Nature discovery via Resorts World Genting's Fashion Forest, Awana Hotel

The focus of Fashion Forest are 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.

To get to there, you can enjoy the newly built Awana Skyway which can fit 10 pax per gondola at the price of RM8.00/pax or 5 genting points/pax. It will takes about 10 minutes to bring you down or up. With the consistent speed of 6m/s, you will able to enjoy the spectacular view and comfy ride inside the gondola . If you are in a hurry, you can cut all the unnecessary queue by getting their express boarding pass at RM40.00/pax. For your information, the location of the skyway is located at the Sky Avenue station at Level 4. 

The latest addition in this new Awana Skyway is their glass-floor gondola. There are only a limited of 10 gondolas available and it comes with a very high price which is RM50/pax or 40GP for Genting Rewards card member. They only limit 6 pax per gondola. Passengers can take along one aircraft cabin size bag per passenger on the gondola. Oversized baggage can be stored at the Baggage Storage Service located at Level G of the Awana SkyWay building for RM5 per baggage for 24 hours. Otherwise, a surcharge of RM20 will be imposed for bringing oversized baggage into the cable car per passenger. 

RM50/pax may sound a little overpriced but when you think about it is a once in a lifetime experience especially for your kids, anything is worthwhile. My son enjoyed every moment he has by looking out from the glass-floor. As for us as an adult, it may be a challenge for us to feel the fear. 

There is a free shuttle bus to get you to the Awana Hotel which is the place where you will start your nature adventure. For as little as RM75 per person, the best of nature can be enjoyed, 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. Many types of packages are offered by Treks to cater to various groups including individuals, families and corporations. The packages are all priced differently.

The MVA (meals with a view and activity) is especially popular as it is a full-day tour of many parts of Genting Highlands. It begins with breakfast with a scenic valley view, 

coupled with activities like abseiling and painting. This is followed by morning tea with waterfall view and bird watching activity. Lunch at Fashion Forest is next, and after that,afternoon tea while you take in a view of Awana and enjoy more abseiling. The day ends with dinner at Pasar Ikan Bakar and a night forest walk, followed by supper at the Fort and a session of karaoke! It is a programme that is bound to satisfy every kind of pleasure-seeker there is but those wanting to focus on the environment may just opt for the Fashion Forest Green Campaign that incorporates technology in its line-up of competitions and games. The Mountain Man Challenge, on the other hand, is for those seeking to indulge in sports and physically-challenging recreational activities.

For corporations, there are the Corporate Bonding Activities in store. These would include teambuilding 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 multidisciplinary 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. Other interesting programmes to pursue at Fashion Forest are the Art, Music & Nature Festival, and the Sax & Jazz Art Club.

Wandering around the countryside can be a hugely exciting adventure, especially when you have an agenda. And at Fashion Forest, you will be armed with a programme—the one you opt for. Treks Nature Enterprise, that is based at Awana and the English Garden in Theme Park Hotel, is a consultancy that designs nature activities for everyone. At the helm are Eddie Chan and Pat Ang who ensure there is a programme for every need.

The “stars” awaiting discovery, of course, are the flora and fauna in Genting Highlands—and there are many of them. 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.

The Montane-Ericaceous forest is especially fascinating, with trees that are generally smaller in size and are gnarled and stunted. Bamboos, ferns and mosses are also main residents here. According to Treks, these forests are unique for many reasons including their biodiversity that is intact and abundant, and the fact that they enjoy protection from publicabuse, being part of Genting Highlands. Accessibility and the short distance between the forests and Kuala Lumpur are other interesting factors.

And apart from programmes offering nature walks and recreational outdoor activities, Treks 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 pursuing: 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.

Enjoying Herping Searching means searching for amphibians and reptiles—not a vocation for the faint-hearted! This programme is conducted at night by Steven Wong, the head coordinator of the Herpetofauna Special Interest Group of the MNS (Selangor branch). Night walks are his forte and he is only too keen to introduce people to the world of reptiles, amphibians and other nocturnal creatures.

No less interesting are the pitcher plants found in Genting Highlands—the main conservation project of Treks. This involves rescuing pitcher plants from roadsides, hill slopes and pieces of land earmarked for development. The pitcher plants are rehabilitated and are available for public viewing at the Treks Nepenthes Conservation & Display Wall at the English Garden in Theme Park Hotel (and also the Treks outlet in Awana). If you are keen to know more about these wonderful plants, the man to talk to is Mohd Fauzi bin Abu Bakar who has been growing pitcher plants since 2002.

The name “Fashion Forest” calls to mind supermodels and catwalks—and, well, it is meant to. Participants are encouraged to dress in their best as they commune with nature. Describing it as “a new paradigm in nature walks,” Treks says it has re-invented the way to explore nature through a concept called Eco Chic—where you “dress up and walk with attitude and with that wow factor.” This is said to be important in order for you to get passionate about nature and share your experiences through social media.

Certainly all the programmes offered are therapeutic as participants will learn to count their blessings by appreciating the “simpler” things in life—things people do not ordinarily notice like a dead tree trunk or a forest herb, says Treks. The organisation aims to “re-image how art, music, fashion and social media can help us love nature more spontaneously.” The intention is to introduce art forms like painting and sculpting into the forest environment, while at the same time turning it into a platform for the enjoyment of music. Toward this end, live performances of musical events are held, and likewise designer furniture and other fashionable amenities are installed to create an artistic and creative atmosphere. In line with this, fashion labels and popular animated characters from the world of film can be introduced to spice things up. 

An important element to ensure the success of Fashion Forest is the availability of internet connectivity—participants can expect to enjoy this free. Technology is utilized 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 are the many special trees in the forest that are “animated” to heighten appreciation of them. At Fashion Forest, trees have personalities—there are the Supermodel trees, and the Celebri-Trees, among others. Participants are encouraged to help promote awareness of these trees by discovering and recording them via social media.

The rustic realm of the countryside promises education, fun and adventure whether you are a stressed out urbanity in need of some downtime or a weekend warrior seeking the adrenaline rush provided by sports and vigorous outdoor activities. Treks has programmes for every need—from nature walks for the whole family to sports-oriented team-building programmes for corporations and organisations.