Categories
Tourism Malaysia

TOP 5 SPOTS TO SAY “I DO”

Malaysia has long been a preferred destination for weddings and honeymoons. A combination of multicultural people and beautiful landscapes makes Malaysia a unique place to hold a wedding and also honeymoon. But before the wedding and honeymoon, one must go through a wedding proposal first, right? Well, why don’t you do all three in Malaysia?

First, let me throw out some ideas for a unique and memorable wedding proposal in Malaysia, just in time for the coming February, the month of love.

1. Underwater

What better place is there to pop the question for scuba diving enthusiasts than under the sea? Surrounded by sea fans, whips, a school of fishes and colourful corals, it was a perfect place to surprise your love one with a marriage proposal. It will be your own Atlantis for sure. Of course when you are underwater, you can’t use our voice to propose to her but you can hold the sign asking her to marry you or lay out a banner on the side of a shipwreck with most romantic words that will impress her hook, line, and sinker. You do need a team though to make sure you’ll have a perfect and memorable marriage proposal.

Scuba diving sites in Malaysia that can be the location for your marriage proposal include Redang, Lang Tengah, and Perhentian Islands (Terengganu), Sipadan, Sapi, Mabul, Layang-Layang, and Mataking Islands (Sabah), as well as Satang Besar, Satang Kecil and Sempadi Islands and Miri waters (Sarawak).

2. Top of the Mountain

There’s no finer backdrop to propose to your wife-to-be than the top of the Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Standing at a majestic 4,095 meters or 13, 435 feet above sea level, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia. You may have to wake up at 3 am to climb to the top in order to watch the sunrise but the sheer beauty of the scenery will take your breath away and help romanticised the venue of your marriage proposal. It will definitely help your love one forget about the grueling four-hour climb, the altitude change and cold temperature.

Mt. Kinabalu is a popular destination, visitors who wish to climb Mount Kinabalu are advised to make reservations 6 months in advance to avoid disappointment. The number of climbers is limited to 135 pax daily.

Website: http://www.sabahtourism.com/activity/climb-mt-kinabalu

3. Zipline

Take your love one all the way to Langkawi Island and get her to spend two and a half hours soaring along 12 different ziplines over the waterfalls and within the top and middle layer of the island’s rainforest. And with her adrenaline still high from gliding through an oxygen-rich forest,

can you imagine how incredible it is for her when she got off the line and the first thing she will see is you on bended knee with a ring in one hand? It’s worth a try, don’t you think so?

Umgawa is the island’s first world-class zipline eco-adventure tour, which offers spectacular views of Matchincang Peak, Seven Wells Waterfall and the Andaman Sea. Umgawa’s course features 12 ziplines, one double zipline, three sky-bridges suspended in the trees, and a spectacular descent from towering trees.

Website: www.umgawa.com

4. The Rainbow Skywalk

The Rainbow Skywalk is the talk of the town in Penang Island because it offers stunning seamless views of George Town and beyond. Located at George Town’s highest point, the open-air Rainbow Skywalk, a semi-circular glass-bottomed platform extending out from the edge of the Komtar tower is at Level 68, offering visitors the thrilling experience of walking on air 249m above ground.

Make the best of this venue and wait for the sun to set over the Penang Hill and beyond, or wait for the city of George Town to light up before you propose to your love one. I’ll bet it is going to be one of the most beautiful and romantic marriage proposals ever. But before you do that, please make sure your love one doesn’t have a fear of height. Then, you are good to go!

Website: https://thetop.com.my/rainbow-skywalk

5. Plane In The City

Located in the heart of the city at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Plane In The City, which is an an actual Boeing 737 aircraft, is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records as the 1st Aeroplane Restaurant in Malaysia.

The Plane In The City is the perfect venue to propose to your wife-to-be because just admit it, it won’t be as romantic as in the actual plane flying at 35,000 feet, right? With this real-life flight simulation, you don’t have to deal with small aisle or an unpredictable turbulence or crying babies, or being rejected in front of strangers of various nationalities. To make it more interesting, you can propose on the wing of the airplane, and that experience my friend, will be unforgettable.

