ESCAPE Penang held its 10th anniversary celebrations on Thursday on a grand scale, which included the launch of two brand new attractions.
These include Malaysia’s very own Ski Slope – the first-of-its-kind in Penang’s tropical setting; and a Dead Sea Pool, in which visitors can naturally float, much like in Jordan’s Dead Sea.
Officiated by Penang state exco for tourism and creative economy, Yeoh Soon Hin, on behalf of Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, the celebration and launch event was hosted by Malaysian comedy veteran, Harith Iskander. Also in attendance were Datuk Sim Choo Kheng, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sim Leisure Group, proprietor and operator of the Escape brand of theme parks.
Also inaugurating the launch was 18-year-old Malaysian Olympic alpine skier, Aruwin Salehhuddin, who showcased her skills on the Ski Slope.
“I am truly glad to say that Sim Leisure Group, through the inception and development of Escape Penang over the last 10 years, has truly answered the call to put Penang on the world map with such a world-class destination," said Yeoh.
“I have no doubt that Escape Penang has and will continue to be a tourist magnet for visitors for decades to come, as proven by the millions of visitors who has visited this park. I was extremely thrilled to know that Penang will now be home to Malaysia’s first Ski Slope and Dead Sea Pool, all thanks to Escape Penang," he added.
The 302m long Ski Slope is an outdoor man-made ski slope that runs downhill, created from special material that allows skis and snowboards to slide effortlessly – all without any snow. In a testament to Sim Leisure Group’s creativity and commitment to the environment, the Ski Slope is laid over a defunct road on what was once a Teluk Bahang Dam construction site. As with all other attractions in the park, every effort was made to repurpose existing infrastructure, while preserving the park’s natural environment.
Meanwhile, The Dead Sea Pool mimics the famous salt lake in Jordan, which it is named after. The pool’s high salinity content allows visitors to float naturally in the pool.
“It has certainly been a long journey for us, but as you can clearly see, we are not like other so-called theme parks. We dared to be different, answering the call for reimagined play experiences. Today, we still stick to this the tried and tested concept of the rediscovery of childhood, while promoting connection with nature.
"And we meant it. When developing this park, we made every effort not to affect the natural lush greenery that you can see around the park. In fact, we even planted more trees,” said Sim.
“Our success today – fuelled by creativity and passion - has changed the face of conventional theme parks, while playing a vital role in promoting tourism in Penang and Malaysia,” he added.
Escape Penang has been able to raise the bar with its unique offerings, including two Guinness Record Breaking attractions – the World’s Longest Water Tube Slide and the World’s Longest Zip Coaster. – The Vibes, November 5, 2022
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