Weekend getaway to Genting Highlands, Malaysia

Genting Highland

Genting highland is to Kuala lumpur what Lonavla is to Mumbai & Mussoorie is to Dehradoon. Lifeline during summers and a weekend getaway from the high powered city life. 

A quiet hill station admist the lush green rain forest from the outside and a bustling high end mall, 20th century Fox World theme park, a golf course hotel, and the only legal land based Casino in Malaysia from the inside. 

Genting highland also known as Resorts world genting is a Hill resort approximately 1 hour away from Kuala lumpur by road or by Public Transport. 

It has the worlds fastest and south East Asia's Longest Gondola lift , Awana Skyway and is known for its Shopping malls which have an all year round almost 50% discount on high end International brands.

How to Reach Awana Skycab station

Scenic Route

 BUS : 

If you are going for a day trip then to Reach genting Highlands Station by Bus you need to get the Tickets done a day before. Its slightly inconvenient because you can only buy the ticket from over the counter. 

Resorts World genting has bus service every 1 hour however on Weekends its usually full and hence booking seats a day before is advisable. 

You can take a Premium Bus from any station. Since KL central station was closest to Petronas Tower and our hotel, we walked in and bought our return tickets for the next day. 

The buses offer a recliner seat with huge glass windows and the route is absolutely mesmerising. Consider yourself super lucky if its raining because then the bus will migrate from between the clouds and its quite picturesque. The Bus charges are MYR 5 (Rs.80) per person. 

Route

CAR : 

If you are planning to stay over for a night then preferable mode of transport would be renting a car for the weekend. The flexibility to stop at a view point, click photographs and make pit stops at your own convenience is a plus point. 

The 1 hour drive from Kuala lumpur to Genting Highlands is quite stunning. The surprising part is the cleanliness and greenery. The locals make sure not to litter and are doing their bit in preserving the ecosystem. 

The cost of Renting a self drive car for a day is MYR 100 per day (approx Rs.1600). 

If you don't feel like driving then you can also take an Uber and make a stop at Batu caves. The cost of hiring an UBER is approximately MYR 70 (approx Rs.1200) one way. 


PRO TIP : If you are on a  budget trip then opt for Resorts world Genting bus service and make sure you book the return ticket because post 5 pm the busses are usually full from genting to KL.

AWANA SKYWAY :

Sky cab

The drop point of Bus service is Awana Skyway Station. From the station you need to take Awana Skyway to Resorts World Genting. 

The price of skycab is MYR 55 per person with one extra drop point at Chin Swee Temple. The route to chin see temple has been designed keeping in mind all age groups. The escalators and Air conditioning provide a pretty niche and comfortable way to the temple.

Way to Temple

Where to stay 

First World Hotel

If you are on a day trip then you can skip this but if you plan on staying the night and enjoy the casino or soak in the natural Rain forest then Resorts world Genting boasts of some amazing properties to stay in.

Resorts world genting has six hotels to chose from. One of the six hotels, First world hotel, holds the Guinness world record as a largest hotel in the world with approximately 7000 rooms. 

It is advisable that you Book a room before your travel. The rooms start from MYR 150 onwards.

You can book here https://www.rwgenting.com

What to Eat

Restaurant at Awana Station

Malaysia is a land of varied food choices and offers a wide variety of street food options which is quite over whelming. Make sure you try the Fresh bakery at the Awana station for some Roasted almond Croissants and sausage Croissants. 

You can chose restaurant options from Thai, vietnamese, Burmese, Japanese, american and Indian cuisine options however there isn't a stand alone Indian restaurant serving vegetarian food but you can find something in the food court. 

Pizza Hut

I was quite happy when I saw Pizza hut and to my delight ate my share of vegetarian pizza's, garlic breads and salads there. Incase you wish to eat in one of the restaurants then just ask them to not add any meat / sea food and you can have whatever dish you like. 

