12 SCHOOL HOLIDAY SPECIAL StarSpecial, Sunday 18 MAY 2014

A historical retreat
Hotel Equatorial
Melaka
accommodates
both leisure
and business
travellers.
SET in the heart of the historical city of
Malacca, Hotel Equatorial is a ve-star
international business resort with 496
spacious and contemporarily furnished
rooms.
It is ideally located within walking
distance of historical sites and trails,
shopping complexes, night spots, nancial
institutions and the famous Jonker Street
a local food and antique hunters paradise.
Hotel Equatorial Melaka has a wide range
of room to suit every traveller, from Deluxe
to Presidential Suite.
The Deluxe room exudes a warm, cosy
feeling and features a wooden window
shutter that is unique to Hotel Equatorial
Melaka. There is also a balcony overlooking
Malacca city and a spectacular view of the
Straits of Malacca.
The premier rooms have a built-in day
bed, making the room an excellent choice
for families with children. Hotel Equatorial
Melaka has a well-equipped gym, sauna,
massage parlour, a cold plunge pool, an
indoor Jacuzzi, a tennis court that is oodlit
and four connected swimming pools.
There is even an extensive sundeck for
those who want to get a tan. In addition, the
hotel also provides aerobic classes, standard
training programmes, tness evaluations
and other personal consultation services.
Hotel Equatorial Melaka also has a
wide range of dining and entertainment
outlets. Rest House Cafe offers visitors an
informal dining experience and serves
both international and local cuisine. The
etc... cafe offers freshly baked pastries and
cakes and Kampachi is an award-winning
signature Japanese restaurant of the
Equatorial Group.
With a casual sidewalk-terrace dining
style, K5 offers guests local and western
cuisine. It is also the only bistro in Malacca
that is open 24 hours a day. The Seri Nyonya
Peranakan Restaurants inviting interior
and authentic Peranakan delicacies have
charmed many visitors.
The restaurant also has a private room
that can seat 40 people. The Equatorial
Melakas Flo Lounge with its luxurious
interior offers guests a wide range of
cocktails, wines and champagnes.
n For more information, call 06-282 8333.
Unique offerings at resort city
S
PRAWLED across 727 acres
(294ha) of lush secondary
jungle, Bukit Gambang Resort
City (BGRC) is an integrated
resort city destination that
offers multiple attractions in
one location, making it a perfect
destination for leisure and
business activities.
Located about 218km from
Kuala Lumpur and 35km from
Kuantan, it is easily accessible by
via the East Coast Expressway.
For those who prefer to y, you
can embark at the Kuala Lumpur
International Airport (KLIA),
Penang International Airport or
Singapores Changi Airport and
take a transit ight to the Sultan
Haji Ahmad Shah Airport in
Kuantan. The resort city is just 30
minutes from the airport.
BGRC has 1,866 rooms of
various categories. These rooms
are available at two themed
resorts the Arabian Bay Resort
(ABR) and Caribbean Bay Resort
(CBR). The two most popular
categories of rooms are the Studio
Suite, which is a one-bedroom
suite with a private balcony
and the Family Suite, which is a
two-bedroom suite with private
bathrooms, a common living room
and a balcony.
The ABR suites offer warm,
cosy and elegant furnishing that
is suitable for both business
and leisure travellers. The CBR
suites provide an elegant and
comfortable ambience with their
timber-strip ooring and cosy
wooden furniture to complement
the natural environment of the
resort.
With a 220,000sq ft events
centre dedicated to meetings,
incentives, conferences and
exhibitions conveniently located
between the two themed resorts,
it gives easy access to visitors. The
covered link makes going between
the resorts and the events centre
trouble-free even in bad weather.
The largest ballroom in
Malaysia is located on the top
oor of the events centre and can
accommodate up to 3,100 people
for a sit-down banquet.
Guests will be spoilt for choice
as BGRC offers more than 30
meeting and event halls.
BGRC stands out from other
venues because it offers guests
a unique ambience as it is
surrounded by lush greenery
and is located within minutes
of a safari park with the recent
completion of the Bukit Gambang
Safari Park.
Those who love the outdoors
will take delight in the many
recreational activities available,
including horse-riding, paint
ball target shooting, paint ball
warzone, all-terrain vehicle rides,
off-road rides, and the ying fox
and obstacle course challenges.
Team building and programmes
for companies and families can
be arranged with BGRCs certied
and trained facilitators.
Leisure activities at BGRC
include a water theme park and
safari park located about 250
metres away.
The Bukit Gambang Water Park,
which covers a total area of 45.8
acres (18.5ha), offers several water
attractions that are suitable for the
whole family.
It was also named the best
water park in the country by
the Malaysia Association of
Amusements, Themeparks and
Family Attractions (MAATFA).
The Bukit Gambang Safari Park
is a 138-acre (55.8ha), one-of-a-
kind safari and it is the largest in
the country. Guests at the safari
park will experience a close
encounter with the wildlife. The
safari park is open every day from
2pm to 10pm and offers shows
and activities for children of all
ages.
The safari park is divided into
ve districts Simba Hill, Foreign
Village, Forest Land, Night Jungle
and Wild Savannah.
Foreign Village showcases a
collection of animals, including
farm animals and wild animals
from across the world for a see-
touch-learn experience.
Wild Savannah is the drive
through section of the park and
features animals from the African
savannah, tropical rainforests
and the Australian outback. For
a unique dining experience,
guests can dine at the Simba Hill
Gourmet Hall, where they can
experience a spectacular view of
the only white lions in Malaysia.
This outlet also caters for private
functions.
For the coming school holidays,
BGRC will be organising its annual
East Coast Discovery.
Visitors should not miss the
opportunity to experience, learn
about and take photos with live
turtles.
There will also be stalls selling
traditional handicrafts and local
delicacies from the east coast.
n For more information, visit
www.bgrc.com.my
The Bukit Gambang Safari Park is a one-of-a-kind safari and the largest in Malaysia.
Guests can experience close encounters with the wildlife.