Friday, January 22, 2010

Lepa Regatta Carnival promises more colour and excitement

SEMPORNA: The 2010 Lepa Regatta, among the annual events in Semporna’s tourism calendar, is set to offer more colour and excitement when compared to the previous years as between 10,000 and 60,000 visitors are expected to watch the Bajau boat race.

(Lepa is Bajau for single-masted sailing boat).

Chairman for the carnival’s organising committee A.M Ibnu A.K Baba said, apart from the usual lineup of events, the regatta carnival would have a difference this year.

“This year, the carnival will be staged on April 24-25. In the previous years, the hightlight of the boat race carnival was on the opening day but this year, it will be on the final day.

“On the first day, we will perform the soft opening for the usual events like the decorative lepa competition, sea sports and exhibition for the visitors,” A.M Ibnu told Bernama here.

He said the Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng is expected to grace the carnival, where the opening ceremony will be performed by Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah.

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

A.M Ibnu, who is the Semporna District Officer said this year, the event would see the unveiling of a tourism facility and several new tourism products in Semporna. The facility is the Semporna Tourist Jetty and Information Centre which is 80 per cent completed.

He said the 0.4 hectare jetty, located some half a kilometre from Semporna town, would house the offices of tourism-related government agencies such as the Sabah Park and Marine Department.

“All tourism operators in Semporna will be located there. The jetty will have facilities like a wide parking area for vehicles, clean toilets, restaurant and cafeteria for the benefit of tourists,” he said.

“Tourists who wish to visit the resort islands can make a stopover at the jetty before proceeding to their respective destination,” he said.

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