Malaysia is a place for the young in age and young at heart, and this is where your kids – and you – will have the time of your lives. With amusement centres and theme parks all over the place, and new ones cropping up every now and then, there’s non-stop action and fun galore to be enjoyed wherever you travel across Malaysia.
All year round, the weather is warm and ideal for spending hours at the parks. Most of them offer something for every member of the family and if you want to take a break or go shopping, you’re sure to find a resort or a mall nearby.
The amusement parks are very different from each other; some are based on special themes while others simply guarantee you unending good times. Yet all of them have security as top priority, and state-of-the-art systems and well-tested facilities to ensure your loved ones are perfectly safe as they go wild.
You can go from the top of a mountain to the bottom of a former mining pool, get soaked at water parks or fly through the air on heart-stopping rides, slide over snow or revisit the Wild Wild West – the choices will simply blow your mind. The best part is, as the parks are located in different parts of Malaysia, you get the opportunity to discover the awesome natural beauty and enchanting tourist attractions along the way.
We now take you on a roller-coaster ride through the biggest and most popular parks around Malaysia.
Genting Theme Park, Pahang: Genting has surely earned its nickname – the City of Entertainment – for this is where the world comes to party and savour the ultimate in thrills. Located 1,800 meters above sea level, the resort has three theme parks – Genting Outdoor Theme Park, First World Indoor Theme Park and Water Park. You’ll also find the only casino in the country here, as well as the biggest hotel in the world – The First World Hotel.
At the Outdoor Theme Park, you have a choice of over 30 rides and all of them take you to new heights of excitement. Top of the list are the roller-coaster rides, and the double loop Corkscrew will give you the most screams. You soar 100 feet off the ground, then plunge down in two heart-pounding loops! For more, try the Rolling Thunder Mine Train, Cyclone and Flying Dragon. If these are too tame for you, try the Spinner Flying Carousel, the Super Toboggan, and the Turbo Drop.
For your kids, there are the Flying Baby Jumbo, Teacup, Pirate Train, Rodeo Rider and Astro Fighter. Other attractions you must check out are the Bumper Boats – ideal for bumping and splashing the family, the Double Deck Carousel at Millennium Square – choose your horse and ride through this marvel that's in the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of coloured lights, Matahari – the outdoor Ferris wheel, and the mysterious, magical Dinosaurland.
Gravity-defying rides, 4-D delights, wonders of the world and loads more – the First World Theme Park admits only those who are serious about having fun. First, strap yourself in for the 4D Motion Master, a 5-minute 4-D experience that takes movies into a whole new, electrifying dimension. Then, have a blast in the bumper cars, scream your heart out on the Euro Express – Genting’s first indoor roller coaster, do the rounds on the Ferris Wheel, while the kids enjoy themselves on the Junior Bumper Car and Carousel.
At First World, you can visit the world’s favourite cities under one roof. Go sailing on the Reindeer Cruiser past the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees of Paris to America’s Times Square and the Statues of Liberty and Oscar. Indulge in a romantic Venetian Gondola ride, then stop over at the Big Ben of London. Visit Snow World with its Swiss Alps theme, and let yourself go while toboggan-sliding over the snow. End up with the Genting Walk through the landmarks of Malaysia.
Sit in the Monorail for a fun-filled, aerial-view ride through the park, and be prepared for eye-popping exhibits at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. Ready for an adrenalin rush like never before? Try the Genting Sky Venture – the only free fall skydiving simulator in Asia, or the Genting X-pedition Wall – a 10-15 metre high, international-standard rock-climbing wall. Don’t forget to book your tickets for unexpected chills and thrills aboard the Haunted Adventure funicular train.
Take time off for bowling at the 28-lane Genting Bowl, or at the Q-bowl, where the game is similar to pool. With a number of retail outlets, food stores, video arcade and a Cineplex, First World is definitely the first choice for a day of unparalleled amusement.
The Water Park is for the whole family, so see how wet you can get on the Action River, Big Bucket, Tornado Slide and many more. Splash down the Sungai Rejang Flume Ride or the Rain Forest Splash Pool (formerly called Genting Splash) and get soaked to the bone. To unwind, relax and try your hand at bowling, snooker, archery and video games.
In the evening, Genting gets into spectacular mode – with extravagant entertainment at the Genting International Showroom and Pavilion. People come from far away only for the incredible magic shows, ice-skating, live band and DJ performances, as well as shopping sprees at First World Plaza, exciting games and the mouth-watering menu featuring all kinds of cuisine.
