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Malaysia Travel Guide

Sarawak’s rich river gateway

Darul Hana Bridge spanning the Sarawak river

‘From a Kiwi perspective, it’s still an under-the-radar destination. Sarawak’s gateway city of Kuching is a quick hop from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, loaded with heritage, culture and culinary discovery, as Mike Yardley writes.

It’s easy to fast become enamoured with Kuching, sweeping you up in its warm, hospitable and clingy tropical embrace.’

Read more at Otago Daily Times Online News 

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Tourism Malaysia

12 LUXURY LOVE NESTS FOR SNUGGLING WITH YOUR PARTNER IN MALAYSIA

There’s nothing like a nice, romantic holiday to celebrate those relationship goals. If you are looking for dreamy getaways with your partner — whether for a holiday, a honeymoon or a romantic tryst — then look no further than Malaysia. We share with you here some of the romantic “love nests” that’s perfect for enjoying each other’s company with lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses, along with the opportunity to experience more of this tropical country!

Scenic by the Sea
Besides gazing into your lover’s eyes, these two seaside retreats are also quite soothing to the eyes with great expanses of sun, sea and surf to enjoy!

Four Seasons Resort, Langkawi Island, Kedah

The Four Seasons Resort, featured in the film, Crazy Rich Asians, offers luxurious villas in a Malay-style village setting. Its beautiful white beach with a view of the Andaman Sea and unique rock formations is the perfect lazing spot for two.

 

Japamala, Tioman Island, Pahang

On Tioman Island in the east coast of Malaysia, JapaMala has created a niche for itself as a jungle-luxe boutique resort situated amid the lush green surroundings of Malaysia’s forests. With only about a dozen villas with stunning sea views all around, lovers will think it’s heaven on earth just for two.

 

A Little Bit of Culture
How about injecting a bit of local culture into your love life? Malaysia’s diverse population is a chance to immerse yourself in unique cultures and traditions.

The Majestic Malacca, Melaka

A stay at this 54-room 90-year-old mansion with its beautiful teakwood fittings, porcelain flooring and European roof tiles and exquisite service quality, will easily bring to life the elegance of Melaka past. Immerse yourself in therich Melaka heritage with a cooking class with a local chef or walking tours to the surrounding UNESCO heritage areas.

 

 

Terrapuri Heritage Village, Terengganu

Experience what it’s like to live in a century-old classic Malay home, set in a resort that’s inspired by the 17th century Terengganu Palace and its courtyards. These architectural beauties recognize the genius of yesteryear architects and each house has a stunning story to tell! If you and your partner are a fan of built-design and local aesthetics, then you will fall in love with Terrapuri, too.

 

Seven Terraces

Roam about the UNESCO Heritage City of George Town from the opulent setting of the Seven Terraces Hotel. Dripping in traditional Chinese architecture and the romance and splendor of the Peranakan era, the hotel is a restful oasis to relive the elegance of the past.

 

Healthy Retreats
Keep the romance healthy by spending time with each other in these wellness resorts where the focus is on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health through tailor-made programmes covering healthy eating and fitness, set within the natural landscapes of Malaysia.

Orchard Wellness, Melaka

Here, guests can enjoy nature, space and tranquility while indulging in treatments that follow wellness and medical concepts specifically designed for individual guests. It is set in a tropical fruit farm where guests can go fruit-picking for durian, mangosteen and rambutan while getting their chakras aligned!

 

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Perak

This spa-type resort is just the place to relax and unwind with your loved one for a healthily-ever-after! Surrounded by beautiful natural limestones, guests can dip into geothermal hotspring pools, meditate in 280-year-old natural caves, improve a stagnant chi or revitalize a tired chakra at the Spa and Wellness Centre.

 

Adventures in Love
If you and your partner want to get up to some thrilling adventures, then let us suggest something smack in nature!

Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah

Whether you consider yourself a bird lover, a herpetologist or a casual nature lover, Tabin Wildlife Reserve, the largest in the country, has plenty of adventures to keep you occupied and amazed. And after you tire of your adventures at the end of the day, cuddle up in their cozy lodges before taking on the next day’s explorations.