Website: http://www.planeinthecity.com

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

TOP 5 WEDDING PROPOSAL SPOTS

Malaysia has long been a preferred destination for weddings and honeymoons. A combination of multicultural people and beautiful landscapes makes Malaysia a unique place to hold a wedding and also honeymoon. But before the wedding and honeymoon, one must go through a wedding proposal first, right? Well, why don’t you do all three in Malaysia?

First, let me throw out some ideas for a unique and memorable wedding proposal in Malaysia, just in time for the coming February, the month of love.

1. Underwater

What better place is there to pop the question for scuba diving enthusiasts than under the sea? Surrounded by sea fans, whips, a school of fishes and colourful corals, it was a perfect place to surprise your love one with a marriage proposal. It will be your own Atlantis for sure. Of course when you are underwater, you can’t use our voice to propose to her but you can hold the sign asking her to marry you or lay out a banner on the side of a shipwreck with most romantic words that will impress her hook, line, and sinker. You do need a team though to make sure you’ll have a perfect and memorable marriage proposal.

Scuba diving sites in Malaysia that can be the location for your marriage proposal include Redang, Lang Tengah, and Perhentian Islands (Terengganu), Sipadan, Sapi, Mabul, Layang-Layang, and Mataking Islands (Sabah), as well as Satang Besar, Satang Kecil and Sempadi Islands and Miri waters (Sarawak).

2. Top of the Mountain

There’s no finer backdrop to propose to your wife-to-be than the top of the Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Standing at a majestic 4,095 meters or 13, 435 feet above sea level, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia. You may have to wake up at 3 am to climb to the top in order to watch the sunrise but the sheer beauty of the scenery will take your breath away and help romanticised the venue of your marriage proposal. It will definitely help your love one forget about the grueling four-hour climb, the altitude change and cold temperature.

Mt. Kinabalu is a popular destination, visitors who wish to climb Mount Kinabalu are advised to make reservations 6 months in advance to avoid disappointment. The number of climbers is limited to 135 pax daily.

Website: http://www.sabahtourism.com/activity/climb-mt-kinabalu

3. Zipline

Take your love one all the way to Langkawi Island and get her to spend two and a half hours soaring along 12 different ziplines over the waterfalls and within the top and middle layer of the island’s rainforest. And with her adrenaline still high from gliding through an oxygen-rich forest,

can you imagine how incredible it is for her when she got off the line and the first thing she will see is you on bended knee with a ring in one hand? It’s worth a try, don’t you think so?

Umgawa is the island’s first world-class zipline eco-adventure tour, which offers spectacular views of Matchincang Peak, Seven Wells Waterfall and the Andaman Sea. Umgawa’s course features 12 ziplines, one double zipline, three sky-bridges suspended in the trees, and a spectacular descent from towering trees.

Website: www.umgawa.com

4. The Rainbow Skywalk

The Rainbow Skywalk is the talk of the town in Penang Island because it offers stunning seamless views of George Town and beyond. Located at George Town’s highest point, the open-air Rainbow Skywalk, a semi-circular glass-bottomed platform extending out from the edge of the Komtar tower is at Level 68, offering visitors the thrilling experience of walking on air 249m above ground.

Make the best of this venue and wait for the sun to set over the Penang Hill and beyond, or wait for the city of George Town to light up before you propose to your love one. I’ll bet it is going to be one of the most beautiful and romantic marriage proposals ever. But before you do that, please make sure your love one doesn’t have a fear of height. Then, you are good to go!

Website: https://thetop.com.my/rainbow-skywalk

5. Plane In The City

Located in the heart of the city at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Plane In The City, which is an an actual Boeing 737 aircraft, is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records as the 1st Aeroplane Restaurant in Malaysia.

