Genting Strawberry Leisure Farms [including Lavender, Bees, Mushrooms, Vegetables etc) @ Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands

'Strawberry Farm' - two words you would seldom hear people saying when the conversation is on Genting Highlands. I, just to quote an example, was guilty of not knowing its existence until recently!

Since i was the ONLY member within the Gang who didn't quite enjoy the casino experience, i was adamant to check out the "Genting Strawberry Leisure Farms" by myself.

Genting Skyway was closed for maintenance and because of this small inconvenience; free shuttles were provided to and fro the mid-highland cable station! Good news for me as i saved on the cost of two-way cable tickets priced at RM 12.00.

There was supposed to be a shuttle (said to cost RM 1 per person) every ten to fifteen minutes from the base station of Genting Skyway to the farm. I waited patiently for twenty minutes before deciding to walk to the farm using my two trusty legs instead.

I must be in a "daring" mode that day since i had absolutely no idea where it was and had to depend solely on the directions from a stranger whom i have difficulty in understanding!

Without helpful signboards like the above, i would have likely gotten lost.

Ten minutes was said to be the average time taken to walk to the farm. I have timed myself and it is more likely to be around fifteen minutes; which wasn't too bad when you consider how cooling the weather was.

For those willing to exercise your legs, i would share with you the route at the end of this post.

The bloody strawberry buggy that wasn't operational that day! Kindly note the number 03-61001152 as you can actually call the farm and check on the availability of the shuttle. This would greatly reduce the time that would otherwise be wasted in waiting aimlessly for the shuttle to arrive at the cable station.

This fountain gave me the impression of a giant fondue!

As with any strawberry farm, there was a counter filled with punnets of fresh strawberries, boxes of dried strawberries, containers of strawberry jams, sticks of strawberry lollies and bottles of strawberry juices; all available for a price.

Admission was free though!

Readers expecting to see manicured strawberry fields must be really disappointed upon seeing the above photo. Loyal readers, however, would have seen a similar picture from my posts on Cameron Highlands.

Such a layout would have made it physically easier for pickers to see and pluck the fruits; imagine having to bend down for a long period of time!

You could of course choose to pluck your own strawberries for personal consumption! The rate was RM 8 per 100 grams and three persons can share one basket.

No matter how tempted you are, don't eat the strawberries while you are plucking them; that seemingly innocent action constitutes to stealing!

How do you ensure those strawberries you picked are sweet? Let me give you a tip here; DON'T choose the nicely shaped ones (like the above)!

End of strawberry farm. 

That's not all; the premises housed a number of different farms and one of them was the lavender farm! It's true. You don't have to travel to Australia or Hokkaido anymore!

There's a slight problem. Instead of seeing an entire stretch of lavender flowers that ended at the horizon, the farm at Genting was at most a hundred meters long.  

Oh well, at least i can proudly say that i have seen, touched and smelled the petals of a real lavender flower! 

Rose bushes on the side for those who could not get enough of these romantic flowers. 

Trumpet flowers! Honestly, how could i resist not touching them when there was absolutely no one looking at my movements?! I checked; there wasn't not even a closed circuit camera. 

On our way to the other farms! 

Ever heard of bees that don't sting? Known as stingless bees, it was part of a small exhibit of live bees and specimen displays of various bee species. 

The above specimen of Giant Black Hornets was intimidating! I was ever a victim of a painful wasp attack and it was an unforgettable experience!! 

Bottles of honey for sale! They didn't come cheap; a normal flower honey had a cheapest price tag of RM 80 a kilogram.

Strawberry cafe - as i am on diet and Alex has gladly chosen to pull himself out of this expedition, i could not say much on the food and drinks served in the cafe.

Singaporeans who love to drive up to Genting Highlands should consider popping by the farm to buy some organic vegetables and fruits. I am not sure what the Singapore's market rate is but for the above items; one pack cost RM 4 and three packs were cheaper at only RM 10! 

Came to a retail shop where you can find strawberry themed mementos, plushies, slippers, bags, pens, cups, chocolates etc etc; simply an overdose of strawberries!  

Believe me, this whole place can take you hours to slowly go through every shop and every farm. 

I could not afford the time as i had a dinner appointment with the rest of the Gang and the queue for the free shuttle up to the resort was a few hundred meters long when i arrived at the base station!

More local produce for sale! You may click the picture to have a better look at the prices. 

Hydroponic lettuce - there are farms in Singapore that use this technology as well. If i am not mistaken, they are located in the Kranji Countryside.

Hundreds of passion fruits hanging from the ceiling! Touted to be organic, you can pick them yourself at RM 12 per kilogram. There is unfortunately no tip on how to choose as i am as clueless as many of you. 

Cacti priced at less than a Singapore dollar each! 

Mushroom farm was my next destination along the exit route. 

I love mushrooms, especially portabello, white button and brown button. None of which was available during my visit. =_=

Furthermore, i am no stranger to mushroom farm. There is one in Singapore (along Seletar West Farmway) that i frequently patronise. 

However, this one in Genting provided a lot of educational information like the nutrient value of a specific type of mushroom and step by step explanation on cultivating mushrooms. 

As expected, there was a store selling freshly harvested mushrooms and other related products. 

Yet another farm although this time, it showcased gigantic vegetables with an admission fee of RM 2. I  am glad i didn't go in as there were only five tiny plots and half were empty. 

Ending the post by showing you the picture of the long road i had to tread on in order to get back to the base station for my shuttle bus!

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Location

No.1, Lot 3707, Jalan Jati 2, 

Bandar Gohtong Jaya, 69000 Genting Highlands, 

Pahang Darul Makmur. Malaysia

Website

http://www.gentingstrawberry.com

Map of the Leisure Farms

As above.

Walking Trail from Cable Base Station

As above in red.