Our Cityscapes series presents you with exciting alternative locations for your company gatherings and business meetings. Bring your team together in a refreshing way and inspire collaboration.
As the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city with its towering skyscrapers standing alongside rich historical architecture, pockets of nature and its diverse background of cultural attractions. The city’s skyline in itself is an attraction characterised by the infamous Petronas Twin Towers and the KL Tower. While Kuala Lumpur is the heart of corporate Malaysia, the pandemic which caused a shift towards remote working has also challenged the future ways of working for many companies.
Depending on work culture, remote working and virtual meetings are here to stay, whether full-scale or not. However, there is still much to be gained through in-person team gatherings. It makes collaboration, sharing ideas and working together a lot more seamless and authentic.
If your company has embraced remote working, coming together every once in a while to work together can positively impact productivity, employee morale and engagement. And even if it’s back to the office for you, a company retreat or team-building at an inspiring location could do your team some good.
Just an hour or two away, Kuala Lumpur is surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes and locations that are perfect for your next team gathering. Read on for 5 exciting places we’ve shortlisted on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, and prepare to travel once restrictions are lifted.
The Malaysian government has announced the easing of movement restrictions for fully vaccinated people according to each state. For the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur and its adjoining cities), 11 types of economic activities such as wet markets, restaurant dine-ins and barbers are allowed to resume operations. As of August 22, 81.3% of Klang Valley’s adult population is fully vaccinated. Since the number of daily Covid-19 cases still remain high, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are still in the most critical phase (Phase 1) of recovery.
Meanwhile, those fully vaccinated in Malaysian states that are in Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan are allowed to travel interdistrict. With the current vaccination rate, it is expected to be only a matter of time before Klang Valley and other parts of Malaysia enjoy further easing of restrictions and the reopening of travel. If you are eagerly anticipating this good news, get ready to travel to the following destinations just outside Kuala Lumpur.
After working remotely for almost two years, it would be a refreshing change for your company to work together at an inspiring location close to nature. It is the right time for a dose of positivity with a fun and memorable post-pandemic work trip. Working close to nature can be a change to inspire better ideas and motivation.
Here are 5 unique places you can look forward to organising a company event for a variety of purposes. Check out the facilities at each of these locations or customise them to your needs.
Located 90 minutes south of Kuala Lumpur, Laman Tamara is a cool little place that is great for a collaborative trip or team building. For those that have spent long days during the lockdown facing the computer screen, a trip to this place gated with nature would be a welcome change. The villa offers a peek into village life without leaving the comfort of modern amenities.
While the accommodation may not suit a company-wide event, it is perfect for team gatherings with its 5 bedrooms or 15-guest capacity. The main highlight of Laman Tamara is its vast and open surrounding space. With some creativity and planning, you’d be able to organise fun team building activities to uplift spirits. There is also a badminton court, swimming pool, barbecue pit and bicycles provided on-premise that makes it perfect for leisure, bonding or even some healthy competition.
It is the best of both worlds with Laman Tamara – the house with 1960’s traditional Malay design and retro style equipped with modern facilities and all the amenities you need. The dining areas and outdoor verandah can make for unique workstations during the day if your team intends to work.
Overall, the sprawling grounds and natural landscape of Laman Tamara is sure to give your team new perspectives and better morale. The maximum number of guests is fixed at 15 and you can get in touch with the host for additional information.
If you’re looking to organise a company retreat with seminars, workshops or collaborative meetings, Enderong Resort is a great option. It is named after the Sungai Enderong mountain stream in Tanarimba, Janda Baik. Just 45 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur, this place is great for a laidback retreat or inspiring work event with cool mountain breezes at 21 to 28º Celcius – a refreshing change from the hot and humid city.
