Genting Highlands

Genting Highlands
Hill Resort

Most people who visit Genting Highlands Hill
Resort head straight for the casino or the theme park
and do not stop off along the way. This is a pity
because there are other attractions in the area that are
well worth spending some time on.
The road which winds its way up hill towards Genting
Highlands first takes you past the township of Gohtong
Jaya. This basically consists of a long strip of scruffy
modern blocks housing seafood restaurants which is a
bit odd seeing how far this place is from the ocean. The
restaurants seem popular.
In this vicinity is a strawberry farm where you can pick your own
fruit.
Nearby is the lower station of the Genting Skyway (cable
car) which you can ride up to the peak if you wish. There are
ample parking spaces to leave your car.
Next to the Skyway station is an equestrian centre which I am
told is open to the public for riding lessons.
Continuing up on the road to Genting you will next pass
the Awana Genting Golf Course which, at 3,000 feet above sea
level, is popular among golfers looking for a somewhat cooler
place to tee-off.

A few minutes drive after the temple you will see a large flat rock balanced on a
low rise next to the road. This is known as Cradle Rock. You can pull into a
small parking area if you want to take a closer look.
By now you are at an altitude of 5,500 feet and on a clear day you are
supposed to be able to enjoy a spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur and even as
far as the Straits of Malacca off Port Klang. On the day of my visit however the
cloud was low and I could barely see across the road.
Cradle Rock's view makes it a popular spot for picnics and, judging by the types
of litter left strewn around, a popular spot for burgers, donuts, smoking and
drinking beer. There was also quite a bit of graffiti on the rock which is a shame.
Soon after Cradle Rock you will reach Resorts World Genting Highlands, the
casino, theme park and hotel development which crowns the mountain

On leaving Resorts World the road's one-way system takes you to the
start of the road going back down to Kuala Lumpur. Before you go
down look for the signposts to Taman Cendawan (mushroom farm).
You can take a look inside the sheds where they cultivate mushrooms
which seem to sprout out of bottle-shaped packs of soil. Mushroom
varieties include Lingzhi (an exotic looking fungus attributed with
remarkable medicinal properties for complaints like asthma, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol etc.), oyster mushrooms, shitake and
many more.
These can be bought from the farm shop or eaten in the farm
restaurant. The shop also sells home grown vegetables and daylilies
which are cooked like green beans in stir fries and taste very good.