There are quite a few stand alone fresh fruit stores and they serve freshly cut fruits as well as dried fruits for you. 

Buy yourself some healthy roasted snacks, beans, candies, handmade chocolates from the wholesale candy stores on the station and you won't be disappointed. Must buy - Ginger and coffee candy. 

What to Do

1) Chin Swee Temple

Chin swee temple

A Taoist temple situated on the way to the Genting highland mall is a pure delight . The temple has some amazing photo points and a rich history of Fujian chinese culture. Within the Temple is seated a statue of Qingshui, a Buddhist monk who has long been referred to as a deity in Fujian province, China for his supernatural abilities to summon rain and drive away evil spirits. you can buy some amazing organic ginger powder from here.

Inside Chin swee temple

2) Shopping Mall & Casino

Inside the shopping mall

Malaysia is a paradise for shopping lovers. Genting highlands is the dream come true for brand lovers with more than 50% discount on almost all stores. It is so so huge that you wouldn’t know where to begin and end. We spent the entire day roaming around the mall, shopping for cutest clothes and accessories . You can Play all day long in the casino which is so Majestic however don't forget to wear Trousers and shoes for men and women Need to be careful with Shoes. All in all, It was such a fun day trip. 

However the highlight of the Trip was the sound and light show inside the Mall. It was truly breathtaking.

Light & Sound show inside the Mall

If you fancy a more idyllic surroundings then you Can also Visit Cameron Highlands. It a quaint little town set in the british era with beautiful English homes and you can spend a weekend there.

Feel free to connect if you have any questions. :)

Homemade Thandai Powder

Thandai is a quintessential Holi drink which is bound to lift up your spirits high with or without adulteration. 

I tried store bought thandai last year and It felt like I drank sugar syrup out of a bottle and that is when I decided next year will be different and well it turned out to be quite fun.

Played crazy holi with everything homemade and the best out of the lot was Gunjiya’s and Bailey’s Thandai. 

I made thandai powder at home and added Bailey's to the mix and chilled it for a while . It was light on the sweet side and string on the happy side.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 5 minutes
Serves : 400 grams

Ingredients :

25 almonds
25 cashew nuts
35 pistachios
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp melon seeds (Musk melon)
2 tbsp poppy seeds
8-10 green cardamom
1 tbsp fennel seeds
10 no black pepper
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
a small piece mace 
Rose petals

Method :

1) If you are using fresh rose petals, then wash them properly and pat them dry with kitchen towel.

2) Microwave it for about 5 minutes, keep checking in between after every 2 minutes.

3) The petals will be crispy, else you can sundry them.

4) Dry roast the dry fruits and spices separately. Be careful to not make them brown.

5) Blend all of them together with sugar into coarse powder.

6) Your homemade thunder powder is ready.

7) Store this in an airtight container or in the fridge.

Keep Cooking , Keep loving :)

Kale chips

Kale Chips

Did you ever think you could nibble on your salad greens ?  Well, your search ends here. 

I love munching in between the meals and that’s the reason why I am not able to lose weight. Since the realisation has kicked in, I’m trying to make a healthy batch of snacks at home.

I am quite happy today because instead of picking up those packets of chips, I stuck out with my will power and picked up fresh kale to make my very own chips at home. 

My new year resolution was to avoid anything that comes out of a packet and we’ll I succeeded in doing that. These are crispy, super yum and total health hub.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 1

Ingredients :

100 grams American kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink salt

Method :

1) Wash the Kale leaves properly and pat them dry.

2) Chop the kale leaves in small portions of edible size.

3) In a Bowl add kale leaves, olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a nice mix.

4) Line the Baking tray with Olive oil and place the chips next to each other.

5) Bake this at 180'c for about 15 minutes on pre-heat convection mode in microwave or Oven.

6) Let them cool down completely and store in a n airtight container.

P.S - Its advisable to eat them freshly baked because moisture tends to set in super fast and makes them not so crispy later.


Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

One Pot Burmese Khao suey

Khao suey is a Burmese noodle dish stew and is also a staple food. It has gained quite the popularity in the recent years. 

It is a one pot soup meal which has noodles, rice, vegetables and lots of condiments. However since its an elaborate dish not many prefer to cook it at home hence people prefer eating out. 

I am not a great fan of eating out because we don't know what is being added apart from the ingredients to make it taste good and lets be honest you really don't want to spend everyday on your favourite food.

Since I was experimenting with Keto diet, I was on lookout for foods that are tasty at the same time fall into my low carb high fat macros. This is a perfect dish for that. 

Macros :

Carbs : 14.3 grams

Protein: 4.6 grams (you can add meat / paneer for more protein )

Fat: 44.7 grams 

Fibre : 4 grams

Ingredients :

200 ml Dabur coconut milk

4 tbsp coconut oil 

1 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup Mushrooms

1 medium onion 

1/2 cup Broccoli / cauliflower

1 cup Mixed bell peppers

1/3 cup crushed peanuts

1 full bulb of Garlic

1 small onion

2 tbsp fresh coriander

1 lemon juice

4-5  dried red chilly 

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp Cumin powder

1 tbsp red paprika / chilly powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

2 tbsp Ginger

 

Method :

1) Add ginger, peeled garlic bulb, medium onion in a mixer and keep the paste in the bowl.

2) Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium flame and then pour it on the ginger garlic paste.

3) Add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly and salt in the bowl and mix it well to infuse the flavours well.

4) Pour the paste into the pan and cook the paste for at least 10 minutes.

5) Now add coconut milk to the Paste and stir well. Add 1 cup of water to it.

6) Add all the vegetables to the mix and cover with the lid for 10 minutes.

7) In a small Pan add 2 tbsp coconut oil and fry peanuts, chopped garlic, onion and red chilly flakes until golden brown.

8) Once the gravy is cooked, pour the fried stuff on it and sprinkle some fresh coriander and lemon juice.

9) Serve this with Noodles or Boiled rice.

P.S - If you want strong coconut flavour then don't add water instead add more coconut milk. 

Keep Cooking, Keep Loving :)

Savoury Oats

Oats are a powerhouse of everything that our body needs. They are the most under estimated and tasteless superfood but once you get the hang of it, there is nothing better than a bowl of oats to keep you energised and happy all day long.

Did you know oats are a perfect breakfast because they are high in fibre which keeps you full for long and are loaded with antioxidants, improves immunity, aided in weight loss, lowers cholesterol and improves blood pressure. .

I eat oats two ways : overnight sweet oats and savoury vegetable oats as breakfast.
I have shared the recipe of overnight ones. Today let me share my way of cooking oats and you can tell me if you don’t like it then.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 1

Ingredients :

3 tbsp Oats 
1 small onion
1/3 cup broccoli
1/3 cup yellow pepper
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup water
1 tsp ghee
1/4 jeera powder

Method :

1) Temper ghee with mustard seeds and curry leaves on medium flame.

2) Add onion, chopped pepper and broccoli.

3) sauté it for a minute or two and then add salt, paprika, jeera powder and stir it.

4) Pour in water to the mix and add lemon juice.

5) Stir it well until water starts to dry out and leaves behind a semi dry gravy.

6) Serve hot with some fresh coriander leaves.

P.S - You can add any vegetables depending on the availability. 

Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

Things to do In Langkawi

Eagle Square, Kuah Town

Welcome to the Duty Free Island of Langkawi :)

Say whhhaatttt ????  Yes, you heard that correct. Langkawi is a Duty free Island wherein there is absolutely no import duty on the products. 

Langkawi is part of an enclave of 104 islands and is the most popular one for Shopping and all things touristy like watching serene sunsets sipping margarithas, Island hoping and picnics, exploring lush tropical Rain forests and taking evening walks on the secluded beaches makes this an absolute favourite with Travellers who love to explore without an itinerary. 