 

Belum Rainforest Resort, Perak

Enjoy the beauty of the Belum-Temengor Rainforest literally at your doorstep when you choose to stay at Belum Rainforest Resort. You and your lover can enjoy many thrilling adventures such as jungle trekking into the 130-million year old rainforest, kayaking on the vast Temengor Lake and more!

 

Love in the City
Want to spend some intimate moments without being too far from the conveniences of the city? Check out our romantic city retreats.

23Love Lane Hotel, George Town, Penang

With a name like this, surely it would be perfect for lovers! 23Love Lane is a charming 10-room hotel restored to retain its heritage quality, with a garden courtyard located in a quiet lane within Penang’s UNESCO Heritage City. Enjoy the still and cozy atmosphere just steps away from lively George Town where you can easily explore the mélange of cultures.

 

The Ruma, Kuala Lumpur

Nestled in the very heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle and just steps away from the Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC, The RuMa has created an elegant and serene sanctuary right in the middle of the city. It captures the intimacy of a home run by an accomplished host who will take care of all the things that need taken care of, so you can focus on showering much love to your lover.

 

The Village House, Kuching, Sarawak

This idyllic hideaway is just a few minutes’ away from the hustle and bustle of Kuching city, yet it offers an oasis of calm for couples wanting to reconnect. This adults-only sanctuary (they only accept guests aged over 12 years) is one of the best places to marvel at the magnificent Borneo sunset in total privacy.

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Malaysia Travel Guide

HA NOI DUO CREATING MAGIC AT RWMF

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 Nh, a two-string fiddle he has played since the age of 11 and the Đàn Bu (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/

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Malaysia Travel Guide

LA CHIVA GANTIVA AND ANA ALCAIDE IN RWMF 2019

KUCHING: There is no doubt that Latin and music from the Spanish-speaking world is far outpacing many other genres on the world music stage. There has always been a Latin group thrown in the mix at the Rainforest World Music Festival and at the 22nd edition this year there will be two bands – La Chiva Gantiva from Colombia who will provide an insight into their roots with their sensual, upbeat, danceable and contagious music and Ana Alcaide from Spain who fuses traditional sounds from around Europe and the Mediterranean with the cultural mix of her hometown, Toledo, Spain.

La Chiva Gantiva plays music without borders. Genre bending and adventurous, they’ll make you dance with abandonment with their original combination of rock, funk, hip hop and punk with Colombian rhythms, while preserving a jam mentality and multicultural origins.

Known for their live antics and frontman Rafael Espinel’s empathy towards the audience, La Chiva Gantiva are a treat to see live but also an amazing trip around the world when any of their three studio records play at a Colombian party, at a Belgian bar, or at a Mexican radio station.

At the end of the other musical spectrum is Ana Alcaide, a singer, composer and instrumentalist from Toledo, Spain. Her prime instrument is the nyckelharpa which she came across while studying in Sweden.

Rooted in ancient traditions yet resolutely modern, her compositions deftly blend musical styles from different cultures. From the inspirational backdrop of the city of Toledo, Ana writes and produces her songs, creates new arrangements and adapts the nyckelharpa to ancient melodies that originated in medieval Spain and have travelled throughout the Mediterranean region. But her personal and artistic evolution leads her to conquer new creative fields in the recent years.

In 2016, her fifth album Leyenda reached Top 10 in the WMCE (World Music Charts Europe) as well as on the Transglobal World Music Charts. Leyenda was also on the top of some of the International radios around Australia, Canada, UK, USA and Europe. The album has received reviews from professional critics around the world including Songlines Magazine which awarded Leyenda a 5 Star Review, Top of the World.

Alcaide has presented her music in some of the most important festivals, theatres and venues around Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Morocco, Canada, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Switzerland, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Uruguay, and has performed in more than 500 concerts in 4 continents.

Since 2016 she is the Artistic Director of the ‘Toledo World Music Festival’.

