20,000 visitors expected at MATTA Fair Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: About 20,000 visitors are expected for this year’s MATTA fair from August 20-22 at the Main Atrium of Suria Sabah.The event, regarded as Malaysia’s number one travel fair, is an established function recognized and supported by exhibitors and consumers alike.

With participating airlines offering discounted fares coupled with attractive hotel and tour rates, the event is expected to be more exciting offering return air tickets to various destinations and prizes for the lucky draw contest.

MATTA is sponsoring the grand prize of RM10,000 redeemable by travel vouchers.

For the year, Tourism Malaysia Sabah being one of the many exhibitors will be focusing on the state’s various homestay programme.

This relatively new tourism product shows huge potential in the state’s tourism industry.

Tourism Malaysia Sabah director Roslan Abdullah stated, “We are going to do something different this year by promoting the various homestay programmes in Sabah.

Continue reading at: 20,000 visitors expected at MATTA Fair Sabah
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Tawau Hills Park, Not A Mere Natural Recreation Spot

TAWAU -- In 2006, American scientist Dr Roman Dial and two friends climbed up a 'Seraya Kuning Siput' (Shorea faquetiana) in Taman Bukit Tawau near here.

The trio risked life and limb in order to find out the accurate measurement of this tree, a tropical rainforest plant, located in the forest reserve of some 28,000 hectares.

After placing the end of the measuring tape at the tip of the highest point on the tree, Dr Dial, a professor in Biologi and Mathematic of Alaska Pacific University, finally recorded the tree's height at 88.32 metres.

That measurement made the Seraya Kuning Siput in Tawau Hills Park the highest tropical rainforest tree in the world.

After recording the tree's height, Dr Dial and his team then moved on to look for trees of other species in the park. In two square km there, they found seven more that measured more than 80 metres in height.

The discovery by Dr Dial and his team was recorded in the National Geographic magazine, July 2006 edition.

FOREST RESERVE

Even though the Seraya Kuning Siput in Tawau Hills Park is 10th among the world's tallest tree species, Malaysians should be proud of it as it is the tallest among the tropical species.

So far, the tallest tree in the world is of the redwood species (Sequoia sempervirens) found in Redwood Forest, Redwood National Park in California, United States at the height of 115.55 metres.

Meanwhile, out of the 25 tallest trees from various species various in the world, 11 are found in Tawau Hills Park with each exceeding 80 metres in height.

At the moment visitors to Tawau Hills Park would make it a must to view the world's tallest tropical rainforest tree there. A visit to the park is considered as 'incomplete' without taking a look at this gigantic tree.

TAWAU'S TREASURES

The world's tallest tropical tree is located 900 metres from the park's station and in order to get to the site, visitors have to move along a natural trail constructed by the park's authorities.

Along the trip to that spot the visitors can, apart from breathing in the fresh forest air, view the lush greenery comprising various plants and vegetation in the park.

For those who are lucky, they can see the Red Leaf Monkey that are quite 'friendly' with the visitors.

"We were surprised when the scientist told us that the world's tallest tropical rainforest tree is here. To us it is like a treasure to Tawau".

Continue reading at: Tawau Hills Park, Not A Mere Natural Recreation Spot
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Sarawak Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival Sept 17-22

LANTERNS reflecting the cultures of Sarawak’s local communities will light up Carpenter Street in Kuching during the state’s Ninth Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival set to take place from Sept 17 to 22.

Lantern-making is the latest activity to be included in this annual event that celebrates the state’s colourful traditions.

The festival working committee will invite several associations from the racial groups in the state to participate in a lantern-making contest.

The completed lanterns will be displayed along Carpenter Street, the festival’s venue, for people to judge the winners.

Apart from Sarawakian culture, the activity will have a category in which the designs will reflect Chinese culture.

Co-organising chairman Datuk Lily Yong said that local cultural troupes and artistes, and 20 dance troupes from China would perform at the festival.

She said about 100 stalls would line Carpenter Street and other programmes like cooking demonstrations would take place from 7pm to 11pm throughout the festival.

Continue reading at: Sarawak Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival Sept 17-22
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Trip to Maliau Basin - An Introduction

An interesting travelogue from MySabah blog:

Also known as “The Lost World of Sabah”, Maliau Basin looks like a huge volcanic caldera from the aeroplane, which spans 25 Kilometers in diameter. This saurcer-shaped geological structure, which is formed about 5 million years ago, is not the remnant of a dead volcano. In fact, it is a plateau gradually uplifted by volcanic & tectonic movements, and the middle was eroded to a basin due to weathering. The basin is a sedimentary formation comprised mainly of gently inclined beds of sandstone and mudstone, deposited between 15 million and 9 million years ago when Maliau was a coastal delta.

Maliau means “Land of the Giant Staircase” in Murut language. The reason Maliau Basin is called Sabah’s Lost World is because of its almost circular outer rim, with steep slopes and cliffs range from 300M to 1,600M in height, creating a natural barrier that isolates the basin from the world (and “gene exchange”). Some flora and fauna, which are “trapped” in the basin for millions of years, may have evolved into new species. The only “opening” of Maliau is via Maliau Gorge, a narrow gap to South East, where Maliau River flows and joins Kuamut River outside basin, then to Kinabatangan River, the longest river of Sabah.

The Maliau Basin Conservation Area covers an area of sprawling 588.4 square Kilometers (nearly the size of Singapore!) in Tawau district, at the South Central Part of Sabah. The Basin itself is about 390 sq. KM in size, the additional 200 sq. KM is the buffer zones surrounding the basin for extra protection. The highest point of Maliau is Gunung Lotung (Mt. Lotung) on the north rim, which is over 1,676 m in elevation.

Sorry if you are bored with the geography stuffs above. However, those are the basic knowledge for you to really understand why Maliau Basin is such a special place.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Trip to Maliau Basin - An Introduction

Follow the day to day adventure below:

Part 2: Day 1 in Maliau Basin

Part 3: Day 2 in Maliau Basin

Part 4: Day 3 Maliau Waterfall

Part 5: Day 4 Trip to Nepenthes Camp (Heath Forest)

Part 6: Day 5 Skybridge & Night Safari

Part 7: Day 6 Leaving Maliau Basin

Part 8: Conclusion & Notes - Useful if you plan to visit Maliau

Also See:

Maliau Basin (ex-KK) Tour Promotion
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Direct KK-Makasar flight under study

The Indonesian Tourism and Culture Ministry will discuss with the Sulawesi authority the prospect of having a direct flight between Sabah and Makasar.

Its Promotion for America and Pacific Deputy Director Maria Mayabubun said should the suggestion be implemented it may further boost the tourism industry of Malaysia and Indonesia.

She added that the Ministry would also look into a concept known as balik kampung (back to hometown) to be introduced in Makasar to attract its people as well as Sabahans to travel between these two destinations.

"However, before we can bring the plan to the next level we need a complete data on the numbers of people travelling between these two points."

Maria was speaking to a group of Sabah reporters at her office at the Indonesian Tourism and Culture Ministry here, Tuesday.

Earlier Republic Indonesian Vice Consul for Tawau Asraruddin Salam said many people in Sabah particularly in Tawau traveled to Makasar by sea to visit their families and relatives.

There is a strong relationship between the people from both places because of the strong family ties, he said.

Continue reading at: Direct KK-Makasar flight under study
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