Sarawak Borneo Tour

  Sabah and Sarawak are two different locations in Borneo Island. The word Borneo has been there since year 1839 when James Brooke made his first landing in Kuching city itself with his ship by the name of The Loyalist. Ever since then, the White Rajah has been governing Sabah and Sarawak for several generations, which eventually gave Sabah and Sarawak a new chapter.

  As time flies by, Sabah and Sarawak now becomes the ultimate destination for domestic and international tourist spot. Both Sabah and Sarawak have so much to offer when it comes to travel. Be it for family vacation, business trips or personal visits.

If you are still unsure what Sabah and Sarawak have to offer you, then here are the main reasons why Sabah and Sarawak must be your ultimate destination.

Food

  Food alone is more than enough to represent the cultures in both Sabah and Sarawak. In Sarawak, places like Kuching City, is a heaven for food lovers on their personnal blogs. Some even described the taste of food in Kuching itself, is like a fantasy and filled with all sorts of colours and presentations.

  In Sabah, food such as the Sago worm is an exquisite dish that you can find in the jungle. It is usually served deep fried or you can eat after it is boiled.

Culture

  Both local and international tourists have so much to learn when it comes to culture. For an example, a visit to the longhouse deep within the heart of Sarawak is something to look forward to. Although it is generally known as longhouses, the ethnic groups in Sarawak especially the Ibans are divided into a few different ethnics as can be seen from their ethnic Ngajat dance have different version in the longhouse.

  If it is in Sabah, the most unique cultural dance you will find is the Bobohizan dance. Performed by a group of Papar Kadazan, the Sazau Bobohizan dance will be performed by the priestess. The dance is used to send spirits of the dead to a different realm known as Pongouvan.

Challenges

  The UNESCO heritage site, Mount Kinabalu or the Pinnacles in Mulu National Park will fulfill that desire.

  As for Mount Kinabalu, for those who had the experienced of climbing Mulu Pinnacles, Mount Kinabalu is much easier for them, but if you are a first timer, Mount Kinabalu is hard enough to be tackled for a first timer.

  Both offered different challenges respectively. Then again, most tourists who took up the challenge on climbing up Mulu Pinnacles mentioned that it was not easy getting up there. It is not just only about the weather, but also the mind and physical toughness is something that you need to prepare before you can attempt the climb Mulu Pinnacles.

Beautiful Rainforest

  The archipelago of rainforests both in Sabah and Sarawak, have been preserved and labelled as protected rainforests in the world. Visiting either one, will let you see how these rainforests in each state tend to grow on top of one another creating a beautiful canopy like you have never seen before.

  If you are tourists who happen to be doing some research and looking for new medical discoveries, then you might want to try out Sabah and Sarawak as the million years’ old rainforests will give you rare insights.

Historical values

  Every city has a story to tell. And every state changes from time to time leaving historical footprints behind. The Kundasang War Memorial in Sabah is a place where relatives and families of fallen heroes will gather and reflect back on their sacrifices. Those fallen heroes, consist of British and Australian soldiers who marched a total of 160 mile and leaving only 6 survivals to tell their tales.

  In Kuching, one of most prominent historical site it is the Kuching City Waterfront itself. Before it was converted into a Waterfront, it was also known as a place for early settlements of the sea Dayaks.

  Then in year 1864, after the landing of James Brooke, Chinese businesses started to grow like mushrooms. And the historical business district can still be seen across the road of the entire whole stretch of Kuching Water Front.

Festive Seasons

  Due to the mix culture in Malaysia, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, you will have the Christians, Chinese, Dayaks, Indians and Malays. The different believes and ethnicities, is what makes Malaysia unique. For an example, the Chinese will celebrate the Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival, Wesak Day and Chap Goh Mei. As for the Dayaks, it would be the Gawai festivities. Muslims on the other hand will celebrate Hari Raya which is also known as Eeid Season by international Muslims. Christians as usual, will be Christmas and Indians would be the Deepavali.

  With all the mixed ethnicities, during the festive seasons, you will see different kinds of cookies and food laid out on the table.

Food is cheap

  Food in Sabah and Sarawak is still considered cheap. All you need to bring is RM 10 in your pocket to have a decent meal and a glass of water from those outdoor street cafes for the day.

World Rainforest Music Festival

  Usually held every year, in the middle of June, the sound of traditional music comes from all over the world and can be heard during this time of the year. During the event itself you will get to hear music from other parts of the world and watch live performances.

  The above reasons would be good enough for you to decide to pack your bags and head over to Sarawak and Sabah in Borneo.

 Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh, well known for her role as one of the best Bond Girl Heroine in history when she took on the role as Wai Lin in year 1997 by the title of Tomorrow Never Dies and voted as the Top 50 Most Beautiful People in The World by the People’s Magazine in year 1997. Her other notable works can be seen in movies such as, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon in year 2000, The Touch 2002, Silver Hawk 2004, Memoirs of A Geisha 2005, The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 2008 and others. She visited Sarawak’s first marine national park, located at Talang – Satang Island, Sematan, Kuching, Sarawak on the 29 March 2013.

 The international movie star, Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh was actually impressed with the hard work that had done by the management of Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC). “The SFC did an incredible job and I am sure everyone, including the media will continue to pledge their support to make this programme even better,” she commented.

