Genting Highlands; Kuala Lumpur’s Las Vegas
For a game of gambling in Malaysia, you have to go to the Genting Highlands. This is the only place in Kuala Lumpur where it is legal to bet your money on a few games. Every year more than 20 million people visit the Genting Highlands. We wanted to see for ourselves what there is to do here.
20 degrees
To escape the heat of Kuala Lumpur, a day trip to the Highlands is not a bad idea. Genting is an hour’s drive to the north of the city. It is 1760 meters above sea level which makes it there every day about 20 degrees. A pleasant temperature compared to the more than 30 degrees in Kuala Lumpur. A Grab will take you for about €20 to SkyAvenue where all the fun starts.
SkyAvenue Station
The first time we got dropped off at the Awana SkyWay. This station is 1100 meters above sea level and takes you in ten minutes by cable car to the SkyAvenue Station, at 1700 meters. The standard gondola costs RM9 (less than €2) per person. You can also choose to take the glass gondola upstairs. This costs RM18 (about €4) per person. This was a fun ride, but we have been queuing here for over an hour. Meanwhile, staff members are walking around to ask you to skip the line for a few extra ringgit. So don’t buy the priority ticket at the box office, but wait patiently until someone walks by.
First World Hotel
The second time we took the Grab to the First World Hotel. With more than 7000 rooms this is the largest hotel in the world. From the center of Kuala Lumpur, it takes a little more than an hour to get to the top of the mountain. If you order a Grab with more people, send the Grab driver a message asking if the car can handle it. If that’s not the case, you’ll be standing still with an overheated engine. Especially the last 15 minutes of the drive you go up in a hairpin style.
Overheated motor
Along the way, we encountered more than ten cars that were stationary at the side of the road. At first, you don’t think about anything particularly, but the higher we got, the more cars we saw standing still. Overheated engines that can’t handle the ride anymore or a car that is on fire. We saw it all and according to our chauffeur (who wasn’t as surprised as we were), it was the fault of those drivers. They just can’t drive. Everybody rides an automatic car here!
Chaos
Once arrived at the top you will see several huge resorts, three amusement parks, a cinema, a bowling alley and a shopping mall. The Genting Highlands is not only popular with people who like to gamble, but also with families. So it’s not a good idea to visit this chaos on a public holiday. We’ve made that mistake before. We were there on a Saturday, probably a lot busier than when you go on weekdays.
Sic Bo
Crossing the First World Hotel will bring you to the Sky Casino. Along the way, you will come across all kinds of restaurants. We ate at The Laughing Fish which opened just a few weeks ago. In this English restaurant, you can enjoy fish and chips and a good cocktail! After that, it was time for the casino where we stayed for a few hours. It is so huge and there are so many people walking around that you don’t know where to look. Because you can already play roulette at Holland Casino, it was time for something new. We played the game Sic Bo, where you bet money on a particular outcome of three dices. We had a great time here. Let those ringgits roll!
Genting Highlands; Kuala Lumpur’s Las Vegas
For a game of gambling in Malaysia, you have to go to the Genting Highlands. This is the only place in Kuala Lumpur where it is legal to bet your money on a few games. Every year more than 20 million people visit the Genting Highlands. We wanted to see for ourselves what there is to do here.
20 degrees
To escape the heat of Kuala Lumpur, a day trip to the Highlands is not a bad idea. Genting is an hour’s drive to the north of the city. It is 1760 meters above sea level which makes it there every day about 20 degrees. A pleasant temperature compared to the more than 30 degrees in Kuala Lumpur. A Grab will take you for about €20 to SkyAvenue where all the fun starts.
Overheated motor
Along the way, we encountered more than ten cars that were stationary at the side of the road. At first, you don’t think about anything particularly, but the higher we got, the more cars we saw standing still. Overheated engines that can’t handle the ride anymore or a car that is on fire. We saw it all and according to our chauffeur (who wasn’t as surprised as we were), it was the fault of those drivers. They just can’t drive. Everybody rides an automatic car here!
Chaos
Once arrived at the top you will see several huge resorts, three amusement parks, a cinema, a bowling alley and a shopping mall. The Genting Highlands is not only popular with people who like to gamble, but also with families. So it’s not a good idea to visit this chaos on a public holiday. We’ve made that mistake before. We were there on a Saturday, probably a lot busier than when you go on weekdays.
SkyAvenue Station
The first time we got dropped off at the Awana SkyWay. This station is 1100 meters above sea level and takes you in ten minutes by cable car to the SkyAvenue Station, at 1700 meters. The standard gondola costs RM9 (less than €2) per person. You can also choose to take the glass gondola upstairs. This costs RM18 (about €4) per person. This was a fun ride, but we have been queuing here for over an hour. Meanwhile, staff members are walking around to ask you to skip the line for a few extra ringgit. So don’t buy the priority ticket at the box office, but wait patiently until someone walks by.
First World Hotel
The second time we took the Grab to the First World Hotel. With more than 7000 rooms this is the largest hotel in the world. From the center of Kuala Lumpur, it takes a little more than an hour to get to the top of the mountain. If you order a Grab with more people, send the Grab driver a message asking if the car can handle it. If that’s not the case, you’ll be standing still with an overheated engine. Especially the last 15 minutes of the drive you go up in a hairpin style.
Sic Bo
Crossing the First World Hotel will bring you to the Sky Casino. Along the way, you will come across all kinds of restaurants. We ate at The Laughing Fish which opened just a few weeks ago. In this English restaurant, you can enjoy fish and chips and a good cocktail! After that, it was time for the casino where we stayed for a few hours. It is so huge and there are so many people walking around that you don’t know where to look. Because you can already play roulette at Holland Casino, it was time for something new. We played the game Sic Bo, where you bet money on a particular outcome of three dices. We had a great time here. Let those ringgits roll!
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