This blogspot is being created to compliment our main Tourism Melaka website at www.tourism-melaka.com.
We hope to write our comments and views on the development of the tourism sector in Melaka so that old cultural jewels can be retained and new ones generated to attract more visitors to our Melakan shores.
For us to continue our journey, we like to invite visitors to pen their comments and views so that we can create a sustainable and vibrant tourism sector in Melaka.
Enjoy.
TW Kang
The Malayan Sun Bear, or Helarctos malayanus, is a bear species that inhabits the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Sun bears are found in Bangladesh, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia however sightings in the wild are rare. The sun bears of Borneo (Helarctos malayanus euryspilus) are a sub-species of those on the Asia mainland and Sumatra.
In Malaysia, the sun bear is known as beruang badu which means “honey bear” in Malay due to their fondness for honey. They are omnivores and also commonly eat termites, millipedes and a wide variety of fruit.
The sun bear is a ‘vulnerable’ species as its population is believed to have decreased 30% over the past 30 years. This is caused by the serious deforestation that has taken place throughout Southeast Asia over past decades which has reduced the sun bears’ natural habitat area. Commercial poaching is another major threat as their bile is highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine and their paws are considered an expensive delicacy. They are sadly also threatened by the illegal pet trade within which cubs are orphaned and sold to exotic pet lovers. To combat sun bears’ risk for extinction, harming sun bears or owning their products has been strictly prohibited under national wildlife protection laws but these practices still go on.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), just adjacent to the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, is placed in Sepilok, Sandakan. It was founded by Wong Siew Te in 2008 to care for orphaned and illegal sun bears with a hope of rehabilitating them to the wild. It also aims to raise awareness of this little-known bear species and its threats among Malaysian and international visitors. It was opened to the public in 2013 and is currently home to 37 bears, at the time of writing.
BSBCC improves the welfare of rescued sun bears by providing them with large forest enclosures. Visitors can see them foraging, climbing trees and building nests in their natural habitat. Here the bears develop the skills needed to survive in the wild and can be seen at various levels of rehabilitation. The centre also aims to educate the public to prevent the need to rescue bears in the first place. Visitors can learn about the bears, the rainforest and the threats they face. BSBCC leads research on these least studied bears, which helps their bears and educational programmes.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre welcomes donations which all go towards funding the rescue and conservation efforts. You can also choose to adopt a bear!
Non-Malaysian adults pay RM30 to enter the conservation centre. Children aged 12-17 pay RM15. Malaysian adults pay RM5, children pay RM2. These prices exclude 6% GST. All proceeds go towards sun bear conservation.
When visiting the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre, visitors will get to view these playful creatures in their original habitat – in open-air forest enclosures. Opening times are 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. The centre is located 23 km from Sandakan, which is not too far away. You can get there by the Labuk Road Bus Company vehicles in front of Majlis Perbandaran Sandakan building or by taxi.
Phone: +60 89-534491
Website: http://www.bsbcc.org.my
Email: [email protected]
* BSBCC is located right opposite Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabiliation Centre!
Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Sabah, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below!
Bukit Puteri (Princess Hill) was said to get its name from local folktale, or history. According to the local tale, there was a princess who lived on the hill before. The princess was from ‘the other side of the world’ and could not be seen by human beings. The presence of the princess was only felt during wedding festivals. It was not her physical form that could be seen but rather, her plates and silverware! Apparently, villagers who could not afford to get enough plates and cutlery for weddings could ‘borrow’ it from the princess. The plates, spoons and forks would be left at the foot of the hill for ‘loan’ and must be returned the following day in good condition. Since then, the hill was called Bukit Puteri.
Unfortunately, some villagers took the princess’ generosity for granted and failed to abide by the rule. The princess was not happy with people returning her collection broken or even, not returning them at all, so she moved to another hill in the Besut district. The princess’ new home was soon called Bukit Puteri too by the locals there.
However, those who don’t have a penchant for folklore stick by the more ‘realistic’ belief of how Bukit Puteri obtained its name. History has it that a group of people from Johor led by a Johor chieftain came to open a new village at the foot of the hill. The nobleman, who went by the name Tuk Raja Menteri, named the hill as Bukit Puteri. History was as simple as that.
Bukit Puteri spans an area of 0.688 hectares and the hill, measuring 200 m in height, is the highest peak in Kuala Terengganu. When one is standing on the top of the hill, a scenic view of Kuala Terengganu with the Sungai Terengganu river mouth unfolds. There is also a magnificent view of the South China Sea and its fishermen hard at work in their boats. Visitors normally hike up the hill for photography opportunities or just to have a leisurely stroll.
The view atop the hill isn’t the only attraction; there are far more to see at the top. There are historical remains as Bukit Puteri was once used by the sultan as a defense fort during the civil war. Some of the remains include a battery of four cannons, a royal flagpole, a 100-year-old yellow copper genta (a large bell) and remnants of the fort-cemetery and defense walls. There is also a lighthouse on the top of the hill.
The hill is located next to Istana Maziah and is easily accessible from Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu. The hill is open every day to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance fee is a very affordable RM1.
Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Malaysia, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below!
If it’s your own slice of paradise with powder-sugar sand and strikingly turquoise waters that you’re after then Pulau Rawa might just be the place for you. Offering far more than just your stereotypical tropical island paradise, Rawa also brings along with it the unparalleled welcome of the local island staff and an atmosphere of fun and family that is hard to rival on other Malaysian islands.
