Textile Museum in Kuching

If the traditional arts and crafts of Malaysia are of interest to you, then the textile museum of Kuching is well-worth a visit. Located in historical quarter of downtown Kuching, the textile museum is located opposite the Kuching General Post Office and beside the Sarawak Craft Council. The museum is easily accessible from various downtown Kuching hotels and also the Kuching waterfront.

Kuching’s textile museum is housed in an impressive, well-maintained, landmark, colonial-era building which sports a rectangular structure and is adorned with tall columns. This edifice, which was known as the Pavilion was built in 1907, and served as a medical center at first.  The building which extends over three floors used to host consultation rooms and a laboratory on its ground floor, while its first floor was home to the European hospital i.e. a hospital reserved for Europeans only, while the topmost floor was occupied by the nurses quarters.

The building has a lot of history associated it with for during World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese who used it as their headquarters. After the war, the building served as the headquarters of Sarawak’s Education Department until the 1970’s, after which it was handed over to the Justice Department. It was then converted into a museum and opened to the public in August 2005.

The textile museum today is sectioned into four main galleries which display local textiles and costumes woven and handcrafted by the native people of Sarawak. These galleries are arranged in a manner, which showcases the process of preparation of the raw materials, weaving, creating costume, motif, accessories and elaborate wedding attire. Also on display are contemporary textiles and garments created using traditional weaving and design-techniques.

The museum is an absolute treat for visitors especially those who have an interest in textiles and design elements.

Opening times 

The museum is open from 9.00 am to 4.30pm daily

Admission to the museum is free for the public.

Taman Legenda (Legend Park)

The favored Malaysian vacation destination, the island of Langkawi offers a whole host of enchanting attractions. However, your visit would be considered incomplete if you didn’t manage to squeeze in a visit to Taman Legenda (Legend Park), a lush, green site which seeks to provide a quick history lesson about Langkawi.
Taman Legenda which was built on reclaimed land extends over 50 acres and is dotted with 17 fascinating monuments, each of which tell a tale about a particular legend associated with the mystical island of Langkawi. This Legend Park which is located close to the Kuah Jetty was built at the cost of 37 million MYR and was opened to the public in April, 1996.
Aside from its seventeen fascinating monuments, the park is also equipped with four artificial lakes and a man-made beach both of which serve to increase the appeal of this mystical attraction’. For instance, the term ‘kuah’ translates as gravy in Malay and the legend associated with the term states that the name came about at the end of a duel between two ancient warriors Mat Raya and Mat Cingang. During one of their intense battles, a bowl of gravy was overturned and that are how the town of Kuah got its name. The battles between these two mythical warriors are also thought to have sparked off the intense seismic changes that created the geographical formations of Langkawi’s tallest peaks, Gunung Raya and Gunung Mat Cincang.
Other popular Langkawi legends and myths given representation in the park include the legend of Pulau Hantu(Ghost island), the legend of  Pandak Mayah’s spear and the legend of the Mermaid’s golden ball.
A tourist attraction, aside, the well-maintained, verdant Taman Legend is also popular as a spot for leisurely strolls and picnics. Buggies are available for hire at the park for those visitors who are not enthusiastic about walking.
Taman Leganda - opening times and entrance fee
The park is open daily from 8am until 7pm.

