Aiming for the thrill
Chuah Bee Kim
2009/11/02
MERCURE Johor Palm Resort & Golf is becoming known as the place to be for those looking to swap their hum-drum daily routine for a different, more exciting one with family and friends.
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| Hit your target of relieving stress in a game of archery. |
The 330-room hotel, just three minutes away from Senai International Airport, has come a long way since its re-branding exercise and name change from Sofitel Palm Resort in June. Renovations began in stages late last year.
One of the new additions to Mercure Johor Palm Resort & Golf is the Adventure Village, which offers a whole range of outdoor activities, and specialises in team-building programmes.
The resort is the only one in Johor Baru to have off-road tracks for All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rides. The sport is fast gaining popularity as more people seek to relieve stress, and what better way to do that than through the guaranteed adrenalin rush of conquering rough terrain?
More than that, one is exposed to fresh air and open spaces, making the total experience a thrilling and salubrious one.
Feast your eyes on glistening streams and lush palm plantations, while the wind whistles in your ear as you roar ahead at 50km per hour in the 150cc automatic transmission Quad Bike.
Guests are advised to gear up in sportswear. They will be provided helmets, elbow pads and kneepads. A thorough briefing on the ATVs' functions is given by a personal guide who will accompany guests on their rides. Guests can choose between two action ATV routes of 30 minutes at RM65, or an hour's ride at RM95.
The resort is looking to open new tracks and acquiring two-seater dune buggies and pocket bikes.
Literally a huge hit with the guests is Power Paintball. Guests can get spattered with blobs of paint through a variety of role-playing games ranging from Flag Capture to the fast-paced Hostage Rescue. Other games include Predator Prey, Run the Flag, Terminator and President's Men.
The semi-auto markers are powered by compressed carbon dioxide and can shoot water-based paint pellets up to a distance of 91 metres. For a quick fun game, it is recommended to have a group with a minimum of eight persons. The price for such group is RM65 per person, with each equipped with 100 paint pellets.
For practice and for the kids, there is the Paintball Shooting Gallery. As a safety measure, a marshall is assigned to each game, and guests are fully briefed on the rules, and required to be geared up in full-faced masks and overalls.
Resort general manager Robert Atlee said: "Our emphasis on being the new action-packed corporate team-building resort of choice is to meet the increased demand.
"Corporate companies are realising the importance of getting their management teams together outside of the office environment.
"It is a great way to increase productivity through relationships and usually, the best ideas pop up when you're energised and having fun."
The Adventure Village also features a sniper range with archery and traditional blowpipe-shooting; trailblazing; raft building; the ultimate bush challenge; camping; tribal warfare; bushman; the vanished; obstacle course; treasure hunt, low elements; and The Amazing Race.
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