 She added that the turtles do not only belong to Sarawak state but it is also Malaysian turtles to begin with. If no one is taking action on protecting the turtles, it will be gone in future.

 Her visit to Talang – Satang Island Kuching, inspired and gave encouragement to the staff at the Sarawak Forestry Corporation during her visit. She was offered to become a spokesperson to promote the turtle conservation initiative by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

 The international Malaysia born – star is not only just an actress. She is now even a foster mother to those new hatchling turtles. While visiting, other than releasing the 17 newly hatched turtles into the sea, she adopted 10 turtle hatcheries comprising of 800 eggs. It was a programme organised by Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

 Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh eventually had named each hatchery after the name of her family members such as Sy Kai, Michelle Thompson, Caroline and Christian Hu Hu.

 Her visit to Kuching was not only for the three day International Film Festival Award and ASEAN 2013 (AIFFA) which ended on Saturday but also to promote the turtle conservation programme.

 The Talang - Satang National Park is actually an island that covers a total area of approximately 19, 400 hectares (19.4 sq km). The island itself compromises all land below the high tide marks and the surrounding seas for a radius of 4.8 km from the highest point on each island.

 Talang – Satang Island is an island that is responsible for 95 per cent for turtle landings in Sarawak. Among all of the turtles, the Green turtle also known as the Chelonia mydas is the most important of all. 90 per cent of all the turtles that landed on the island are actually the Green Turtle species itself.

 Other than actively involved in acting on the big screen and adopting the 10 turtle hatcheries and renaming them after her family members, she is also an active ambassador to:

a) Make Road Safe campaign  - www.makeroadssafe.org/Pages/home.aspx

b) amfAR Aids Research – http://www.amfar.org/

c) LIVE TO LOVE - http://www.live2love.org

d) FORCE OF NATURE AID FOUNDATION - http://www.forceofnature.org/

e) MERCY MALAYSIA - http://www.mercy.org.my,

f) ICM (Institute for Brain and Social Cord Disorder) - http://icm-institute.org/?lang=en.

A governor to:

g) LoveFaithHope Charitable Fund - http://www.lfhf.org

A patron to:

h) AIDS Concern - http://www.aidsconcern.org.hk

i) Hong Kong Cancer Fund - http://www.cancer-fund.org

 Kuching City’s famous Cat Icon Statue recently received a new urban art makeover from a group of Kuching volunteering knitters. The new look of the Cat Statue, now has a new purple with cream and a white hat, as well as a golden yellow purplish scarf that makes it looks like a Boy Scouts team.

 This Kuching City Cat Statue iconic monument wears different costumes for different occasions. Before this, it was the Chinese New Year festival season. The Cat Statue was well decorated with Chinese costume in conjunction with the holiday festival season.

 The art makeover volunteered by the group of Kuching knitters, was led by Crafthub director, Heidi Munan. They stitched a nine metre strip of yarn into a hat and another three metre into a scarf. To ensure the hat is well placed on the Cat Statue, it was reinforced with metal wires making sure it will last long under the humid weather in Sarawak.

 Materials used were from recycle and unwanted items such as thrown away water bottles and pompoms.

 Miss Heidi Munan, the director and leader of the club for Crafthub, mentioned the idea to start out and decorated the Kuching Landmark Cat Statue was proposed by a group of non-government organisations since last year.

 It took the group 6 months to complete the costume. During that period of time, they met up once a week to do the stitches and some of them who were looking forward to it eventually decided to continue the job at home with the given materials.

 The only cost involved was labour as the beautifully produced yarn was made from recycled items or a half completed work and unwanted yarns.

 Heidi was inspired by the design from the latest urban street art called yarn bombing. Originally yarn bombing was used to decorate trees and benches made of colourful knitted and crotched yarn or fibre clothes.

 “It is hoped that this attempt on urban street art would not only promote the art but also entice city folks to take up this new interests and expand its use in the future as an embellishment to the cityscape and the promotion of the city’s culture and tourism” she said.

 Their hands are currently tight with charitable works at the Children Cancer’s ward of the Sarawak General Hospital, by knitting colourful patched blankets and hats. After that, they will move on to stitching soft toys.

 Those who are interested to learn stitching may drop by at the Sarawak Museum Café on Wednesday from 10 am to learn stitching from Heidi.

 Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato James Chan advised public not to touch or remove the hat or scarf.

 “You are welcomed to come and take photos but don’t disturb it. Do not take it away,” said Chan.

 As a show of support, the group also presented a hand-knitted blue, white and red coloured hat to Chan.

  Sabah and Sarawak is an archipelago island which combined both places and well known for its nick name as Borneo to outsiders. Its nick named Borneo, have been around since the time of James Brooke who was an explorer and the founder of Borneo Island. The captivating beauty of the inner parts of modern day Borneo Island still remains a mystery. And that is why; adventure awaits you deep in the hearts of Borneo Island itself. But then again it depends on where you are going.

  In short, it is an island that one will find it filled with so many exciting things to do and find it hard to decide on what will be next or where to go after this. So here is some guidance for you to get to know Borneo, especially Sarawak first and what makes it so popular that even tourist finds it so tempting!