Located just off the East coast of Johor, Pulau Rawa is one of the smaller islands in the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park archipelago and can be easily reached from Mersing pier. It couldn’t be easier. The staff at each of the two hotels – Alang’s Rawa Rawa Island Resort – on the island (yes, only two, it’s that small!) will pick you up from the jetty in resort speedboats, ready to whisk you off to uninterrupted relaxation. The boat can be a little choppy at certain times of the year, leading to a good head-to-toe soaking and a bouncing ride across the waves. This, however, only adds to the fun and sense of adventure. For all those non-seafaring types, fear not, they also have enclosed speed boats that will transport you to the island in blissful, bone-dry tranquility.
Before docking at the pier, you’re greeted with the view of the dazzling Rawa beach and inviting cool blue of the crystal clear waters. Rawa truly is a little gem and you can appreciate this as you approach. Being more quality than quantity, the island spans less than 1km across at its widest point. With no roads, no beach sellers, no nightclubs you’re left to enjoy the nature of the island as it was intended. Pristine sandy beach borders the west side of the island while rough jungle vegetation, clinging tightly to the steep hillsides, protrudes from the serene sands, covers the hilltops and eventually drops into the ocean on the eastern shore.
Stepping onto the jetty, you’ll be welcomed by the hotel team and your holiday begins immediately. Amble on to the beach, feel your toes melt into the sun-baked sand and watch as the stress of the city melts away. Rawa is an ideal place to lounge on the beach, catch up on that reading and slumber through the midday heat, but should there be any active types amongst you there are also activities on offer to keep you entertained. Snorkelling, kayaking and beach volleyball are all on the cards and there’s always the short hike to the top of the island offering spectacular 360 degree views of the surrounding islands.
At night Rawa throws up yet another pleasant surprise. Tranquil by day, at night Alang’s Rawa can turn into a sociable and lively spot. As the resort is modest in size, there often develops a sense of companionship amongst its guest that can carry on to the wee hours. Always in great spirits, and with a collection of like-minded people, you can while away the hours with a ‘Rawa Special’ cocktail whilst meeting people from all over the world.
It’s no secret that Malaysia has an abundance of beautiful islands, all of which offer their own unique twist on the island paradise. But when it comes to raw, natural beauty Pulau Rawa is hard to beat. Still blissfully unspoilt sensitively developed, the owners have ensured that nothing is taken away from the island’s natural offerings and, in doing so, have provided a small opening through which you and I are able to enjoy our own taste of paradise and discover some of the more hidden corners of this beautiful country.
Malaysia is an ideal country to do an internship. Many international students choose to do their internship in Malaysia because of the developing and diversified economy. Other reasons are of course the climate, the language and the ability to travel during their days off. English is well spoken in Malaysia, which makes it a suitable country for students from all over the world.
There are different ways to search for an internship in Malaysia. The best way is to get in touch with companies through friends or relatives who have done an internship or worked in Malaysia before. If you do not know anyone who has been in Malaysia for an internship, you can try to get information at the International Office or the Internship Coordinator at your University.
But you can also try to find an internship yourself. Big, international companies often have information on their website about the possibilities to do an internship with them. And smaller companies you can reach by email to inquire about the possibilities. Make sure that you start your search on time, because it can take up to six months to find a company. And once you have found one, it is not easy to check from your home country if the company is suitable. You may check with the company if they have supervised (international) interns before and whether you can get in touch with them to ask about their experiences.
Students who are looking for an internship in the hotel industry can take a look at http://www.hotelinternshipasia.eu, a website for European students. Here you can find available internship positions at various hotels in Malaysia and other Asian countries. You can apply by uploading your motivation letter and CV, your application will directly go to the hotel.
Another way to find an internship in Malaysia, is through an internship agency. Stage in Azië is a Dutch internship agency and internationally they are active as Kong International (http://www.konginternational.nl). This agency was founded by Timothy Kong and Sophia van Huijgevoort from The Netherlands, who both have working experience in Malaysia. Timothy and Sophia know the country and its culture and they work with companies that have solid experience in supervising international interns. Most of the companies they work with are SMEs and are located in or nearby Kuala Lumpur. In addition to arranging the internship, Timothy and Sophia also help you with finding accommodation and they bring you in touch with other students that are going to do their internship in Malaysia.
Some internship companies offer housing and/or a monthly allowance, but there are also a lot of companies that offer neither. The amount of the monthly allowance is different for each company, but mostly between 400 and 1000 Malaysian Ringgit.
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It is really easy to find a furnished room or apartment in Kuala Lumpur. Before you go to Malaysia, you can already start looking for housing through websites such as http://www.iproperty.com.my. You can get in contact with landlords via SMS/WhatsApp/email to get more information about the rooms or apartments. But it is recommended not to sign any contracts or do payments before you have seen the property with your own eyes. Once you have arrived in Malaysia, it is easy to view properties and arrange housing within five days. In the meantime you can stay in a hotel. The deposit you have to pay is usually two to three months’ rent. It is not possible for foreign interns to open a bank account in Malaysia, therefore speak with the landlord to discuss the possible ways to pay the monthly rental, cash or online.
The requirements concerning the needed visa for Malaysia are different for each country. For information about this, you should contact the Malaysian embassy in your country or ask your internship company in Malaysia.