It’s a 45-minute drive to Genting from Kuala Lumpur via the Karak Highway. KL-Genting taxis are available from the Puduraya Bus Station in KL, as is a direct coach service from KL Sentral, Jalan Duta Coach Station, Puduraya and Gombak LRT Station. Take a relaxing, scenic trip up to Genting via the Skyway cable cars, the largest cable cars in South-East Asia. The lower station is near Gohtong Jaya, while the upper station is at Highlands Hotel.
For more details, visit www.genting.com.my
A'Famosa Resort, Melaka: It’s time to go wild – in the literal sense – at the only safari park in Malaysia, A'Famosa. It’s also the only place where you will come up-close with tigers, lions and sunbears, and cross a river swarming with real crocodiles. Relax, you are protected by electrified fencing and will travel in a caged truck.
You’ll also drive up within sneezing distance of the animals in the Herbivore Area - Barbary sheep, deer, camels, zebras, ostriches and even the odd giraffe or two. Besides the Safari Park, A'Famosa keeps you enthralled with Multi-animal, Elephant and Bird shows; elephant, camel and pony rides; a farm house with livestock, and Monkey Island – where the madcap fun never ends.
After enjoying your wild times during the day, take a break at the water theme park – or relax in the chalets or hotel. You’ll need to, for Cowboy Town comes alive at night. Get your pardners and watch cowboys and Apaches perform stunts and battle each other, just like in the movies. In this Wild Wild West, you can have an exciting evening chowing down Western and local fare, chilling at the beer garden and grooving to live bands and disco music. There’s a park for children too.
Stop over at Water World, which has an attraction for each family member. Fun-drenched times await you, and the wet-n-wild wonders are the Wave Pool, Lazy River tube ride, a Family Raft Ride and Wild Waterslides that promise loads of fun-drenched times. Tots have their own Activity Pool with mini slides, water sprays and Aladdin's Arabian Village.
A'Famosa makes sure you never have a dull moment, so you can choose from horse riding, kite flying, woodball, cycling, tennis, basketball, indoor games, fishing, jungle trekking and golf at one of the top golf courses in Malaysia. The internal shuttle gets you around easily, and a car park is available. There are cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops to take home memories of your trip.
A 60-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur via the North South Expressway gets you to A'Famosa, and you have to exit at Simpang Empat / Alor Gajah toll.
For details, visit www.afamosa.com
Cosmo’s World Theme Park: Reserve one whole weekend if you want to do justice to Malaysia’s biggest indoor theme park. It’s situated within Berjaya Time Square Mall, Asia's largest shopping mall. Times Square is easily accessible via the intra-city public transit system, KL Monorail. Be prepared for some out-of-this-world entertainment, in this theme park built by the fictitious mad scientist Professor Cosmo and his clumsy robot assistant Ooort.
For adults, there are six exhilarating rides – the mind-blowing, 800-metre long roller coaster called the Supersonic Odyssey, the 30-metre high Spinning Orbit, as well as the heart-thumping, incredible Space Attack, Ooort's Express, Dizzy Izzy and the DNA Mixer. The little ones will have a blast at the bright, rainbow-coloured Fantasy Garden, a beautiful natural wonderland. 10 rides have been created especially for them, and the favourites are the Buddy-Go-Round carousel and the rocking boat ride, Molly Cool's Swing.
Families can make merry together as they go on the Botanic Drive ride, or dash around in the Bumper Cars – Honey Bump for kids and Robo Crash for adults. Watch out for Professor Cosmo and his friends who bring along loads of laughter and tons of fun.
For details, visit http://www.timessquarekl.com/themepark.html
Sunway Lagoon, Kuala Lumpur: Super fun in the water and terrific excitement on land await you at this theme park, located in Bandar Sunway. Spaced out across 80 acres, Sunway has three different theme lands.
Start off at the raging Waters of Africa, Malaysia's only African-themed waterpark. Race down the Congo Challenge at up to 40 kmh and if you dare, take on the Cameroon Climb, the world’s first double tube water ride. Take your family on the gigantic African Pythons ride or go surfing amid 8-foot-high waves at the world's largest man-made Jeffrey's Bay Surf Wave Pool. Explore Elephant Walk with its massive elephant sculptures, and watch out for the fire-eaters and tribal dancers at the Zulu Walk.
Your next stop is the Wild Wild West, an American frontier town complete with wooden facades, totem poles and lots to do. There are spectacular rides like the Niagara Falls Flume Ride which soaks you completely, and the stomach-churning Tomahawk. Buffalo Bill Coaster, Apache Pots and Butch Cassidy's Trail provide great fun for the whole family.