1. Food.

  As always places like Sibu and Kuching has a lot of food varieties. Walk around and down a few blocks away you will see food to your left and right. In Kuching, popular foods among the locals consist of Kolo Mee, Kueh Chap, Laksa, Tomato Noodle, Kek Lapis, and not forgetting the well-known traditional food chicken bamboo.

  As for Sibu, it is definitely the simple Kampua noodle and its taste is more than what it looks, the black Canarium which is also known by the locals as Buah Dabai, and the local Sibu made burger known as Kompia stuffed with pork savoury which is a must try during your travel.

  A good reminder when it comes to food. You might find this impossible but it is possible in Sarawak. You will only need to bring at least RM10-12 (Malaysian Ringgit) for two person when it comes to meal. The average price for a bowl of noodle or a decent complete rice meal with meat will cost you at RM5.

2. Tribal Dance

  Coming down to Sarawak for sightseeing will not be complete if you do not visit longhouse in Sarawak. From here, you will get the unique taste of rice and sugarcane wine also known as Tuak. Other than that, you will definitely get to learn a lot of new things such as blowpipe activity, and a must do is the tribal dance known as Ngajat.

  There are in fact several types of Ngajat dances, among them:

Ngajat Induk
Ngajat bebunoh
Ngajat Lesong
Ngajat Semain
Ngajat Berayah
Ngajat Ngemai antu pala

  To see them performing  the Ngajat Dance depends on which Iban tribe you are staying with.

3. Bario

  If you travel slightly up north, there is a small town known as Bario. The best way to get there is to fly. It may not seem much other than experiencing the quiet and green environment but you will be surprise as to how much you can actually really do over here. You will get to see how salts are made traditionally.

  Best part of all; be sure not to miss out the collected Bario rice. The rice in Bario is unlike any other rice. It is small, thin and slightly long compared to normal local produce rice. Other than that, its compact size is what makes the rice not only unique in its shape but perfect for meal.

  Buying a packet of Bario rice from a local supermarket can be costly. A packet that weighs at least 3 to 5 kg is nearly at RM 40/- (Malaysian Ringgit). So be sure not to miss it out if you ever set your foot on Bario itself.

4. Water Taxi Ride in Kuching

  Another unique part in Sarawak is located in the Kuching city itself. As you stroll down the Waterfront Area, you will see a Taxi River. It is a small yellow boat with a Taxi signboard on its top just like a normal cab on land except that this one runs on the Sarawak River itself!

  If you are wondering “Are there anymore Rivers Taxi in Sarawak?” The answer is “Well, you are looking at one right now and only in Kuching”. But be sure to check on its operating hours. That is the most important part of all. Or if you would not want to miss a chance, book a ride with your local travel agents.

5.  Surrey Bike

  It is an addition to our latest culture in Kuching. Riding a Surrey Bike is a rare sight indeed. The Surrey Bicycle is unlike your typical two wheel type. It is with a roof top and runs on four wheels. Other than walking, visitors may now eventually rent a Surrey Bike to go around Kuching city area for one hour.

  Moreover, the Surrey Bicycle is the first of its kind to be both in Malaysia and Sarawak.

6. Mulu Cave

  Mulu Cave still remains a mystery to a lot of people. We all do know Mulu Cave was declared as an UNESCO Heritage site long ago, but its depths and size still remains a mystery. In year 2011, one of the section in Mulu Cave was known as the Sarawak Chamber. It was declared as the biggest cave chamber in history.

  Even until today, part of the Mulu Cave section known as the Deer Cave is still known as the biggest cave in the world.

  Although Mulu Cave was declared as the biggest cave in the world still, no one knows how far and deep can this cave leads to. Studies and researching on the site is still currently on going, though some argue that Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is the largest in the world.

7. Bujang Senang

  Was it a myth or a true story? Bujang Senang is a very well-known story among the Iban villagers residing along the river of Batang Lupar in Sri Aman. It was rumoured the crocodile, known as Bujang Senang was killed in year 1992. It had a very unique white stripe on its back and was roughly 20 feet long!

  Then again, although its skull was displayed in the Sarawak Museum Kuching, the locals believed its descendants and family line are still roaming around within the area.

  Rumours have that Bujang Senang was actually never caught and sometimes local villagers will tend to catch a glimpse of a huge mysterious white albino coloured crocodile.

  For the fishermen who resided in the village, if they caught a baby croc in their fishing net, they will let it go making sure no bad omen shall fall unto their family.

  Finally, the name Bujang Senang became so popular and it was used as a local football team name.

(Picture: Skull of Bujang Senang a.k.a Happy Bachelor credited to Sarawak Museum.)

 (Picture credited to Borneo Post: Football team Bujang Senang in action!)

   Those are the 7 unique local wonders about Sarawak that is worth to know. If you would like to know more, you can actually take a flight to Sarawak and find out by yourself what other wonders you can find! And if you do, do not forget to share it with us and your friends about Sarawak itself and how you define it! Hope to see you all coming down to Sarawak! Cheers!

  Come check out our tour Packages at https://www.sarawakborneotour.com/  and book with us now.

Kuching City, the capital of Sarawak is a beautiful city with varieties of secrets. One will never know not until landed in Kuching itself. Located at the Main Bazaar Street opposite Ghee Hoe Hin is a mysterious looking newly opened shop. This week in the beating heart of Kuching City itself, I had an exclusive interview with the Surrey Bike owner.

