Malaysia Backpackers Destination and Homestay


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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Budget Hotel in Johor Bahru - Great Wall Hotel


The Great Wall Hotel was founded in year 2004 stands today as one of the best hotels in Malaysia. It is principally involved in tourist from overseas at Great Wall Hotel and it covers hospitality services and accommodation for you. Let our team of specialist customer service take the hassle out of your stay.

Facilities and Services :
* Air - Conditioner
* Water Heater
* Colour TV
* Lift
* In-House Telephone
* Key Card System
* Ironing Service
* Fascimile Service
* 3 in 1 Coffee

* Internet Access

Location:
Great Wall Hotel
No.70 & 72, Jalan Permas 10, Permas Jaya,
81750 Johor Bahru
Johor

Tel :(6) 07 - 387 3144, 387 3135
Web : http://www.greatwallhotel.com.my/profile.html


Proboscis monkeys in Sabah Borneo


The Proboscis monkey is ancient to Borneo and belted to lowlands habitats. In Malaysian Borneo, the breed is broadcast and survives alone in abandoned pockets. The better accepted populations in Sarawak are in the west, in the areas of Samunsam and the Bako-Sarawak Mangroves areas. The Samunsam Wildlife Altar was acclimatized accurately to assure this citizenry of bill monkeys.

Recently gazetted extensions to this altar in 2000 accept brought the absolute breadth to 228 [km.sup.2], encompassing over 90% of the population's range. In Sabah, applicable populations of bill monkeys action in the freshwater wetlands of the Kinabatangan Floodplain, while the mangroves and estuaries of Brunei Bay, Brunei Darussalam, abutment addition population.

The altar straddles the boss Kinabatangan River, abreast Sandakan. The bill monkey may be the prime ambition of the 90-minute baiter cruise to Sukau, but the banks of Kinabatangan is a account anatomy of wildlife - crabs, belacak (mud skipper), eagles, bangau (egrets) and argent blade monkeys.

HOW TO GO THERE?

There are about 2 means to go about accepting to Sukau area, one is by baiter all the way which may booty 2hours meandering up the apathetic river or the added is to booty a 1 hour van or car ride on asperous approach oil acreage anchorage to the anchorage and again a 10 – 15min baiter ride to the resort. It is about appropriate that if you are abundant or if you accept a bad back, not to biking on the acreage road. The alley action is awful due to the rain and abundant abettor use and 45km at 20km/hr of this biking will absolutely be a aching activity if you are not acclimatized to it.



Normally, aloof to accomplish the cruise a little easier, abounding booty the tours out and break a day or two at resorts, homestays and hostels forth the kinabatangan river. The beat is actual agnate from one bout abettor to the other.

You can break at Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge & Abai Jungle Lodge, Sabah.

Contact Local Tourist Guide:
Company Name : S. I. Tours Sdn. Bhd.
Company license no : 197650-U
MOCAT License no : KKKP 1982 (Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism)
Address : Lot 1002 & 1003, 10th Floor, Wisma Khoo Siak Chiew. Sandakan Town.
Phone : +6089 673 502, 673 503, 673 508
Fax : +6089 673 788
E-mail : sitours2@tm.net.my, info@sitoursborneo.com

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Selingan Island is Protected areas and tourism in Sabah


Visitors who appear over for their Borneo wildlife acquaintance in Sandakan would best acceptable commence on a bend bout that includes a Kinabatangan river cruise, a appointment to the Sepilok orangutan centre, a expedition to the Gomantong caves, and to end the amazing wildlife chance – a night at the Selingan turtle island.

Selingan Island is one of a accumulation of arid islands straddling the Malaysian and Philippine boundaries lying aural the Sulu Seas. This array of islands namely three capital nesting islands - Pulau Selingan, Pulau Bakkungan Kechil and Pulau Gulisan, covers an breadth of 1,740 hectares and are adequate for the sole purpose of attention and canning of turtles and added abyssal animals inhabiting the area.

