Tag: Vietnam

SARAWAK SPREADS HER “PROMOTIONAL WINGS” TO ASIA

Post author By melakatour
Post date August 14, 2019
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August 14, 2019

Kuching – August 13th: The Sarawak Tourism Board (‘STB’) has added another milestone in her efforts to boost Sarawak’s tourism through a collaborative effort with AirAsia and Laduni Services Sdn Bhd. to ensure that Sarawak’s brand will be widely seen on selected aircrafts flying in the region.

YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak giving thumbs up to one of Sarawak Ad Panel on AirAsia aircraft witness by Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of STB and Dato Aziz Bakar, AirAsia Board of Director.

Through this collaboration, the overhead cabin compartments of 5 AirAsia planes will be prominently adorned with visuals depicting Sarawak as a destination full of life, vibrancy and excitement, showcasing various attractions of Sarawak’s culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals.

The collaboration was officiated by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak, YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at a signing ceremony held at the Kuching International Airport today.

This promotional effort on the 5 aircrafts involves AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Thailand, reaching out to 6 countries around Asian countries for duration of one year. Some of the key destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Alor Setar, Penang and Kuching in Malaysia, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata in India, Ho Chi Min City, Danang, Hanoi in Vietnam, Medan and Jakarta in Indonesia, Phnom Penh and Siam Rep in Cambodia, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Kunming and Shenzhen in China, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Singapore.

In addition, Sarawak will also be featured in the coveted 360 inflight magazine and other digital platforms at KLIA2.

YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said: “We hope that this promotional initiative will be able to give Sarawak greater brand visibility in the region targeting the correct audience among travellers. It serves to convey not only our promotional messages but a chance to showcase our State’s iconic visuals including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Mulu National Park, Sarawak Laksa, Tusan beach, Rainforest World Music Festivals and the Rafflesia flower amongst others.”

Flight connectivity has always been a key structural challenge for the State. It is hoped that promotional efforts such as this will enhance visibility in prime catchment areas within the region.

Echoing the Minister, STB’s CEO Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said, “Sarawak tourism sees this private-public sector collaboration as a good synergy and consolidated initiative to promote Sarawak to its key target markets. Sarawak has many hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered and aircrafts are certainly one of the best platforms to boost visibility and capture tourists travelling around the Asian countries mentioned.”

Sharzede added that STB is also going strongly on promotions in the digital media realm to capture air travellers who are IT savvy, many of whom tend to use Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), for their travels.

This latest collaboration follows the earlier ‘Visit Sarawak Campaign’ AirAsia aircraft livery, which was launched on February 2, this year. These are among STB’s promotional strategy to create visibility for Sarawak in the domestic and International markets.

Malaysia Travel Guide

HA NOI DUO CREATING MAGIC AT RWMF

Post author By melakatour
Post date June 19, 2019
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June 19, 2019

KUCHING: Ha Noi Duo are two celebrated Vietnamese musicians who were raised with different paths in their music journey. Their music is beautifully organic in essence, yet with unabashedly modern flourishes and they create inspiring work, that casts a lasting spell.

Nguyên Lê is an acclaimed jazz star who needs no introduction. Based in Paris, he collaborates with fellow countrymen. His work with pop singer Tùng Dương that won Best Song, Man of the Year and Best Show of the Year in 2013. His guitar prowess is legendary – elements of rock, jazz and African improvisations.

He has tirelessly built an identity that encompasses both the musical heritage of the East and West. In 1996, he released his first Vietnamese album ‘Tales from Vietnam’ set the foundation for an amalgation of jazz and indigneous music. Since 2011, he has engaged in numerous collaborations with the music community in Vietnam where he has gained recognition and a legion of fans.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ngô Hồng Quang’s background is traditional Vietnamese music. Though is he more than two decades younger than Lê and his Vietnam is far from the war which haunted the previous generation, he has a natural affinity with Lê’s style of music. Moreover, he is a virtuoso in many Vietnamese instruments such as the Đàn Nhị, a two-string fiddle he has played since the age of 11 and the Đàn Bầu (monocorde), a unique Vietnamese one-string instrument played with bent harmonics. He also plays instruments from ethnic minorities such as the Đàn Tre, a fiddle with vocal resonator like an acoustic vocoder, Đàn Môi (Jews Harp) with which he delivers incredible sounds and also Đàn Tính, a fretless lute with the sounds of Central Asia.

Together, they create magic on the world stage and portray the diversity of Vietnamese music. The two entwine on the melodic heads, while Quang’s seductive vocals, powerful and lyrical, mirror Lê’s own dynamic range. Their performance is colourful, piognant and their music, like their country, is constantly evolving. It aims to raise questions, to excite the senses and capture the listener’s soul. Their resulting works are highly diverse and syncretistic, combining native and western influences.

RWMF2019 HA NOI DUO

The Rainforest World Music Festival takes place from July 12-14 at the Sarawak Cultural Village and is organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Youth Sports Sarawak.