Melvin: Good afternoon sir.

Mr Gerald Loew: Good afternoon.

Melvin: My name is Melvin and I am from Kuching itself. I heard of your newly opened Surrey Bike shop so I would like to know more about it. But first may I know a little bit about you? 

Mr Gerald Loew: My name is Gerald Loew and you can call me Gerald. I am 48 years old and this is my lovely personal assistant. She is my wife. Her name is Mrs Maizan or you can call her Maizan age 38. So, what would you like to know?

Melvin: For starters, where are you from?

Mr Gerald Loew: I am from Austria itself and my wife here is from Kelantan. We moved to   Indonesia for about one and half years ago. We opened up a small clinic and decided to do it for free to help needy people. We used traditional medical methods to treat our patient.

Melvin: So what makes you and your family decided to come down to Kuching and take up the task?

Mr Gerald Loew: We heard that there are people in Kuching who needed our services so that was when we decided to get out of our comfort zone and do something new.

Melvin: What about the three lovely looking bicycles displayed outside? What are your concepts or ideas behind it?

Mr Gerald Loew: Our main idea for the bicycle is for health reasons in the first place. People in this world today, have been using motorbikes, cars and other means of public transports are not in a very good health condition. So, we started the idea with the thought of helping society, by giving them a healthier lifestyle to go around Kuching. What other better ways to view this beautiful city? Besides, we do believe by cycling it also helps to save the environment and creating a greener Kuching.

Melvin: When you first opened this shop, has it ever occurred to you that people here will mistook it as a rickshaw?

Mr Gerald Loew: It happened several numbers of times when we first opened it. It was normal   to us.

Melvin: Can you tell us a little bit more about the Surrey Bikes? For an example, its weight and how many people can sit in it?

Mr Gerald Loew: Sure! Would love to! These very popular trends of Surrey Bike originated from Austria, weighs at least 130 kilograms for the bigger size. The smaller size is at least 80 kilograms. The bicycle is unlike your ordinary two wheeled type. It comes with a roof, comfortable leather seats, brakes and steering wheel to go around. It is like driving a car.

Currently, Mr Gerald Loew owns only three of the Surrey Bikes in Kuching which comes in traffic light colours. The bigger size can carry up to four adults and two kids, while the smaller ones which weights at 80 kilos can carry 2 adults and 2 kids. Having a Surrey Bike is a good way for families or couples to go around.

Melvin: What is the cost like for one?

Mr Gerald Loew: The two smaller units cost RM 7000 while the bigger ones, like that red one over there is at least RM 8000.

Melvin: Do you have further plans for these three bikes of yours?

Mrs Maizan: My husband was suggesting to me that we can put up head lights on the bike. So that, tourists and public does not only ride it during the day but during the night as well. And perhaps a little bit in future, we have ideas on putting up a simple radio so that when they ride on it, at least they have some entertainment.

Melvin: Do you use it to fetch up your kids?

Mrs Maizan: Yes we do. Our children enjoy the ride a lot. Even when their classmates wanted to try it out. So we told them to just hop in and give them a short ride.

Melvin: How much is the rental for these three Surrey Bikes?

Mr Gerald Loew: The red Surrey Bike which is slightly bigger than the yellow and green is at RM 25 per hour while the other two is at RM 20                               per hour.

Melvin: Do you have any future plans for your Surrey Bike business?

Mr Gerald Loew: Yes we do. We are planning to expand the Surrey Bike culture and would like to do it at my wife’s hometown in Kelantan. It will be   interesting to see people in Malaysia trying something new.

Melvin: I see. Well, our interview comes to an end and I would to give my personal thanks to you for allowing me to interview you personally and see how does this Surrey Bike works.

Mr Gerald Loew: You’re welcome. Would you like to try it for yourself?

Melvin: Would love too!

When Mr Gerald Loew mentioned the Surrey Bike is not your typical bike he was not kidding at all. It was difficult and heavy. I tried the 80 kilograms. Even to reverse it was hard enough. The Surrey Bike really makes you sweat too. But it was a good experience to try out something new. So, be sure not to miss the spot at the Main Bazarr Kuching! For more information, do contact Mr Gerald Loew for bookings at 016-875 3721 or do contact us for more information at ask@SarawakBorneoTour.com

 The Mahakam River is the largest river in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. In the Upper Mahakam River, there is a Dayak Vilage named Long Apari. There are three beautiful side rivers named Apari, Hubung and Kasau. Distance from Balikpapan to Mahakam River will take at least 2 hours and 11 minutes of journey by using car, starting from the South part of Balikpapan itself.

 Most of the Dayaks on the upper part of Mahakam river lives on agricultural resources such as birds’ nests, rattan, and gold washing.

 If you’re planning to travel here, carrying basic needs can be very challenging and expensive at times.

 Long Bagun is located 300 km away from the Spring of Mahakam. It will be the final destination along this river. Long Iram is a small city further down the route. It is much easier for bigger ships to cross this area during the rainy season.It will be difficult for huge ships to travel down this area during the dry season. Canoes with motorboat are always ready as a secondary mode of transportation.