The only local transport is that of cabs and its expensive. So the best way to explore the island is by Renting out a bike from the airport itself . Prices start at about MYR 16 (approx 1000 Rupees) per day. 

PRO TIP : Since we were in no mood to drive and It was raining crazy the day we arrived so instead we used UBER and it was fantastic and cheap. So I would recommend using UBER and guess what, its available 24*7.

   1) Watch the Sun rise at Pantai Cenang Beach

Langkasuka Beach

Langkawi's sunsets are breathtaking. Even an afternoon stroll on the beach is quite refreshing and looks absolutely fantabulous. Dont believe us ? check out the picture above. The colourful picturesque sky is bound to make you fall in love.

Pantai cenang, langkawi's main Beach strip also called the downtown is a pretty happening street with Spa's, restaurants, Bars, souvenir shops and duty free malls to stop by. You can get a traditional malaysian Massage at MYR 70 (Approx Rs.850) for an hour and enjoy a drink while watching the sun go down.


  2) Ride in the famous Cable Car

Cable Car

Your trip to Langkawi would be incomplete without stepping on that cable car. Langkawi's main touristy Attraction is the Longest free span Mono-Cable car and you can't leave the island without viewing the Birds eye view of the island, Can you ?

You would be surprised that there are quite a few Viewing decks on the way. There is a stopover for you to view the entire island and take a few pictures before heading to the sky bridge and Natures walk. You can enjoy the ride at MYR 55 (Approx Rs.880) for the cable car which includes view deck, sky bridge, 3D gallery and Nature's walk. 

If you are lucky and the que isn't much then you might get your private Skycab :) You can buy the tickets online here www.panoramalangkawi.com/skycab/

  3) Unwind at the Oriental Village

Oriental Village

Before heading to Langkawi, we were advised to skip Oriental village and head straight for the cab but we are glad that we Ignored the advice and instead chilled there for a while once we came back from the ride. 

Its beautiful, scenic and a perfect spot for some romantic Pictures. There is a small lake, waterfalls, wooden swing bridge, Quite a few gaming zones for kids, 5D screen, restaurants with Indian, Arabic, Iranian, Malaysian cuisine and my favourite Subway which we enjoyed by the lake. It was a cute little picnic spot for us. There is no fee to enjoy there however for the activities you can buy a pass which has cable car and few activities inclusive of these.

 4) Dare to Cross the Sky Bridge

When we think of Malaysia, the image that comes to our mind is that of Petronas tower and Sky Bridge where DON 2 was shot and we all remember the scene when Booman Irani was Running after Shahrukh or was it other way around? damn you memory !!!

The bridge is suspended from a 82m Single pylon and is 100m Above the ground. We sat by the edge and watched the sunset. And you must do the skyGlide for it is absolute must and one of its kind to reach the Skybridge or you could Hike and take the natures trail.

 5) 3D projection mapping Show & 3D Pictures 

The 3D gallery is one of its kind and you will not get bored at all here. There are almost 50   Such corners and you can get lost getting those crazy ass pictures clicked. The cherry on top was the 3D projection mapping show which happens every 1 hour. 

The ticket for this is complimentary along with the sky cable car.

 6) Glide through the Mangrove tour

Mangroves

Tour through the Beautiful mangroves of Langkawi on a speed boat or kayak while spotting snakes, eagles, Water swimming monkeys, crabs, and snails. Its amazing how the roots are so beautiful yet so strong. we were amazed to witness these hourglass figure-like trees that thrive in this mysterious swampy area and listen to the call of the Birds. 

Do not book a tour on the airport. Go to the Pantai cenang Mall and opt for the very experienced eco friendly tour operators at much cheaper rates. You can even book the ones lined by the busy cenang road. Just make sure you don't force feed the animals or birds since there are lot of endangered species out there and we don't want to exploit animals. do we? Respect Nature, do your bit and please don't throw leftover plastic bags in the river. 

