MALAYSIAN BUDGET 2008 - 22 Million For Homestay Activities

To further increase the country’s attraction as a major tourist destination, RM858 million is allocated for the implementation of various programmes, including the provision and upgrading of tourism facilities as well as diversification of tourism products. An allocation of RM22 million is provided to increase homestay activities in 47 selected villages. In addition, the development of ecotourism projects will be undertaken to generate income for the rural community, including Orang Asli.

To further promote tourism activities in Sabah and Sarawak, RM200 million is provided under the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, managed by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad. Priority will be given to tourism projects which leverage on the rich natural endowments of Sabah and Sarawak.

Orang Asli Kampung Chadak Aborigine Village Homestay, Ulu Kinta, Perak, Malaysia

Ulu Kinta’s geographical spot has been its most intriguing feature. Located inland at the foot of the Titiwangsa Mountain Range, it has been an age-old spot where Temiar aborigines, also called the Orang Asli, from hilly interior exchange and bartered with traders from coastal towns. The Temiars still collect and trade off jungle produce like rattans, resins, honey, petai (an edible bean pod that grows on lofty trees), bamboo and medicinal plants for coastal items like salt, fish, poultry and other domestic essential not available from the rainforest.

To help edge nature-lovers closer to this unsung region, we have chosen Ulu Kinta’s most strategic village Kampung Chadak as base. Flanking the banks of upper Kinta and Senoi Oi rivers, the village is home to 30 odd Temiar families who still practices traditions and taboos passed down from their forefathers. Temiars have deep respect for wildlife and only hunt for sustenance. Kampung Chadak is also the starting point for one of Malaysia’s most gruesome mountain trail, the Trans-Titiwangsa Range. For hundreds of years, people from this village were much sought after as guides by adventurers wanting to scale nearby Mount Korbu (2,183 metres), the highest peak on main range Titiwangsa. Needless to say, the Temiars are brave, hardy and jungle savvy.

Apart from wowing one with authentic jungle living experience, this homestay package is also designed for those who want to learn and take home some jungle survival skills. Take heart, it’s not all rough and tough. We’ll be gentle on you. There is ample time to explore the village or simply read a book by the cool riverside.




LOCATION
Pick up Point - We provide free transfer from JUSCO Shopping Mall (see above map) to Kampung Chadak by 4×4 vehicles. For direct pick-ups from Medan Kidd or Medan Gopeng bus station, additional charges shall be levied. You can also hop on buses that ply Medan Kidd-JUSCO on hourly basis, which is a cheaper option. From Medan Gopeng, there’s no bus to JUSCO and the journey by taxi takes 20 mins.





ACTIVITY
Quick Itinerary Glance

DAY 1 – Blending In
12.00 noon – Pick up in Ipoh and enjoy an authentic Malay welcome lunch
1:00 pm – 4×4 transfer to Ulu Kinta Aboriginal Forest Reserve.
3:00 pm – Learn how to make and weave baskets and mat from native womenfolk
5:00 pm – Free & easy, swim and bath in the river
7:00 pm – Dinner of Orang Asli jungle food

DAY 2 – Live like the Aborigines
8.00 am – Breakfast.
9.00 am – Trek, explore and learn about rainforest ecology and useful medicinal, edible or special plants from aborigine jungle experts.
1.00 pm – Under Temiar guide’s tutelage, cook your own jungle lunch.
2.00 pm - After lunch, learn how to use the blowpipe.
3.00 pm - Learn to make and rig traps on trees and forest floor.
4.00 pm – Back trek to Kampung Chadak
5:00 pm – 4×4 transfer back to Ipoh.

This is an easy going itinerary that leaves travellers with a lot of time for photography, relaxing and connecting with nature.

COST
Duration: 2 days 1 night
Season: January – December
Price: RM690 per person




Price Includes …

- 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, fruits and snacks.
- Complimentary 4 liters of bottled drinking water.
- Sleeping bags
- English speaking naturalist and Orang Asli guides
- 4×4 offroad return transfers ex-Ipoh.
- Rainforest and aborigine reserve entrance permits.




CONTACT
No.10 Persiaran Ind. Bercham 9
31400 Bercham, Ipoh, Kinta Valley
Perak, MALAYSIA

Phone 05 5421006 Mobile 019 5717008 Fax 05 5421008
Skype ID - adven7u
Email : travelscenes@yahoo.com.my, outskirtoutreach@gmail.com

Uncle Chang’s Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge, Semporna, Sabah Malaysia

With the famous Uncle Chang’s Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge, you no longer need to stay in Semporna. Situated on beautiful Mabul Island, our Lodge puts you in the heart of world-class diving, with all of the sites you want to dive only minutes away.



Come stay with us over the holiday months and take advantages of our special promotional prices. With a brand new, spacious open air dining hall over the waters of the Celebes Sea, a revamped dive center and new guest rooms, Uncle Chang has made a quality Malay experience affordable for all.

BUDGET:
For Rm. 50.00 With All Meals Per Person/Night. Plus free tea, coffee, water and sandwiches.

