In Malaysia, we are in midst of a heatwave. The weather is sultry, humid, hot, and any journey away from the stagnant air of the city is a reprieve from the tropical oven besetting Kuala Lumpur. Hence, one fine day, I relented, and just took a random drive to a place I have not been before! Talk about last minute unplanned random excursions. This day, I headed to Colmar Tropicale, a beautiful French-style village, which is located in Bukit Tinggi area in Berjaya Hills (https://goo.gl/maps/vmvAYgGhcLcPd1c96 ). This village was built based on inspiration from Colmar France, a small town in Alsace based on what I read.
[Picture above] - Screenshot from Google Maps. The drive takes me out of the urban concrete jungle of the city, where buildings began to disappear, and trees flourish. Just check out the satellite imagery above. From grey to almost all green. A fairly long drive, about 60km, through winding small roads. It’s not that high, only about 900m above sea level. For comparison, Genting Highland (https://goo.gl/maps/bi8BH53dhMxv2TgE8 ) is double that height.
[Picture above] - Along the way, I was treated with beautiful greenery, and distant hill tops, covered with clouds. The occasional fog clouds my view. My eyes could relax from the constant computer screens. My breathing slows. I began to smile.
[Picture above] - The main entrance to Colmar Tropicale is designed like a doorway through a medieval castle, literally, walking pass a path that looks like a draw bridge. I was wondering if I could find a fire breathing dragon here someplace. Almost seemed magical. The walls are etched with old brick design, and towers guard each corner of the village.
[Picture above] - As one enters, the beautiful water feature of Colmar Tropicale greets you. It was just peaceful to sit and listen to the sound of flowing waters. With the cool fresh air. We are at 900m above sea level. Temperature here is a cool 22 C.
[Picture above] - I climbed up one of the towers to just get a better view of the small village and it was such a sight. Foggy, wet, and random people walking through the village center. Am I in France? Now, if only there were fresh hot buttery croissants in my hands, with a cup of hot French coffee.
[Picture above] - Some more sights around the village, beautiful green scenery, foggy views, and amazingly, I could take a picture of First World Hotel in the distant in Genting Highlands (https://goo.gl/maps/4EsnKVJai8taijLEA )
[Picture above] - A French village won’t be complete with streams with ducks and geese.
[Picture above] - There are plenty of attractions near Colmar Tropicale. A few of the more interesting ones include the Japanese village and Botanical Gardens. So, one actually gets to see 2 countries together. What a bonus.
[Picture above] - Here, I am visiting the Japanese Gardens (https://g.page/taman-jepun?share ) surrounding the Japanese village for the first time. Beautifully maintained, and lots of photo opportunities.
[Picture above] - And the Japanese village (https://g.page/japanese-village-bentong?share ) with the streams flowing through with Koi fish.
[Picture above] - At the Japanese village, there are many Japanese traditional houses to explore and take photos of.
[Picture above] - And don’t forget to visit the Botanical Gardens (https://goo.gl/maps/GeDMTnxmGLByXyEZ7 ). The greener the better.
[Picture above] - And after all the walking, head over to the Japanese souvenir shop (https://goo.gl/maps/TVmypvfZHLE48NWn6 ).
[Picture above] - Around the area, there is also the fairly hard to get to 4-head Buddha temple (https://goo.gl/maps/GNrJArzWgZWR8B7j6 ).
This road trip has been amazing, and I was glad I took the impromptu effort to come visit here for the first time. It’s definitely a highly recommended place to visit. To get away from the heat of the city.
Have you been here before? Share your own experiences about Colmar Tropicale. Or even better, the actual Colmar village in Alsace France.
Thank you for sharing!