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Tourism Malaysia

Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival (FLORIA)

Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival (FLORIA)

FLORIA Putrajaya is an annual floral event where a wide variety of flower species from different regions displayed within beautiful gardens. Some of the countries taking part include Brunei, China, Denmark, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Netherlands, Philiphines, USA, Russia, Kenya, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

30th May – 7th June 2015

Venue: Tapak Floria, Presint 4, Putrajaya

Organizer: Putrajaya Floria Sdn. Bhd Perbadanan Putrajaya

Phone: 03-8000 8000

Email: enquiry@floriaputrajaya.com.my

www.floriaputrajaya.com.my

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Wonderful Malaysia

Fun things to do in Brunei

Brunei is located on the north coast of the island of the exotic island of Borneo, surrounded completely by the South Asia Sea and Sarawak. Brunei isn’t exactly a popular tourist destination but that is because they have not discovered what there is to see and do! The four most popular places that people will drop by at while in Brunei are:

Ulu Temburong National Park

brunei-oerwoud

The jungles of Brunei are an excellent attraction by itself. Over 80% of Brunei is still virgin jungle, which is a great piece of news for nature lovers. Take a step back in time at the Ulu Temburong National Park as you explore its beautiful untainted forests. Make your way through lush, thick jungle and you may be rewarded with a crystal clear, cool waterfall. One example is the Jalan Dadap Waterfall where you can just take a dip and enjoy the sounds of the water and the forest – an extremely tranquilizing environment given the absence of crowds at these nature spots.

Tasek Lama

brunei-waterval

Those who prefer not to break into a sweat hiking can visit Tasek Lama. The park is located right in the middle of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city. The park is a great way to see the livelihood of the locals as they come for their morning exercise. Monkeys loiter the grounds of the park, so be careful of your belongings. Walk through the park and enjoy the serenity of the atmosphere, occasionally punctuated by the sound of falling water from the nearby man-made waterfalls. Tasek Lama is also an ideal place for families as it has several playgrounds all around the park.

Kampung Ayer

brunei-waterdorp

If Venice is too much out of your range, then the Venice of the East is something you can go to while you are in Brunei. Kampung Ayer, literally meaning ‘water village’, is South East Asia’s largest floating village. Take a boat across the river and you will see how the locals go about living in houses on stilts. There are schools, a fire station, a police station, shops, restaurants and a mosque to cater to the needs of the 30,000 villagers who inhabit this water village. After cruising around the villages, ask your boatman to take you further down the river to try catching a glimpse of the proboscis monkey that is only endemic to Borneo.

Muara and Berakas Beaches

If you are one who loves barbecues, you will notice that the locals share your penchant for charring their food too! Barbecues are popular in Brunei especially at the Muara and Berakas Beaches, the two most popular spots to go for a day in the sun. The beaches are also great for some treading in the water or a game of ultimate Frisbee or soccer.

In Brunei, you will see many barbeques going on. This is because barbeque is a really popular cooking form in Brunei. So once here, take some time and join the locals at the public barbeque grounds! Muara Beach and Berakas Beach are two popular places where you can go and barbeque some food and join the locals in a game of ultimate Frisbee or soccer.

brunei-moskee

No visit to Brunei is complete if you don’t visit their mosques. The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque, also known as the floating mosque, is breath-taking when lit up at night. The Jame’Asr Hasannal Bolkieh mosque isn’t too bad itself and is definitely worth a visit for its architectural beauty and design. Plan your visit to coincide outside the prayer times as these houses of worship will be quieter then. Do dress modestly when entering these places.

If you are looking for a holiday where most of it is spent drinking in bars, then Brunei is not the place for you. In fact, do not drink in public even if you are a non-Muslim. However, if you are looking for a relaxing holiday, spent mostly sightseeing and getting up close with nature, then Brunei should be in your bucket list.

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Tourism Malaysia

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow

‘Char Kway Teow’ or ‘stir-fried ricecake strips’ is arguably one of the most popular dishes among Malaysians of all races. The name is derived from the Hokkien term for ‘fried’ which is ‘char, while ‘kway teow’ refers to the ‘flat rice noodles’, which is the main ingredient. The latter is stir-fried over very high heat with light or dark soy sauce, chili, while prawns, deshelled cockles, bean sprouts, chinese chives and eggs. Among the chinese community, the char kway teow is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat with crisp croutons of pork lard and serve on a piece of banana leaf or plate. In some instances, slices of chinese sausage and fishcake are added to accentuate the taste.

Originally conceived as a poor man’s food, mostly consumed by laborers, farmers, fishermen and cockle-pickers, the dish has today evolved into one of the most-loved dishes among Malaysians – but with certain ingredients omitted to adhere to ‘halal’ guidelines of muslim community. As the dish became more widespread, many cooks have come up with their own versions of ‘char kway teow’ but with the same essential ingredients ‘Char kway teow’ was said to have its origins in S.E.Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei) but the common consensus is that ‘Penang char kway teow’ tops the list when it comes to taste and originality. In Kampar, Perak, the dish is cooked with cockles but no prawns, unless on request. In East Malaysia, other ingredients are used in the cooking eg beef, onions, sweet soya sauce etc. There are also so-called ‘gourmet versions’ of char kway teow, especially in Ipoh, Penang, Taiping and even the Klang Valley, where seafood, crab meat and even duck eggs are added to suit discerning tastes.

