Janice Horton: Adventures in Borneo - Kota Kinabalu and The North Borneo Railway

There are two distinct sides to Malaysia. West (Peninsular) Malaysia and East (Borneo) Malaysia and they are separated by the South China Sea.

Trav and have explored most of the Malaysian peninsular including the islands of Penang and Langkawi on the west side and Perhentian Islands on the east but up until now we haven’t ever ventured across to Malaysian Borneo. That all changed when we flew from Kuala Lumpur to the town of Kota Kinabalu.

Kota Kinabalu or KK is known is the capital of the northern part of Borneo and is the gateway to the Kinabalu National Park.

Many people come here to climb Mount Kota Kinabalu – but not us – we were here for a train ride!

Riding on the North Borneo Railway is like stepping back in time and travelling through towns and jungle in the heart of Borneo on one of the very few wood-fuelled engines left in the world today.

Originally manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows Lancashire UK and part of a fleet that have plied the tracks through Borneo since the late 1800’s.

We had the most amazing day travelling on this fabulous old steam train re-living the by-gone era of old colonial times.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics & Vid) at: Janice Horton: Adventures in Borneo - Kota Kinabalu and The North Borneo Railway

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Sibu International Dance Festival an international platform for the arts

SIBU: The annual Sibu International Dance Festival (SIDF) has become an international platform for the arts.

Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau said dancers and organisations can connect on local, regional and international levels to share concepts, experiment, and explore different styles and genres of dance.

“The dance performances featured by 17 teams from 13 countries and regions that will unfold both indoors and outdoors in the next few days are undoubtedly a grand cultural event and are truly looked forward to by the residents and guests of Sibu.

“Besides showcasing the essence of our unique arts and culture while promoting tourism through this festival, this is also the perfect occasion for Sibu people from all walks of life to come together and simply enjoy a feast for the eyes,” he said when opening of the sixth SIDF on Tuesday.

He added that the language of the dance is easily understood and clear to everyone.

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More skilled manpower needed to boost tourism industry in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Despite the fact that Sabah is experiencing positive growth through flow of investments, enhanced economic cooperation and improved trade relations, the increase in the number of hotel rooms is still insufficient to meet the ever increasing tourist arrivals in the State, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman.

“We are still short of hotel rooms, especially in Kota Kinabalu,” Musa said.

He said the number of tourist arrivals for the first half of this year was about 1.8 million, a growth rate of 11 percent compared to the same period last year.

Last year, he said Sabah tourism received tourists to the tune of 3.4 million.

Musa said he had met a leader from mainland China on one occasion, who had wanted to bring in 10,000 people to Kota Kinabalu.

“I say, cannot. If 10,000 (tourists) at one time, there is not enough rooms in hotels and resorts. So I asked him to come in phases, maybe 3,000 people (at one time). So you can see how many people want to come to Sabah.

“We need more hotels and resorts, and of course, skilled manpower. That is what ATI College is providing now,” Musa said, when gracing the 20th convocation ceremony of the college here yesterday.

Earlier in his speech, Musa said the hospitality and tourism industry was a key income generating sector for Sabah.

Continue reading at: More skilled manpower needed to boost tourism industry in Sabah

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Intrepid Travel: Turtles and orangutans - witnessing wildlife conservation in Borneo

Sabah is a state situated on the northern tip of Borneo, Malaysia. It’s home to not only 3.5 million people, but also to a diverse array of animal and plant species. Forests and protected areas make up over half of Sabah.

However, due to extensive logging, the forests of Sabah have been severely reduced. The demand for timber, raw materials and the conversion of forests into agricultural land and palm oil plantations means that Sabah has depleted almost all of its old-growth forests.

The most notable victims of this change are the Bornean orangutans, which are one of only two species of great apes that are native to Asia. Destruction of their natural habitats has led to the Bornean orangutan being listed as a critically endangered species.

As a result, there is now a strong push towards conservation efforts in Sabah. The most famous project is at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

Covering 40 square kilometres of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the centre rehabilitates orphaned and injured orangutans, with the goal to eventually return them to the wild. And here’s the great thing – as a traveller, you can visit!

Seeing the rehabilitation of orangutans in Sepilok

Before entering the sanctuary, I make use of the free lockers to store my bag. Cheeky orangutans have been known to snatch bags and loose items from unsuspecting visitors.

A walking path snakes down to the feeding area where the orangutans (and other monkeys looking for a free meal) congregate twice a day at 10am and 3pm. Your ticket gives you access to both feedings.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Intrepid Travel: Turtles and orangutans - witnessing wildlife conservation in Borneo

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Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

WHILE the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) remain as Borneo’s more prominent and celebrated forests, it would be an oversight to exclude the equally majestic Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) of Tongod from the list.

Situated north of MBCA and the west of DVCA, the Imbak Canyon is located some 300 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, a road journey that will take approximately seven to eight hours, subject to good road conditions.

Since being gazetted as a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve by the State Government back in 2009, the ICCA has come a long way, and has reinvented itself as one of Sabah’s most promising tourism products.

The growth of the ICCA can be attributed to the partnership between Yayasan Sabah and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) that was initiated back in 2010.

Since then, the two bodies have taken numerous initiatives to ensure the preservation of the forests, most recently being the establishment of the highly awaited Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC).

In 2013, Petronas approved a RM77 million fund under Phase 2 of the Yayasan Sabah and Petronas partnership to build the ICSC, in line with its intent to solidify the ICCA as a centre of learning for indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Construction commenced in 2014 and was completed in November 2016, when the facility was subsequently handed over to Yayasan Sabah.

Among others, the ICSC will serve as a platform for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials.

Last Monday, a group of journalists were invited for a first ever media visit to ICSC, where they had to stay on location for four days under a programme spearheaded by Petronas and Yayasan Sabah.

To learn more about the facilities provided by the ICSC, the manager of ICCA, Dr. Hamzah Tangki, took members of the media for a tour around the newly-built compound.

It is understood that the buildings at the ICSC were designed taking into consideration green elements to ensure minimal carbon footprint.

The establishment of the ICSC will coincidentally elevate Tongod as one of the crucial districts of the State with the ICSC serving as a major infrastructural development.

Continue reading at: Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

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