  There is a wide river, along the destination of Long Iram. The brown murky water now turns into the visible beautiful panoramic view of the sea. A distant village can now be seen. The distance between the Long Iram and Samarinda, is about 475 km and if it is by sea travel it will be more than that.

 Muara Pahu is a lively village and located at the side river that flows through Mahakam. Stopping by here, visitors will get to see local villagers and cheerful children playing along the bridge and about their daily lives.

 First thing to do here is to stay a little bit longer and enjoy some food around here. The long various food stalls here will give you great varieties of food to choose.

 Travelling down the stream is a river connected to four big lakes. The four big lakes are important for transportation and connect into the next stream that leads down to the north side rivers of Muara Kaman with another two more streams named Kedang Kepala and Belayan.

 Visiting and having dinner at Senoni Village is the second thing to do. Most boat owners will make a quick stop for dinner at Senoni which is about 30 km downstream from Muara Kaman. About 30 km downstream from Muara Kaman, is where travellers will find a good can of cold beer served with fresh river lobsters from the locals here.The place alone is actually a great place to dine in.

 If you travel further down the stream of Mahakam River, here you will get to see the authentic Muara Muntai wooden village. To get here you need to cross the Jempang Lake.

 Feeling a little adventurous? Try out the Ohong Creek. It is a preserved rainforest of over a thousand years old. If the season is right, you will find wild Orang Utans and wild leopards roaming around freely.

 You would not want to miss visiting the Mancong Village, one of the oldest Dayak Longhouse of East Kalimantan is a place. You will be given a warmth traditional welcome ceremony by the Dayak people here. Even better, you get to try out their authentic food recipe from the Dayak tribe. You will be one with the local tribes.

 If your visit into the deep areas of Mahakam is over, do not forget to make a rendezvous point to Muara Pahu. This area is actually an observation center for dolphins. It is known as the Fresh Water Dolphins information center and open to all travellers. If you are lucky enough, you might encounter one dolphin at the Delta of Bolowan River.

 Other than that, food in the area of Mahakam river is a must try especially the delicious traditional Soto Banjar with soup. Different locations have different flavour of it. It is an iconic dish not to be missed out.

 So, are you ready to pack your gear and travel deep into the Mahakam River? If you are, do fly with us to Balikpapan and book your tickets at www.maswings.com.my for more flight details.

 MASwings officially declared and opened its new route with a direct flight from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan. MASwings made its announcement during its press conference on the 14 January 2013 at Kuching Hilton Hotel. On 15^th January 2013, MASwings opened its attractive flight at RM 312 inclusive of returning air ticket. The flights are now opened on every Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

 The route opened is a direct flight from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to Balikpapan. The journey from Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan will take at least 2 hours and 10 minutes. Flights from Kuching to Balikpapan will take at least 2 hours and 20 minutes.

 The sole purpose of such promotion is to introduce to the outside world what Balikpapan is all about and attracting international tourists from Balikpapan coming in to Sarawak and Sabah. In addition to it, MASwings is also looking at this opportunity as a way to boost the tourism industry in Sarawak.

 To spice things up, MASwings is organising sweepstakes on Facebook with Free Tickets to be given away.

 The sweepstakes was officially launched by MASwings on its Facebook page on 28^thJanuary 2013 and will end on the 17^thFebruary 2013. Since it is the beginning of year 2013, it is a time perfect time for contestants to try out their luck and win themselves a going and return air ticket to from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan.

 All the contestants have to do is to click on “Like” the MASwings Facebook Fan Page before proceeding to the next part. After “Liking” and “Sharing” only then contestant will be taken into a new page to fill up the form at http://www.facebook.com/MASwings/app_415371831874431 with terms and conditions applied.

Other than that, there are simple quizzes for contestants to answer.

 Selected winners may fly from the 1^stMarch 2013 until 30^th May 2013.

 The good news is, the current on-going sweepstakes, is open to all nations!

 Contestants or fans of MASwings need to follow closely on the latest updates and promotions available on Facebook to get the latest updates and offers.   

 If contestants missed the sweepstakes updates or did not manage to win do not worry. There will be other contest later for them to join in future. Details for other promotions will only be revealed once it is confirmed. So for all past and future contestants, be sure to be on the lookout for any upcoming events.

 Contestants’ best option is to just keep track and see what MASwings is currently doing and what are their newest updates on the Facebook pages.

 For latest flight updates and bookings, you can log on to www.maswings.com.my for more details. Aside from that, please do not forget to click on “Like” MASwings and support on the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MASwings. Any inquiries or suggestion are always welcome and MASwings will do their very best to tend to your needs and see what they can do about it. Cheers and all the best to contestant and who are currently joining the sweepstakes Hope to see you all winners aboard with MASwings flying from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to Balikpapan city by then!

  The board of director for Tourism Malaysia Sarawak Encik Johanif bin Mohammad Ali will be leaving for New York on the 25^th January 2013. He has been serving the Tourism Malaysia Sarawak since year 2008 until 2012.

  In his statement during his speech, his main goal was not only to promote Sarawak alone but he is looking at new business prospect in New York. He did mention the percentage of international tourists coming over to Sarawak was more. His new aim in New York was also to introduce Sarawak more to the people in New York besides his other tasks to promote Malaysia as a whole.

