High adventure in Pahang

High adventure in Pahang
Sunday November 16, 2008

From the sandy white beaches to the highest peak in the peninsula, Pahang offers more than just a holiday. It gives an opportunity to be one with nature and to learn about the environment besides appreciating the natural heritage.

Cherating



Long stretches of white sandy beaches on which one can just laze around and do nothing but enjoy and drink in the beauty of the sea. With turquoise blue waters and nice green hills across the horizons, it is a beautiful place to be to enjoy peace or alternatively to ride the rolling waves.

Tanah Rata assemblyman may join the Opposition

Tanah Rata assemblyman may join the Opposition
Friday November 14, 2008

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Tanah Rata assemblyman Ho Yip Kap will join the Opposition if his application to rejoin the MCA is not approved in three weeks.

Ho, who contested the March general election as an independent in a three-cornered fight, said he could serve the people better under the MCA and Barisan Nasional.

“However, there has been no favourable response (to the application since April).

“I am tired of waiting and within the next three weeks, I will announce my decision.

Genting Trailblazer: one tough adventure race

One tough adventure race
By Stuart Michael
Wednesday November 12, 2008

TRIATHLETE Eugene Chan, who made his debut in the Genting Trailblazer at Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort (AGHGCR) last weekend, felt the competition was tougher than the triathlon.

Chan, an active triathlete for the past 10 years, said the trailblazer was more of an adventure race.

“It may be tough for the triathletes but fun for those who love nature and don’t mind getting wet and dirty,” he said.

Green the earth: Struys (centre) with Sieh (left) and Mohamed Amin Osman planting a tree just before the race was flagged off at Awana Genting Highlands.

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The participants went through a series of obstacles to finish the race and in the process, they had to brave through muddy terrains and hill-climbing.

“The toughest part for me was to climb the waterfall because my shoes were filled with mud and it was slippery. Running was not a problem but the high altitude made it difficult to breathe,’’ said Chan.

Plan needed to sustain tourism spots

Plan needed to sustain tourism spots
Friday November 7, 2008

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A master plan is needed to ensure that tourism projects are run without sacrificing the environment.

The Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, said it would be a waste of money and efforts if tourism plans end up destroying the environment.

Tengku Abdullah cited as an example the tourist-popular Cameron Highlands in Pahang which is known for its cool temperature but is facing destruction because of too much development.

“Tourists come here (Cameron Highlands) for its natural environment and if there is too much development and high-rise buildings, sooner or later it will affect the environment. In time to come, fewer visitors will come here,” he said after flagging-off the participants in the Pahang National Park Eco-Challenge here yesterday.

Family in seventh heaven with contest win

Family in seventh heaven with contest win
Sunday November 2, 2008

TAMPIN: Seven proved to be a lucky number for a family here.

The seven put their heads together and came up with seven winning entries for the seventh week of The Star 8 Wonders “Rank and Win” contest.

Retiree Soon Poh Suan, 55, said the winners, who include her husband Lim Eng Kian, 54, son Eu Jern, 20, daughter, Pei Shen, 28, sister, Poh Lean, 49, brother, Seong Khim, 39, and her daughter’s boyfriend Heng Aik Jong, 28, decided they would stand a greater chance of winning if they worked together on the entries.

“We brainstormed and agreed upon a common solution before sending out our entries. We’ve been at it since Week One,” said the former teacher.

“We felt there was no point in splitting up the entries or giving different answers and true enough our decision has paid off.”

Kuala Kubu Baru Flyingrhino Guest House Ecotours

Bliss in Kuala Kubu Baru
By Rose Yasmin Karim
Saturday November 1, 2008

Close to Kuala Lumpur and closer still to some white water action, Kuala Kubu Baru is a place to play hard and rest well.

There are some things that Kuala Lumpur, for all its attractions, cannot compete with Kuala Kubu Baru — namely, the air that’s noticeably fresher, quiet waterfalls and the absence of a single chain café.

Testament to the outdoor possibilities of this small town are the number of SUVs with offroad bicycles strapped to the roof that make a beeline here.

Larry and Anna co-own The Flyingrhino Guest House & Ecotours in Kuala Kubu Baru.

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Living their dream in this beautiful place is Larry Swccato, 37, and Anna Pierrot, 27. Free-spirited in the way you wish your friends were, the European couple are the co-owners of The Flyingrhino Guest House & Ecotours.

“It’s a full house today. There’s a funeral going on next door and some of our neighbour’s relatives and friends are staying over,” said Larry, ushering me into the double storey, pre-WWII shophouse painted a bright orange.

Tacked to the door are red scrolls, a Chinese tradition that carry messages of luck and prosperity.

“These were given to me by the lion dancers during the official opening ceremony of the guesthouse. It looks very nice, so I’m keeping it there for awhile,” said the Mandarin-speaking Italian, who had lived in China for a decade.

Bario Highlands: Kelabits want access

Kelabits want access
By Stephen Then
Friday October 31, 2008

MIRI: The minority Kelabit community in the Bario highlands of northern Sarawak will ensure that the building of a 300km mountain-logging road will not destroy the terrain’s ecosystem, said the Kelabit National Association.

Part of the Bario highlands, located near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, had been alienated for selective logging, said association president Gerawat Gala.

He said the logging project had the blessings of his community members who lived all over the highlands.

They had given approval to timber giant Samling Corporation to manage this long, winding logging road from the summit of Bario to Miri, said Gala.

Borneo Highlands Resort Bird Watching

Bird watchers enthralled by exotic species at mini bird race event
By Sharon Ling
Photos by Rapee Kawi
Tuesday October 28, 2008

BIRD lovers flocked to the Borneo Highlands Resort near here recently to take part in an inaugural bird watching competition.

