Have Yourself a Short Break

It's just the beginning of a Monday morning and we're already looking forward to the coming weekend. And speaking of the weekends, we took a drive up to Genting Highlands over the one that just passed for no particular reason apart from to just get away from the usual weekend routine.

A drive to Genting Highlands only takes about 45 minutes, which is about the same time it takes to endure traffic on the way to a shopping mall in KL. We were welcomed by a cool mist-filled atmosphere and absolutely refreshing air at about 4pm. But do note that depending on your luck, it can be quite warm during the noon, so if youre not planning to go to the theme park (which you'll need a whole day for) and just want to enjoy the cool-ness of it all (Which is what we love doing), it's best to head there in the evening.

We didn't get any thrills from the rides at the theme park, didn't spend any money on tokens at the arcade, and neither did we try our luck at the Casino. Our outing was a casual one, and all we did was just have lunch at The Bakery, stroll around the very cool First World Plaza, watch people scream on the Flying Coaster, catch a sneak preview of Gentings infamous DREAMZ show, and basically just...chill out.

We just have to highlight The Bakery, which apart from being a bakery, also serves up some pretty good sandwiches. Our lunch was a Croissant filled with Smoked Duck topped, Mozzarella Cheese, accompanied by English Mustard and a Parmesan Loaf filled with Smoked Beef, Mozzarella Cheese topped with Mayonnaise which cost us RM16.50 each. Not the cheapest sandwich but you can't really expect cheap things from Gentings. Besides, the cool al fresco seating makes it all worthwhile.

First World Plaza gives you a refreshingly different shopping experience altogether. The place just looks and shouts "entertainment!!!" from every angle. It just feels so magical when it's all lit up and makes you feel as if you're in some sort of Fantasy Wonderworld.

The DREAMZ stage preview was performed on the stage in First World Plaza itself and showcased 3 of their acts filled with dancers, acrobats, men in tights, and a magician. The dance act wasn't something extraordinary, the magician was alright, but the Chinese acrobats were awesome. That preview was a pretty smart way of getting people to turn their attention to buying tickets for the show.

Speaking of buying. we couldn't help but notice how a 360 degree experience in Gentings revolves around an interesting financial cycle, especially when it comes to Casino goers (Which make up a large portion of Gentings guest list anyway). You basically go up with money, head to the Casino and if you're lucky, you'll win more money, but Gentings and all its offerings is filled with so much to do and so much to spend on (Including a very inviting jewellery store for the rich china-man) that you'll most probably end up spending the money that you won anyway, which then goes back to Gentings! No doubt, a possible secret to their success.

At about 8pm, we decided to wrap our trip up with a cup of Joe at Starbucks in the Highlands Hotel, which seems to be becoming a tradition for us before heading home. After all the walking, it's a nice place to just sit, chill a little bit more, enjoy the cool air a while longer, and recuperate before starting the drive down... which we did shortly after.

So if you ever need to get away over the weekend, break the norm of heading to the usual shopping malls, and spend some entertaining time with a loved one; take a trip to the City of Entertainment, as Genting Highlands so proudly label themselves. And if you ask us, that label suits the venue perfectly.