Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when we are not encouraged to travel out of the country for very long, a lot of us might consider taking a day-trip to shake away the boredom of staying at home or just going around the town. Located just an-hour-drive away from Kuala Lumpur or Genting Highlands, Berjaya Hills at Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia might be just the perfect travel destination for you and your family. Berjaya Hills has lots of breathtaking scenery and is suitable for those who are looking for inner peace while engaging with nature.
Berjaya Hills is located 2,700 feet above sea level (you might want to bring your jacket along as the temperature can get pretty cold and windy, especially at night) and offers grand, European-style architecture, lush tropical forests, and majestic wildlife, all in the area of Colmar Tropicale Berjaya Hills Resort, managed by Berjaya Hotels & Resorts. This particular resort in Malaysia has 235 rooms & suites, 8 food & beverage lounges with food variety ranging from local & international cuisine to an authentic French fine dining restaurant, as well as interesting tourist attractions. During your day-trip, here are the attractions within Berjaya Hills which you might be interested in paying a visit:
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Opened in 2000, Colmar Tropicale was modeled after a 16th-century small town of Colmar, northeastern of Alsace, France. The resort also incorporates architectural designs and elements from ancient surrounding villages of Riquewihr, Turckheim, and Kaysersberg. This inspiration of a so-called “French village in Malaysia” was derived from the wish list of Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, who upon his visit to the region of Alsace was so impressed by the architecture that he decided that there should be one in Malaysia. The entrance fee is only RM12 for adults and RM8 for children aged between 4 and 12 (inclusive to the entrance fee of Japanese Village).
The architecture and design are so nice that you can take some pictures of yourself and your family and friends at their instagrammable spots. You’ll feel like you are in France. PS: the place is also beautiful and instagrammable at night.
Among the restaurants in the area, the most famous one is La Cigogne Restaurant serving halal French cuisine.
Image Credit: Conny Sandland, Some rights reserved
Here you can immerse yourself in the tranquil and serene ambiance of this Japanese Village. The relaxing gurgling sounds of the waterfalls and brooks will soothe you and melt away your troubles and the manicured Zen-inspiring gardens which encircle the Japanese Tea House, Ume Tatami Suite, and Tatami Spa is the perfect antidote for your weary soul.
The spa is uniquely facilitated with onsen and furo (spa bathing) and the price of services ranges from RM260 nett to RM640 nett. In addition to that, you can experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony wearing a kimono to complete your Japanese experience.
Image Credit: Colmar Tropicale
Berjaya Hills Horse Trails is a registered Malaysian and British Riding Centre, sanctioned by the Malaysian Equine Council and managed by Professional International Coaches as well as experienced horse whisperers.
You can try horse riding in the vast 16,000 acres of hills, valleys, rainforest, and open countryside (with spectacular scenery) with a cool refreshing highland climate. Accompanied by professionally trained leaders through various terrains, hills and forest, saddle up and gallop away with their selected fine horses. They have various breeds of horses including the popular Quarter horse, Australian stock, unique Arab-Draft Cross, Appaloosa, Standard Bred, Argentine Criollo and the special Palomino Sisters.
This place has interesting horse-riding packages including Jungle Ride, Golf View Ride, Creek, and River Ride, and Picnic Ride. Jungle Ride is a ride in the tranquil setting of hills and mountains where you can enjoy the beauty of local flora and fauna. Golf View Ride takes you to a vantage point overlooking the Berjaya Hills Golf & Country Club. You will be amazed by the spectacular views of this beautiful golf course and the countryside. Creek and River Ride is a more adventurous ride on which you can enjoy a ride along the bank of a secluded mountain stream and then ride across the waterway on your horse. Meanwhile, Picnic Ride is a relaxing ride with a picnic lunch specially prepared for you by their trail guides.
For those of you who never tried horse-riding before or want to learn about horse-riding, you do not need to worry. They provide progressive horse-riding lessons, horse handling, and management courses given by instructors carefully guided by a professional coach and equestrian manager where you will be trained under the NCAS EA (Equestrian Australia) teaching methods.
Image Credit: Berjaya Hills
If you are a sports junkie, you might want to do some sports in the area. They have sporting venues for both indoor and outdoor sports such as golf courses, swimming pool, tennis court, gymnasium, bowling, snooker/billiards, squash courts, badminton courts, archery (indoor & outdoor), pool table, and futsal.
Image Credit: Colmar Tropicale
For those of you who are up for some adventures, there are exciting activities you can do at the resort such as flying fox, canopy walk, paintball warfare, rock climbing, and high rope obstacle course.
Their flying fox facility which has a combined zip line length of over 1 km will have you speeding down at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, flying more than 100 meters above the tropical rainforest.
You can try their canopy walk where you’ll be walking 15 meters above the ground from the flying fox take-off tower. When you continue your journey along the jungle trek, you can find their high rope obstacle suspended 5 meters above the ground.
You can also have a paintball match with your friends amidst the natural jungle atmosphere at the park.
If you want to do something more physically challenging, they also have facilities for rock climbing. You can either partake in speed climbing or just leisure climbing.
Image Credit: Pahang Tourism
This fun attraction is for you animal lovers and those of you bringing along your little ones. Your kids will love the 40 rabbits from various species that they house over at the park. Pet, cuddle, and feed these adorable rabbits while they freely roam within the area. They also have facilities on site including a small outdoor playground and indoor playpen, restrooms, and snacks & beverages for the visitors. Besides rabbits, they house other animals as well including guinea pigs, peacocks, and donkeys. If your children are too scared of the animals, there are drawing and painting classes for them to participate in to join in all the fun.
6D Motion Adventure is an entertainment presentation system combining 3D film with physical effects that occur in the theatre in synchronization with the film. Here you can experience watching the shows in custom-built theatres with the effect of actual rain, snow, air bubbles, wind, strobe lights, and vibration. The seats will vibrate and move a few inches during the show and other common chair effects include air jets, water sprays, and leg ticklers. Talk about a fully immersive experience!
Please note that seats are limited and subject to a first come first serve basis.
Image Credit: Berjaya Hills
Located near the Japanese Village, the Botanical Gardens is a garden with a variety of exotic plants, flowers, trees, and herbs. Here you can find rare plants such as the Tiger Orchid which happens to be the largest orchid in Malaysia or if you are lucky, you might catch the legendary Rafflesia in full bloom.
Other than driving your own car, there’s a shuttle service from Berjaya Times Square in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur where tickets are priced at RM60 for adults and RM55 for children for a return journey (inclusive of entrance fee for Colmar Tropicale and Japanese Village). Alternatively, you can opt for hotel transfer services at Genting Highlands, KLIA, and Petaling Jaya.
