Chapter 6

6.1 Direct Competitors

Direct competitors for Bukit Merah Laketown Resorts are amusement parks. To be more specific, it is a water park and dry park. In Malaysia tourism industry, there are many amusement parks that you could visit. Some of it are developed into famous tourism spots as for its publicity making it a must visit place for tourists. Places like Genting Highland and Sunway Lagoon are theme parks that have developed into famous tourism spots.

a) Bukit Gambang Resort City

Bukit Gambang Resort City (BGRC), an integrated resort city with its multi-dimensional tourist attractions and reasonably priced resort accommodation, strives to be an added feature for the Kuantan's attractiveness among the west coast city dwellers. It further aims to be one of the “must-visit” resort destination, not only for the East Coast local residents but also all the West Coast visitors.

BGRC is conveniently located Gambang, Pahang with easy access via the East Coast Expressway. BGRC is a mere 218km, 2½ hours drive from Kuala Lumpur; while Kuantan folks are just 35km away. Nestled in a secondary forest, Bukit Gambang Resort City provides visitors with a serene environment, lush green surroundings and a great vacation spot for exciting activities.

BGRC is also the home of one of the largest water park in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia; offering a 17.1-acre lake, 24,000 square feet wave pool with 8 modes of waves, the longest family raft ride and 6-lane racer slide complete with timing scoreboard.

Guests at BGRC are almost never out of things to do, as we are well-equipped with a wide range of recreational and relaxation facilities such as Karaoke, Games room, Steam-bath, Gymnasium, Swimming Pool and other indoor board games. For the outdoor lovers as well as those looking for some thrills, Active Academy houses activities such as Pony ride, Horse-carriage ride, Tram ride, Jungle trekking, Paintball range & warzone, ATV Fun ride / Adventure course, Flying Fox zipline as well as an 18-part Obstacle course.

b) Lost World of Tambun

The new RM60 million water theme park "Lost World of Tambun" is located in the historic town of Ipoh in the middle of the North-South corridor in Perak. Ideally located between Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

The park will provide a much-anticipated family leisure attraction for anyone in the area. It's expected to attract 450,000 visitors annually. The theme park is and scaped with vines, creepers and lush tropical plants to give the illusion of a Lost World. The park is the sister theme park of Sunway Lagoon in Petaling Jaya. It is opened since Nov 2004.

The theme park is two hours drive north from Kuala Lumpur and one-hour and a half drive from Penang. It opens from 12:00 noon until 7 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, school and public holidays, the park opens at 10:00 a.m. It closes on Tuesdays except if the day falls on Malaysian school and public holidays. The entry fees are RM21 per adult and RM16 per child.

Besides the special rides such as Tube Raiders (sliding down with large tubes), Cliff Racer (top speed mine carts) and Jungle Wave Bay (the huge wave pool with nine different waves), the park also has a Tiger Valley with three adult tigers on an island resembling their natural habitat the first of its kind in Malaysia. It's the home to Siberian tigers, Sultan and Jessie, Jessies year-old Siberian-Bengal male cubs, Lovie and Rock, female Siberian-Bengal tiger Raima and her three cubs, Azian, Aqila and Putra, which have only recently opened their eyes.

Another special attraction is the pool filled with hot mineral water from the Tambun hot springs, which is renowned locally for its therapeutic properties. Those who prefer less strenuous activities can be set adrift on the Adventure River encircling the theme park, as the ride gives a leisurely view of the whole area.

Behind the breathtaking facade of the Lost World, one gets the feeling of wandering into a lost civilisation, not unlike those featured in the Indiana Jones and Raider of the Lost Arc movies.

You can start the adventure at Adventure River and get transported on a long river ride, with giant waves providing the thrills. It's running 600m around the theme park, the river passes through ruins with special effects like smoke, light, the sounds of monkeys, elephants and insects, and water sprays. The brave-hearted can check out the Cliff Racer twin speed coaster slides using tubes. The Explora Bay kids zone has smaller slides and fountains.

A favourite with both kids and adults in this zone is the tipping bucket, which overturns when it is filled to the brim, splashing water onto everyone beneath.

There is also the Jungle Wave Pool with seven wave patterns that can rise up to one metre high. Beyond the wave pool, the adventure continues with the Tube Raiders which comprises four different tube slides measuring between 113m and 115m that end at the edge of a pool. The most interesting and thrilling slide is the one wherein the adventurer is engulfed in complete darkness when passing through it.

