintenance.

However, I had a great time as there wasn’t too much crowd, the rides were brilliant and the ambience was totally refreshing.

Genting Highlands may not be a very huge amusement park but it makes one very happy and livens the soul:)

Good things do come in small packages, hehe:)

And that is a wrap.

Until next time:)

Ciao!