Also, check out the World of Adventure, walk the world's longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge to get a breathtaking view of the whole Lagoon, discover surprises galore on The Lost City of Gold ride, conquer the out-of-control swinging Galleon and have a heart-stopping ride on the Flying Carpet. Don’t forget to meet the Siberian and Bengal tigers, and catch the lively street performances.
Sunway is about 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur on the Federal Highway, and is also accessible via the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, New Pantai Express Way and KESAS Highway. You can also take the KTM Komuter train to Subang Jaya Station or the Putra-LRT to Kelana Jaya Station and continue by taxi to the Sunway Pyramid stop. Public bus services Cityliner bus No. 51 and Metrobus No. 10 & 11 depart from Klang Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur and stop at Sunway Pyramid.
For details, visit www.sunway.com.my/lagoon
The Mines Wonderland:The Lake Cruise will astound you as thousands of coloured lights form the Light Fantasy on Water, a magnificent sight of floating giant sculptures.
Stop by to discover the Secrets of the Tiger, a gallery filled with interesting facts and photographs of the white tiger. And finally, cool down in the Ice Factory – the first winter wonderland in Malaysia.
The Mines is 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur on the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway, and you need to exit at The Mines Wonderland Resort City. You can also take the KTM Komuter train to Serdang Station, cross the highway on the overhead bridge and then walk about 15 minutes to the park.
For details, visit www.countryheights.com.my
Lost World of Tambun: This is the latest water park in Perak, located in the town of Ipoh. Designed as a true Lost World, the area is filled with vines, creepers and lush tropical plants. Take a relaxing cruise down the Adventure River – Malaysia's longest water park river ride – past some remarkable landscapes. For more thrills, plummet down gigantic, twisted tubes at Tubed Raiders or race through the jungle in an old mine cart after you drop from dizzying heights in the Cliff Racer. Finally, rest and rejuvenate at the Tambun Hot Springs, which are rich in minerals and are believed to have healing properties.
Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak: The Waterpark has eight fantastic attractions including a Giant Wave Pool with 1-metre-high waves, the Slow River Ride, the Kid's Water Playground, and the Giant Bubble – a first in South-East Asia on which you can climb, bounce, slip and slide. At the Marina Village, you’ll find a wide variety of crafts, swimwear and suntan lotions. The restaurant Cafe Le Lac offers local and international cuisines, and a delectable choice of pastries and cakes.
Here, you can also visit the only Orang-Utan sanctuary in Peninsula Malaysia, and the inn offers activities like golf, fishing, lakeside cruises and boat rides. The Resort is situated just off the North-South Highway, a 35-minute drive from Penang.
Desa Water Park, Kuala Lumpur: There are rides and slides galore in this Park, sprawled over five hectares. Desa Waterpark has become very popular with families and corporate groups because of its huge space, amphitheatre, free parking space, and cut-throat pricing.
Here you’ll find the longest Master Blaster in Asia – the Thunderbolt. Get drenched in the fun with the Tarzan In Town, Action River, Water Factory, Clown-A-Round, Pink Slide and Shock Wave too, while Surf Shack is ideal for the little ones. Ripple Bay is an open space for tele-match activities and lap swimmers.
The Park can be reached from the Federal Highway via Taman Desa, Jalan Kunchai Lama via Taman Bakti or the KL-Seremban Highway via Taman Desa junction.
For more details please visit www.desawaterpark.com.my
The Carnivall, Kedah: Enjoy the best of both worlds at this seven-hectare water and land theme park, packed with amazing attractions and fabulous rides.
Scream yourself hoarse as you ride the Water Coaster, the park’s top attraction. Your other choices are the twisting-n-turning Wild River, the Wave Cove, and the 300-metre River of Adventure. Get marooned at Discovery Island for hours of enjoyment at the Jungle Playground, Bubble Bay, The Sand Pit, The River Bar and Kiddies Cove.
For more fun, there’s the Family Bungee, the Sports Park and Group Garden, the Street of Happenings, the Carnival Delights and tropical gardens. Don’t miss the famous Carnival Ice Cream, an assortment of flavours served in freshly made waffles, don’t forget to take photographs at the Fountain of Fun.
The Carnivall is accessible by air through regular direct flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, landing at either Penang Airport or Sultan Abdul Halim Airport. From here, it is a 40-minute drive to The Carnivall. Or take the train and stop at the Sungai Petani Railway Station, 3 km from the resort. It takes 4-1/2 hours to drive from Kuala Lumpur to Sungai Petani via the North-South Highway (take Exit 170 for Sungai Petani - Utara).
For hours of family fun and non-stop excitement, make sure you head for Malaysia’s theme parks.