diver – MALAYSIA WORLD HERITAGE TRAVEL SITE

An interesting range of talks will be held during the Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) from July 5 – 7.

These include:

Stories Behind The Picture by Michael Aw, the director/publisher of Ocean Geographic.

Itâ€™s a Small Blue World â€“ Miniature Life Underwater by Jason Isley, managing director of Scubazoo Images.

Iâ€™m Bent â€“ Now What? by Chris Wachholz, deputy CEO of Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific.

Marine Mammals of Malaysia by Louisa S. Ponnampalam, co-founder of The Marecet Research Organization.

Underwater Photographers â€“ A Nuisance? by Julian Hyde, general manager of Reef Check Malaysia.

Sharks in Sabah and Sea Turtles in Malaysia by Rohan Perkins, a conservationist.

Photographing Marine Animal Behaviours by William Tan, and underwater photographer.

MIDE was initiated in 2006 and has been held yearly since then. The objective is to promote Malaysia and its surrounding waters as one of the wordâ€™s best diving destinations.

MIDE is a trade, consumer and conservation exhibition.

It also aims to develop a new generation of divers to take an interest in environmental issues. Major brands of products and services are also being promoted.

Besides that, visitors will get a chance to have temporary body art tattoos by the artist Empayar Kukubesi. They (including the children) can also express themselves via canvas or T-shirt painting and colouring, activities which will be guided by artists Anuar, Orkibal and Jefferson from Canvas of Nature.

Photo exhibitions including True Colours of Redang (by AB Lee), Picture of The Year (by Ocean Geographic Society) and Natures Photo Art (by Imran Ahmad) will also be on display.

There will also be scuba pool demos and tryouts.

Out of Malaysiaâ€™s population of 27 million, there are now approximately 120,000 certified Malaysian divers and MIDE aims to accommodate the needs of both the industry professional and the amateur diver.

The BE A DIVER program has been initiated to create more awareness of the dive industry and to encourage college students and young graduates to take up diving as a hobby, sport and even a career.

MIDE also established the Dive Divas Fanclub last year for women divers to encourage and empower them to build careers and businesses in the industry. To date, there are some 100 members in the fanclub.

One of MIDEâ€™s corporate responsibility initiatives is to help conserve the marine environment. Conservation groups such as Sea Shepherd International (France), Shark Savers Organization (United States), Reef Check Malaysia, WWF, Malaysia Nature Society and Project Aware Foundation (Australia) will be among those which will be represented at the exhibition.

For more information on MIDE, visit www.mide.com.my or call 03-7980 9902/9.

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Island hopping in Malaysia

Malaysia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world that are renowned for their scenic beauty, surrounding tropical greenery, local villages and of course scuba diving and snorkeling. So if white sands, blue waters and good food is your scene, here are five islands that will take your breath away.

Langkawi is a cluster of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea that are breathtakingly beautiful and lure visitors from all over the world to their white sand beaches and clear waters. Some of the popular beaches are Cenang, Tengah and Kok. Langkawi was also declared a World Geopark by UNESCO in 2007 thanks to its sustainable development. The main island is well developed and populated with good air connections to Kuala Lumpur.

Langkawi might be a beach destination but there’s also plenty to do. The famed cable car ride is almost an essential part of an itinerary and has the most incredible views of rainforest, the Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh) and the island spreading out below. Another popular day trip is to hire a boat and explore the nearby islands. Boat rides also offer eagle viewing, cave explorations and snorkeling at Pulau Payar Marine Park. Both luxury and budget accommodation is available on Langkawi making it suitable for everyone. The other drawcard for visitors is the duty free shopping.

Beautiful Langkawi beaches. Pic: Joanne Lane.

Sipadan Island on the east coast of Sabah, Borneo is a diver’s paradise, but as you are only allowed on the island during the day many people find themselves praying the boat will break down so they can spend more time on the beautiful island. If you have not gone diving before this is the place to see for yourself what a fascinating world is there below the sea! Chances are everything else will pale in comparison afterwards though.

The number of dives allowed per day is limited to protect the coral reefs. Sightings of turtles, sharks and other colorful small fish are common including the clown fish made popular by the movie Finding Nemo. The corals are said to be the best in the world and different diving sites including “Drop Off” that gives you a look at an abyss in the ocean floor. Sipadan is connected by boat from Semporna (fly to Tawau then bus to Semporna).

Tioman Island is located in Pahang on the east cost of Peninsular Malaysia and once listed in Time Magazine as one of the world’s most beautiful islands – many would say it is still true. Today people go to Pahang mainly to do nothing, although there is indeed plenty to do if you feel motivated.

There many hotels and chalets situated right off the beach inviting the visitor to commune with nature by sitting with a book, going for a walk or just soaking in the atmosphere. There’s also wildlife to enjoy such as monitor lizards that are commonly sighted on the island. You can also scuba dive, enjoy the jungles and rainforests or visit some of the most amazing beaches – Juara is considered the best beach and if you want to see for yourself you can get there by renting a boat or taking a 4WD. Tioman Island, like Langkawi, is also duty free. The island can be reached by air or you can get a ferry from Mersing on the mainland.

Panuba Bay, Tioman Island. Pic: Ferrazo, Wikimedia Commons.

The Perhentian Islands are located in Terengganu and include Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil that boast white sand beaches filled with palm trees and blue waters. Scuba diving and snorkeling options are on hand and very popular amongst visitors. Snorkeling is extremely beautiful and can be done right off the beach thanks to the abundance of crystal clear waters. There are jungle walks through the forest linking the beaches, or you can take a water taxi to move around. One can get to Perhentian Islands by boat only (fly to Khota Bharu).

Perhentian Islands. By Joanne Lane.

Pulau Pangkor is an island close to Perek in north-west Peninsular Malaysia. Pangkor is known for its white sand beaches and two of the most popular are Teluk Nipah and Coral Bay. Other than the beaches here there is a Dutch Fort worth a visit and two temples on the island. Pangkor is popular with the locals so it is good place to take a break from the regular tourist circuit. Pangkor Laut is an upscale resort on this island at a scenic location, so if you are looking for luxury this could be one option. You can reach Pangkor by air (to Ipoh) and ferry.

And if you thought this was all, there are many more islands like Penang, Layang-Layang, Redang, Rawa and many more waiting to be explored with their cool waters inviting you to take a dip.