The Plane In The City is the perfect venue to propose to your wife-to-be because just admit it, it won’t be as romantic as in the actual plane flying at 35,000 feet, right? With this real-life flight simulation, you don’t have to deal with small aisle or an unpredictable turbulence or crying babies, or being rejected in front of strangers of various nationalities. To make it more interesting, you can propose on the wing of the airplane, and that experience my friend, will be unforgettable.

Website: http://www.planeinthecity.com

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Ecotourism in Langkawi 

Langkawi may hide behind its popular beach resorts, tax-free haven and party scene but there’s miles of stunning, unspoiled jungle and rainforest to explore, making it one of the most accessible ecotourism destinations in the world. In 2007, UNESCO listed Langkawi as a geopark, guaranteeing the conservation of many uninhabited parts. Ever since, this archipelago has thrived on ecotourism with thousands of visitors wowed by its natural beauty.

Wildlife diversity
Langkawi is the perfect destination to spot the most diverse creatures. The Mangrove Swamp Tour is one of the most popular activities on the island and a must for all nature lovers. Mangrove forests are home to a whole ecosystem of rich flora and fauna. The most common species of monkey on Langkawi is the macaque. Be careful, though! Beneath their adorable appearance they can be quite aggressive; hissing, spitting and trying to steal your food. Comparatively, dusky leaf monkeys are shy and more difficult to spot. You can recognise them for their white circles around their eyes and the colour of their newborn (yellow). The mangroves are also common place for squirrels, sea otters and many reptiles including snakes, crocodiles and mudskippers.

Dusk Leaf Monkey

Dusky Leaf Monkey

Beauty in the air
Langkawi is home to over 240 bird species. The most impressive and easiest to find are the eagles. Did you know Langkawi actually means reddish-brown eagle in the local language? The main place for feeding eagles is the Kilim River, north-east of the island. You can admire these creatures from the comfort of a boat tour along the river or while island hopping. Langkawi is also home to more than 500 types of butterfly. Take a Butterfly Discovery Tour and see how many you can spot? Local guides will also talk about the flying five: flying snakes, squirrels, lemurs, foxes and even monkeys. See and believe for yourself.

Langkawi Eagle

Native Langkawi Eagle

Geological treasure
Langkawi is not only rich in fauna but also geological diverse. Gunung Mat Cincang is probably Langkawi’s best-known mountain, aside from its neighbour Gunung Raya. At 850m high, it is the second highest mountain in Langkawi and is the oldest rock formation in Southeast Asia. If you have experience, you can hike to the peak with a refreshing stop at the Seven Wells Waterfall. If not, it’s advisable to take a guided tour to climb the mountain or maybe catch the famous Langkawi Cable Car. The views are stunning!
Langkawi’s limestone formations are also a popular visit on the island. The limestone hills are home to well-known caves like Gua Kelawar and Gua Cerita — home to ancient legends and mysterious inscriptions in Jawi language.

Langkawi Cable Car Gondola

Langkawi Cable Car

Surrounded by water
For a half-day or day tour, hop on a speed boat and cruise around Langkawi’s amazing islands and beaches. The second biggest island on the archipelago is Dayang Bunting, literally meaning pregnant maiden. The island has a fresh water lake surrounded by mystery and superstition. The legend says Prince Mat Teja fell in love with the celestial Princess Mambang Sari, who liked to bathe here. They got married and had a son, who sadly died. They left their son in the water to rest in peace. Since then, there is a strong belief among locals that barren women will be able to conceive after taking a dip in the lake.

Pulau Payar Marine Park is the best diving destination on the west coast of Malaysia. This uninhabited area consisting of four little islands is 30km from the coast of Langkawi. To get there you have to book a return boat journey. There is no accommodation on the island. Apart from the diverse marine life, Pulau Payar is a good place for wreck diving due to numerous capsized fishing boats which have created artificial reefs here.

Dayang Bunting Lake

Dayung Bunting Lake

For more information about the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark head to https://www.langkawigeopark.com.my/en/. Also visit http://naturallylangkawi.my/ for events, news and deals.

 

 

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Island hopping in Malaysia

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.

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.

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.

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.