Admission: free for the public

Homestays in Malaysia – Enjoy the warm Malaysian hospitality

Malaysians as a people are reputed as being friendly, warm and welcoming of visitors. If however, you would like to know more about this legendary Malaysian hospitality, you might want to consider participating in a homestay program in Malaysia.
A homestay program is one which allows you spend a couple of days at the abode of a quintessential Malaysian family. Such a program gives you the chance to interact closely with its members as you participate in the family’s various economic and social activities. Innovative tour operators conceived and launched the Malaysia homestay program in 1995, in order to boost tourism to the country by way of offering visitors a chance to come and view first-hand the ‘real’ Malaysia, by living amongst its people.
The homestay program which was first launched in the town of Temerloh in Pahang state was a resounding success.  It was then soon expanded to include destinations all over the country, as it received a seal of approval from the Ministry of Tourism. The program in its present form offers various homestays at carefully selected, trained  and licensed dwellings in approximately 150 kampungs (villages) all over the country though  the  highest concentration of homestays are  to be found in states like Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo and Johor, Pahang and Selangor on Peninsular Malaysia.
A homestay is much more than a simple lodging experience. By way of a homestay, a visitor has a chance to be a part of the everyday life of a typical Malaysian family. Moreover, these homestays also give visitors a chance to reside in typical Malaysian dwellings like a longhouse, a Melanau tall house or even a bumbung panjang (a classic Malaysian timber house which features a long, gable roof).
The homestay additionally enables visitors an opportunity to learn much about Malaysia and its people. For instance, it is likely that visitors during a homestay will be introduced to various native Malaysian crops and fruits like paddy, palm oil, cocoa, mangosteen, soursop, pandanaus, longan, durian and many more.  Moreover, visitors as a part of a Malaysian family, will also be expected to sample various local dishes like Nasi Lemak, Rojak, Curry Ayam, Ikan Bakar and Asam Pedas as the price of homestay in Malaysia usually includes full board in addition to lodging.
During a homestay, visitors are also instructed on the diverse economic activities of their hosts, so guests may be invited along with the family’s bread-earners to learn how they earn their livelihood.  So visitors may have the chance to participate in diverse economic activities of the village like breeding fish, tapping rubber, planting (or even husking) paddy, economic pursuits which are common in the Malaysian countryside.
Along with these economic activities, homestay visitors are also generally introduced to various native Malaysian arts and crafts produced by the people of the kampong. On display are various artistic endeavors like batik-painting, woodcarving, pandanaus leaf mat-weaving, ceramic making amongst others.
Further, Malaysian homestay visitors are typically feted by their hosts as they are invited to take part in traditional village past-times and activities like attending marriages and various other social gatherings(kenduris), playing congkak(a popular Malaysian indoor game) or Sepak Raja(a  fun traditional ball game) and gasing (top spinning) or kite flying.
If the above has piqued your interest somewhat and you are curious about Malaysia and its people, then why not book a Malaysian homestay for your next trip and delight in the renowned Malaysian hospitality.

Horse Riding in Malaysia

If you or your children have never had the opportunity to try your hand at horseback riding, Malaysia is a great place to have a go. Various resorts around Malaysia are equipped with facilities for horseback riding and the costs involved are quite reasonable. Moreover stable staffs in Malaysia are generally well-trained and there is an availability of multi-lingual horseback riding lessons.

Pasir Pelangi Horse Riding School, Johor

The Pasir Pelangi horse riding school is located within the city of Johor Bahru.  This center is situated opposite the Royal Johor Polo Club and offers horseback riding lessons and outdoor field trips on horseback. The horseback riding lessons offered by the school are conducted at an adjacent fruit farm and walk-ins are welcomed.

Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort, Klang Valley

The Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country resort is located within close proximity to Kuala Lumpur. The resort which is equipped with a polo field, a large indoor arena and well-maintained stables also hosts a riding school accessible to members and non-members alike.
http://www.berjayaclubs.com/kiara/EquestrianPolo/Equestrian.aspx

Berjaya Hills Resort, Bukit Tinggi Pahang

Berjaya Hills resort complex situated in the hills of Bukit Tinggi, a small town in Pahang hosts various attractions including an equestrian center, known as the Berjaya Hills Horse Trails. This center offers riding lessons as well as outdoor trail rides. The horse trail rides and riding lessons offered by the facility cater to riders of all levels and are offered for various durations. These horse trails traverse through the resort’s expansive and varied terrain that extends over 16000 acres and features hills, valleys, rainforests and rivers.  The resort also hosts riding camps and team-building riding expeditions suitable for corporate customers.
http://bukittinggiht.malaxi.com/rates_packages.html

Eagle Ranch Resort, Port Dickson

The Eagle Ranch resort in Port Dickson is a popular choice for visitors who enjoy horse riding for this equestrian-themed resort, set amongst 28 acres of rainforest offers horse trails, wagon rides and various other activities catering to all ages.

http://www.eagleranch.com.my/sports-recreation.php


Kindawan Riding Centre, Kota Kinabalu

The Kindawan Riding Centre located near Tuaran Beach resort is operated by a qualified equestrian coach. The riding school offers riding lessons along with outdoor horse trail rides that traverse beaches, villages and jungle paths. Lessons and rides are offers by experienced, well-trained staffs and many of the horses used by the center are bred onsite.

Terengganu Equestrian Resort

The Terengganu Equestrian Resort offers horse riding lessons and various other pony club activities. The center is operated by a qualified trainers and employs locally bred as well as imported riding horses.