Selingan Island, one of the eight turtle islands that are adequate by law, (five are in the Philippines and three are in Malaysia) was the abutting stop and we were not disappointed. Not alone were our apartment aboriginal class, alone 20 guests were accustomed on an brief appointment that included cat-and-mouse for the behemothic turtles to access and watch them lay their eggs. It was abutting to midnight back they came but we were all advanced alive cat-and-mouse for the befalling to authority a turtle egg. However, no photos were accustomed and so the admonition I accept of Selingan Island is a photo of a adviser cadger instead.




We heard so abundant about the proboscis monkeys (they accept 24-hour erections) of Sabah and wondered area to acquisition a resort to bolt afterimage of these aberrant but ambiguous animals. Luckily for us, an associate in Selingan Island brought us to the buyer of a resort that was advancing achievement who acquiescently accommodated us and brought us alone a few anxiety abroad from a array of monkeys who gamely displayed their antics and aback airish for our cameras. The final stop was the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary, where, Cristi had a actual abutting appointment with an orangutan who acquiescently and acclaim stroked her hair. Not alone were we absorbed with these affable creatures but were additionally afraid at the assortment of birds that we saw and heard accustomed in the forest.

Accommodation:
Sabah Hotel, Sandakan, Sabah

The best gives a sense of Malaysia’s past are Waching in Malacca


For us, Malacca was the end of a 400-mile cab ride - which is what happens aback you get to a railway base and ascertain that the abutting alternation is due in 2010. Fortunately Malaysian taxis are bargain abundant to accomplish this an acceptable mistake, rather than a cher disaster. Anyhow, it was accepting dark, so we arrested in and headed out for a meal. Malacca is acclaimed for its ablaze Nonya cuisine and this didn't disappoint. Even our 18-month daughter, Polly, seemed to accept a acceptable timeit.

The abutting day I got up with Polly and took her out for breakfast. We absolved into boondocks branch for one of the stylish-looking cafés. The agitation is, annihilation in Malacca seems to accessible afore 9:30. Now, if you're on anniversary as an adult, that's fine. But aback you're on anniversary with a toddler who needs absorbing from dawn, it's not so good.

Still, it gave us a while to absorb up the town's celebrated atmosphere. Malacca was founded at the alpha of the 15th aeon by a Sumatran prince and, because of its cardinal area on the Malacca Straits, bound became the best important anchorage in south-east Asia. Chinese merchants settled, and the city's abundance admiring European absorption of the array that arrives heavily armed.

In the 16th century, it was baffled aboriginal by the Portuguese, again the Dutch, who controlled it for over 300 years afore ceding it to the British in 1824. The British, however, were added absorbed in adjacent Singapore, and Malacca anon became a asleep backwater.

The city's abatement meant that the admirable admixture of Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and Islamic architectonics is abundantly as it was 100 years ago; beforehand this year it was fabricated a Unesco World Heritage Site. In a country area so abundant is new, Malacca is one of the few places area you feel as if you can get a handle on Malaysian history.

Eventually we begin an all-too- authentic-looking Chinese restaurant that was open. So we sat bottomward and ordered, application the all-embracing I'll-have-what-he's-having-gestures, in this case, a basin of noodles with pork and some affectionate of offal. My booty on $.25 is that it's a little like booze - acceptable stuff, but you absolutely shouldn't afore noon. My babe had no such advisedly and slurped up her noodles and agency $.25 to the articulate approval of our adolescent diners.

Breakfast over, we met my wife aback in the Old Town. Malacca is rather ambagious in this respect. Its two abundant attractions are the Old Boondocks and Chinatown (which is additionally old). The Old Boondocks contains added banderole attractions than Chinatown, but it has a aroma of Disney about it, and Chinatown is far added interesting. Nonetheless, we did a campaigning bout of the Old Town's attractions, which date from colonial rule. And, afterwards the arrant neophilia of best Malaysian cities, forts and broke churches accomplish for an acceptable change.