The Tour cost about MYR 50 for a 4 hour tour which included pick and drop facility from your hotel and MYR 90 for an elongated tour.

Tanjung Rhua jetty Point

 7) Explore the Bat caves & Kilim geo forest

Explore the Bat caves & Kilim geo forest

Dont't forget to Visit the Famous bat cave and crocodile cave on your mangrove tour. This Spooky cave is about 390 Million years old and is still standing tall with few mangrove trees surrounding it. 

Its walls are lined with hundreds of bats and rock structures all made of rock boast of the marks left on this cave over time. However beware of the Intelligent Monkeys around and don't feed them anything.

Bat cave

   8) Feed the fishes on Floating farm

Floating Fish farm

Floating fish farm is part of the Mangrove tour and usually the lunch is included in that. However you can skip lunch if you are a vegetarian. While the idea of lunch on a floating farm in the middle of the sea was quite tempting, I am a vegetarian and hence no fish / meat for me but we still wanted to see this floating farm and know more about the fish breeding. 

The most adventurous and dangerous part of the tour was when our Speed boat started acting up and stopped in the middle of the sea. That happens sometimes, but don't worry these drives are quite experienced and they know their engine. The driver called for help and dropped us at the farm so we chilled here for quite sometime. 

  9) Drive to Gunung Raya Mountain

Gunung Raya Mountain

Drive to Gunung Raya was not on our itinerary but our Uber driver suggested the picturesque drive and we were quite thrilled with the idea of driving to the highest mountain top of Langkawi. 

If you love spotting wildlife then you might be in for a treat. We were so awed by the Lush green forests and drive that we hardly noticed anything other than the Natural Beauty. You can also go to the watch tower for stunning 360' degree view of the mountain. The Entance fee for that is MYR 10.

10) Hike to Seven Wells Waterfall

Seven Wells waterfall

If you fancy natural pools admist the lush green nature then this one is for you. Since we did not want to get into the water we just finished our hike and chilled by the waterfall under a tree shade. Its so soothing and relaxing after a good hike. 

Watch out for the monkeys on the way. Make sure you don't visit during the dry season and be extra cautious during the rainy season. 

11) Duty Free Shopping at Kuah Town

Eagle Square

Kuah Town is slightly far from the airport. Since we were staying near the airport so it took us about 40 minutes to reach there however if you are used to Mumbai Traffic then it won't seem like anything. 

You must get the mandatory picture at the eagle square. If you are lucky then you might witness skate boarding completion between locals and tourists. 

The shopping complex at Kuah Jetty point has some amazing shops but they are a bit on the higher side instead visit the Langkawi Parade mall for duty free Shopping. Perfumes, bags, sunglasses, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Chocolates, Clothing brands, you name it and its there at absolutely throwaway prices. I even compared the prices at at the airports too and its way cheaper on the island than at the airport. For instance, a 750 ml bottle of Jack Daniels in India will cost you about Rs. 4500 wherein the same bottle in Langkawi will cost you about MYR 60 (approx 1000 rupees ) for a 1 litre bottle. No wonder the flight tickets to Malaysia are never cheap. 

12) Island Hopping

Fancy a quite romantic picnic with your loved ones ? 
You can hire a Luxury jetty for the same and spend the day exploring the small islands. You can carry a small picnic basket with  fruits, sandwiches, juices but make sure to not litter around and try to be as eco friendly as possible.

Langkawi offers this luxury at affordable prices. You can Rent out an entire boat for about MYR 300 for 2 hours.

Bloggers Note :

 We have never travelled with a tour group because we feel restricted with the itinerary provided and we would rather make our own itinerary and do things the way we like it and at our own comfort. Pick from this guide to langkawi for the best things to do on the Island of Langkawi.

If you have any query then please free to drop in a message and we will make sure to give you all the extra tips :)