For Christmas, Alvin and I took a short drive outside the city to a place called Bukit Tinggi in Pahang, Malaysia. It’s a place en route to the Genting Highlands and is known for a couple of hotels and family-friendly attractions. We stayed there for two nights – one of which was Christmas Eve. We stayed in Colmar Tropicale, a French themed resort-hotel and explored other attractions in the area during our short trip.
Our trip to Colmar Tropicale was the result of my husband’s tireless research for places near the city where we can spend Christmas eve as it was our first away from family and friends. He was able to book the place long before invitations from our friends here in KL to join their families on Christmas Eve. So sweet of them! So we promised them we’ll come join them next year. 🙂
The drive took about an hour from KLCC. It is quite easy to get to with the help of our car’s GPS and Waze. Getting there is also far from boring as the drive can be quite scenic with lots of mountains and lush greenery.
French-themed resort hotel
Located 2,700 feet above sea level and surrounded by acres and acres of trees, the place is definitely cooler than KL and its surrounding areas. At night, it can even be chilly enough for a sweater or a light jacket.
The hotel’s complex is a replica of Colmar, a 16th-century town in France preserved to look the same up to this day. It’s not a perfect replica, of course. But stepping into Colmar Tropicale does feel like going back in time to a small European village where a Disney princess is expected to just come out and belt out a song at any time of day.
Accommodation
Colmar Tropicale first opened in 2000 so it was almost 15 years old during our visit. While the rooms remain clean and spacious, the hotel can still use a bit of a makeover.
Christmas Dinner
Seeing as cooking a Christmas Dinner (we call it Noche Buena in the Philippines) for two people at home can be more work than what its worth, Alvin also got us seats to the Christmas Dinner at Colmar Tropicale.
Cost
The accommodation for 3 days and 2 nights plus the dinner set us back at about RM975 (Php12258, EUR229, USD272). Not bad for a short holiday retreat. We booked through Agoda as usual since we get the best deals for hotels there. 😉
Once you enter the complex of the hotel (Berjaya Hills in Bukit Tinggi doesn’t just have Colmar Tropicale but a couple more attractions), you will be charged with RM12 per person. But if you’re a guest of the hotel, it’s actually refundable upon checkout.
I enjoyed our stay in Colmar Tropicale despite the tiny nuances. If you’re not up for staying overnight, there is also much to do in the whole complex. Aside from taking photos in the hotel’s French-village complex, there’s a horse trail, a Japanese garden, some activities for the more adventurous types (like canopy walks, rock climbing, etc), and several restaurants to try.
I love how it is so near Kuala Lumpur but is totally detached from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s peaceful, scenic, and the weather is really lovely.
I will write more about the places to check out near the hotel in the next post.
More later!
Love,
Carol
