Strawberry Picking Farms - Strawberry Farm Genting Highlands Malaysia

Had lots of fun whilst we were in Genting Highlands resort. On the way down, we stopped by the Strawberry Farm Genting Highlands near Gohtong Jaya and had a great time strawberry picking at the farm...An exciting time where we were like kids again.  :D

As we do not even have strawberry plants back in Singapore, it was a pleasure seeing so many strawberry plants as well as bright red fresh strawberries.

A wonderful treat especially for kids from tropical countries where they do not have such an experience back home.

First World Hotel - Genting Resort - Genting Highlands

First World Hotel is the third largest hotel in the world by rooms. It comprises Tower 1 and Tower 2, each with 28 floors, and has a grand total of 6,118 rooms. It is one of the five hotels located in Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia, along with Genting Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, Highlands Hotel and Resort Hotel. It was the largest hotel in the world until The Palazzo, an expansion of The Venetian in Las Vegas was opened in January 2008.

Strikingly colourful First World Hotel in Genting Highlands Resort

First World Hotel

Huge and spacious lobby at First World Hotel - designed as a Spanish courtyard

Beautiful Spanish inspired lobby

Lobby

Need a drink whilst you wait for your room? Starbucks is just around the corner

Back of a clown in the lobby of First World Hotel

Entertainment while you wait for your rooms

A lush, grand tropical rainforest greets guests at the main entrance of the First World Hotel.

Superior room in First World Genting Hotel

All hotel rooms are equipped with fans to complement the cool crisp mountain air and to maintain a comfortable temperature.

First World Hotel adjoins the shopping and entertainment complex, First World Plaza, which boasts 500,000 sq feet of indoor theme park, shopping centre and food establishments.

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Genting Highlands Vacation 22nd – 25th Oct 2010 Day 3

Time just flies when you are enjoying yourself, doesn’t it? It does not seem as though we have been here for three days already and it is now time to check out from this Genting Highlands Resort, First World Hotel.

View from First World Hotel, Genting Resort

Checking out was a breeze. As long as you check out before 12 noon, the official check out time, there will be a staff on hand at the various check out kiosks located in the lobby. Just hand them your room key and you are done! No questions asked! Checking out could not be any easier!!!

One of the check out kiosks at First World Hotel

Staff on hand to assist you in checking out

Today we headed to Hainan Kitchen Restaurant in First World Plaza once again to have the Steamed Chicken rice as well as Curry Chicken rice. The meal was tasty, fragrant and filling.

Preparation area in Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

Hainan Steamed Chicken Rice - delicious and fragrant

Curry Chicken with Rice

Later we had a drink at Starbucks to pass the time as well as surf the internet and respond to emails.

In the afternoon, before our bus ride back to Singapore at 1530 hrs, we headed to Hainan Kitchen once again since we still had another voucher for a complimentary meal.

How to Earn a Free Meal in Genting Resort

Though we would have preferred to visit one of the other restaurants in the casino, it was a bit inconvenient as we had our luggage with us since the Bell Desk area had such a long queue and we did not want to bother queueing to place our luggage there.

This time, we tried the Mee Hailam in Hainan Kitchen. Though it was good, we still prefer their chicken rice which is simply too good to resist.

Mee Hailam in Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

Heading for the Genting bus terminal at 1500 hrs, we said our goodbyes to this beautiful Malaysia highlands which is blessed with a lovely cool weather of 16 - 22 oC. Being nature lovers, we felt that it would be even better if Genting Resort has a park with highlands flowers and plants to beautify the area; as this would definitely be another added attraction for tourists besides the current casino and indoor/outdoor theme parks.

Saying goodbye to First World Genting Hotel

Genting bus terminal

Enjoying the view

and the cool weather

Stopping along the way by the foot of Genting Highlands, the bus made a toilet stop as well as a shopping stop. Here you could buy some Malaysia products if you wish to.

Shopping for Malaysia products

Stop by the foot of Genting Highlands

Thereafter, there was one stop along the way at Yong Peng to have dinner before we arrived safely back in Singapore at approximately 2200 hrs.

Stop at Yong Peng

Spacious area to sit and have a meal

Choice of dim sum food at Yong Peng

Or snacks

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Genting Highlands Vacation 22nd – 25th Oct 2010 Day 2

Genting Highlands Resort - First World Hotel

Since we were in Genting Highlands Resort staying in the First World Hotel, we took our time to enjoy the cool 16 degrees C weather. At the same time, since we were fortunate enough to be in Genting Highlands at the same time as the Malaysia Handicraft Exhibition at First World Plaza, we once again watched the demonstration of batik painting, basket weaving and hand loom weaving. It was very interesting.

Outdoor theme park - Genting Resort Malaysia

Flying Coaster - Genting Resort - Outdoor theme park

Beautiful views of the Pahang mountains

Scenic view

Today we managed to watch the various Malaysia dances as well.

We then had the Hainan Roasted Chicken rice at Hainan Kitchen in First world Plaza. Doing a roaring business, the outlet can be quite packed at times and you might have to queue just to be seated.

Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

We spent a lazy day, going online whilst enjoying a cup of latte in Starbucks and also having some fun in the casino, since we were not interested in going to the theme parks.

Starworld Casino, one of the casinos in Genting Resort

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Genting Highlands, KL & Malacca 4th July – 7th July 2010 Day 4

The last day of our Malaysia vacation, we started off the day on a leisurely note. As we had a late check out for our room in Arenaa De Luxe hotel, a beautifully and tastefully furnished boutique hotel in Ujong Pasir, Malacca, we took our time in the morning enjoying the room.

