[Pahang] 5 Things To Do In Colmar Tropicale Bukit Tinggi

The last time I went to Colmar Bukit Tinggi many years ago, it was a boring place. There is nothing much to there except a golf course and nicely designed hotel. Last month when I revisited the place, it has a new makeover, especially with top-ups of new places of interests. If you are bringing your family there or just going for a quick stopover, here are the 5 things you can do in Colmar Tropicale:

Before that, you will need to pay an entrance fee of RM13 to access to the hill. The entrance fee is free for hotel residence. It will be refunded to you when you check out. Rest assured, your entrance fee is definitely worth it, considering the beautiful view and scenery around the place.

#1 - Japanese Garden

One of the main attraction of this place is the Japanese Garden. It is located about 5km away from the main street. Shuttle bus is available almost every 15 minutes to and fro from the main street free of charge. Japanese tea ceremony is available upon booking and it happens at noon daily. You will need to register a day before at the hotel reception.

The Japanese Garden requires a bit of a hike, be sure to wear flat shoes and avoid bringing baby stroller. During weekends it can be crowded.

Previously there was a tatami spa at the Japanese Garden, but now it is completely closed down.

#2 - Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is located in the vicinity of Japanese Garden. It holds thousands of rainforest plants and you might bump into a family of monkeys. The garden is a long stroll, about 1km or bush with a proper walking pavement.

At the entrance of the garden, you can find a Japanese restaurant. It is arguably the best place for food. Take note that food is not the main reason why people come to Colmar. It is hard to get good food here. Do take the chance to dine at the Japanese Restaurant for a better option around the area. The price isn't exorbitantly expensive. Expect to pay around RM60 per person for a decent meal.

#3 - Adventure Park

Bukit Tinggi is no longer the boring and chillax holiday destination anymore. There's an adventure park filled with thrilling activities such as Flying Fox, Rock Climbing, Suspension Bridge and also Paint Ball. It is located at the junction where you first arrive at Bukit Tinggi. I swear you won't miss it. Entrance fee for each activity is required. You will need to check the price at the hotel lobby or at the entrance to the park.

#4 - Animal Park

This is the place where you would want to bring your kids to. In the beginning, the were just few residents rabbits where they creatively named it the Rabbit Farm. More animals are being deposited and now it is a mini petting zoo that is safe for your kids to feed and play with the animals. Not far from the animal park, there is also a horse stable where your kids can take a riding lesson. These are probably the happiest place for kids.

#5 - PokemonGo

I was going to say, you could bring your gold club for a 18-hole scenic mountain view game. But golf isn't a fashionable game right now. Grab your cellphone and go Pokemon hunting. There are 3 gyms, plenty of Pokestops and all centered at the main street. There are few other gyms and Pokestops around the Japanese Garden and Botanical Garden area. Even my hotel suite is within reach of 2 Pokestops. Being on the high land, you are able to catch some rare rock type Pokemons. If you're not a PokemonGo player, it's OK. At least your kids will be well-behaved throughout the trip.

[Pahang] Colmar Tropicale Bukit Tinggi Hotel Review

Clock Tower at the entrance

Corridor of the suites

You don't have to travel to France to experience a little Colmar at Colmar Tropicale Bukit Tinggi. This hill is own by the Berjaya Group and successfully attracts thousands of visitors yearly. Many people find this place more of a pit stop while on the way to Genting Highlands or Kuala Lumpur. Because of that, the hotel at Colmar Tropicale is often overlooked or neglected.

During my very short visit to Bentong, I have decided to stop by Colmar Tropicale. It's been awhile and to be honest, nothing much have changed. We managed to check-in to a one-bedroom deluxe suite despite the peak period on the long weekend of Malaysia Day. It is called a suite, but in a more appropriate term, I would call it an apartment. The space was too luxurious for the two of us, especially with the large living room. But with the price of RM450 per night, we did not think twice.

Living room

The living room is probably one of the under-utilized area in the suite. It has a TV set, couch and coffee table. The furniture are not the most fashionably updated in trend, but we are thankful for the modern TV.

Kitchen & Dining

The kitchen aren't the best for you to prepare meal. Basic utensils are not available. But for a simple sandwich making or boiling water for coffee, it is more than adequate. On the other hand, the dining area is spacious and more than enough to throw a small party.

Room

Equipped with a king sized bed, the bedroom is probably the best thing in the suite. We did not mind the lack of thread counts on the bedding. Overall, the bedroom is spacious as well.

Bathroom & Vanity

The bathroom can be better without the old school tiles. It is not the best feature of the suite. I personally prefer modern bath with minimalist concept, so I find the bathroom is really distastefully done. I understand that the entire concept suppose to mirror the old town in Colmar and sprinkled with some French accents, but this is not how it is suppose to be. I appreciate having a separate vanity with a comfortable seating though.

Balcony

Each suite comes with its own balcony. The view that we had was overlooking the golf course. The lushest bush and mountain make the view worth waking up for. Fresh air, green scenery and sound of bugs - those are the true beauty that comes with the room.

