Is going to Genting without gambling like visiting Egypt without seeing the pyramids? I don’t know, but I’m quite happy visiting Genting without entering the casino.
The outdoor facilities are still under renovation. Having last been to Genting Highlands in 1987, the place was barely recognisable. I remember staying at a hotel with the Cradle Rock sitting right in front of it. That hotel is gone, replaced by a private apartment building.
I decided to try the more adventurous way only on the return journey, so from the airport, I took a Grab car all the way to the doorstep of Theme Park Hotel. The journey took 1 hour 45 minutes. Including toll charges, the damage was RM165. It’s really not expensive if you’re travelling in a group of 4.
Unlike most “normal” people who contribute to the casino’s earnings, I’m more interested in Genting’s scenery. The pictures below were taken on my morning walks.
Contrary to some rumours, Genting is still cool. The early morning were about 18 deg C. It’s only hot on a cloudless day.
There are several other ways to get to Genting for those who are travelling alone. The most convenient (or so it seems) is from KLIA. A seat on the Aerobus costs RM35 and brings you to Awana Skyway station in about 2 hours. That is provided you can get seats on the next bus. If not, you may have a long wait at the airport.
From the basement of KL Sentral, there is a much cheaper bus that runs to Awana in less than an hour. It costs only RM4.90. There are other buses leaving from Jalan Pekeliling. They all arrive at Awana and from there you can take the cable car to the top where all the hotels and casinos are. Of course, there is also a resort and golf course at Awana, along with a couple of private apartments.
The second cable care station is Chin Swee Caves Temple. If you’re in a hurry, you can visit on your way up or down. If you’re staying a couple of days, I suggest that you leave your luggage at the hotel and take the free shuttle bus down.
The entire ride from the top to Awana station takes about 10-15mins. On this trip, I returned to KL via cable car and bus from Awana. From KL, the buses going up to Awana are all dispersed. It makes more sense to leave via Awana where all the buses to KL (almost every 30 mins) depart.
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