Northstar

Destination Penang 32 JAN-FEB 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM Allow your guests to appreciate nature and its beauty through these unique — and sometimes challenging — outdoor activities. WORDS S. S. YOGA When nature calls Cocktails at Curtis Crest Treetop Walk. ESCAPE Theme Park, Penang. Penang is fast becoming a city to watch when it comes to MICE activities in Southeast Asia. However, beyond just the existing and up-and-coming infrastructure, the city also has a lot of oerings that are perfect for incentive trips and team-building activities. the park's specialists who trained under professional tree climber Tim Kovar of The Tree Climbing Planet. At the summit is Curtis Crest Treetop Walk, which is the highest public viewing point in Penang. Ideas for team challenges The Tropical Spice Garden at the lovely Teluk Bahang, a town within George Town, is another relaxing space with 500 species of spices and tropical plants in six acres of land. The garden sta can help organise team-building activities such as a mini Amazing Race challenge, sandcastle building on the beach, and even a cooking competition, where participants must hunt for spices in the garden before teaming up to cook local dishes. In addition to educational workshops and team-building activities, Entopia also oers the space to hold corporate events. The Sphere is a multi- functional glass hall with a 270-degree view of the living garden sanctuary. The 216sqm space can be congured to hold meetings, seminars and even banquets for groups of 20 to 100 people. If your guests are game for more serious physical activity, ESCAPE Theme Park has rope and obstacle courses, ziplines and climbing structures immersed in Teluk Bahang's expansive rainforest. Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect. Get in touch with nature Bring your group up to The Habitat, situated on the 833m-high Penang Hill, which already is an attraction in itself. Here you get expansive 360-degree views of Penang island. But more importantly, nowhere else in Penang gets you this close to nature like The Habitat, which places you right smack in the middle of a 17-acre 130-million- year-old virgin rainforest, of which only 20% has been landscaped. Guided nature walks will take your guests over the 230-metre Langur Way Canopy Walk, the world's rst two-span stressed ribbon bridge 40m above the forest oor. Other attractions along the trail include the Giant Swings, whose viewing platforms can also be used to hold small- scale activities, as well as tree-climbing activities. Here, one can learn rope access techniques from

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