All information of tourism sabah

30Apr

New opportunities in rural tourism

KOTA KINABALU: A dearth of lodging in remote Kiulu has driven 42-year-old Lasmen Lopuk to develop a homestay within his 0.8 hectare piece of land located at scenic Kampung Poturidong, about 50km away from the State capital. The idea came about during a family day event five years ago when he realised Kiulu, being a beautiful rural sub-district with potential in nature-based activities, lack accommodation for visitors wishing to spend the night. “I was toying with the idea because most visitors come to Kiulu for a picnic and some of them come from far, but they have no place to stay. In 2014, I started small by opening a space for camping ground. “We also provided camps for visitors, so they can experience Kiulu to the fullest. By 2015, I built four chalets with a kampung-style concept and since then, I have been receiving visitors almost every week,” said the owner of Kondis Point Homestay. Lasmen, from Kampung Poturidong, said homestays have existed in Kiulu since the 1990s but noted the operation was not very active back then. He said the homestay concept began to bloom in Kiulu from 2013, as villagers began grasping the opportunities after learning more on homestay and rural tourism development through courses or exhibitions. “As Sabah progresses in terms of urban development, it is also important to focus on developing rural districts through tourism. It is one of the ways to boost the villagers’ socio-economic development as it creates job opportunities. “Since opening my homestay, I have hired villagers to help look after the facilities. I have also noticed that with the presence of homestays in Kiulu, we have received thousands of visitors here,” he said. Lasmen, who used to be a driver and freelance tour guide, now works full-time as homestay operator, benefiting from the profits of tourism. He hoped the development of rural tourism in the state would be more vibrant in future with more villagers taking part in the positive progress. Currently, there are more than 30 homestays in Kiulu and the number is expected to grow. Source: New Straits Times
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26Apr

KK-Jakarta twice-weekly direct flight relaunched

KOTA KINABALU: The twice-weekly direct flight service between Kota Kinabalu and Jakarta operated by Batik Air was relaunched yesterday. The route which was inaugurated on Dec 20, 2017 is scheduled on Wednesday and Sunday, with departures from Jakarta via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 1am local time and arriving in Kota Kinabalu at 5am local time on a three-hour journey on board flight ID 7169. The returning flight from Kota Kinabalu will take off at 6am local time and arrive in Jakarta at 7.55am local time using flight ID 7168. Kota Kinabalu is one-hour ahead of Jakarta. “The Kota Kinabalu-Jakarta route was launched by Batik Air after AirAsia ceased its operation in Jan 2017, but many people are still unaware of the services provided by Batik Air. They boarded other airlines before transiting to Jakarta which is time consuming and not economical,” said Consul General of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu, Krishna Djelani during the relaunching ceremony at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) here yesterday. “The direct flights will play a key part in boosting the economy of both sides particularly in trade, investment and tourism as it will reduce our travelling time and cost saving,” said Krishna. “It will also connect the people and the business community,” he added. Over time, he believes the airfares could be made affordable when more people are using the direct flights between Kota Kinabalu and Jakarta when the passengers load factor becomes encouraging. “We are also hoping to promote Kota Kinabalu as a tourism hub for the Chinese tourists to visit Manado in North Sulawesi which is a popular spot for its beautiful beaches and scuba diving activities. We can create a duel package for the benefit of both sides,” said Krishna, adding that the proposal is expect to be launched in July this year. He said the aspiration to explore the beauty of Manado was highlighted by Indonesia Ambassador to Malaysia Rusdi Kirana during the 3nd Indonesia Investment Forum on April 18 this year in Kuala Lumpur. He said Rusdi also held a discussion to foster the tourism sector between Sabah and Indonesia with Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun during his working visit to Kota Kinabalu in Sept 2017. Besides that, Krishna disclosed they are also mulling with the plan to introduce the direct flights between Kota Kinabalu and Balikpapan, Kalimantan to provide a nearer alternative for passengers to transit to other destinations in Indonesia especially its eastern part. “Balikpapan which is a two-hour flight from Kota Kinabalu has the second largest international airport in Indonesia after Jakarta which is now congested,” he said. Its consul for economy, Hendro Retno Wulan said they are working closely with the Sabah Tourism Board to promote the Kota Kinabalu-Jakarta sector via the social media to raise public awareness and improve the passengers load. “We encourage the people here to support the flights because when the demand is good the airline could offer affordable airfares,” she said. Malindo Air regional manager (Sabah-Sarawak) Wilfred Wong revealed: “To date, they are enjoying about 70-80 per cent of the passengers load between the Jakarta and Kota Kinabalu route. We hope this route will not only stimulate the movement of passengers but also the economic growth from tourism and other logistics.” “We are also happy to accommodate the needs of customers for business travel, tourism promotion, family vacation, medical treatment and pursuing education through this route,” said Wilfred. He said the Lion Air Group is also opening new routes from Indonesia to Malaysia such as its Wings Air flying from Pontianak to Kuching and Miri, while Malindo Air is servicing Banda Aceh to Penang and Medan to Ipoh. Source: New Sabah Times
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25Apr

