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Tourism Malaysia

JUNGLE AND URBAN “SAFARIS” IN MALAYSIA

We braved the tropical jungle, creepy crawlies, and the wilds to bring you our top picks for a fantastic “safari” in Malaysia. While a few of our choices will lead you deep into rainforest territory, some are located in urban centers, and all are perfect for the entire family. So the next time you plan on visiting Malaysia, why not make it an educational one and get to know some of our “wilder” residents here!

Elephants at the Doorstep

Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah (tabinwildlife.com.my)

Deep in rainforest territory, some seven hours’ drive or an hour’s flight from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, is Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Roaming the 300,000 acres of lowland dipterocarp forest are three of the largest mammals of Sabah, namely the Borneo Pygmy Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Tembadau. Though there is no guarantee that you will see them, there have been sightings of elephants very near the reserve’s on-site resort! Also calling this place home are the 300 species of birds, orangutans, civet cats, frogs and a multitude of insects!

Exploring the area is easy and one mustn’t miss the chance to visit the Lipad Waterfalls for a nice, cold dip, or the Lipad mud volcanoes (known as an RR for wildlife seeking their mineral intake). In the evening, take a dusk drive to look out for more nocturnal wildlife and birds coming out to look for food during this time of the day. After dinner, go for a night walk along the trail nearby the resort in search of sleeping birds, frogs, and nocturnal wildlife. Cozy jungle lodges are available to make your stay more comfortable, and we do recommend at least a three-night stay to really explore all that this amazing reserve has to offer.

elephants in the mud

Wings of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park (klbirdpark.com)

Nestled in lush green surroundings on top of a small hill lies the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. So well does this man-made bird park blend with nature, that one easily forgets that it is located right in the heart of a bustling city. Convenience aside, this park really shines as the perfect place to spend a weekend morning with the children.

The bird park covers an area of more than 20 acres, with a landscape reminiscent of a tropical rainforest. It lays claim as the biggest bird park in Malaysia with the largest walk-in free-flight aviary in the world. At last count, there were some 3,000 birds of more than 200 species calling the park home. Among them are brahminy kites, rhinoceros hornbill (the largest hornbill species in the world), southern cassowary, channel-billed toucan, the rare Pesquet’s parrot (found only in Papua New Guinea) and the Moluccan cockatoo.

Here, birds are free to fly, glide or parade (as in the case of the peacock beauties) as they please. One of the amazing things to witness is the morning feeding session where birds of all colours and sizes suddenly swoop down from all sides in their rush to be the first at the feeding station.

Lucky visitors will get to witness the courtship display of the Indian Blue Peacock with its magnificent, colourful, five-foot train, or the yellow-billed stork build nests from fallen twigs. Also, don’t forget to say hello to the cheeky Indian Ring-necked parakeet, crowned pigeon (the largest of its species with a body the size of a turkey), the huge pelican, and the egrets, ibises, and flamingoes in the neighborhood!

Dancing with Butterflies

Entopia, Penang (entopia.com)

Have a fear of insects? Perhaps you can overcome it with close encounters of some of the world’s beautiful insects at Entopia. Situated at Teluk Bahang, Penang, it is a facility to learn all about insects and especially butterflies in a safe and fun environment.

Various species of butterflies “dance” freely in the so-called “The Natureland” outdoor ecological park. Those interested in entomology can walk among flying birdwing, autumn leaf, blue glassy tiger, and orange tip butterflies, among others. Certainly, one of the stars at Entopia is the beautiful Rajah Brooke Birdwing butterfly, one of the biggest diurnal butterflies in the world.

Apart from butterflies, other insects, invertebrates and small reptiles are also available at the park for study. These include the rhinoceros beetles, dragonhead cricket, dragonfly, firefly, leaf cutter ants, nephila spider, Malaysian giant scorpions, centipede, great angle head lizard, water monitor lizard, cat gecko, and many more. You can even see amphibians like tree frogs and poison dart frogs here. Learn more about them by signing up for the bug exploration sessions.

