Genting Highland calling

Here I was packing my bags early in the morning and getting ready for next adventure.

After checking out and confirming that buses for Genting ply every 30minutes from various bus stations in Kuala lumpur city but closest to China town was Hentian Puduraya bus station. And since it was walkable distance, I carrying my trolley bag and one shoulder bag marched towards what was walkable distance. By the time I reached, I was dripping in sweat !!!!! wow what a walk 

Bus station was bloody bigger than biggest train station in Mumbai and centrally cooled, With information kiosk again coming handy, wasn't difficult at all to get a bus and cable car ticket for Genting.

Buses were pretty comfy and I was on my way to the Esselworld of Malaysia. Unfortunately I got dozed off as soon as bus started the journey as I am not really used to travelling on smooth surface roads !!!  Within 45minutes I was at bus terminal at the base camp of Genting. I still had ample amount of time in my hand as Shriks was to reach directly at Hotel bus terminal from Singapore by 2pm. It was time for quick smoke break for me and also check a Buddhist temple at base camp.

Now onto my experience with cablecar, I was informed by security that my bag was oversize and would need to be deposited at hotel kiosk and would reach my hotel lobby in 30minutes. So depositing my bag I proceeded to third floor to catch cable car. I just fell in love with cable car at first sight and with not much crowd, I had the leisure of travelling with another group or have a cable car all for myself. I opted for second option and was quickly frisked in the car, with door closed automatically I was on my way to heaven.

 

Its an experience like never before, as we move up and up, we reach for the clouds and forest below becomes denser and denser. Oh boy !!! what a sight !!!! but occasional shake of cable car suspended from the cable really got some butterflies rolling in my stomach. One point I could only see clouds and nothing else just 3 feet ahead of me !!!! truly heavenly experience. 

11 minutes of ride and here I was at Asia's las vegas, best outdoor theme park, biggest hotel at one point of time and most colourful. I asked one of the security personal about direction to hotel lobby and his answer was walk straight for 6 minutes, then climb 3 stories in escalator and then again follow the sign board for a walk of 3 minutes so in all 15minutes walk and I was standing inside GENTING !!!!  so again remembered Johnny walker uncle's word, Keep walking... walk was through different shopping plaza, indoor theme parks. 

Massive is not the word !!!! all these walk does not even make you feel whether its raining, snowing, or its summer time outside. Reached hotel lobby to find 33 counters only to provide you hotel room / reservations and wait time for your number was 10minutes. All this only for one hotel, there are total of 4-5 hotels and total room count of 6000 rooms !!!!! People flocking in droves and of all Nationality.

Amazed I reached first world bus terminal to meet Shriks only to find climate had changed and it was pouring with zero visibility outside. I got first ever taste of Starbucks coffee and best smoke break ever in zero visibility outside.

Met a marwari couple from Nagpur who had finished their trip and were waiting for the bus on the way back to KL and then Mumbai. Shared a smoke with him and clicked pictures, while gaining some titbits about the place and also Langkawi where my new uncle & aunt were on their "n"th honeymoon. LOL 

Finally Shriks arrived from Singapore, It refreshed memories as last we met was 10years back. So here we were waiting in queue to get our room keys which on 21st floor and room number was 2845. wow !!! View from the hotel room was mesmerising, of outdoor theme park and premium Highland hotel only if sky was clear else it was only clouds. Best part was room doesn't have AC. It was chilling cold and it was summer time in KL !!!! 

 

We decided on checking the place entire day and outdoor theme park next day with casino in the night. Checking different shopping complex,food courts, indoor theme park, we didn't realise it was almost 10pm, Again the food options for a veggie is limited in entire complex and Shriks being a staunch veggie had to survive on only veg pizza with basic toppings !!!! I managed to grab cheese roti cenai and egg fried rice. Tired and excited about tomorrow we bid good night.

Morning we had options for veg breakfast which was included with reservations. Breakfast included rice and hot dal, my favorite while Shriks being half firang with 15years as UK passport holder opted for American breakfast. Meeting some people on tours from KESARI was fun as able to hear local Indian languages Gujarati, Marathi. All charged we were off to outdoor theme park for some amazing signature rides. Everything about Genting was massive in all forms. 

Apart from common rides, we experienced two ride which specially requires mention, one was "flying coater" in which you stand in the coaster which twist and turns while on ride, It left me breathless with heart almost stopping if ride had not stopped in 3minutes.

Second was "space shot" where we get strapped on chair and its open air ride, which goes up slowly giving you a view of entire park till 185 feet and before you can even realise, it drops you down giving a experience of weightlessness. Only words we had in our mouth was " WTF was that" 

I didn't try any of these rides second time !!!! 

Corkscrew, spinner, dinosaur land, boat ride were fun but go carting was amazing.

With entire day coming to end and we were again hungry but again veg option were negligible in park except for one store selling "VEG PIZZA" excited Shriks jumped and ordered it only to find Pizza was ready made and "wafer thin"......me ROTFL with Shriks abusing for being conned !!!!!!  

With loads of pics clicked for our memoir, we left for our hotel room for a quick nap before heading for Casino.

Casino had dressed code which I was aware while shriks being half firang had only got his "chaddis".   Luckily since I had extra pair so shriks was relieved only to find he was denied entry for not wearing shoes.LMAO as he actually stood there checking if security was allowing others and not him, And also he pointed to one gentleman who was wearing floaters only to be informed that floaters wid socks was allowed. So again me lending him extra pair of socks, We got in Casino, my first while shriks had experienced it in London. Casino was huge with each and every table crowded. Lost 50 RM or 750 INR but it was real fun. 

Last visit was to one of the karaoke open bar where you sip your drink and listen to live performance while indoor theme park train ride rolls over the top with people screaming their lungs out.

We were back with loads of fun and backpack ready to go back to KL for our next tour.

One disappointment was we couldn't ride Awana cable car which takes you to a 4 story Chinese temple on a hill as it only opens on sat/sun. But as saying goes if we had experienced everything in Genting then the charm of coming back for something we missed wouldn't be there. 

So we bid adios to our colourful and massive hotel and to Genting as a whole.

On the way to our next destination Kuala Lumpur....