After a long day of fun and adventure, visitors can relax or rejuvenate themselves by soaking in a bathing pool which is fed with 100% natural spring water from the famous Tambun hot springs nearby.

6.2 Indirect Competitors

Indirect competitors for Bukit Merah Laketown Resort would be other tourism destinations such as lakes, zoos and etc. This place competes with Bukit Merah Laketown Resort in a large scale as it is been and has been promoted by ach state in a progressive manner.

a) Taiping Lake Garden

The Taiping Lake Gardens was originally a mining site before it was established as gardens to the public in 1880. The idea of establishing a public garden was much devoted to Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker. The garden was later developed precisely by Charles Compton Reade (1880 – 1933), who was also responsible for planning the Kuala Lumpur garden town. The abandoned tin mine was generously donated by the prominent Chinese Capitalist of Perak and also former Perak State Council member, Mr. Chung Thye Phin (son of Mr. Chung Keng Quee) as the recreation park for the public use. In 1884, the gardens were furnished with grasses, flowers and trees, and part of the gardens was fenced, to avoid the bulls enter the gardens.

This 64 hectares land was the first public gardens in Malaya and proudly declared as the most beautiful and well maintained gardens during the heyday and today. There are ten scenic lakes and ponds that made the gardens even more picturesque. Along the Residency Road, near the gardens, were golden rain trees or its Malay name, angsana tree (pterocarpus indicus), planted along the pathway. Its beauty was described by C.W. Harrison in his book, An Illustrated Guide to the Federated Malay States, “that the angsana trees rained down in golden snow, providing a carpet fit for the sultan”. In George L. Peet’s, A Journal in the Federal Capital, when he visited Taiping in 1933, said “I know of no more lovely sight in this country than the Taiping gardens when the rays of the early morning sun are shining obliquely through their clumps of bamboo, palms and isolated trees scattered on islands among the expanse of water. One receives in that glorious half hour an experience of light in foliage that is quite unobtainable in England”.

There are few private and government houses located near the gardens, among of it are the Old Residency (the home of Secretary to the Resident), the Raja’s House at the junction of Birch Road and Residency Road, the army officers residences at Batu Tugoh Road.

The gardens were so beautiful that attracted many travelers to pen down its beauty, in Cuthbert Woodville Harrison, An Illustrated Guide to the Federated Malay States published in 1911 he described,

“The streets are shaded by rows of the angsena tree, which at irregular intervals bursts forth into a riot of blossoms, even more yellow than those of the laburnum. These it rains down in golden snow upon the streets, providing a carpet fit for a Sultan, for yellow is the royal colour in the East. With its golden snow, the angsena spreads abroad an almost overpowering scent, even more sweet than the smell of the pinang blossom. Most of the towns in Malaya have planted this Pterocarpus indicus as shade tree, but in Taiping it has grown to a greater height than elsewhere”.

b) Zoo Taiping & Night Safari

Taiping Zoo is special in its own way. It is located in a lovely natural setting in Taiping Lake Gardens close to the foot of the Larut Hill (Maxwell Hill). The beautiful natural setting with streams, lakes and abundance of flora gives the zoo a unique advantage of being able to use nature to its best.

'Taman Mergastua Sultan Idris Shah' or the Taiping Zoo, which is located at the Lake Gardens in Taiping, is the only Zoo in the North of Peninsular Malaysia. Covering an area of 34 acres, the Taiping Zoo has embarked on an expansion programme which includes the building of new "Open Concept" animal enclosures. These enclosures which take into consideration the natural habitat of the respective animal, has been favourably received by the public-both for its inherent beauty and thoughtful design.

Taiping Zoo is currently home to more than 180 species of animals totalling - 1,300 individuals. These include Tigers, Lions, Elephants, Hippopotamus, Giraffes, Hornbills, Orang Utans and others. Furthermore, attempts to breed these animals have been very successful. This has seen the proliferation of such animals like the Malaysian Tiger, Lion, Siamang, Deer, Nilgai, Night Heron and many others.

The Taiping Night Safari is a unique tourism product where animals which are active at night are displayed using special lighting similar to moonlight. Visitors will be able to experience this environment similar to wildlife habitats where the sounds made by numerous creatures can be heard. To fully appreciate this experience visitors are required to minimize all sounds, even speech so that the sounds of the night creatures can be heard. Reduced noise will also help to maintain the peaceful atmosphere of the Night Safari. Torch lights and flash cameras are not allowed to be used in the Night Safari as this will disturb the animals on display.