  One of his notable successes as the State Director, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Sarawak Office, was organizing the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) board of directors’ conference in year 2009. The event was    attended by a total of 100 delegates from all different nations in Asia region. The objective for PATA which was established in the early 1950’s served its purposed to promote mostly Asian region. 

Encik Johanif also sat on the Sarawak Convention Bureau as the Board of directors for four years.

  He even urged the Sarawak government to make full use of our treasures and natural resources in Sarawak to turn it into a potential marketing tool to attract more tourists.

  “With its natural products, we must now find a way to market them the right way. The industry players must have the ability to modify our local products to become major tourist products of choice,” he commented.

  He mentioned that Sarawak can learn a thing or two by observing Melaka. Melaka does not have a much resources to begin with but they somehow managed to do it and turn it into tourists’ attractions by being creative.

“Despite not having many natural resources that could be turned into local tourist attractions, Melaka is very resourceful. They are able to create attractive packages for their tourism.”

 Johanif hoped that the tour operators in Sarawak do not rely too much on the government to do the job. Instead, they need to be creative in marketing and promoting their products and services.

 “They must be able to constantly think of new products that could attract more tourists to the state and country. Creativity is one way that this industry could develop further,” he added.

  He added the reason why Sarawak especially, tends to get very low visitors from New York was due to air connectivity.

  “Without it, it is difficult for our tourism industry. For example, the American market is much matured; meaning price plays an important role. Tourists will look for the best and most attractive ones.”

  “We stress on product uniqueness. For Sarawak, the products are its culture, nature and adventure,” said Johanif.

   To overcome the air connectivity issue, Tourism Malaysia has developed a smart partnership with international airlines.

   Johanif’s successor will be Sallahudin Mohd Ariffin and will be taking his position as the Tourism Malaysia Sarawak Director in February 2013.

   Those who attended his farewell party held at Damai on the 28^th December 2012 were Dato’ James Dawos, Sarawak Cruise River, The Star, Savvy Media and Borneo Island Big Bikers Club. There were a total number of 50 people who attended his farewell party.

   Light refreshments consist of Nasi Briyani, Rendang Beef, Bee Hoon, assorted cupcakes and cookies.

  Simple activities such as karaoke from both emcees made his farewell party even livelier and simple quizzes with mystery prizes were given away to the crowds.

  Mr Johanif, you have our best wishes. Do the best and have a great pleasant journey all the way in New York. We also hoped to see you coming back to Kuching once in a while for a visit whenever you have the chance.

Photo Credits Goes To: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balikpapan_4.jpg

Located on the East side of Kalimantan, Balikpapan is a city that is well-known for industry such as oil, mining, gas, and timber. But some never heard of it. There are quite a handful of people thinking Balikpapan is a place where there are a lot of factories and social status is off poor economics state. Well, is that true?

The answer to it is the opposite of what one may think of. Balikpapan, an archipelago with the size of a total 639, 031 in population is a beautiful island located on the west side of Kalimantan. The fact is, although Balikpapan is well known for its iconic oil and gas industries; and it became a very popular tourist attraction.

In Balikpapan, there are several multinational companies’ have turned their base of operation to Balikpapan itself as a business centre. Even one of the roads here is named after their iconic industries, such as Jalan Minyak which means The Oil Street.

Due to the multinational companies, Balikpapan is transforming into a place whereby the island itself will soon be filled with different ethnics and cultures. The diverse ethnicities and cultures is what made Balikpapan a place that is worth to visit and stop by. Be it for personal business trip, family trip, or even a couple retreats as a grandeur holiday spots.

There are many things to do here in Baikpapan once you made your landing at the Sepinggan International Airport.

First of all there is the Klandasan market. The Klandasan market is where you get see local fresh fruits and vegetables are sale directly from the farm. Everything you see is fresh and green.

The Vegetable Garden Inpres will be a great spot to stop by. This is the place whereby you can actually buy gifts and handicrafts. And if you do happen to be wearing any jewellery with you during your visit at Balikpapan, then you have come to the right place. They offer services such as helping you to wash away your faded gold or silver. And if you are planning to purchase any of them this place alone offers you the best price in town.

You need some relaxation? No worries. The beach is just nearby. Police Beach Kemala is a great spot for you to just sit down, relax and enjoy the sunrise or sunset.

Picture above is the Balikpapan preserved forest.

Feeling a little bit adventurous? Well, there is the Preserve Forest Wein River though. You will be walking along with nature. It is 10,000 hectares of preserve forests with endangered wild animals such as the orang-utan, honey bears, and the proboscis monkey. You will get to see plants such as the Semar and the very popular Ginger Pouch. This place here is a good start for you to take away your minds away from work and stress of your life

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Picture above: Time to feed the crocs at the Barnacle Crocodile.

Just in case if you’re bored on spending money and having that nature walk. You might want to try the Crocodile Barnacle. You eventually get to feed those reptiles at the price of Rp. 10,000 per head. After having that long walk around Balikpapan, and if you are hungry, try out the exotic crocodile satay meat here. But if you are an animal lover, then enjoy the sights of other animals such as the elephants, monkeys, turtles and racoons.

The iconic mega structure of oil refinery in Balikpapan is what makes Balikpapan well known as the oil town as well. The place is not open to public but from a distance, you are able to see the many buildings of oil refinery within that area.