For further information on tickets, festival activities and logistics, please log on to https://rwmf.net/

Tags Best Song, Central Asia, Jews Harp, Kuching, Ministry of Tourism, Paris, Sarawak Cultural Village, Sarawak Tourism Board, tourism malaysia, Vietnam, Youth Sports Sarawak

Tourism Malaysia

IN CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

A long, long time ago, the Mayans were believed to have first discovered cocoa, which they considered as a sacred treat. Nowadays, chocolates are still considered precious delights. They certainly make wonderful treats during festive seasons and who would ever say no to a chocolate souvenir! Yup, chocolates are some of the popular things tourists buy as souvenirs to bring home. Malaysia certainly has its own home-grown chocolate brands, but besides that, while you are here in Malaysia, why not indulge in something more chocolate-y? Perhaps a tea-time treat at a chocolate café…or a tour of a chocolate factory?

Malaysian chocolate flavours

Typically, you can always count on the standard flavours of chocolates such as white, milk and dark (with various percentages of cocoa). The chocolate experience is a bit novel in Malaysia, though, as Malaysian chocolatiers have taken chocolate-making a step further by infusing local flavours into their creations.

For instance, you find many chocolate brands in local shops, with unique flavours that you cannot find elsewhere. Try mango chocolates…or for those who love the King of Fruits, there are many durian chocolate selections…these are popular flavours among tourists. How about Gula Melaka chocolates and Teh Tarik chocolates? Well, we leave it to you to taste!

Here are some Malaysia-brand chocolates you may wish to bring home as souvenirs, which can be easily found in most supermarkets and shopping malls: Beryl’s, Camior, Daiana, Fidani, Hoko, Vochelle and many more.

Chocolate Cafés

Chocolate cafes are booming fast, almost overtaking those trendy cafes and their coffees! Well, it’s a blessing for all chocolate lovers, then. If you want to really savour your chocolate indulgence, make a visit to MyTown Shopping Centre in Cheras, where you will find chocolate decadence at The Dark Gallery (https://thedarkgallery.com). Reading the menu list itself will make you drool, but if you are overwhelmed by the choices, it’s wise to go with the tasting platter that combines their best chocolate pastries, ice creams and hot chocolates.

The pretty décor of Nayuta Chocolatasia (http://www.nayuta.com.my), meanwhile, will remind you very much of the Far East. The café, located within Isetan Japan Store in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, prides itself in the high quality of cacao beans cultivated right here in the Southeast Asian region, namely Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and of course, Malaysia. They call themselves the “chocolate label produced by Asian people to suit the Asian taste palate” for milky, caramel-infused and soft textured chocolate. Spend an afternoon here to sample their delicate 8g bonbons with typical Asian ganache such as lime, pineapple and yuzu, or delight in a huge bar of chocolate with cashew nuts, dried mango and caramelised coconuts. With all that sweetness in your mouth and the artful décor, you will want to daintily sip that cup of hot chocolate!

Chocolate Museum

Looking for more? Apart from the trendy cafes, some established chocolate manufacturers have also introduced a specialty concept-store known as the chocolate museum.

One of these chocolate museums that the public can visit for free is the Chocolate Museum by Fidani (www.chocolatemuseum.my) at Kota Damansara. Apart from the boutique shop selling more than 100 chocolate brands, the premise is well-equipped with a large gallery full of informative facts and displays about the art and science of chocolate-making. Learn about the history of cacao beans, the farming process and how it is transformed from bean to bar. They also have a live-kitchen demo by a chef on the makings of chocolates.

Another worth-visiting museum is the Beryl’s Chocolate Museum (www.berylschocolate.com.my), about 20 kilometres from the city centre. The museum is well-laid out with informative chocolate displays on history, chocolate facts and more. You’ll also be able to purchase all sorts of chocolate flavours from the Beryl’s brand.

Chocolate Cupid

For the serious chocolate lover, head over to the heart of Bangsar, where the Chocolate Concierge (www.chocconcierge.com) will be most happy to match you with the right chocolate that you’ve been craving for, selected from their large selection of chocolate flavours and recipes. And if your chocolate urge is still not satisfied, they’ll even custom-make the chocolate for you, of course, with a low minimum order. With passion-driven care for chocolates and bean origin, Chocolate Concierge is mighty serious about their bean-to-bar process, and it’s no surprise that they’ve been featured in the Michelin food guide as a rising chocolatier. Try the soft filling chocolate morsels with hints of cappuccino, strawberry, or wasabi, and their hand piped truffles. Or for something truly local, go for the freshly-made Pahang Origin Dark chocolate with cocoa nibs.

Travel to Melaka

DANANG, HUE IMPERIAL GROUND

Post author By melakatour
Post date December 24, 2017
No Comments on DANANG, HUE IMPERIAL GROUND

Besides Hoi An, we visited Danang and Imperial grounds in Hue.

DANANG used to be a small fishing village before it was transformed into a modern city with a deep sea port.

The Dragon Bridge is one of the many bridges that crosses the Han River. The dragon head sprays out water and spits out fire every Saturday at 9.00 pm.

DANANG Bay has a very long beach and is very scenic.