Lest we forget: 100 join commemoration run

KOTA KINABALU: About 100 avid runners took part in the Lest We Forget Run 2018, held simultaneously all over Australia yesterday to capture the ANZAC spirit. The 4km run started at Padang Merdeka here and ended at Kota Kinabalu City Hall compound were flagged off by deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia Michael Growder and City Hall Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai. The run which covers Jalan Padang, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Nenas and Jalan Istana was to remind the public about the Second World War atrocities of the Japanese armies who forced over 2,400 British and Australian prisoners of war (POW) to march for a torturous 160 miles from Sandakan to Ranau. The run was also to remember the allied heroes during the liberation of Sabah and to raise the public awareness that our freedom was assured by the supreme sacrifice of our fallen heroes. In Malaysia, the inaugural run was held on May 2, 2014 at Sandakan which themed ‘Remembrance of Our Fallen Heroes’. The run was to promote the War Memorial Park in Sandakan at Taman Rimba which is the actual site of the Japanese POW camp. The run also cement the bond shared between Sabah and Australia ever since the Japanese occupation 1942-45. –By Paul Mu Source: New Sabah Times
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25Apr

Boosting Pulau Udar

KOTA KINABALU: Located within the naval base here, Pulau Udar has the potential to become a tourism attraction particularly for foreign navy personnel making their port-of-call. Eastern Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Datuk Syed Zahirudin Putra Syed Osman said transforming the island into a tourism spot would require long-term planning to promote its recreational activities. “We will build more facilities in the area including adding more buildings, which can be turned into a hotel or resort as well as conference rooms and cafés,” he told reporters after launching the island’s Eco Park, today. Pulau Udar is accessible via the Sepanggar naval base, where a bridge stretching one kilometer was constructed to connect the island and the naval base. Among the activities available on the island at the moment are hiking, diving, and fishing. Visitors also have the chance to experience sailing on a traditional Bajau boat. “Perhaps, not many navy personnel visit the island or are reluctant to come because they think it is only for certain groups. “Therefore, we have decided to have an event so that all navy personnel and their family members are aware of these activities. That will encourage them to visit the island for recreational activities,” said Syed Zahirudin. He also said the navy welcomes any government agency that wishes to carry out recreational activities on Pulau Udar but a permission letter is required. He said access to the island is only limited to governmental agencies at the moment due to security regulations. Source: New Straits Times
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24Apr

Aussie students choose Sabah to experience lifestyle, culture

Kota Kinabalu: Nineteen students from Kalamunda Senior High School and Governor Stirling Senior High School of Perth, Australia chose Sabah to experience local lifestyle, culture and destination. Four teachers and two parents led the trip to accompany the students. During a hosted lunch with Sabah Tourism Board, Diane Thorn, 61, a teacher from Governor Stirling Senior High School, said: "We're lucky that the Western Australia Education Department listed Sabah as a safe destination. It took us six months to prepare the proposal, then waited another three months for approval from the Ministry." She added that the tedious approval process was relevant because the safety and security of the students are very important aspects in planning overseas trips. Sabah was chosen as a cultural learning experience for the students because most of them took Bahasa Indonesia as a foreign language in their respective schools. "There are a lot of similarities between Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia so it was easy for us to understand the local language spoken here," said Conor Lyon, 13, from Governor Stirling Senior High School. Apart from Kota Kinabalu, the group took a half-day trip to Sandakan and visited Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Rainforest Discovery Centre and Sandakan Memorial Park. "Sandakan was terrific. At the Memorial Park, one of our parents, Alex, laid a wreath brought here from Australia. We also brought honky nuts, eucalyptus leaves and buds as part of our offering. I think it is a wonderful tribute to all our fallen diggers and we truly appreciate what Sabah has done," added Kuldeep Kaler, a teacher from Kalamunda Senior High School. "The Pavilion was very informative and fantastic. The kids actually stayed back to read what actually happened to the Australian diggers and Malaysian army on what they have to go through for their freedom. ANZAC has a huge impact in Perth." she added. Kaler also mentioned that a lot of people don't realise the Australian diggers were in Southeast Asia. Most students were chosen to go to Turkey through a competition for Anzac Day. The teachers and parents hope that Sabah Tourism and the Tourism Australia will have similar programmes to offer schools for the students on an Anzac holiday or ceremony. "I think we need to focus more on this site as it is easier for them to come here to represent Western Australia or their schools," said teacher Jessie Sohan. "It is a positive challenge for the students to experience Sabahan local culture as well as to try to converse in Bahasa." The group also visited Mari-Mari Cultural Village, Kinabalu Park, Poring Hot Springs, Kiulu Countryside, Tempasuk River, Nanamun River and more. Alex Stephens, a parent to one of the students, enjoyed the farm stay in Kg Tinagon Baru where the group experienced the local lifestyle of the villagers, including rubber tapping. General Manager of Sabah Tourism, Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani, said: "The opportunity is there to explore the educational segment from Western Australia with the listing of Sabah as a safe destination. The direct flight from Kota Kinabalu to Perth has been maintaining well for the past years and an eight-day tour for school trip is just nice." Source: Daily Express
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