Although Balikpapan is known as the oil town, yet still there are other things to look around. Whether or not it is an oil town or a tourist attraction, it is for you to decide once you visited the place and see it for your own self. Or it can be both as the town itself is more than meets the eye.

For more flight details, you can check it out here, http://www.maswings.com.my/

There's good news for everyone who is itching to go to fly off to a new exciting destination, Balikpapan in East Kallimantan! MasWings is now offering three weekly direct flights from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan’s Sepinggan International Airport, the second busiest airport in Borneo, starting from 1^st February 2013. So hurry up and don’t miss this opportunity to fly and try out MasWings newest destination.

Balikpapan in Indonesia is in the country’s province of East Kalimantan. Balikpapan in Indonesia is well known for its booming oil industry. Several multinational oil companies use Balikpapan in Indonesia as their base of operation within the region. Apart from being known as the oil town of East Kalimantan, there are many interesting places and fun things you can you can do in Balikpapan, the second largest city in East Kalimantan.

The wonderful city of Balikpapan has a population of over 600, 000 people. With just the right size of population, Balikpapan is neither too big nor too small and thus you’ll never feel as if it’s either too crowded or too small. As a seaport city, Balikpapan Indonesia is very close to the sea. You’d really have to come here yourself to see the beautiful beaches that Balikpapan has to offer.

The warm and friendly inhabitants of Balikpapan, comprising of a mixture of natives and people from all over Indonesia coming here working in the oil industry is one compelling reason for you for you to discover the beauty and charm of Balikpapan.

Once you’ve here in Balikpapan you must be wondering what place you should be visiting in this East Kalimantan city? Well, Balikpapan boasts several interesting places that will surely captivate you during your visit here. For starters, you can visit several of the most well known markets in Balikpapan. To experience a slice of traditional life in Balikpapan you can pay a visit to Klandasan Market within the city. This government-organised traditional market is in Jalan Sudirman. You can browse through the various fresh produce such as fruits, crabs, fish and lobster on display here.

Are you interested in bringing back a souvenir as a memento of your visit here in Balikpapan? You can find lots of beautiful local handicrafts and jewelleries at the Garden Inpres Market, which is famous amongst the tourists visiting here. The gemstones on sale here are amongst the cheapest in Indonesia since Balikpapan is very close to where these gemstones are mined. What better way can you find to impress the folks back home than to bring some glittering gemstones back? The well-made handicraft from the local Dayak tribe also on sale here are also no less impressive. You’ll spend hours browsing through the arrays of impressive wares on offer at the Garden Inpres Market.

As Balikpapan is a seaport, it obvious that it has a beach where you can stroll along and watch the beautiful sunset and the waves crashing on the shore. Kemala Beach is in Jalan Sudirman right in the city. So, you don’t have to wander far away to get to the beach. How more convenient can you get from this?

As Balikpapan has a number of expats executives either working in the oil industries or flying in out of the city frequently, the range of hotel accommodations here are impressive. The oil industry in Balikpapan really does this city a lot of good when it comes to accommodation. Be rest assured you’ll definitely find your stay here a very comfortable one.

MasWings operates its flights weekly from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. With these three new flights per-week commencing on 1^st February, why don’t you try out Balikpapan and discover this unique hidden treasure of East Kalimantan soon? Who knows, you might even want to come back here for a repeat visit!

Sabah is undoubtedly famous of its iconic Mount Kinabalu and beautiful sandy beaches. Do you know that Sabah also has a special collection of mouthwatering traditional cuisine? For food lovers out there, Sabah traditional food is something that you will never forget. With its diverse ethnic population, each of this group offers their own distinct Sabah traditional food. You must not miss trying out Sabah traditional food when you are here. The unique Sabah traditional food will astound and delight...

Read More "The best of Sabah traditional food"

Longhouse Story Longhouses in Sarawak and Sabah are actually very different than the longhouses designed in Europe. Europe longhouses architectural materials consist of tough bricks and just a few blocks in one unit. In Sabah and Sarawak, longhouses are made from simple wooden trees, with stilts on it, divided into different section, rooftops made out of leaves and families living inside can be a total of 100 families all in all with a living room which they call it as the Ruai section. Then...

Read More "Borneo Long House Story"

Sarawak Kek Lapis

Congratulations to a winner from Ipoh Perak for winning the 20 rolls of Sarawak Kek Lapis which co

mes in different colours and flavours. The winner was Cikgu Muhammad Izuddrin or also known as Nematodenz on Facebook.

The competition which lasted for a few weeks, gave him the opportunity to do something creative and funny. The competition theme was Kek Lapis Funniest Videos.  His video was a few minutes length featuring a few number of teachers did the chicken line dancing to humour his students. His video was voted to be the funniest among all.

The Sarawak Kek Lapis is a well-known traditional recipe. Most of the time, tourist would not hesitate to buy a pack bag. Kek Lapis got its name from its multiple layered taste and presentation.

History:

The Kek lapis was first introduced back in year 1988 from Indonesia. It was said during the Ducth Colonial Era, the secret recipe for Kek Lapis was revealed. Until today the Indonesian most iconic Kek Lapis is Lapis Legit and Lapis Surabaya.