The Rainforest World Music Festival takes place on 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.

LA CHIVA GANTIVA

ANA ALCAIDE - Photo by Ander Olaizola

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

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Tourism Malaysia

7 PLACES TO EXPLORE DURING VISIT SARAWAK YEAR 2019

Established as the Malaysia’s largest state, Sarawak is a haven of natural landscapes with various national parks, nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and dozens of attractions that never cease to amaze travellers. Blessed with vibrant cultures from 27 different ethnic groups, this state that is located on the island of Borneo promises exciting escape from the mundane day-to-day life.

Be it the sky, land or sea, Sarawak offers endless excitement, adventure and charm that accommodate both slow-paced leisure and extreme-adventure travellers through its plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food, and festivals. The following are seven places that travellers can visit in 2019 and 2020.

BARIO

Fondly dubbed as ‘the land of a hundred handshakes’, this friendly town is the home of the smallest ethnic group in Sarawak called Kelabit. Known for its traditional crafts and arts, the destination is also home to other tribes like Penan and Lun Bawang. Lying on an altitude of roughly 1,000 metres or 3,500 feet above sea level, this quaint location nestles in the north eastern corner of Sarawak, surrounded by lush, pristine and unpolluted environment, perfect for trekking and sightseeing.

For those who seek more thrilling adventure can opt for kayaking and an arduous five-day and four-night trek through the Bario-Ba’kelalan trail. Those who prefer a more leisurely experience can visit the town during events like Bario Food Festival called Nukenen at the end of July every year and savour exotic delicacies like local pineapples and Bario Rice.

Kampung Mongkos

ust an hour and a half drive from Kuching, this village is situated near Mongkos River and offers homestay accommodations. For those wanting to experience living in the longhouse (a communal wooden house, perched on stilts with separate rooms designated for different families), there are 12 families who open up their homes for travellers to stay with them. The tribe called Bidayuh inhabit these longhouses. Staying at these longhouses directly exposes travellers to the Bidayuh culture, rituals, traditions, and activities.

You can participate in Bidayuh traditional dance called Langgi Aruh, which involves crossing over handheld bamboos that imitate traps as they are enclosed and opened together according to the beat – the idea is not to get trapped as the bamboos enclose and pick up speed. Travellers can also witness other traditional dances like Langgi Sidandut, Langgi Perang and Langi Empujon, each inspired by age-old folklore. Ritualistic ceremonies and exotic food are arranged for travellers to give them educational experience and understanding of the Bidayuh culture.

Enquiries

Koperasi Kampung Mongkos Serian Berhad
Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia, Daerah Serian
94700 Serian, Sarawak
Tel: +6 013 576 4003
GPS: 1°11’23.5″N 110°33’53.6″E

Semenggoh Nature Reserve

Located barely fifteen minutes from Kuching, this nature reserve is a sanctuary to one of the most intelligent primates in the world: the orangutans, which are known for their ability to adopt sign language and utilise rudimentary tools in their daily lives. Predominantly indigenous to Sarawak, orangutans are now critically endangered due to deforestation.

You can meet these wonderful creatures up close at Semenggoh Nature Reserve, where travellers can learn about the orangutans’ habitat and the importance of conservation in protecting this species from extinction. Aimed at reintroducing these apes to the natural environment, Semenggoh Nature Reserve is one of the only sanctuaries in the world for these intelligent creatures to roam free without restriction. This nature reserve also trains these apes in basic survival skills as most of them are rescued at a young age from dangerous conditions. This effort has led to an increase in the species’ population in the wild.

Entrance fees:
Adult Senior Citizen: MYR10
OKU/Disabled: MYR5
Below 18 Years Old: MYR5
Children Below 6 Years old: MYR5
GPS: 1°24’06.1″N 110°18’52.0″E

Mulu National Park

This UNESCO World Heritage site is Sarawak’s largest national park and has been listed since the year 2000. It was the first of its kind to be listed as a World Heritage site in Malaysia. Famed for its limestone, this whopping park covers 544 kilometres squared of lush primary rainforest with varied landscapes criss-crossed by fast flowing rivers and limpid streams.