Overall the suite is very clean and spacious. The staff are friendly and helpful. Check-in was speedy and I had no problem of checking out as well. During the day, the place is packed with visitors. Almost every corner there will be someone taking photos. But at night, the place transformed into a romantic scene with lesser people around. Those are the great things I can say about the place. It is great for a family trip. Also, Pokestop and Gym everywhere! My room reaches a Pokestop so that was the greatest thing to me.

However, the furniture of the rooms are too old. That is the only downside of the experience.


There are a few highlights of places to visit in the vicinity of the hotel which I will explain more in the next post. You are required to pay the entry fare when entering the hill. The fare will be returned to you upon check-out. 

[Pahang] 5 Things to Eat in Bentong

I have never thought of going to Bentong until I received a wedding invitation. Before arriving, I expect Bentong to be a small sleepy town. But it is actually a mid-sized town with lots of things to discover, mainly food!

Bentong produces the best ginger amongst other vegetables. The food here is fresh, somewhat we city people call from-farm-to-table concept. And have you heard this before, Bentong has the best Musang King durian. Apparently it is the best durian in Malaysia. I'm not a fan of durian, so I've skipped that totally. If you're not a durian fan, rest assured, there are still many great food that you can try.

One of it is the (1) Thong Kee Coffee Shop wanton noodles. The noodle is packed with homemade goodness. It has a special texture that holds the sauce so that you won't miss the taste everytime you take a scoop. In the morning, they serve classic kopitiam breakfast, namely toast, half boiled eggs, and coffee. There's also Western breakfast for those who  want a heavier breakfast. Do not miss the coffee!

Just right next to the Thong Kee Coffee Shop, it's one of the famous chicken rice shop in Bentong, (2) Kwong Sen coffee shop. We skipped the chicken and went for the char siew (barbecue pork) and siew yok (roasted pork). The char siew is homemade with no colouring. It is chargrilled until the flavours are seeped inside. Meanwhile, the siew yok is roasted until the skin is crispy. It is one of my best decision made to ditch the chicken and go for the pork.

In between the heavy meals, we stopped by (3) Kow Po Ice-Cream. This place brings back a happy childhood reminiscent with its 1980s interior design. On the menu, they have all the classic ice-cream servings you can think of - banana boat, ice kacang with ice cream, cendol with ice cream or a simple sundae. The ice creams are homemade with love for decades.

If you manage to wake up early enough to beat the queue at (4) breakfast stall next to Restoran Ichiban Best, grab the fried bee hun and some kuehs while it is hot. Yam cakes and egg tarts are also signature dish to this stall. As we had to stand at the roadside to savour the food, no photo was taken. The queue is overwhelmingly long and it amazed us how the old folks keep up with the customers.

A little off from the Bentong town, on the way to Janda Baik, we recommend you to stop by the (5) Purple Cane Restaurant. The view will take your breathe away. To gain back your breath, they have a long list of healthy food infused with tea and made from organic ingredients. It is a perfect pit stop while on they way back to Kuala Lumpur as the route adjourns a little off the highway.

There are still many good places for food in Bentong such as Hooi Kee wanton mee, Choy Kee yong tau fu, and Dragon Phoenix Restaurant for dinner. Also, not to be missed (which we did, sadly) is the Wai Sek Kai (Jalan Chui Yin) which translates from Chinese as the Glutton Street. It is a street dedicated to all the street foods and definitely a haven for foodie. 

[Sarawak] Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary

• Ticket price: RM5 for adults; RM3 for senior citizens; RM2 for child below 18 years old

• Highlights: Orang Utan Feeding Time

• Location: Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

• Nearby bus stop: Bus route no.6

• Opening hour: Daily 8:00AM-10:00AM and 2:00PM-4:00PM

Located 1 hour drive from Kuching, the Semenggoh Wildlife Center is a sanctuary dedicated as a rehab for Orang Utans. The orang utans are domestic animals, meaning they are dependent on human for food and shelter. Due to that, they are becoming endangered when left in the jungle. Hence, the government build the Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary as a base to train the orang utans to be self-dependent.

The sanctuary is actually nothing more than a platform for feeding in the forest. The orang utans are encouraged to hunt for their own food and live on their own. However, for those who are not used to the independent living, they will come back to the sanctuary where all their basic necessities are provided for. Currently there are close to 30 orang utans that still comes back to the sanctuary.

During the visit, visitors are often reminded of falling branches. The orang utans build their nest on top of the tree from branches. When it gets too dry and poky, they will abandon their nest and build a new one. The abandoned fragile nest often fall onto visitors due to strong wind. And visitors are also discouraged from talking or taking photos with flash. This will trigger the bad-tempered orang utan.

Currently, the oldest orang utan here is 40 years old and the heaviest named Ritchie is about 30 years old.

If you are a nature lover, the orang utan sanctuary gives you an opportunity to experience the wild life of orang utan. Considering that the orang utans are endangered (with possibility of extinction), it is not a chance that you should be missing. Be sure to be there during the feeding time, daily 9am - 10am and 3pm - 4pm.