Room
Non-Diver Rm 80.00
2 Dives Rm 130.00
3 Dives Rm 170.00

No Night Dive Allowed In Sipadan, Please See Price For Mabul Island.
Mabul - Night Dive Rm 80.00, Torch Light Rm 20.00

Rental : Snorkeling Gear Rm 15.00, cuba gear Rm 40.00


How to Contact:
Tel : (+6) 089-781002 ( Office Hrs ),
(+6) 089-786988 ( 24 hrs ), (+6) 089-781789 ( Fax )

Mobile # s :(+6) 0178940002, (+6) 0178980002

Email: info@sipadanbackpackers.com, mabulbackpackerslodge@yahoo.com

Website : www.sipadanbackpackers.com

Spheredivers Homestay, Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia

ABOUT MABUL ISLAND
Mabul Island is reputed to be one of the best places for underwater macro photography in the world. Located in the clear waters of the Celebes Sea off the mainland of Sabah, it is surrounded by gentle sloping reefs two to 40m deep. Covering some 21 ha., it is considerably larger than the nearby Sipadan Island and is home to the Bajau Laut tribe, one of many ethnic groups in Sabah. Diving is the main activity on this island, and it can be done all year round. Marine life that can be seen here includes sea horses, exotic starfish, fire gobies, crocodile fish, pipefish and snake eels. There are over eight popular dive spots, each with its own specialty. Three resorts cater to scuba divers - two are on the island itself while one is on a converted oil rig platform about 500m offshore. The offshore resort is called Sipadan Water Village Resort. Sipadan Water Village is a resort beautifully constructed with Bajau architectural design. The entire resort is built over water on stilts made of Belian Wood commonly called ironwood, laid in certain points so as to minimise damage to the existing reef. In its design, Sipadan Water Village has achieved near utopia in its over-the-water layout, splendid water cottage accommodations with flowered sidewalks, wonderfully prepared Asian and Continental cuisine, and impeccable and personable service. All of the resorts provide day trips for their guests to the nearby Pulau Sipadan and Kapalai Island. To reach Mabul Island, it is a 30-minute boat ride from Semporna and 20 minutes from Sipadan Island.




ABOUT SPHEREDIVERS HOMESTAY
Spheredivers Homestay provides accomodation for Divers and Non Divers.Diving packages varies upon guests request whether to dive in Sipadan Island or hunting for small critters around Mabul and Kapalai dive sites.As for snorkelers, its all free to snorkels around Mabul Island.We also provides Discovery Scuba and PADI/SSI Open Water courses to guests,not to mention other courses from Advanced to Dive Master courses by our most experienced Instructor(PADI/SSI)

Situated in Mabul Island,Spheredivers Homestay and Scuba Diving is among the Bajau people houses who lives on stilts.So do our homestay, maintaining the originality of the surroundings creating a similar environment to our guests. Guests form all over the world would definitely experience the culture of this island with its friendly people with a well construct diving facilities to cater for your dives.We mainly serve traditional Malay food but also offers simple western food especially for breakfast.

Homestay houses

* 6 Twin Sharing Rooms (Single bed)
* Dining Area
* Dive Centre with all Diving facilities
* Sundeck

Accomodation Price
Divers RM 70/Night for
Non Divers RM 170 + RM 70 subsequent night




LOCATION
There's no airport in Semporna, so book your flight to Tawau (some airlines via Kuala Lumpur/K.Kinabalu) instead and a 45 minutes ride by taxi to Semporna.For domestic , Airasia flies directly from LCCT (Kuala Lumpur) to Tawau,whereas Malaysian Airlines(MAS) at this moment only flies to Tawau via Kota Kinabalu.To reach Mabul Island, it is a 30-minutes boat ride from Semporna and 25 min from Sipadan Island.

Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia provide flights departing from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru to Kota Kinabalu. From Kota Kinabalu you fly with Malaysia Airlines in 50 minutes to Tawau.

At the new Tawau airport you are picked up by minivan and transferred in 1,5 hours to the fishing village Semporna. If you arrive there in the afternoon it is better to stay there one night and travel to the islands on the next day.

From Semporna all operators bring their guests by speedboat to the islands.

Semporna - Mabul 30 Min.
Semporna - Kapalai 45 Min.
Semporna - Sipadan 60 Min


Facilities/Services
♦Diving
♦Snorkeling
♦Fishing
♦Underwater Video Service
As much as Scuba Divers and Snorkelers love to see the creatures of the sea, as more grows the urge for many of us to capture these beautiful animals and their behavior on video(DVD).Therefore,we provide this service on request basis.Prices differs accordingly to numbers of people in a group.Do inform us in advance(at least one day earlier) so that we can arrange with the underwater video dive team.

♦Internet Service
We provides internet service at minimum rate and provides rental notebook usage for image downloadings.


♦Cavern Dive(Turtle Tomb Sipadan)
Check out with our Cavern Instructor and our Dive Master who has hundreds of logged cavern dive in turtle tomb Sipadan for that experience you will never forget.



Contact Persons

For reservations or enquiry , please e-mail to:-
Reservations@spheredivers.com

or if you wish to speak in person to us, please contact:-
stanley@spheredivers.com or scubado@pd.jaring.com Tel no: +6019-668-3731
azhar@spheredivers.com Tel no: +6012-285-7043