Dominated by three mountains, this park boasts a number of breathtaking caves like the world’s largest cave passage known as Deer Cave; the formation of the oldest cave in Mulu National Park is said to date back almost five million years ago! Another highlight of this park is the Pinnacles, situated mid-way up the slopes of Gunung Api. This is one of the trekkers’ favourite spots because the view overlooks a series of 45-meter-high limestone towers soaring above surrounding verdure.

Travellers should also head to the world’s longest canopy walk to truly delve into the bustling ecosystem that is more active high up in the trees than the ground. The entrance fee for the Canopy Walk is MYR42, including guide.  Find out more about the canopy walk on http://mulupark.com/tours-activities/uncategorized/canopy/.

Shipwreck Diving at Kuching

For those who love underwater explorations, Kuching is indeed the destination where divers can explore multiple carcasses of wrecked ships that lie at the bottom of the ocean’s floor. After the Pearl Harbour attack during World War II, the Japanese exerted their forces towards South East Asia with Borneo as one of the targets.

This effort, however, was cut short by the Americans and its ally, the Dutch, who attacked the Japanese warships using their submarines in 1941. Despite the brutality of its past, the area now is regarded as one of the most beautiful scuba diving spots, thriving with marine life and corals. There are approximately 19 wrecks located off Kuching’s coast. The nearest wreck is the Katori Maru Wreck that sits at a depth of 22 metres, taking about 50 to 75 minutes by speedboat from Santubong. The best time to dive is between April to September. The most recent wrecks could also be found there, such as the TK Wreck, Thai Seven and Barge Wreck.

Find out more about the diving packages on http://www.wetwolfdive.com/dive%20kuching%20wreck.html

Tanjung Datu

Imagine gazing at the star-studded night sky accompanied by turtles as they lay eggs in the soft white sands of Tanjung Datu’s coastline. Although this is the smallest national park in Sarawak, it is renowned for its purity, untouched beauty, exclusivity and remoteness; from crystal clear water and thriving corals to verdant vegetation that is filled with exotic flora and fauna.

The park is situated on the Datu Peninsula at the south-western tip of Sarawak and is only about 14 square kilometres in size. It takes about half an hour to reach the park from Sematan Town by boat. Since the site bans commercialisation and large scale accommodation, it is safe to say that Tanjung Datu is free from human-induced pollution, making it nature’s wonderland. However, there are four shelters capable of accommodating up to 12 people at one time available at this national park.

For campers, they can set up tents on a site that can hold up to 100 people at a time. A sanctuary for the turtles and many other exotic animals like primates, migratory birds, and wild animals, be sure to properly follow instructions because reckless behaviour might result in considerable risks.

Reservations Enquiries:
National Parks Booking Office
Tel: +6 082 248 088
Online booking: http://ebooking.com.my
GPS: 2°03’19.5″N 109°38’31.9″E

Base Jumping in Sibu

One of the most anticipated events in Sarawak is the Sibu International BASE Jump, where jumpers from all corners of the world rally and jump off the tallest building in Sarawak, Wisman Sanyan. This activity gets spectators’ hearts thumping as they see these jumpers launch themselves off from the top of Wisma Sanyan that is 126 metres high from the ground. Located in Sibu,  dozens of thrill seekers travel to this city to perform BASE (Building, Antennae, Span, and Earth) jumping while enthusiastic spectators gather to watch these daredevils jump off. Compared to skydiving, base-jumping is much cheaper due to the absence of planes and aircraft that would usually cost thousands of ringgits per ride. Organised for the first time in 2009 by Sibu Tourism Task Force Group and BASE jumpers from Australia and Malaysia, this event has now become a highly anticipated annual event.

Enquiries
Tel: +6 084 321 963 / +6 084 330 500
Email: garyc71@gmail.com
GPS: 2.2904,111.8255
Visit Sibu BASE Jump Facebook page for latest updates and information