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I recently visited Bukit Tinggi, Pahang (also known as Berjaya Hills), to spend some quality time with my best friend. We haven’t had much time together lately due to our commitments, so we planned a trip and chose Bukit Tinggi since she had never been there before. I remember visiting back in 2013, and from my memories, the place was lively and exciting. This time, however, it felt dull and even a bit boring, with not much to offer. Maybe we just picked the wrong time to go; I’m not sure, but it didn’t feel like the Bukit Tinggi I remembered.

We left for Bukit Tinggi around 10:00 AM, and it took about 1 hour and 25 minutes to reach the place. We used Google Maps to ensure we wouldn’t get lost, but navigating was a breeze, especially since we were familiar with the route from our previous trip to Genting Highlands. The distance between Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi isn’t that far, making it an easy detour. So, if you’re heading to Genting Highlands, you can stop by Bukit Tinggi to explore its attractions.

Our first destination was Colmar Tropicale, a French village-themed resort modelled after the 16th-century town of Colmar in northeastern Alsace, France. The architecture is fascinating because it’s unlike any typical buildings you find in Malaysia, giving it a refreshing feel. We took plenty of photos here, as every corner of the place is Instagram-worthy. The downside was that many others had the same idea, making it challenging to capture a clear background without people in the shot.

One thing to note is that if you expect the place to be cold just because it’s referred to as a highland rather than just a hill, you’ll be disappointed—to me it’s about the same temperature as we experience in Kuala Lumpur. So wearing thick clothes isn’t a great idea! My friend wore a cardigan and regretted it later. We were sweating a lot! 

I wanted to visit a mini zoo, but it wasn’t my friend’s cup of tea, so we headed straight to the Japanese Garden. The last time I visited, I didn’t get the chance to wear a kimono, but this time I wasn’t going to miss out. The cost to rent a kimono is RM25.00 for adults, with an optional RM10.00 for an umbrella. You can take photos in the kimono around the garden for 30 minutes. I also wanted to check out the Japanese spa to experience Japanese heritage, but unfortunately, it was still under renovation. The whole area is beautifully designed with a Japanese theme, and I truly enjoyed my time there, even though we had to do some hiking that nearly killed us! Haha!

We were hungry when we reached Bukit Tinggi, but the only dining options were in the Colmar Tropicale area, which mainly serves Western cuisine. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants weren’t open yet, and there were no other nearby places to eat. So, we grabbed some snacks from the 7-Eleven and planned to have a late lunch back in the city. Yup, thankfully, there was a 7-Eleven! Like us, many other visitors were looking for snacks, so we ended up in a long queue. We also checked out some souvenir shops and bought a fridge magnet as a little reminder of our trip.

We spent about 3 hours in Bukit Tinggi before deciding to head home. Although Bukit Tinggi didn’t fully meet my expectations, I enjoyed my time there, especially at the Japanese Garden. Being outside the city is something I don’t get to do much these days, so having this time to unwind and connect meant a lot to me.

Til then, Hani.