VISIT MALAYSIA 2014
WELCOME TO OUR AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL WORLD TREASURE
Sabah, The Land Below The Wind
SABAH sits at the tip of Borneo, the world's third largest
island.
Its coastline of 1,440 kilometres (900 miles), washed by the South
China Sea on the West and the Sulu Sea
and Celebes Sea on the east, that encloses an inland area of 74,500 square
kilometres (29,399 square miles).
Lying just north of the equator, Sabah enjoys a sunny
tropical climate where it's summer all year round. daily temperatures range
from 21 - 34 degrees Centigrade, with cooler weather up in the mountains.
A land blessed with nature's most bountiful treasures, Sabah
is also known by the famed romantic name of "The Land Below The
Wind".
Interesting places in Sabah are:
Kinabalu Park
A forest reserve covering 754 sq km of rugged mountains
covered with pristine jungle. Vegetation in the park is diverse ranging from
lowland rainforest to temperate mountain oaks to alpine conifers. More than
1,200 species of wild orchids and 40 species of oaks can be found in the park.
The world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, is found from 600 to 1,000 metres
above sea level on the primary forest floor. Other unusual flora include the
nepenthes pitcher plant which digests insects, the Dawsonia, the worlds largest
moss and Low’s Rhododendron, whose flowers can reach 30cm in width.
Sipadan Island
This Malaysia’s only very small oceanic island . A 25-minute
walk is all that is required to circle the island on foot. Surrounded by
crystal clear waters, this crown jewel is a treasure trove of some of the most
amazing marine animals.
Declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the Colonial
Government of North Borneo and regazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian Government,
the dense vegetation on Pulau Sipadan supports a large variety of tropical
birds which include sea eagles, kingfishes, sunbirds, starlings and wood
pigeons. Exotic crustaceans including the amazing coconut crab (Birgus largo)
roam the beaches and scurry among the undergrowth.
Pulau Sipadan offers some of the best wall diving in the
world. The water's edge presents a drop of more than 609.6 metre (2,000 feet)
just 9.14 metre (30 feet) from the beach, and all dive sites are within easy
reach by boat. Thousands of marine life, big or small, make Pulau Sipadan their
home, making it one of the most exciting dive locations in the world.
Mabul Island is reputed to be one of the best places for
underwater macrophotography in the world. Located in the clear waters of the
Celebes Sea off the mainland of Sabah, it is surrounded by gentle sloping reefs
from 2 to 40m deep.
It is larger than the nearby Sipadan Island and is home to
the Bajau Laut tribe, one of many ethnic groups in Sabah. Diving is the main
activity on this island, and it can be done all year round.
Marine life that can be seen here includes sea horses,
exotic starfish, fire gobies, crocodile fish, pipefish and snake eels. There are
over eight popular dive spots, each with its own speciality.
Sarawak, Land of The Hornbills
SARAWAK or
the Land Of The Hornbills, is known as one of Asia's Best Kept Secret as this
is a place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventure no matter on
land, hill, or water. Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, and is the home
of the White Rajahs, the famous hornbills and the highly endangered orang
utans.
The red
color of the Sarawak Flag symbolizes the courage, determination, and sacrifices of the people
in pursuit to attain the course of creating a model state. The yellow color
denotes the supremacy of Law and Order while the black color means the rich
natural resources and wealth of Sarawak. This nine pointed yellow star denotes
the 9 division of people that lives in harmony in their quest to improve their
quality of life.
Kubah National Park
Kubah is one of Sarawak's most accessible national parks. It is only 20 kilometres from Kuching. Kubah is the recent addition to Sarawak's network of protected forest area, which was gazetted in 1988 and was only open to public in 1995. An overnight stay is highly recommended if you want to get the best of this handy and compact site.
The sandstone plateau includes three mountains, Gunung
Serapi, Gunung Selang and Gunung Sendok, which can be seen clearly from
Kuching. Within the park's 2,230 hectares you can find rare ferns and orchids.
These were one of the reasons Kubah was gazetted as a national park in 1989.
Popular with local people are the waterfalls and clear jungle streams where you
can cool off after trekking through the jungle on well-marked paths.
The dipterocarp forest, interspersed with patches of scrub
and unusually rich area of kerangas, is home to bearded pigs, black hornbills,
squirrels, mouse deer and many species of reptiles and amphibians.
Kuching Waterfront
The Kuching Waterfront is the focal point of the town and
features a graceful, European-style esplanade with views across to the Astana
(the palace) and Fort Margherita. Formerly this 1 km stretch was home to many
warehouses, which were closely associated with the mercantile trade of this
city. The design of the waterfront has incorporated traditional Iban cultural
motifs, evident in the mosaic tiles on the pavements.
The Waterfront has of course undergone several
transformations since the 19th century - from a small settlement with a few
atop buildings, to a busy port with warehouses and wharves, to the landscaped
riverside walk it is today. The Waterfront is now also home to modern
sculpture, an open-air theatre and a musical fountain.
The waterfront also features an open-air eatery and a
theater. The theater is housed in the former Sarawak Steamship Company
warehouse. The tourist information office is also situated here. Cultural
activities are held here especially during Gawai (the native harvest festival)
in June each year and Cat City Festival, held annually in August.
Lang's Cave
The Lang's Cave is named after a person who presumably
discovered it. This is just opposite the Deer Cave. It is relatively young
compared with the other show caves in Mulu National Park. It is the smallest of
the show caves but its rock formations are well worth seeing. These are made
all the more attractive by the strategically positioned spotlights, which
highlight stalactites and stalagmites. As the cave is relatively small and well
lit, it offers good opportunities to see some of its inhabitants such as bats,
swiftlets and even cave-dwelling snakes.
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