An Urban Farm

Farm in the City, Selangor (fitc.com.my)

Spread across an expansive 7 acres, Farm in the City is an animal-petting park where visitors wander around a Malaysian-style kampong or village while learning about more than 100 species of farm and unique animals from around the world.

Imagine strolling around the farm and encountering a rooster passing by, a tortoise grazing on a piece of vegetable, or an alpaca being led away! Well, that’s exactly what it’s like at this farm where many of the animals roam free.

Visitors can pet, stroke and feed animals such as fish, birds, hamsters, giant tortoise, rabbits and raccoons at selected times and under staff supervision. There is a popular section called “Longkang Fishing” where the young ones seem to have a whale of a time catching (and releasing) small fish in the ditch.

Besides the close interaction with animals, there are “briefing” sessions conducted by trained staff where you can learn more about each animal species, too. Get to know better the blue-tongued lizards, giant tortoises, star turtles, Javan deer, cute alpacas, rare white crows, Himalayan striped squirrels, meerkats, the Feenex fox, and more.

This outdoor park is dotted with various fruit trees and even has a spice and herb garden to explore. Nature guides are available and information signboard are full of information for young learners to know more about these animals and plants.

Hanging Out with Orangutans

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Sarawak (www.facebook.com/Semenggoh/)

Looking for friends to “hang out” within Sarawak? Take a 40-minute drive out from Kuching to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, an award-winning rehabilitation center for orangutans in Malaysia. Here’s a chance to meet semi-wild orangutans, ranging from tiny infants and boisterous adolescents to dignified mature adults, all of whom are enjoying life in a secure natural habitat.

The orangutans here have been rescued from captivity and rehabilitated so that they are able to survive in the wild on their own again. So successful is the programme that today, the surrounding forest thrives with a healthy population of orangutans who are now even breeding in the wild.

They spend most of their time roaming the forest but frequently come back to the center for a free meal. If it is the fruiting season in the forest, some or even all of them may not come to feed at the center. This in itself is a good sign and another step on the way to full rehabilitation.

We recommend that you visit during the morning or afternoon feeding sessions – this is when these gentle creatures emerge from the surrounding forest to take their meals.

But, if in the event the orangutans shy away, Semenggoh is still a great place for birdwatching. Species like Yellow-rumped flowerpecker, Bornean black-magpie, long-billed partridge, red-bearded bee-eater and much more are there for you to find.

 

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Malaysia Travel Guide

Study Visit By Danang Department Of Tourism To Kuching

Study Visit By Danang Department Of Tourism To Kuching

KUCHING, Saturday – Three officials from Danang Department of Tourism, Vietnam led by Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Deputy Director of Danang Department of Tourism were in Kuching from August 15 – 19, 2017. Accompanying the Deputy Director are Phan Minh Hai, Deputy Manager of Planning Development Division and Nguyen Duc Vu, Deputy Director of Son Tra Peninsula Management Board.

The visit is to study the ecotourism, the management of our national parks in Sarawak and the conservation in the region. Danang Tourism is planning to set-up something similar to Bako National Park.

They visited the Park earlier to learn about the preservation and maintenance. Danang Tourism was particularly impressed with the use of woods as the staircase instead of using cement. Besides that, the existence of the Parks is giving job opportunities to the local community.

They also visited the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre early of the week and were briefed by Sarawak Forestry Corporation prior to the visit.

Sarawak Tourism Board was in Kuala Lumpur for a presentation during Danang Tourism Presentation 2017 on August 9, 2017.

According to Deputy Director of Danang Department of Tourism, Truong Thi Hong Hanh, they will plan another visit to Sarawak in near future.

Danang Department of Tourism officials at Bako National Park

Danang Department of Tourism officials at Bako National Park

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]

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Tourism Malaysia

Close encounters of the primate kind – visiting the Semenggoh Rehabilitation Centre

Close encounters of the primate kind – visiting the Semenggoh Rehabilitation Centre

Borneo is famous for its orangutans and the highlight for many travellers here is to see them in the wild. While it is possible to join trips going deep into the jungles of Sarawak and Sabah, these can be expensive and while there are an estimated 20,000 or so orangutans in Borneo there’s no guarantee you’ll actually come across them.

