The Beauty of Nature @ Fashion Forest, Genting Highlands

 

Greetings from the green forests of Genting Highlands. Are you are a stressed out urbanite in need of some downtime or simply a weekend warrior in search of some adrenaline rush? You ought to check out Fashion Forest for the best of nature at your doorstep! Discover the treasure trove of unique flora and fauna plus wondrous sights of straggling oak trees, exotic hornbils and rehabilitated pitcher plants in the pristine forests of Genting Highlands under the expert guidance from Treks Nature Enterprise. Considering the strong influence of social media, Treks hope participants in the programmes get to learn about nature while at the same time share on their social media platform in order to create awareness on the need to conserve it. Be the 'Eco Chic' and dressed to your nines for that perfect Insta-worthy shot. Bringing nature to nature lovers in a fashionable way, thus the name Fashion Forest is created.
"Dress up and walk with attitude and with that wow factor" at the new paradigm in nature walks.

 

For as little as RM75 per person, you get to enjoy the best of nature, although generally a full-day walk or nature tour can cost RM130 per person (or RM120 for children aged 11 and below) for a

minimum group of three persons. There are also a variety of packages offered by Treks to cater to different groups including individuals, families and corporations that bound to satisfy every kind of pleasure-seeker. For example, The Mountain Man Challenge for those into sports and physically-challenging recreational activities, team building activities like the REEL simulator, an action learning programme based on popular movies, contemporary simulation games, treasure hunt and Fashion Forest's own Amazing Race.

For children, the Fashion Forest Summer Camp packages are education, adventure and fun rolled into one. The main concept of the camp is to immerse children in multi-disciplinary programmes filled with challenging recreational activities that will help them acquire the right disciplines. Among others, they learn about camping, nature and conservation, and they get to indulge in sports like archery and rock-climbing.

The focus of Fashion Forest is the forests in Genting Highlands located between 3,000 ft and 6,000 ft above sea level. There are three forest types Treks refers to as “alliance of rainforests.” These are divided into four groups, namely Fashion Forest at Awana (upper Dipterocarp Forest 3,000 ft above sea level), Slay Forest at Chin Swee Temple (Montane Oak Forest some 4,500 ft above sea level), Chocolate Forest (Montane Ericaceous Forest some 6,000 ft above sea level) and Skyride Forest in Awana. Other interesting programmes to pursue at Fashion Forest are the Art, Music & Nature Festival and the Sax & Jazz Art Club.

 

An important element to ensure the success of Fashion Forest is the availability of internet connectivity which participants can expect to enjoy this for free. Technology is utilised to help people “see more, discover more and enjoy more” through fun and practical ways via visual aids like the Natgeo Frame, living sculptures (like trees and plants), Nature Pergolas and elevated platforms.
Brought to the fore is the many special trees in the forest that are “animated” to heighten appreciation of them. 

 

The “stars” awaiting discovery are of course the flora and fauna in Genting Highlands. Most notable are the Montane-Ericaceous forest located above 1,500 metres altitude and the Hill Dipterocarp forest, the most extensive forest type in the country that exists at between 300 and 700 metres altitude. Did you know at Fashion Forest, trees have personalities? There are the Supermodel trees and the Celebri-Trees, among others. :p

 

The Montane-Ericaceous forest is especially fascinating, with trees that are generally smaller in size and are gnarled and stunted with bamboos, ferns and mosses being the main residents here. According to Treks, these forests are unique for many reasons including their bio-diversity that is intact and abundant, and the fact that they enjoy protection from public abuse, being part of Genting Highlands. Accessibility and the short distance between the forests and Kuala Lumpur also play a major factor.

And apart from programmes offering nature walks and recreational outdoor activities, Treks also offers some unique programmes like Discover the Elusive Helmeted Hornbill, where you can find out more about the four species of hornbills that call the area home, the other three being the Rhinoceros Hornbill, the Great Hornbill and the Bushy Crested Hornbill. This particular programme is priced at RM250 per person for a minimum group of four persons. Other programmes worth checking out are Discover the Elusive Black Gibbons, Discover Birding, and Enjoying Herping Searching. Discover Birding sees avid bird watcher Henry Goh sharing his knowledge of the endemic birds and migratory birds that are found in the Awana area.

Overall, the 2 hours plus trekking session was an amazing and interesting experience with absolutely gorgeous sights. Treks Nature Enterprise is based at Awana and the English Garden in Theme Park Hotel is helmed by Eddie Chan and Pat Ang.

For more information, please call 03-27181118 or log on to www.rwgenting.com.