Mutiara Burau Bay Equestrian Centre, Langkawi

This equestrian center located on the favored holiday spot of Langkawi, offers a variety of horse trail rides that cater to riders of all levels. The center offers both escorted and unescorted trail rides that crisscross the island’s various white sand beaches and abundant nature reserves.

Gunung Gading National Park- home of the Rafflesia

 
The Gunung Gading National Park located in southwest Sarawak is renowned as the home of the stunning but odiferous Rafflesia bloom. Aside from this odd but awe-inspiring specimen of flora, the park also hosts various other attractions like various species of rare plants, challenging jungle trails, sparkling waterfalls and four towering peaks namely, Gunung Gading, Gunung Perigi, Gunung Sebuloh and Gunung Lundu.The Gunung Gading Park is easily accessible from Kuching and is popular with tourists as a day trip option. The park was set up in August 1993, as a conservative effort for the Rafflesia bloom which is found in abundance at the park. The park was then opened to the public in 1994.
The credit of discovering the fascinating Rafflesia, believed to be the world’s largest if not ‘stinkiest’ flower, is attributed to the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles who came upon the bloom while he was on a field trip with Dr Joseph Arnold in the town of Bencoolen in Sumatra. The particular bloom that the duo stumbled on, measured a massive 97 cm in diameter.  The news of the existence such a specimen cause quite a stir in the botanical world at that time and the flower soon came to known as ‘Rafflesia Arnoldi’ after the two men who discovered it.
The Rafflesia is a parasite which takes root on a host, a vine called tetrastigma, a member of the grape family. Much of the biology of the flower remains a mystery until today and scientists are still in the process of studying it. So far they have discovered that the Rafflesia is native to South-East Asia and it grows well in mountainous regions at elevation levels of 400 to 1300 meters. Further, it is thought that 17 species of Rafflesia exist in the world and the flower that grows within the Gunung Gading Park is a species known as Rafflesia Tuan-Mudae.
Unfortunately for all it various oddities, the Rafflesia is in fact a very delicate bloom which actually is a result of a very precarious growth process. Not much is known about the germination or pollination process of the growth of the flower, only that the process transition from a bud into a mature flower, for the Rafflesia, can take as long as eighteen months. During this time the bud leads a very perilous existence as it can be easily damaged due to adverse climatic conditions.
A bud which survives the trials of nature then goes on bloom as a flower which is characterized by large, speckled, red, fleshy petals. The said flower blooms for only three to five days, after which it darkens and begins to rot. The Rafflesia flowers are either male or female and since they cannot self-germinate, they need the help of carrion flies to aid them with the process. To attract these flies the flowers emit a truly vile odor whilst in bloom. The flower’s seeds are also thought to be dispersed by small mammals and rodents which feast on the flowers.
As there are so many diverse factors at play for the survival of the Rafflesia, it is imperative that its natural habitat be preserved in its totality. This was the main reason that led to the creation of the Gunung Gading Park.
The bloom period of the Rafflesia has no set pattern and is rather unpredictable.  So if you are planning a visit to the Gunung Gading Park for a viewing of these odd ball blooms, it is advisable to check with the park authorities before setting out on your trip to the park.
Further if you are really keen to see the Rafflesia, you should perhaps try and plan your trip during the ‘wet’ season which extends from November to February.  During this period, the Rafflesia are known to blossom in various areas of the park like around the buildings that house the headquarters of the park and on the lower slopes of the peaks located within the park.

Colors of Malaysia

Colors of Malaysia, is month-long celebration of Malaysia’s rich multicultural and multi-ethnic heritage. The festival which is locally known as ‘Citrawana’ is an annual celebration slated for the month of May each year. The celebration of the kick-off event for ‘Citrawana’ this year is schedule for the 18th of May.
This grand cultural extravaganza will be held at the city center Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square) of the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur and will feature the participation of approximately 4000 dancers and musicians. Each of Malaysia’s thirteen states will participate in this glittering celebration consisting of a parade that extends over one and half kilometers. By way of their participation, the states seek to showcase the fascinating multicultural social fabric of Malaysia. These various Malaysian states make use of traditional song and dance presentations to illustrate this truly unique aspect of Malaysian society.
The states’ performances are usually full of vigor and passion, and never fail to mesmerize the huge crowds that congregate for the event. Aside from rejoicing Malaysia’s great cultural diversity, these dynamic recitals also aim to draw attention to the country’s brilliant future.
The flag-off Citrawana parade is usually followed by a celebration of all things Malaysian in the form of grand pageants, carnivals, cultural expositions and feasts. All these various festivities associated with ‘Citrawana’ seek to highlight Malaysia’s various traditional arts and crafts along with its rich cuisine, believed to be truly representative of the melting pot that is Malaysia, a country home to a population made up Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Orang-Asli (indigenous aboriginal people) peoples.
The idea of the ‘Citrawana/ Colors of Malaysia’ festival was conceived by the Malaysian government in an effort to boost tourism to the country. To further give impetus to this effort, the retail and hospitality sectors of Malaysia also offer attractive rebates to both international and domestic visitors so as to encourage them to visit Malaysia and its various diverse regions as they shop for traditional, Malaysian arts and crafts like pewter, batik, songket, beaded slippers, wood carvings and feast on delicious Malaysian eats.
Hence if you choose to visit during the month of Citrawana, you are likely to be surrounded by expositions of the ‘real’ Malaysia in the form of myriad cultural performances. So don’t be surprised, if the staff at your hotel in Malaysia break out in song and dance during your stay, for they are only introducing you to the vibrant ‘colors’ that make up the fascinating country that is  Malaysia.