Dubbed the “Mini Bird Race”, the event was organised by the resort and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to promote bird watching and bird conservation in Sarawak.

Look at that: Participants at the bird watching event at Borneo Highland Resort.

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Sixteen teams of two people each participated in the race, which took place on the jungle and mountain trails around the resort.

The best thing of Smokehouse Hotel and Restaurant

The best thing
By Clara Chooi
Saturday October 25, 2008

You can get a taste of ye olde England in Cameron Highland’s colonial-styled Smokehouse Hotel.

IT is not often that I am rendered speechless, least of all by a tourist destination in my own country, but the words failed me when I stepped into the Smokehouse Hotel.

I wondered if I had just stepped back in time.

Genting Highlands Safari Discotheque

SAFARI DISCOTHEQUE
Genting Highlands - City of Entertainment
Friday October 24, 2008

KL-ites looking for a change from the usual KL party scene can opt for a short trip up to Genting - City Of Entertainment as the hilltop resort is revived with the Hip Hop and R&B sounds of one of KL’s hottest, DJ Augie! Best known in the party circuit for integrating the energy of hip-hop and reggaetton, interweaved with the soulful depth of R&B. He will be spinning his brand of music at Genting Hotel’s Safari Discothèque together with resident deejay - DJ Komodo, nightly. Safari Discotheque is open from 9pm - 3am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. On Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Eve of Public Holidays the discotheque closes at 4am. Admission on weekdays are RM25 (House Guest) / RM30 (Walk-In Guest. Ladies get in free. Admission on Saturday are RM30 (House Guest) / RM35 (Walk-In Guest) with free entry for ladies until midnight. For inquiries, contact the resort’s general line at 603 6101 1118 or visit www.genting.com.my. --- The Star

British RAF Douglas Dakota KM630 crashed 1950

Police trying to trace kin of trio killed in 1950 crash
By Ian McIntyre and C.A. Zulkifle
Wednesday October 22, 2008

GUA MUSANG: Police are seeking the help of Malaysians to trace the next-of-kin of three citizens who perished when a British Royal Air Force (RAF) Douglas Dakota KM630 crashed in 1950.

The military aircraft, which crashed in the Kuala Betis-Cameron Highlands area, was on a mission to identify communist hideouts.

The information obtained by the police museum division has been sketchy and incomplete, hampering efforts to trace the surviving relatives of the three Malaysians, killed alongside eight British air force and army officers.

The three were Royal Federation of Malaya police constable Mohamad Abdul Lalil @ Jalil, service number 9364; an unnamed orang asli; and a civilian Yaakup Mamat, who was an officer with the Kelantan government.

Malaysian travel style

Malaysian travel style
Saturday October 18, 2008

Online accommodation website Wotif.com discovers that Malaysian travellers are sociable and adventurous.

Malaysian travellers don’t like to skimp on accommodation, love pampering and want to explore new places when they travel, according Wotif.com’s survey of more than 200 respondents.

According to Wotif.com Malaysian manager, Rani Vaithlingim, “Malaysians are keen travellers and increasingly book their accommodation through Wotif.com, so we wanted to find out exactly what they look for when they travel.

“It was great to see how adventurous and easy-going most respondents are and encouraging to note their pride in Malaysia and keenness to explore their own country,” she added.

Big search for military aircraft downed in 1950

Big search for military aircraft downed in 1950
Thursday October 16, 2008
By IAN MCINTYRE

KOTA BARU: History will be made in Gua Musang several weeks from now when a joint search and recovery effort is launched to retrieve the bodies of the crew and wreckage of a downed military aircraft, which crashed near the Kuala Betis-Cameron Highlands in 1950.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) Douglas Dakota KM630 aircraft had crashed at the height of the communist insurgency and records from the British and Malaysian military, indicate that there were 12 crew members on board.

The 12 comprised three RAF pilots, six British army officers, one Royal Malaysian police constable, one orang asli and a Kelantan Development Corporation civilian officer.

Rubbish all over highlands during holidays

Rubbish all over highlands during holidays
Wednesday October 8, 2008

OVER the recent Hari Raya festive season, Cameron Highlands, which is among the favourite holiday destinations, was swarmed with tourists.

We welcome tourists as directly or indirectly, the majority of the people here are involved in the tourist business.

Tourists bring in the money but at the same time they bring us a lot of headache too. One of their very bad habits is throwing rubbish everywhere.

You can see rubbish by the road side, gardens and staircases. Some even leave their bags of rubbish along the corridors of apartments. You can even see them throw rubbish out of their car windows while driving around.

The other irritating thing is creating havoc at the apartments such as making loud noises till very late into the night and having a BBQ along the corridors and having the smoke enter into neighbouring units.

I would like to appeal to all visitors to please help keep Cameron Highlands clean by not throwing rubbish around.

Globetrotter Wildlife Guidebook Malaysia

Guide to our natural gems
Saturday October 4, 2008
By Leong Siok Hui

The latest guidebook to hit our bookshelves showcases Malaysia’s stunning wildlife reserves and natural heritage.

Taman Negara and Kinabalu Park aside, most Malaysians and foreign tourists have never set foot on some of Malaysia’s most astounding natural treasures, like Sabah’s Maliau Basin, Perak’s Royal Belum State Park, and Sarawak’s Batang Ai National Park.

Nine out of 10 people I’ve spoken to have never even heard of the smaller but equally intriguing parks like Sarawak’s Lambir Hills National Park or Sabah’s Tabin Wildlife Reserve. But thanks to Wildlife Guide Malaysia, we now have a good overview of what the country has to offer in terms of natural heritage.

Detailed description: The latest guidebook to hit our bookshelves, Wildlife Guide Malaysia features 19 national parks scattered around the country, highlights their unique attractions and spectacular flora and fauna.

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