Inside Colmar Tropicale: how Mahathir brought a slice of France to the Malaysian rainforest – with a billionaire’s help

After a trip to Europe in the 1990s, Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad was so enamoured by the ancient French town of Colmar, he wanted one himself

He persuaded his billionaire friend and construction magnate Vincent Tan to build a ‘little Colmar’ in the jungle of the Berjaya Hills

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Visitors crowd the streets of Colmar Tropicale, a French-themed resort in Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:00pm, 8 May 2023Updated: 1:02am, 9 May 2023

The dulcet tones of French singer Charles Trenet waft past colourful half-timbered houses with bay windows and turrets. Holidaymakers stroll along the cobblestoned streets and sniff at the croissant-laced air.

It must be France, right? But the monsoon rains, chattering parrots and dense surrounding jungle suggest otherwise.

This is Malaysia, where an hour’s drive northeast of the capital Kuala Lumpur sits a replica of the World Heritage city of Colmar in France’s eastern Alsace region. The clone in the rainforest is aptly named Colmar Tropicale.

A view of Colmar Tropicale, a French-themed resort in Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

The bizarre idea came from Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad, who after a trip to Europe was so enamoured by the ancient town that he wanted one himself.

In the 1990s, he persuaded his billionaire friend and construction magnate Vincent Tan to bring the idyll to Asia and finance a “little Colmar” in the jungle of the Berjaya Hills.

Bringing France to Malaysia

According to the plans of the French architect Jean Cassou, a kind of theme park with restaurants, cafes and a resort with 235 hotel rooms was built. A replica of the famous Alsatian castle Haut-Koenigsbourg, which in real life stands around 25km from Colmar, towers on the next hill.

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