Review : Genting Highlands 2017

Just came back from a super busy long weekend.  Supposed to go and enjoy or rest, but I was running about so much that I am super exhausted.  It has been a very eventful long Christmas weekend.

My family went up to Genting Highlands on 21-22 Dec 2017.  That's a Thursday and Friday.  We got free rooms at First World Hotel, so thought why not check it out.  It's been ages since I went anyway and this is the first time for my girl to go.

We boarded a bus from 1 Utama and arrived at the Awana Skyway Station which is just next to the Genting Highlands Premium Outlets.  We took the cable car up and arrived at Sky Avenue.

First thing that attracted us was the big LED screens which takes up 4 floors.  This is where the light and sound show is.  But when we arrived, we missed the timing, so didn't see any of it.  But don't worry, they have one every hour and every half hour, the show will be different.  I only managed to catch the Christmas one and the one about the Goddess.  I missed the one about Love and another one about Forest.

Upon arrival, we quickly went to check-in.  It was super crowded.  So many humans and it take some time to even walk from one place to another because the amount of people were just too overwhelming.  

So what to do there in Genting?  Basically the outdoor theme park is still closed for renovation.  So, everyone is packed inside Genting Resort, the casino and the indoor theme park.  Some sections of the indoor theme park were closed for renovation as well, so the kids ended up with only the video arcade games to play.  Rides only the carousel and the electric car rail ride.  Ya, it is quite disappointing for the kids, but they get to play games after games and ride those small tiny cars that bounce up and down, don't know what's it called.

Light and Sound Show

This one is very interesting.  Where the balls that were from the ceiling will be lowered and shaped into different designs, depends on the theme and will form into Christmas tress, or heart shape, etc.  The most interesting part is just this, the dancing balls as I called it.  LED display will show some video but nothing that great about it.  Just these balls.

Sky Casino

If you like gambling, this is the place that most of the non-Muslim adults will go.  The management is very strict about it, like you can't bring a bag pack and you can't wear a cap if you want to enter.  And definitely no kids allowed.  So, I read some comments where some backpackers came and couldn't leave their bags anywhere as there was no lockers, so can't enter the casino.

We registered to be new Genting Rewards member and they gave RM30 free to play the games inside the casino.  You can't withdraw this amount out though.  So, you either lose or win and take out your wins only.  I lost all.

I don't really fancy going into the casino.  People smokes everywhere and the whole vibes is just weird.  Probably because I am not a gambler, so I couldn't understand how people can just dump so much of money in it and then lose it.  It's always a game of luck, never about being smart with your hands or what.  That's called cheating.  But it's always about luck.  And the casino will always win no matter what.  So, I just don't understand it all.  Never mind, that's just me.

Sky Avenue

This is the place to dine and shop.  Just like a shopping mall.  The light and sound show happens here.  It's connected to the Skyway Cable Car, which is on the 4th floor and then linked to the First World Hotel.  

First World Hotel

This hotel is very so crowded, no place to sit, no place to wait and the hotel room is small, but it's ok.  The window in our room faced another building, so it was pretty dark and no direct sunlight in our room.  

I like the ceiling deco that they did in the lobby though.

Burgers & Lobsters

We queued up at this fame restaurant to try the famous lobsters there.  Though the price is quite expensive, I must say the lobsters were pretty good.  If you don't mind queuing up and is ok to eating expensive food, then do try out this place.

That pretty much wrap up our 1 night stay in Genting Highlands.  I used to come here very often when we were young.  One of our uncle would rent a penthouse in Ria Apartment that few families can stay in it and we would have karaoke sessions, card sessions and indoor and outdoor theme park sessions with our cousins.  It was very fun and memorable!  However, I can't say the same for this trip.  I was exhausted because I couldn't sleep in the hotel.  I need complete darkness and somehow I can't find the switch to off the lights at the sink.  It was on the whole night. 

And we walked so much that the pedometer on my phone informed me that I have walked more than 10,000 steps for each day we were there.  

And on our way back, we had a very unpleasant experience.  Let me just share it here.

UNPLEASANTNESS

Our bus back to 1 Utama was at 3pm.  So, around 2pm, we queued up to take the cable car ride back to the Awana Sky Station.  In our group, we have 4 adults and 2 kids and a stroller.  At first I thought of just leaving my girl on the stroller but towards the end of the queue, she began to throw tantrum and insisted on being carried instead.  So I just pushed the stroller in and went first into the car, while my husband carried our girl.

We thought they would let all of us sit in 1 car but nope, the very lousy staff manning the distribution of people getting on the cable car allowed 3 adults and 1 teenager into our car.  Thais.  Out of these 4 people, 2 of them were women and they were fat.  The moment these people squeezed into the car and before the door closes, the staff informed me to fold the stroller if not in use.  

At the same time, one of the women, who is in her late 60s or early 70s and overweight, sat on my mom's lap and hands and told my mom to move in.  My mom scolded her for sitting on her and she didn't even apologised.  Instead, she kept on telling my mom that because my mom didn't move, so she sat on her.  Then another woman, who is this older woman's daughter and was sitting on the opposite side, scolded my mom as well and apologised sarcastically and reluctantly.  Then my mom kept on saying it's their fault and both women just kept on and on about it.  The older women asked if we were Malaysians or Singaporeans.  My mom replied that we were Malaysians.  The older woma then said then how come my mom is so arrogant if Malaysian, since Malaysian are not arrogant?  Wow, that is racist man.  My dad got very angry and shouted, "ENOUGH!!!!" and everyone shut up.  Even the man who came with them told them in Thai to leave it.

When we got out of the cable car, we saw that there were only 2 people in the car behind us.  Talk about fair distribution of people.

It was the most unpleasant 10 minutes ride.  And to be honest, I don't blame that older women for sitting on my mom.  I blamed the staff.  Of course, the older woman could have just apologised for her actions instead of justifying it but nope, she didn't.  Her daughter apologised for her instead.  And that too reluctantly and sarcastically.  It's people like you that really creates trouble for the world.  I believe Karma will come at you one day.  You just wait and see.

I am going to lodge an official complaint to Resort World about this.

Conclusion:

If you have kids and want them to play there, don't go now.  Wait until the outdoor theme park is open then go.  There's nothing much to play now.

If you just want to feel the cool air, don't go now too because you can't really walk out due to the renovations.  In the end, most of us just stayed indoors.

If you like to gamble, go to the casino.

If you have never been on a cable car, you can try it here.