Travel Agent - August 18, 2008 - (Page M11)

S a b a h a n d S a r awa k of f e r t h e m a g ic of M a l ay s i a B or n e o tailed macaques monkeys to the area. Visitors are restricted to walkways and touching the orangutans is frowned upon. It’s also possible to take a three-mile hike through the centre’s mangrove forest, although it will be necessary to obtain a permit from the Forestry Department. You can also arrange for accommodations in chalets in the forest Island-lovers will ﬁnd a rich variety of isles to choose from in Sabah. Of these, Sipadan is perhaps the most famous. It’s a paradise for divers and was singled out as one of the world’s best dive sites by no other than Jacques Cousteau. Sipadan is Malaysia’s only deepwater oceanic island and a must-see for divers. The isle of Layang Layang is East Malaysia’s most remote island. It’s renowned for its wall diving to observe hammerhead sharks, rays and barracudas. Labuan is often called Borneo’s International Garden Island. Here the emphasis is more resort-oriented, although still with great diving; you’ll also ﬁnd duty-free shopping, golf and world-class resorts. Mabul Island 15 minutes by speedboat from Sipadan Island, Mabul is being singled out as one of the world’s best muck-diving sites. Muck diving refers to limited visibility dives at shallow sites with sandy bottoms. History Museum, and perhaps the most unusual museum in Malaysia, The Cat Museum. Kuching is known as The Cat City and the museum is devoted to all manner of depictions of felines. Kuching’s Sunday Market at Jalan Satok is actually on Saturday and Sunday. Alive with local color, the market offers local produce and even antiques for sale. Visitors should ﬁnd the time for a stroll along the Kuching Waterfront esplanade; it borders the city’s atmospheric Chinatown district. VISITING A LONGHOUSE A visit to an Iban longhouse, whether for a few hours or a few days, is a highlight of visiting the region. The approach can be either by road or, better yet, arrive via a river in a longboat. Longhouses are communal structures, with many of them being traditional wooden houses on stilts. The entire population lives under one roof and the number of doors along the long hallway in a longhouse signiﬁes the number of families living there. There’s some simple etiquette to observe: Always wait to be invited in, remove your shoes, and bring a gift that can be divided into equal parts, one for each family in the longhouse. This can be small packets of food or coffee easily purchased in shops en route to the longhouse. You’ll be invited to share tea and tuak (rice wine) while viewing an authentic warrior dance, which is performed by both men and women. After the dance the residents will display various arts and crafts for sale. A longhouse overnight stay costs about $100 per person. This includes breakfast and dinner, a cultural show, traditional games, a blowgun and cockﬁght demonstration (non-lethal; the birds aren’t harmed) and a morning nature walk. If you have a chance, try the Iban dish called manok pansoh. This is made with chicken, mushrooms, lemongrass and tapioca leaves stuffed into a length of bamboo and then cooked over an open ﬁre. Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Sarawak Image courtesy of Sarawak Tourism Board SARAWAK James Brooke, the ﬁrst “White Rajah,” ruled Sarawak from 1841 after resolving a dispute between Brunei’s Sultan and his local chieftains. The White Rajah’s legacy can be seen in the many colonial buildings in Kuching. Most visitors will arrive in the capital city of Kuching via Kuching Airport. The city makes a good base for exploring the surrounding area and has attractions of its own. A good place to start is the Sarawak Museum, which displays local native arts and crafts and the natural history of Sarawak. This will serve as an orientation for the journey into Sarawak’s living culture. Other museums of interest are The Islamic Museum, The Chinese The Semenggoh Nature Reserve, about a 30-minute drive from Kuching, is home to 23 rescued and semi-wild orangutans. There are two scheduled feeding times, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the orangutans are most likely to be observed. The quaint ﬁshing village of Santubong is about 20 miles from Kuching and can be reached by either car or express boat. Santubong has some nice beaches and is the site of several archaeological ﬁndings, including ancient Hindu and Buddhist rock carvings discovered around the Santubong River delta. Sarawak is becoming synonymous with the Rainforest World Music Festival, a threeday gathering held every July on the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village. Musicians from around the world perform diverse ethnic music in an outdoor setting. The Sarawak Cultural Village, about a 40-minute drive from Kuching, is open throughout the year. Visitors come here to see and sample Sarawak’s rich cultural diversity made up of Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Penan, Malays and Chinese influences. Local longhouse, Sarawak Image courtesy of Sarawak Tourism Board www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my • www.tourismmalaysiausa.com Malaysia TRAVEL PLANNER 11 http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my http://www.tourismmalaysiausa.com

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Travel Agent - April 18, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Pacific/Asia: Visitors to Ubud will Discover the Essence of Balinese Art and Culture Special Supplement: Malaysia Travel Planner New Zealand: There is Plenty to See and Do Throughout the West Coast of the Southern Alps Europe: Beauty, History and Culture Combine in Valencia, Spain Caribbean: Scrub Island is the BVI’s First Development in 15 years The Wyndham Rio Mar’s $40 Million Makeover is Well Underway in Puerto Rico The Latest on Grenada, a Caribbean Up-and-Comer Mexico: Big Hotel Plans are in the Works for the Riviera Nayarit Florida: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel turns Orlando into Italy Las Vegas: Dinner at these Restaurants Can Get your Clients into Vegas’ Hottest Nightclubs Cover Story: Medical Tourism Special Supplement: Destination Weddings Specialist 3.0 Hotels: Everything Old is New Again at New York’s Algonquin Cruise: Short Cruises Keep your Clients on the Move for Less Group Travel: Disney makes Exotic Locales Friendly for Family Travel Car Rentals: How Much Insurance Does your Client Need for a Rental Car? Agency Profile: Corporate Travel Sales are Rising at MTravel.com, a Division of Montrose Luxury Travel Expo Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Hyatt comes to Curaçao New Hotels and Resorts in Asia CLIA Tightens Qualifications for ID Tripology Links Agents to Clients In the Spotlight Agent Access Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

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