Then we alternate to our hotel. Initially I'd been a little aghast by our accepted affair high-rise. But that was until 11am. Again I realised Malacca is hot. So hot, in actuality that at one point I anticipation I was sunburnt. But no, it was aloof the calefaction of the sun on my neck. So, if there's one affair that's capital aback it comes to Malaccan accommodation, it's accepting a basin to lie by amid 11.30am and 2pm. As our auberge (the appropriately alleged Equatorial, for Malacca is two degrees North) had a agitating pool, its artful crimes were forgiven.

After our activated sunbreak, we absolved into active Chinatown. The streets are about absolutely lined with acceptable shophouses - a array of close booty on the London terrace – whose absorbing exteriors all accept that faded, afflicted attending western autogenous designers try so adamantine to replicate. Many accept been adapted into admirable boutiques and cafés, while a fair cardinal are abundant as they consistently accept been. Their abysmal interiors and blubbery walls and admirable tiled floors are absolutely what you charge in the city's arid climate. Interspersed with these were temples, mosques and the odd museum. It is, absolutely simply, a abundant abode to aberrate - and there's not abundant added you can ask of a neighbourhood.

The abutting day, afterwards a baiter cruise up the river, we apparent that Chinatown additionally has a appealing acceptable nightlife, article of a aberration in Muslim Malaysia. That black we enjoyed the atmospheric night bazaar and confined afore branch to a bounded restaurant for a basin of the ablaze bounded laksa brainstorm soup. This was followed by a "typical" pudding: a basin of baldheaded ice with blooming boilerplate jelly, attic milk, toffee booze and branch beans (sweetcorn was additionally available). It was decidedly good, although conceivably added hasty than good.

En avenue aback to the hotel, we marvelled at the aflame bike rickshaws: Malaccans like to personalise their vehicles, and these camp pedal-powered accessories are like the baby of a adaptable disco and a Mardi Gras float.

On our final morning, we abounding up on bargain jeans and malodorous durian doughnuts at the Melaka Mega Mall (for that's what it's called), and Polly and I ascended the affably abominable revolving examination tower. Again we headed into Chinatown for a little added arcade and lunch. Oh, and one added of those amazing desserts - this time with branch beans and sweetcorn.

GETTING THERE
Malaysia Airlines (0870 607 9090; http://www.malaysiaairlines.com) flies absolute to Kuala Lumpur.
Malacca is 90 afar south; taxis from the airport amount about £55 .
The Majestic (00606 289 8000; http://www.majesticmalacca.com; from £160) is the town’s best admirable hotel, but the Close (282 8333; http://www.equatorial.com; from £80) is bigger located.

~end

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tips For Backpacking in Kuala Lumpur


Kuala Lumpur is one of the cheapest cities in Asia for a vacation. Foreign bill barter ante of the Pound Sterling and US Dollar, for instance, as adjoin the Malaysian Ringgit are awful favourable. Backpacking is accepted as the burghal has a actual low abomination amount and English is broadly spoken. If you charge directions, or ambition to adjustment aliment from a bell-ringer arrest blow assured that addition will be able to acquaint with you in English. However, some planning is in adjustment to amplitude your vacation money to the best if you are a backpacker.

CHEAP AIR FARES
Malaysia's AirAsia and Singapore's SilkAir are two bargain carriers that can fly you cheaply from abounding destinations about the apple to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore respectively. (From Singapore, you can booty a bus or alternation to Kuala Lumpur). For capacity of the flight schedules and fares of AirAsia and SilkAir, please analysis their websites. Addition Malaysian account airline is Fireflyz which caters mostly to calm destinations in the country; however, it links Kuala Lumpur with Medan and Bandar Acheh (both in Indonesia) and Phuket in Thailand.

To get the best prices for account airlines, bookings accept to be fabricated at atomic a few months ahead. It is additionally best to abstain the Malaysian academy holidays which abatement during December, mid-March and mid-August.

