Lost World of Tambun a popular destination
FROM a barren wasteland to a family holiday destination, the Lost World of Tambun theme park in Ipoh has grown from strength to strength.
The park hit a milestone last year – attracting one million visitors within a 12-month period – a number it intends to continue growing.
“This year, our target is to hit 1.1 million people,” says Lost World of Tambun theme park and hotel general manager Nurul Nuzairi ( pic).
An ambitious target, considering the uncertainties leading up to the elections earlier this year and the less-than-stellar economic conditions currently.
“It’s still looking positive. Yes, attendance was lower in the second quarter mainly due to all of the uncertainties emanating from the general election in May. However, after that, things started to pick up,” says Nurul.
He adds that the management is constantly adding new attractions to the park; and tries to leverage on the festive and school holidays as much as possible.
“We opened up our luminous park during Chinese New Year. It helped generate interest in a challenging time when the general election was all that everyone could think about.”
According to Nurul, 15% of the park’s revenue comes from the retail portion of the business, namely the various food and beverage (F&B) outlets located within the facility.
“The remaining 85% comes from the leisure and entertainment portion of our business.”
Nurul says the park’s F&B outlets focus primarily on local street food.
“Ipoh is known as a food place, hence the emphasis on Ipoh street food.
“All of our F&B operators also have businesses in Ipoh, so when we chose a retailer, we ensure that we partner with the people that have the relevant experience in what they do. Of course, we also do our level best to support the local street vendors here.”
Opened in November 2004 by the Sunway Group, Lost World of Tambun is an integrated eco-adventure theme park. It is sited on a 40-acre valley in Sunway City Ipoh surrounded by towering limestone hills, ancient caves, pristine jungles, waterfalls and natural hot springs, with conscious effort to preserve its beauty.
However, the park started small, says Nurul.
“We started small. When we started building this place, it was practically a wasteland. We kicked off the park, we only had a water park and some F&B outlets. Over time, we incorporated the hot springs, we added a day park, a zoo, an adventure park and night hot springs area.
“Next year, we will be adding a new water attraction. We want to make it more accessible to families in general and not just someone looking for an adventure.”
Unlike its counterpart, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park at Sunway City in Subang Jaya, Nurul says Lost World of Tambun was designed to cater to a wider audience.
“Sunway Lagoon is targeted more towards younger adults. The Escape Theme Park in Penang, is suited for the more extreme individual. Our theme park can be enjoyed by everybody.”
The closest amusement park to Lost World of Tambun is the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Ipoh. However, Nurul doesn’t consider MAPS a direct competitor.
“MAPS caters to a different kind of crowd. They are not a water park and offer something completely different from what we offer.
“Because the offer something completely different from us, the actually also help to bring the people into Ipoh. In fact, our visitation levels have not been affected. So, at the end of the day, MAPS actually complements Lost World of Tambun. If you ask me, our biggest competitors are the retail outlets surrounding our park.”
According to its website, today, the Lost World of Tambun theme park boasts 64 different attractions, 10 parks and over 100 different animal species.
It is also the only theme park in South-East Asia with a natural hot spring. The theme park clinched the World Gold Winner in the Resort Category at the Fiabci Prix d’Excellence Award 2015.
Another key attraction of Sunway City Ipoh is Malaysia’s first eco-luxury retreat, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, comprising a sanctuary for wellness in a lush green valley. Surrounded by rainforests, geothermal hot springs, caves, waterfalls and limestone hills, the retreat offers exclusive luxury villas with butler services.
The integrated township enjoys good accessibility to the Ipoh town and other parts of Malaysia. It is just 8km from downtown Ipoh and five minutes off the North-South Expressway.
Apart from attracting the crowds, Nurul feels that having a theme park in Ipoh also helps to boost the surrounding economy.
“Over the years, there have been a lot of developments around Lost World of Tambun because of the visitors that we generate. So much so, a lot of F&B outlets have also started to follow our working hours to capitalise on the visitors coming here.
Going forward, Nurul says he is optimistic about the theme park business, especially the outlook for Lost World of Tambun.
“Our success is generally dependant on the economy. If it stays the same way it is now or improves, then the outlook will be bright.
“If the economy dips, then yes, it will start to affect our business. For now, we’re optimistic. Malaysia is a safe country to stay and visit. This year, there were initial concerns about the elections. But it has come and gone and people have moved on.”