We took a short walk less than a minute away to the Perhentian Kuih Kampung (literally translated means Village Cakes Stop) where we had a late breakfast of dried mee siam (thin rice noodles in spicy, sweet and sour light gravy) and nonya cakes. Total cost of this light breakfast came up to RM11 (USD3.54) including drinks for all of us.

Perhentian Kuih Kampung

Malaysian food - kuih kuih

Malaysian food - dry mee siam

We then waited for another friend of ours, Belinda, to take us out for lunch. She brought us to Amboi, a nonya peranakan restaurant along Jalan Merdeka where her husband, Michael, was waiting for us. Here we were treated to typical nonya food such as sambal petai (stink beans in chilli), chap chye (mixed vegetable) and ayam buah keluak (chicken with black nut).

Malacca Peranakan Food - Amboi

The owner, Marcia, was friendly and our friends dine there regularly. We had a lovely time savouring our food and getting to know each other further.

Malacca Nyonya Food

For pictures of the wonderful peranakan food, visit Restaurant Amboi - Peranakan Food In Malacca.

After lunch, we drove to King Hin Plastic Industries in Jalan Bukit Cina where we did some shopping for baking and packaging supplies. On the way to Baba Charlie famous for its home made nonya kuih, we stopped by Bee Bee Lian Choo along Jalan Parameswara to buy some home made nonya pineapple tarts. Here you can see the production of the pineapple tarts, which Malacca is well known for, in the home.

Bee Bee Lian Choo's famous Nyonya Pineapple Tarts

Continuing on our way to Baba Charlie, we passed by Syarikat Berjaya Glassware; where the sight of crytalware in the window caught our eyes and we made an unplanned stop. You can find many beautiful items mainly for your kitchen at very reasonable prices. Our friends ended up purchasing a set of porcelain dish on a lazy susan, which is very practical when serving meals to guests. They almost could not get a new set as the sales assistant felt that it was the last set.However, upon us persuading them to check the store, they managed to find a new set, which our friends gladly grabbed at a bargain price.

Teacup & pot set with sweet prints

Lovely to admire...

The set that was purchased

We then made our way to our original destination, Baba Charlie, which is close to the Tengkera mosque. As we had received more detailed instructions from our friend, Edwin, we managed to find the place this time round. Alas, the place was closed already as they operate from 1000 hrs – 1500 hrs, after which they would proceed to the various night markets to hawk their popular nonya cakes. One good thing was that we actually managed to identify the exact house so that we would be able to find it the next time we get there.

Baba Charlie - famous for their home made nyonya cakes

Jonker Walk was our next destination. As usual, we had to stop at San Shu Gong, a home-grown Malaysian food product store, to buy their coffee before we brought our friends shopping along Jonker Walk.

San Shu Gong - famous for local Malaysian delicacies

Jonker Street - a tourist attraction

Big baby?

Cheery addition from San Shu Gong

We managed to find the old man who used to man the shop that specializes in handmade nonya beaded shoes along Jalan Tokong, a street that runs parallel to Jonker Walk. There are 2 shops specializing in handmade nonya beaded shoes along this stretch. WahAik shoemaker is the original shop that has already been in business for 3 generations. Since the next generation is not interested in running the shop, it looks like this is going to be a dying tradition.

WahAik is also a dealer in bound feet shoes and you can see pictures of women who had their feet bound. Foot binding was a custom practiced in China in the olden days where the arch of the foot was broken to leave a crevice approximately 5 cm (2 in) deep. This whole process took approximately two years in order to achieve a foot that measured anywhere between 7 – 9 cm (3 – 3 ½ in) from toe to heel.

We were very fortunate that the shop was still open at 1900 hrs as normal operating hours are from 0930 hrs – 1730 hrs. However as it was Malacca Historical Day and there was a VIP on his rounds in this heritage site, the shops were advised to stay open, thus allowing us to have the opportunity to discover it.

For more information, check out Peranakan Beaded Slippers and Bound Feet Shoes.

Bound Feet Shoes

Peranakan Beaded Slippers

Traditional Peranakan ladies wear

Testing the fit of the kebaya

New public restroom facilities along Jonker Walk

After we were done shopping along Jonker Street, we made our way back to Arenaa De Luxe Hotel to check out. Tesco shopping was next on our agenda. As we made our way to Tesco Malacca, we had the assistance of our Garmin global positioning system.

Tesco shopping

Here we had a quick bite at Tesco Medan Selera before starting our shopping in Tesco. It was 2220 hrs before we left Tesco and made a quick stop at Jusco Aeon next door.

Noodles

More noodles

Yet more noodles

Another version of Malaysian noodles

Indian flatbread

Colourful drinks

By the time we left Malacca to start our drive back to Singapore, it was close to 2300 hrs. We had a great time during this wonderful Malaysia vacation and we had achieved so much.

It was definitely an awesome experience starting with the cool Genting Highlands weather, our site inspection of D’Ark Resort in Janda Baik and Selesa Hill Homes and Resort in Bukit Tinggi, meeting up with quite a few of our friends, getting to taste the delicious Malaysian food and not forgetting the Malaysia shopping that we managed to include in our itinerary. Our one night experience in Arenaa De Luxe Hotel made our stay even more memorable.

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