The airplanes of AirAsia acreage at the Low Amount Carrier Terminal (LCCT) about two kilometres from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang, which is 60 km from Kuala Lumpur. The cheapest way to get to KLIA from the LCCT is by shuttle bus operated by two companies; namely Nadi KL and Airport Liner. Book is alone RM 1.50 per being per way. The analeptic point is from Platform 8, bus base at Ground Floor, Car Park C. Frequencies of the buses are 15 - 20 minutes. From KLIA, the economical way to get to the basic is by airport coach. Fireflyz's aeroplanes acreage at Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Subang, about 15 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur.

WHERE TO STAY
The best accepted breadth for backpackers to break in KL is Chinatown. Its affection is Jalan Petaling (Petaling Street). Adaptation ranges from simple bed-and-breakfast inns with common bathrooms to one-star and two-star hotels that are air-conditioned. (Hotels in Malaysia are rated by a brilliant system, alignment from one to a best of bristles stars; those afterwards any brilliant appraisement are classified as "budget"). Addition advantage of blockage in Chinatown is its accurateness to Puduraya bus station. This is the capital base for buses activity to added cities in the country. Chinatown is additionally aural walking ambit to the KL Monorail base on Jalan Maharajalela and additionally the STAR Light Abuse Transit base abreast the Central Market. Chin Woo Stadium which has a pond basin that is accessible to the accessible for a nominal fee is aloof 20 account abroad by bottom from Jalan Petaling. Perched aloft a hillock, it is a abundant abode to air-conditioned bottomward afterwards a day of animated sightseeing.

My additional advocacy for adaptation is Brickfields, abreast Stesen Sentral (Central Station), which is the city's abuse busline hub. All Light Abuse Transit (LRT) trains stop here, including the KLIA Ekpres that plies to and from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The best Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Le Meredian are amid aural the complex. However, aloof beyond Jalan Tun Sambanthan are affordable accommodations. They accommodate Auberge Summer View, De Sentral Hotel, Mexico Auberge and Auberge Florida to acknowledgment but a few -- they all appear with air-conditioning and absorbed bathrooms. A few inns that one rung bottomward the amount ladder are additionally available, including the YMCA. The abrogating point about this breadth is the abridgement of black activities. Also, aliment is mainly bedfast to vegetarian eateries and Indian fan-ventilated restaurants confined assistant blade back-scratch rice.

A advantageous acquaintance is the Malaysia Account Auberge Association at No. 52 Tengkat Tong Shin, 50200 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +603-21412313. Fax: +603-21439313. Email: mbha1 @tm.net.my. Website: budgethotel.org.my

WHERE TO EAT
Finding bargain and aseptic aliment is apparently the atomic of all problems for backpackers. Countless alfresco stalls are begin in bell-ringer centres. Two accepted havens for bargain bell-ringer aliment are Jalan Alor and Jalan Petaling. A meal with a bake-apple abstract or bendable alcohol can amount as little as RM6! For added comfort, go to the aliment courts of arcade complexes, which are generally tucked abroad in the basement. Fast aliment outlets such as McDonald, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Kentucky Absurd Craven to acknowledgment but a few are broadcast in abounding genitalia of the city. For Indian fare, go to Lebuh Ampang; Malay aliment is ample in the districts of Chow Kit and Kampung Baru. Abstain 24-hour Mamak (Indian Muslim) eateries unless you demand to booty the slight accident of a abdomen upset. The aliment (fish, chicken, squid, etc) on affectation in bottle containers in such eateries may accept been acrimonious and re-heated endless times. Adjustment article that is adapted on the atom instead such as absurd rice, absurd noodles or craven chop to agreement that what you eat is fresh. To cut costs on food, my advocacy is to try roti canai (a blazon of pancake) in the morning which can amount as little as RM1.50 per piece. Variations such as roti canai with egg, charge or assistant are additionally available. Two or three pieces done bottomward with the "teh tarik" (literally agency "pulled tea" ) will accord you acceptable ammunition for your tramping around. All above arcade complexes additionally accept aliment courts that action belted aliment at appropriate prices.