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Tourism Malaysia

9 Day 8 Night Borneo Self Drive Explorer Tour

Day 1 KUCHING

Distance: 15 kms (20 minutes by chauffeur driven car)

Drive Information:

No driving for the day

Meals: None

Remarks:

Arrive at Kuching airport, where you will be welcomed by our local representative. After checking in, spend the rest of the day at leisure as you explore the capital of the former White Rajah.

Day 2 KUCHING – BATANG AI

Distance: 220 Kms (5.5 hours by car and 20 minutes by boat)

Drive Information:

After getting acquainted with your rented car, make your way to Batang Ai as you depart Kuching. Upon reaching the jetty at Batang Ai Lake, board a boat that will take you to the Hilton Batang Ai Resort. Remember to park your car at the hotel jetty, which is free of charge. The boat leaves the jetty at 4.15pm and 5.30pm to the resort. Please make sure you arrive 15 minutes before boat departure time.

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

The rented car will be delivered to your hotel in the morning.

On your way to Batang Ai, you are advised to make a stop at Serian town to visit and experience the colorful local market, where you can purchase some local products. Enjoy the boat ride after reaching the Batang Ai Jetty. Relax in the evening and admire the lake.

Day 3 BATANG AI

Distance: 4 hour tour (by boat)

Drive Information:

No driving for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

Breakfast at the resort.

Relax the entire day doing nothing at all, or sign up for an optional tour conducted by the resort. The tour will take you to a long house and will cost approximately RM 120.- / USD 45.- per person. The tour will take you via boat to Mengkak Longhouse. You will experience the longhouse culture, by meeting with its natives and share a moment of their day, and feel the pace of the rural life in the interior of Sarawak, as you share a glass of tuak (rice wine) and cultural performance with your Iban hosts on the Ruai-the communal enclosed verandah common to all Longhouse. Retrace your journey back to the Batang Ai Resort for more relaxation.

Day 4 Batang Ai – Sibu

Distance: 200 kms (3 hours by car)

Drive Information:

Bid goodbye to Batang Ai and retrieve your car from the parking lot after your boat ride back. Head to Sibu when you are ready.

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

Breakfast at the resort.

Enjoy the drive along Borneo’s countryside as you make your way to Sibu. Take a drive through town and put together your own impromptu tour.

Day 5 Sibu – Miri

Distance: 393 kms (6 hours by car)

Drive Information:

Head towards Miri via the Sibu-Bintulu Road. Remember to stop by at Bintulu along the way to Miri.

Meals: Breakfast

Along your way to Bintulu, stop at kilometre 26 of the Sibu-Bintulu Road to admire the Yu Lung San Tien En Si Temple. The temple is said to be the biggest of its kind in Asia and is dedicated to bringing together three faiths – Buddhist, Taoism and Confucianism. At Bintulu, you can check out the Similajau national park that has a very unique beach line which sands are said to be the color of gold. A hike is needed to reach the beach. When you are done, continue on to Miri.

Day 6 – MIRI

Distance: Depending on sights

Drive Information:

Drive around Miri town or head to one of the nearby attractions.

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

Miri is home to a population of about 300,000 people and is the second largest city in Sarawak. It is also the birthplace of Sarawak’s and Malaysia’s petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. The famous Gunung Mulu National Park, which is not accessible by road, is only a half an hour by flight away. Other attractions such as the Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park and the Niah Caves are accessible by car.

Day 7 – MIRI to BRUNEI

Distance: 35 kms (1 hour by car)

Drive Information:

Please note the immigration checkpoints, as it requires a bit of attention as you will be leaving Malaysia in to Brunei and then re-entering Malaysia again and Brunei a second time before you get back into Malaysia.

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

Make your way to Brunei, the tiny sultanate that is one of the richest countries in the world. Admire the wealthy opulence as you embark on a self- exploration of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital city.

Day 8 BRUNEI – LAWAS – KOTA KINABALU

Distance: 170 km (2 hours)

Drive Information:

Take an early drive from Brunei to Sabah. Then proceed north to Kota Kinabalu. It is approximately 170 kilometers to Kota Kinabalu from Merapok, via the towns/villages of Sipitang, Beaufort, and Papar.

Meals: Breakfast

Remarks:

Upon arrival at Kota Kinabalu, remember to check out some of the interesting sights of the city. In the evening, you might want to head down to the Waterfront and enjoy some of the fresh seafood available there.

Day 9 – KOTA KINABALU

Distance: N/A

Drive Information: Return the rented car in the morning at your hotel.

Meals: N/A

Day at leisure until the return flight.

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Tourism Malaysia

Brunei Consumer Products Fair 2012

Consumer Fair is a premier expo which is undeniably the biggest and most popular consumer and trade event in the history of Brunei Darussalam.

The fair is now on its ninth instalment and will mark another significant milestone as operation is extended to five days. The Consumer Fair Part 8 had a record of over 100,000 visitors and its Part 9 is expected to outdo these records. CF9 will feature around 330 booths for around 200 local and international exhibitors, the “Kids World” interactive zone, fun-filled activities, and community service programmes that should not really be missed.

For more information, please visit: http://www.bruneiconsumerfair.com