.

Deep Sea Diving

Malaysia is a well-known destination for deep-sea diving. The country’s geographical location is such that both peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo are surrounded by some of the richest and diverse marine habitats. Additionally, the various oceans and seas, that surround these two land masses like the Andaman Sea, the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Sulu and Sulawesi seas, are largely unexplored and thus relatively unspoiled or unpolluted by humans.
Hence the seas and sea beds around Malaysia teem with spectacular marine life including 3000 species of fish, 1000 species of Bivalvia and more than five hundred species of live coral. These magnificent statistics are a major draw for the hordes of scuba diving enthusiasts who head to Malaysia’s shores each year. Deep-sea diving is available at various oceanfront locations around Malaysia.  Listed below are some of the country’s premier deep-sea diving locations.
Sipadan
Consistently ranked amongst one of ten best dive destinations in the world, Sipadan Island situated in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah is a favored spot of scuba enthusiasts who visit Malaysia. The island which is equipped with nearly a dozen excellent dive sites has unique geography associated with it, in the sense that it is the only oceanic island in Malaysia. This means that island of Sipadan rises directly from the seabed and not from the continental shelf. The island’s pristine beaches and lush rain forests are in fact situated atop a prehistoric volcano that rises to a height of 600 meters from the bottom of the sea. The sparkling waters around Sipadan which teem with much marine life have are also renowned for another characteristic, their amazing year round visibility which is further enhanced to as much as 50 meters during the dry season (between the months of March and October).
Each of the dive sites on Sipadan like White-Tip Avenue, Turtle Patch, Staghorn Crest, Lobster Lair, Hanging Gardens, West Ridge, North Point, Sipadan Jetty, Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, South Point and Mid-Reef, have their own unique characteristics and offer sightings of magnificent sea creatures like parrot fish, eagle rays, white-tip reef shark, green and hawksbill turtles, hammerhead, thresher and whale sharks along with much hard and soft coral.
However, in order to gain access to the many wonders of Sipadan Island, you have to first secure an entry permit to the island from the Sabah Parks department as Sipadan Island and its environs are classified as a protected enclave. 140 permits are issued daily and the resort, which you choose for your stay on the island, in all probability, will acquire a permit for you.
Lankayan Island
Lankayan Island is yet another Malaysian island locale well-known for deep-sea diving. Lankayan Island is located approximately 80 kilometers to the north of the city of Sandakan on the northeastern coast of Borneo and is accessible via a one and half hour speed boat ride.  The island offers nearly 20 dive sites including several wrecks and small reefs, which serve up sightings of diverse marine creatures like tiny nudibranchs, yellow jawfish, frog fish, cuttlefish, pipefish, groupers and even whale sharks and rays. Lankayan Island is open for dive visits all year round, though the best time to visit is during the ‘dry season’ from March to October.
Layang Layang Island
Layang Layang, whose name translates as ‘kite’ in Malay, is fast becoming another favored dive destination in Malaysia, after famed Sipadan Island.  This island heaven is situated in the South China Sea about 300km north-west of the city Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah.
Layang Layang is surround by warm, crystal clear waters that offer both deep-sea and macro diving. The island is surrounded by a ring of coral reefs which create a lagoon that is perfect for snorkelers. However, deep-sea divers venture further out to explore the island’s splendid  reef walls that plunge to depths of 2000 meters below the ocean and offer viewings of  creatures like bump-head parrotfish, morray eels, black-tip sharks, nudibranchs, barracuda, manta rays, hawksbill turtles and tuna.
The star attractions at Layang Layang Island are the fearsome hammerhead sharks, which are seen in hordes in the waters around the island during the April-May mating season. Diving on Layang Layang Island is open from March through August as the island closes for the monsoon season from September to February.

