Genting Highlands (Malay: Tanah Tinggi Genting; Chinese: 雲頂高原) (About 1850m above sea level) is a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia and is home to a famous mountain resort by the same name which can be reached by car from Kuala Lumpur in one hour. It is also accessible by the world's fastest and South East Asia's longest cable car called Genting Skyway (3.38km[1]). In 2006, the resort had 18.4 million visitors.[1] Genting Highlands was founded by the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong in the late 1960s. Currently, this resort is being lead by Lim Goh Tong's son, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay who is also the current president and CEO of Star Cruises company.
It is sometimes informally known as the Las Vegas of Malaysia, dubbed the "City of Entertainment" as it is the only legal land-based casino in Malaysia, run by Resorts World Bhd, a sub-company of Genting Group. The resort, Genting Highlands Resort, also features many hotels owned by Genting subsidiaries including Awana Genting, First World Hotel, Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel and Theme Park Hotel. Facilities in this resort include two theme parks, a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, a wind-turbine sky diving simulator, golf courses and shopping malls.
In 2006,2007,2008, Guinness World Records listed the First World Hotel as the world's largest hotel with a total of 8,118 rooms. [2]
There is a computerised system outside First World Hotel which can automatically calculate the number of parking-bays left in four hotels; First World Hotel, Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel and Resort Hotel.
Genting Highlands is also home to a 100 million year old forest.[3]
Genting Highlands has hosted several award ceremonies in the past decade. In 2007, the Zee Cine Awards and Lux Style Awards were held at the Arena of Stars, a musical amphitheater for mostly musical performances capable of holding up to 6,000 people at a time.
In August 2008, Genting Highlands hosted the MTV Asia Awards. This was the first time ever that the awards show was hosted in Malaysia. The ceremony featured many celebrities, and was hosted by Hollywood actor and singer, Jared Leto of Fight Club, Panic Room and Requiem for a Dream.
May 2008 saw the X-Pax 'XLive Festival' come to Genting Theme Park and Arena of Stars, the first outdoor music festival to be held in the Genting Theme Park, which drew a crowd of 15,000 people. Headlining the festival was hip-hop superstar Missy Elliott as well as a string of internationally acclaimed DJs from America to Japan.
Genting also plays host to a range of popular TV shows being filmed on site including:
Tour de Langkawi
Genting Highlands serve as the finish point of a stage in the Tour de Langkawi cycling race. It is one of the longest (30 km) climbs featured in a cycling event.
Over the years, Genting Highlands have received numerous awards for their excellence including:
Genting Highlands enjoys a spring-like climate, with temperatures no higher than 25°C and rarely falling below 14°C yearly. The temperature in Genting Highlands ranges from 16°C to 24°C all year round.