This visit was part of an organised business trip so we did not choose it ourselves. Perhaps the organisers thought that it would be a nice way to round off our study tour (our group was composed of visitors from the Middle East, South and South-East Asia and Africa) but, frankly, we could have done without it. Firstly, there is no possibility of conversation because the noise level is too high. Secondly, the buffet is totally predictable - all the same dishes we had been fed over the last 3 days, lukewarm, of course. There was a salad bar, but nothing special there. Thirdly the "theatre" was cringe-making- lots of traditional dances performed by people in national costumes, extremely camp MC, fake "native" with a blowpipe cleverly popping balloons when not prancing around being photographed with female tourists; then the worst thing of all- a dancing lesson for the audience culminating in a free for all on the stage. If you have never been to Malaysia and want a night out with traditional ambiance and a chance to join in, this may be fine. For us- all well travelled people on an academic tour who just wanted to network with each other, it was totally unsuitable. As an appendix to this I might also add for the more politically aware that the "theatre" is totally geared to the Malaysian tourist industry, right down to the patriotic rendition of the current advertising jingle "The heart of Asia-Malaysia), and plugging away at the emphasis of Malaysia as a "multicultural" nation, whereas every single performer was a native Malay- no people of Chinese or Indian origin anywhere to be seen. Female dancers would not touch male guests they invited to dance with them (Muslim culture) but the male dancers happily joined hands with the female tourists. Interesting, that. I guess I'm a sad old cynic, but this just seemed so stereotyped and artificial to me.
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