Atma Alam Batik Art Village

The Malaysian art of batik painting is well-known throughout the world. Historical records indicate that the art of batik painting came to Malaysia during the rule of the Melayu Kingdom of Jambi in the 7th century when there existed trading relations between this kingdom and the coastal batik producing centers in Java.
Malaysian batik however differs in style and composition from the Indonesian version of this textile art, for the Malaysian form of batik generally features larger themes like flowers, leaves and bold geometric designs. Human forms or animals are not depicted as they do not conform to the views of Islam. Moreover, unlike Indonesian batik which is produced with the help of a canting (a traditional, hand-held batik tool), Malaysian batik textile art is largely produced with the help of a brush.
Various batik textile art producing centers are located all over Malaysia especially on the country’s east coast within states like Kelantan, Terrenganu and Pahang. The Atma Alam Batik Art Village is one such batik textile art center that is located on the island of Langkawi. Founded by local artist, Aza Osman and batik artist and designer, Roshadah Yusuf, the Atma Alam Batik Art Village, is a recommended attraction, if you have any interest in batik painting.
The Atma Alam Batik Art village occupies half an acre in Padang Matsirat, an area located within close proximity to the west coast beaches of Langkawi and the Langkawi International airport. The center encompasses various sections like a workshop, an art and batik gallery and an exhibition area used to display batik handicrafts created by local artists. On display at the center are an extensive range of batik paintings, apparel fashioned out of batik fabric including shirts, sarongs, scarves, beach wear and more. Also on offer for sale as souvenirs are cushion covers and handbags, crafted out of batik textile and Songket, the ornate, heavily embellished material, usually reserved for the creation of ceremonial robes and for Malaysian royalty.
The center is also equipped with a batik painting teaching and learning facility and guests are invited to try their hand at batik painting during their visit.  Also onsite is a café, where guests can head to after a tour of the facilities and partake of various Malaysian delicacies and refreshments.
So if you are planning a beach holiday to Langkawi anytime soon, why not plan a trip to the Atma Alam Batik Art Village and unleash some creativity, while you learn the art of batik painting while getting a taste of native Malaysian art and culture.

International Pahang River Rafting Expedition

As temperatures rise over much of Malaysia during the months of April and May, the country pays homage to an important resource, water, by way of a nationwide festival, called the National Water Festival. In Malaysia’s third largest state, Pahang, a major event held to celebrate this festival is the International Pahang River Rafting Expedition. The festival which features a competitive race between two points on the Pahang River is scheduled to be held over eight days from the 12th to the 18th of May.
The Pahang River rafting expedition was first held in 2001 and over the years, the event’s popularity has increased in leaps and bounds, so that it now attracts more than hundred participants from several neighboring Asian countries, like Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. The requirements for participation in the tourney are quite lax, for the rules stipulate that participants should be over 18 years of age and in good health. Additionally, each team which enters the competition should be made up of six oarsmen and the regulation bamboo raft used for competition should be equipped with bamboo oars and steering poles.
This thrilling rafting expedition usually flags off in Temerloh and participants are then expected to traverse over 300 kilometers of the swiftly flowing Pahang River. This expedition extends over eight days and seven nights, and the participants need to use much skill and dexterity to navigate this waterway which features alternating stretches of calm and churning waters. Few rafts actually make it to the termination point of the race at Kuala Pahang but the expedition is filled with much excitement, adventures and even spills.
However, aside from its competitive side, the expedition also features a vital cultural aspect as the participants spend every night of the expedition at a different kampong like Kampung Baru Salong, Chenor, Serengkam and Ganchong. During their stay at these traditional Pahang villag, the competing teams are welcomed and entertained by the local villagers who hold feasts and cultural performances in their honor.
The Pahang River Rafting expedition provides much heart-stopping excitement for both onlookers and the competing teams as steering a bamboo raft on the treacherous Pahang River requires a steely nerve along with much effort. Most of the rafts are further elaborately decorated for the event for there are many prizes at stake at the end, including some for the best decorated rafts in addition to the highly coveted and fiercely competed  one for the ‘fastest team’
.