From time to time, the well-known Kek Lapis tend to change recipe in Sarawak. New recipes and flavours are always in the market today. There are several flavours such as Horlick, Milo, Strawberry, Vanilla, Nestum, Chocolate, and so on.

In year 2011, a new innovation of Kek Lapis was introduced. It is known as the Kek Lapis Qalas which combines a mixture of modern techniques and traditional recipes from their ancestors.

The popular Kek Lapis Qalas is another modern taste and flavour touch created by Sarawak. Hence Sarawak Kek Lapis is to be categorized as the modern day Kek Lapis.

Preparation:

The recipe for Kek Lapis is never an easy one. It can be divided into two categories. First one is with motifs, shapes and colour while the second one is just plain and simple with two colours.

The requirement to make one is the chef must have a very strong hand or an electric mixer to batter the ingredients. Ingredients consist of eggs, vegetable oil, butter, and other flavours will be mixed together.

When it comes to baking it patience is needed. The strong texture of Kek Lapis is then stuck on together with jam so that it will not come off easily when serving. The battered flavour is then poured bit by bit to make one thin layer each. Once it is done, it will be then baked inside the electrical oven rather than using the gas oven. But of course the best result still comes from using traditional charcoal oven just as how the Dutch did.

The price of the cake depends on the size as well. In Sarawak, a standards size Kek Lapis is 8 inches by 3 inches. Price range is from RM 15 to RM 30/- for a roll.

All Occasion Kek  Lapis.

 Sarawak Kek Lapis alone is a perfect gift item for all occasion and celebration such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai, Deepavali, and Christmas. It is also a perfect gift for birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings.

The best of all, Sarawak Kek Lapis tastes better with the perfect aroma blend of a cup of tea or coffee when you shared with your love ones.

So come one down to Kuching or Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, and have a stroll around town for a slice of our delicious Sarawak Kek Lapis.

Check out our Sarawak Tour Packages at Sarawak Borneo Tour or join us at http://www.facebook.com/sarawakborneotour

What is Buah DABAI?

Have you ever wonder what is that mysterious, shining looking seeds packed up in the boxes that come in red or yellow colour? The answer to your question is Buah Dabai also known as Canarium. In Sarawakian Hokkien Chinese it is called Or Kanna.

Many tend to get confused by the appearance of Dabai. Some call it as a type of vegetation and some will look at it as a fruit and wondering if it is edible. Some even think that it is a type of avocado. Then again it is none of the above.

Buah Dabai is a type of exotic fruits that grows in certain part of the region and consists of 75 types of species.

The fruit tree itself is so large and grows on thick green trees up to 40-50 meters height, with alternate, pinnate leaves.

Its furry leaves are thin and twigs covered with golden brown.

How do I prepare?

Now that you know what Buah Dabai is, so how are you going to eat it and how edible is it?

The Buah Dabai is very edible. No worry as it is safe for eating.

To eat it is simple. Even making it is just like making tea using ready-made tea sachets. Preparation will take a minute or two. Then you are good to go to eat it.

All what you need to do is just fill your Dabai inside a container mix it with hot water. Add a little bit of soy sauce and add either sugar or salt! Close the lid and go do other things while waiting.

Then again, the very fragrant of Dabai depends on your preparation, either sweet or salty.

Cooking is magical. You can even melt a man’s heart with it. As people said, the heart of a man is through his stomach. In Malaysia, the experience of cooking varieties of food is a walk to remember. Here is how you can do it!

As you know, Malaysia is a very well-known mix of culture. As a result we have the Traditional Nasi-Goreng (Fried Rice). Be it Tribal, Malay, Chinese, Indian and even the Free Style! The dish is so simple and flexible that it has no specific methods of preparing it.

As usual, dunk the Dabai inside the hot warm water and close the lid. Except that this it is just plain tasteless Dabai. Once it is ready, peel off everything and leaving only the seed. Both the seed and flesh are actually edible. Once your fried rice is already inside, you can mix it with your ready peeled off Dabai. Stir your fried rice well along with the Dabai inside it to get that perfect blend of taste and aroma.

In Sarawak, if you can find the right place, you will see, Nasi Goreng Dabai on the menu.

The seed is edible. You will have to cut it into half and dig out the flesh inside it using tooth pick. The Dabai inner seed flesh contains lots of calcium which is good for health!

Where to buy?

Dabais are like Durians and it is not your everyday fruit. You will only get it once a year. The price of Dabai ranges differently in kilograms and depends on the seller. But once it is towards the end of the fruit peak season, it gets cheaper as the exotic fruits cannot last for more than a week.

Normally, the best quality Dabai comes from places in Sarawak such as Kapit, Betong, Oya, Sibu, Sarikei, and Kanowit. The freshness of Dabai depends on how the packaging is doneand the soil quality. If you are a far traveller, and you want to try out the Dabai by bringing it back home, you need to pack it properly and make sure it is not exposed to heat. If you do, the Dabai will eventually cook even for a little.

It is a very sensitive fruit even with very little heat exposure; the fruits will be cook with direct sunlight! So do pack and wrap it well.

Why there is a yellow and red flesh Dabai?

The colour is not something for you to worry on. If it is yellow, the flesh is usually thicker than the red ones.

What are you waiting for?! Book your tickets now and come over to Sarawak and have a taste of it.

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