Bukit Tinggi Colmar Tropicale and Japanese Gardens / Tea House
French-themed square a cool respite in Bukit Tinggi
By Melinda Roos
Monday September 12, 2011
THERE is no shortage of bustling and vibrant sceneries in Kuala Lumpur. Sometimes, you can feel the city pulsating at your fingertips just by sitting in the middle of where the action is.
Driving through its major thoroughfares on the way home at three in the morning from a night out at Changkat Bukit Bintang, I've seen the traffic congestion similar to that of rush hour. The city doesn't sleep.
We have frequent guests staying with us in our home, so we tend to go out quite often.
In the five months since we've moved I am counting six arrivals on our doorstep so afr
And Hotel Roos has no shortage of future bookings. Our guestroom has reservation dates blocked already for upcoming visits.
Too many nights out in town for weeks in a row can be dizzying.
And it is really no fun to wake up to a throbbing headache the following morning when you have two energetic young children jumping on your bed.
So to avoid these from occurring too often, I welcome the fresh mountain air as always the better alternative, a much-needed break from the usual frenzy and the heat that accompanies city living.
Bukit Tinggi Colmar Tropical French Village
Bukit Tinggi is a sight for sore eyes if you just want a respite from the regular Malaysian city landscape and a reprieve from the humid and soaring temperatures.
Nestled up at 762m above sea level and about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur's city centre is a little French village reminiscent of the Colmar in the northeastern part of Alsace, France.
The Colmar Tropicale is a picturesque themed hotel that looks like its been lifted out of a fairy tale storybook illustration and planted on a mountain scenery.
You'll just feel glee at the sight of this magical castle setting made up with buildings styled in typical French medieval architecture complete with clock towers, cobblestones and tiled roofs.
There is non-stop lively singing, dancing and all other kinds of live entertainment in the "town square's" stage and there is enough mix of restaurants for al fresco dining.
Whether you're in the mood for pizzas and pastas, local Malaysian cuisine, roast chicken and mashed potatoes, bakery items and cakes from their French boulangerie or even a French fine dining restaurant is on your list of choices.
I wouldn't count on the "authentic" claim though.
The pizzas and pastas are quite good actually.
Children will be more than occupied with the game machines, kiddie rides, carnival atmosphere, clowns strutting their stuff and playrooms that abound.
Or just by simply running around such a festive setting.
The place is apparently popular for company team building activities.
It is best to visit when there are no company conferences going on as the place could get really busy with groups of people running around and performing team building games and exercises.
Bukit Tinggi Rabbit Park
A few minutes drive outside of Colmar Tropicale is a Rabbit Park. Children can play and cuddle with the rabbits for a very small fee of RM3.
Bukit Tinggi Japanese Garden, Village and Tea House
There is also a Japanese Village where you can watch women in their kimono outfits conduct a one-hour tea ceremony in the Japanese Tea House or you can opt to go for a walk in the lush botanical garden.
Bukit Tinggi Golf and Country Club and Horse Riding
The mountain range is also home to the Bukit Tinggi Golf and Country Club, which has an 18-hole golf course and other facilities like a bowling alley, badminton, squash and basketball courts.
My favourite activity however is saddling up and going for some relaxing horseback riding and terrain exploration.
The Bukit Tinggi Horse Riding Trails offers just that kind of experience.
You can go on your own or with a group, together with a trail guide to discover the different hills and valleys and admire the panoramic vistas of the countryside.
Good to consider
So the next time you have guests and you're wondering where to take them after you've visited the Petronas Towers for the umpteenth time, the mountains beckon and offer a different kind of view from those of the city's towers.
It is a refreshing alternative to consider and its unhurried pace is soothing.
Bukit Tinggi is perfect for a full day's visit unless you want to do more horseback riding on the mountain trails and can't get enough of that fresh air tickling your skin.
But I am told it is monsoon season now.
I look forward to the late afternoons to evening rains that sometimes go on for the rest of the night.
The lightning and thunder rouse me up on certain nights, light sleeper that I am. But I welcome waking up to cooler mornings, refreshed by the colder breeze.
The city is starting to chill and the mountain escape will have to wait for a while now until summer dishes up its heat once again. -- The Star Metro
Bukit Tinggi Colmar Tropicale and Japanese Garden / Tea House
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