Where can you go if you have a long weekend, you need some R&R, and you don’t want to fly or take a boat, in fact, if you don’t even want to go too far from the city?
There’s a place about 45 minutes from KL, just 14 km into the mountain from Genting Sempah (on the way to Genting Highlands) and 1000m above sea level. You’ll wind through narrow roads, look up and down into verdant jungle, and pass by village houses. You’ll then go through a gate that closes onto a private retreat - Aman Rimba. Once ensconced within this exclusive getaway, you wouldn’t want to leave.
Aman Rimba (Peaceful Forest) is a cluster of houses and chalets surrounding a pool and lake, with an open-air dining area that also serves as a place to get together for singing karaoke, watching movies and playing board games.
With the idea of getting family and friends together for a weekend there, husband Noor, son Amir, sister Zawiyah, nephew Norman, cousin Mashita and I (+ Mashita’s driver Din) drove up to Aman Rimba in Mashita’s MPV to view the place on the morning of Monday 8 February 2010. We were warmly greeted by the retreat’s manager, Izham, who then took us on a walkabout of the three-acre getaway.
Needless to say, we were picturing ourselves having a most enjoyable and restful time in this tropical haven. You would too - just look at these photos:
Yes, there are white and black swans in the lake, peacocks in the garden and numerous birds flocking about.
The retreat has a two-bedroom main house, which with the pull of a sliding door, can be turned into two one-bedroom suites, each with a living room and terrace.
For a more rustic feeling, there’s a kampung house:
And there are also three chalets like this one:
After the walkabout, it was time for - what else? - lunch, of course!
And should you be out by the pool and need to go to the loo, there’s one that lets you commune with nature in style (there’s even a bamboo shower):
There’s one catch. If you want to spend a blissful weekend (or even weekdays) here, you’ll need to book the entire retreat. It’s not cheap but if you can gather 20-25 people together, it works out to a decent sum per person - and the rate includes breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner!
Check out Aman Rimba on its website www.amanrimba.com.