TRAVELLING AROUND
Travelling about KL by auto can be an big-ticket affair. The book beat keeps active alike admitting the agent is ashore in a massive jam, and this can bake a aperture in your pocket. A artifice by a few black-sheep drivers is to booty the longest accessible avenue to your destination. Worst, a few drivers may debris to use the beat and assert on an absonant collapsed fee. On backing days, especially, it is a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Remember, there is additionally a customs for travelling afterwards midnight and for putting baggage in the boot.

Though buses awning best genitalia of the city, it can be difficult for foreigners to acquisition out the routes of anniversary bus. Best buses don't accept conductors, and cartage bead the actual book in bill into the admission automat machine. If you bead in balance fare, you will not be accustomed any change.

Despair not! The burghal has a arrangement of alternation systems (referred to as Light Abuse Transit or "LRT" in short) that run on animated rails, (and sometimes underground) that can whizz you from one allotment of the burghal to another, whereupon you can booty a abbreviate airing to your adapted destination. Abuse maps assuming the altered stops can be begin in all the alternation stations. Services usually alpha from 6am till midnight. Three LRT trains are in operation: STAR LRT, Putra LRT and KL Monorail. They anniversary accept a altered avenue but you can change trains at Stesen Sentral (Central Station).

AFFORDABLE SHOPPING COMPLEXES
Avoid all arcade malls in the city's Golden Triangle unless you aloof aim to browse around. This breadth is belted by Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Chulan. Tucked aural the breadth are Lot 10, KL Plaza, Sungei Wang Plaza, BB Plaza, Low Yat Plaza and Starhill Arcade Circuitous that are targeted at middle- to aloof shoppers. The aforementioned admonition applies to the awful accepted Suria KLCC in the belvedere block of the PETRONAS Twin Towers and Mid Valley on the Federal Highway. However, affordable arcade complexes can be begin about Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, nicknamed "Kuala Lumpur's "Golden Mile". They accommodate Pertama Complex, Campbell Complex, and absolute aliment such as Mydin and Globe Silk Store. In the binding of Chinatown, Kotaraya Complex, UDA Ocean and S&M Arcade Arcade additionally action accomplished for value-for-money buys. Not to be absent is Jalan Petaling, which is chocked with stalls affairs about everything, abnormally bargain imitations of celebrated watches and covering appurtenances as able-bodied as pirated VCDs of the latest Hollywood movies. Haggling is the adjustment of the day. Awful accepted with tourists, Central Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi specializes in collectibles, souvenirs and additionally has an accomplished aliment court. Cultural performances are additionally captivated at appointed times, and best of all, they are free. Haji Taib Bell-ringer Centre in Chow Kit is acceptable for jeans and second-clothes but the breadth suffers from a bad reputation. "Pasar malam" or "night markets" are captivated in Kampung Baru and Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman every Saturday evening. These spots action accomplished opportunities to try belted book at bargain prices.

TRAVEL LITERATURE
There is no charge to bandy abroad your hard-earned money on big-ticket biking guides. You can get chargeless biking abstract such as maps and brochures from day-tripper admonition centres operated by Tourism Malaysia. They are amid as follows:

Stesen Sentral (Central Station)
Lot 21, 2nd Floor, Arrival Hall, Kuala Lumpur Burghal Air Terminal, Stesen KL Sentral, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Phone: +603-2272 5823

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Visitor Service Centre, International Arrival Hall, KLIA, Sepang 64000, Selangor
Phone: +603-877 656 47 / 51

Malaysia Day-tripper Centre (MTC)
109 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur 50450
Phone: +603-9235 4848 / 9235 4900 Fax: +603-2162 1149
(Tourists are accustomed a best of 20 account chargeless internet surfing here!)

Putra Apple Trade Centre

Level 2, Putra Apple Trade Centre, 45 Jalan Tun Ismail, PWTC,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: +603-2615 8540 Fax: + 603-2692 4554
(Note: Putra Apple Trade Centre is amid abutting to the Best Western Premier Seri Pacific Hotel).

Another accessible atom is Kuala Lumpur Tourism Association (Tel. no. +603-22871830), which is head-quartered in a absorbing board berth in the area of the National Museum on Jalan Damansara.