NOW AVAILABLE
ON STANDS

Currrent - Issue
HOME
Current Issue
     


Malaysian Odyssey

Crystal clear lagoons, sun-kissed beaches and an over-abundance of sea food and, well, skyscrapers — enough ingredients to make Malaysia one hell of a tourist hot zone
 

By Sayantan Chakravarty in Kuala Lumpur, Genting and Langkawi
 


The Taj, wrote poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore, sits like a teardrop on the cheek of time. If the Taj is an architectural wonder from another era, then modern day's architectural wonder is the twin Petronas Towers. You could describe these as tall dreams come true on the sands of time.

 

Journalists hosted by the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board have arrived at Kuala Lumpur for the Chinese New Year. It is a universal holiday for all Chinese people. We get an opportunity to shake hands with the Emperor.
 


Says Nor Aznan Sulaiman, head of Mega Fam Secretariat, the international promotion division of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, our hosts, "Tourist traffic to Malaysia is at all-time high. We are providing the best of the Orient and the Occident."
 


Figures tell their story. Since its launch in 1999, the Malaysia Truly Asia campaign has helped almost triple tourist inflow into this Southeast Asian country. In 1998, Malaysia had just 5.5 million tourists visiting the country (India's tourist inflow at present is about 3.5 million per annum). In 2004, there were over 15.7 million tourists, impressive for a nation of a little over 22 million people.

A gush of cool breeze hits you even as the doors of the Mercedes van slide open. Up in the highlands, about 6,000 feet above the sky, and around an hour away from Kuala Lumpur, Genting is truly different. It's hot elsewhere but here it is cool.

Then back to the City in the clouds. It features six hotels with over 8,000 guest rooms, over 90 distinctive dining outlets, an alluring shopping arcade with over 80 stores, pulsating indoor and outdoor theme parks (the sky venture is fascinating as is the ride in the snow park) with more than 50 fun rides, and more than 10 leisure and entertainment hotspots. The resort also operates Genting Skyway, the longest cable car in South-East Asia, spanning 3.38 km from the midhill at Gohtong Jaya to Highlands Hotel at the hilltop.


Our very gracious host, Kim Teoh, assistant manager with the Genting group says the Genting International Showroom, the 6,000 seat Arena of Stars and the 2,000 capacity pavilion have set the stage of a pantheon of world class entertainers including Cliff Richard, Jim Brickman, Ronan Keating, Air Supply, Bryan Hyland, Vanessa Mae, Westlife, Richard Clayderman, Johnny Tillotson and David Gates.



More than 8,000 rooms are available in the six international class hotels at Genting Highlands, Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, Resort Hotel, Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort, and First Hotel, and two serviced apartments, Ria Apartments and Kayangan Apartments.
 

Complete in 2001, the 3,300 room First World Hotel part of the First World Complex is by far Malaysia's biggest hotel with 32 check in counters. Phase two of the hotel is currently under construction and First Hotel will be exactly living up to its name, it will the world's largest hotel with 6,300 guest rooms come 2006.



A lush and grand tropical rainforest awaits guests at the main entrance of the First World Hotel followed by a spacious Spanish courtyard lobby and tropical garden behind the reception counter.

 

The Langkawi Lagoon Resort lies on the west coast of Langkawi Island, the largest of an archipelago of 99 islands of exotic rainforests and sandy beaches. The hotel proves to be an ideal location for a romantic getaway, adventure tourism and business events. It also provides conference facilities for its business clients.

A word about Malaysia Airlines. The flight from KL to Langkawi is superb. Landing there from the clouds is like landing on a very pretty island from the skies above. When we touch down, the scenery is incredibly beautiful, the palm trees, the white beaches, and deep blue and emerald green lagoons, the log cabins, sundowners, rock bands, palm trees, everything is there. Says Sonia Dutt, marketing manager (South Asia), Malaysia Airlines: "Our promotion of Malaysia goes hand in hand. The tourism board markets Truly Asia, we fly in tourists with world class service."