Orangutans are naturally shy creatures and live solitary lives mostly up in the trees so it can be hard to come across them.

Orangutans are mostly arboreal, meaning they live in the trees. Pic: Joanne Lane.

 

So many short on time that want guaranteed sightings will visit places like the Semenggoh Rehabilitation Centre, just outside Kuching (Sarawak) or the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary near Sandakan (Sabah).

I visited the former during my visit to Kuching as I was very keen to see these “people of the forest” – the direct translation of the name orang utan. What’s important to note about the orangutans at Semenggoh is that while they aren’t purely living in the wild, they are largely free to come and go as they please.

Food is provided twice daily to supplement their needs as there simply isn’t enough protected forest left for them to roam. Apparently large adults will naturally roam a large area of forest each day just to find enough to eat, so without the supplemented diet at Semenggoh there wouldn’t be enough food for them all.

Orangutans are of course an endangered species and thankfully protected by law in Malaysia. Authorities have been trying to counteract their loss of habitat, and the live animal trade, that has decimated their numbers, by setting up these rehabilitation centres.

Feeding time at Semenggoh. An orang-utan reaches down for an egg. Pic: Joanne Lane.

We had a car and driver to take us to Semenggoh from the hotel in Kuching as there were quite a few of us. This saved us a 20 minute walk from the gate, as the public bus, number 6, only drops you at the entrance. It also returns at 5pm so you have to watch the time if you go in the afternoon.

It is best to visit during the feeding times which take place daily from 9-10am and 3-3.30 pm. There’s usually a considerable crowd gathered for these so it’s not a completely unique or camera free experience, but once the orangutans start arriving you forget about everything else.

Around 9am workers at the sanctuary started putting out fruit for the primates. This seemed to be predominantly bananas and pawpaw but apparently they are fond of figs, eggs and even the pungent durian. For awhile we all stood there with our gaze skyward to the trees hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

Before long the first of the primates appeared – its long reddish hair distinct against the green foliage of the trees. It was a confident adolescent male and it worked its way along a well placed rope with incredible agility until it could reach down and pick contentedly at the offerings. It seemed unfazed by the crowd gathered nearby.

Minutes later a mother and baby arrived. The youngster seemed almost dumbstruck by all the attention and gazed at us with wide eyes, hiding intermittently in its mother’s hair. Meanwhile mum herself barely blinked at the waiting audience while she took the offered bottle of milk and sucked away. They seemed almost human in some of their mannerisms and it was easy to see where the name “person of the forest” had come from.

A mother and baby at Semenggoh. Pic: Joanne Lane.

 

By this stage more and more orangutans began to appear—1, 2, 5, 10… I lost count—and what had originally been a large group of 30-plus tourists began to dissipate as people wandered off to follow a particular primate.

We had been instructed about how to behave around the orangutans and not to give them food, smoke in front of them, touch them or get in their way. At times it was impossible to follow the last of these instructions as occasionally one of them would simply appear within metres of the made paths, above you in the trees and occasionally on the path with you.

When they did come to ground they lumbered along in an almost comical way, babies clutched to their chests, but would then suddenly swing gracefully up by a branch and disappear above you.

There was a notice board in the vicinity that listed the names of each one and some of the park wardens pointed them out when they appeared. There was Ritchie, Rose, Anaku, Selina, Murray and many others. Their date of births were given and their age and mother, if known.

When the food ran out soon after 10am, and they were contented with the feast, they began to leave just as they had arrived. One by one they flitted off into the trees; there would be flashes of red hair here and there and then they would vanish behind the leaves, exactly like people of the forest.

For more information you can contact the Visitors Information Centre at the National Parks Office, tel: (+6) 082 248088 Fax: (+6) 082 248087 or the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (+6) 082 618423.