This resort offers a total of 22 rooms or a 64-person capacity. For smaller groups, however, you may book Enderong House that accommodates up to 26 guests in 8 spacious bedrooms. It is a three-storey house and a combination of stone and timber with large glass windows for a clear and closer look at the panoramic nature scene. The first floor has a huge living and dining room along with an outdoor verandah. With some organisation and pre-planning, this space can be the perfect setting for a memorable work event for years to come.
For events such as seminars, dinners, conferences and others, Enderong Resort also has the multipurpose Annexe Hall that sits up to 140 people that is surrounded by clear glass panels with a magnificent view of the forest and mountain. If you are planning for a virtual event for your international team or partners to join in, this hall comes equipped with a projector screen with audio and visual aids.
Enderong Resort also offers a wide range of nature activities for team-building. Explore the various nature trails in the neighbouring forest accompanied by a jungle trekking guide, or enjoy some archery with your colleagues. If you’d like to conduct a mini archery tournament, a trainer will be available to help you practice and organise.
Janda Baik, Pahang is definitely home to some natural gems and Tiarasa Escapes is one of them. Surrounded by mountains, rainforest and streams, Tiarasa Escapes is unlike the previous two options listed. This particular location is set up for a glamping-style retreat, a unique way for employees to get closer to nature after working from home for some time.
Located just 45 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur, Tiarasa Escapes has 20 tented and 5 treetop villas that are comfortable, elegant and thoughtfully decorated with traditional artefacts. This place encourages interaction in its huge garden concept open setting. Organise team building activities, or engage your employees at the outdoor amphitheatre alongside a roaring bonfire. If you want the option of an indoor space, feel free to conduct gatherings at the safari-style conference tents while still enjoying the view of nature.
Tiarasa Escapes also offers a special drama-based corporate training programme run by an acclaimed actress-director. The website describes it as an “immersive approach to communication, leadership, team building and creative & critical thinking” with positive reviews from past corporate clients.
The Acres Resort located in Kampung Bukit Tinggi tucked away amidst natural greenery with cool mountain breezes, away from the Kuala Lumpur city din. If your team is transitioning back to the office after working from home, a highland company retreat may just give them the motivation they need. Or, if remote work is the way forward for your employees, bringing them together at this stunning location can help foster team spirit and boost productivity.
Similar to the last two options, The Acres Resort is only 30 to 40 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Activities include visiting the mini zoo to pet horses, rabbits and tortoises, or peek into the daily life of a farmer with the nearby paddy field and vegetable farm. Just beside the paddy field is an orchard with a variety of fruits including the Malaysian favourite – durian! On top of this, the resort also has a lounge and reading room, greenhouse, swimming pool, walking trails and a pet-friendly cafe.
The Acre Resorts accommodates 12 rooms and each room comes with a scenic panorama. There are four types of room that could fit up to two, four, eight and 10 persons and each room is accommodated with selection amenities including complimentary tea, slippers, towels and umbrellas. If you’d like to organise a business meeting, book the multipurpose meeting room.
Villa Nadiah in Janda Baik is a gorgeous house with tall glass windows as walls, nestled among beautiful greenery and thoughtful landscaping. It is located just 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur and can accommodate up to 30 people at a time. While Villa Nadiah does not offer activities on-premise, the space itself presents huge potential. If you’re looking for a place to organise an event, seminar or even a work retreat, this place ticks all the boxes. However, take note that events exceeding 30 people may incur different rates.
Villa Nadiah is impeccably designed with lots of seating areas for discussion and collaborative work. There are a total of seven rooms and 6 bathrooms in this villa. Don’t miss the entertainment area that is equipped with table tennis, snooker and play around with the drum and keyboard to start your own company band. There is also a swimming pool on-premise for after-work unwinding, water games or refreshing swims for employees.
As more companies are embracing remote work, business travel is changing too. At TruTrip, we are excited about the future of travel. We’d love to discuss your company’s business travel needs. Book a demo with us or sign up for a free trial (no credit card required) to see how TruTrip makes business travel easier and more seamless.
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