Mini city: Resorts Word Genting is perched 1,800 meters above sea level on the peak of Mount Ulu Kali, Malaysia.

It may be known to many Indonesians more as a gambling hub but Malaysia’s Genting Highlands, which is one of the most sought after integrated tourism resorts in the region, offers visitors much more.

A young man gambles all of his chips on one number. He rises from his chair, walks a few meters and watches from a distance. He glances over the sprawling gambling area where people sit engrossed at their tables before casting a look back at his own.

When the dices fail to fall in his favor, he struts away.

At the poker table, an old man is on a winning streak and as the chips pile up, his face beams. The others look dejected but they soon find themselves back at the table fingering their chips, pondering the next move.

Genting Casino is where those who want to try their luck to score a massive payout end up docking.

Established in 1971, the casino houses 30 tables with games ranging from blackjack and tai sei to Russian roulette and French boule. It also has 400 types of electronic table games and 3,000 slot machines.

It is also divided into several themed sections, including exclusive international and VIP rooms for elite gamblers, as well as 24-hour dining services.

Not everyone is allowed entry. Malaysian Muslims are barred, as well as those aged below 21.

Aware that gambling is a sensitive issue in the predominantly Muslim country, the resort’s management shies away from discussing it in detail.

Katherine Chew, the vice president in charge of communications and public relations, says Genting Highlands offers much more than just the casino.

Prehistoric: A visitor takes a picture inside the Jurassic Research Center.

“We are marketing Genting as an integrated resort. Entertainment for family will increase when we open the theme parks,” she adds, referring to the under-construction 20th Century Fox World and SkyTropolis Indoor theme parks, which are expected to open in October.

When they are operational, visitors can expect 25 thrilling rides and attractions inspired by Hollywood blockbusters such as Planet of the Apes, A Night at the Museum, Titanic and Ice Age.

The new theme parks are projected to add another 8 million visitors annually to the current 25 million.

Chew says local visitors make up 80 percent of arrivals with the rest coming from other countries including neighboring Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China and India.

The new theme parks will add more variety at the resort.

SkyAvenue — a 1.4 million square foot, five-story shopping mall — has brought the resort to a new level of dining and shopping experience with 168 retail outlets.

The Jurassic Research Center on the fourth floor gives visitors, especially children, a chance to learn more about dinosaurs. Some of them can move thanks to animatronic technology.

There is also the Alive Museum, a 3D optical illusion park that is a social media enthusiast’s dream. Those looking to indulge in some self-pampering can visit Healing Touch after a long day.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is in the same area. Also on site is Zombie Outbreak to provide visitors with some thrills and screams.

Dynamic: Winch balls make a lively configuration as party of SkySymphony performance inside the Sky Avenue mall.

There is also the PlayTime! Video Games Park where there are arcade games galore and even a virtual reality game for some out of this world 3D fun.

Snow World on the second floor of First World Plaza is worth a visit for some fun in the snow. With tickets costing RM47 (US$11.39)for adults and RM38 for children, visitors can experience a freezing stroll inside an indoor winter wonderland.

Snow World looks like a European town with fairy lights twinkling above and being reflected in the windows of an English tea shop, a French bakery and an Italian pizzeria.

The mall’s Times Square houses three-story high LED screens, which is synchronized with the SkySymphony show that showcases 1,001 winch kinetic balls.

Malaysia’s cultural diversity, particularly from the East Coast, which includes Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, is on display at SeniKome Péng Heng, on the third floor.

The exhibition is dedicated to promote the three states’ local craft, fashion, games, food and music.

Visitors can choose to be accommodated at seven hotels, which have more than 10,000 rooms. The First World Hotel is said to hold the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest hotel. Other hotels include Maxims, Genting Grand, Crockfords Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and the Awana Hotel.

After exploring the indoor entertainment, visitors can head to the Sky Avenue station for a cable car trip, which allows for a bird’s eye view of the resort and its scenic surrounding.

Passengers have two types of gondolas to choose from — standard and glass-floor. The 99 standard gondolas and 10 glass-floor gondolas have a seating capacity of 10 and six passengers, respectively.

Floating: SkyWay cable cars glide through the clouds as they travel from Sky Avenue Station at Resorts World Genting, Malaysia.

With the gondola running at 6 meters a second, the trip takes 10 minutes to the Awana Sky station.

Passengers can disembark at Chin Swee station to explore the Chin Swee Caves Temple, located 1,400 meters above sea level.

From the station, visitors can visit the open plaza where a large statue of Genting Resorts World founder Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Lim Goh Tong stands. An inscription on a board tells the brief history of the establishment of the temple.

Lim is said to have chosen the temple site based on a deity’s inspiration and the serenity of the site. One night in 1966, it says, while taking shelter and camping overnight in a cave, where the temple was later built, in his search for a suitable location for the development of the resort, he got inspiration from the Chin Swee Deity to go ahead with his plan.

The Chin Swee Caves Temple was officially opened in 1994 after 20 years of development, overlooking the green forest slopes and the picturesque setting of the hills.

At the compound’s entrance, the Nine-Color Dragon Wall of Luck greets visitors. Large statues of Buddha and Kuan-Yin stand tall behind the five-story temple.

Just a few meters from the entrance is the iconic nine-story pagoda, which is decorated with hundreds of Buddha figurines. Inside, some 10,000 blessing lamps are installed and dedicated to devotees wishing to be blessed by Buddha.

Those wanting to enjoy thrilling experience can take a ride down to the Awana Sky station.

A trekking package awaits them at the Awana Bio Park, which is about a five-minute drive from the station, for a journey through the lush greenery of Genting’s rainforest.

Mock winter: A visitor experiences the freezing cold in Snow World at Resorts World Genting, Malaysia.

— Photos by JP/Dhoni Setiawan

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The Jakarta Post’s Musthofid and Dhoni Setiawan were recently invited to the resort, which is located 1,800 meters above sea level. The following is their report.