Conventions in Sarawak

From a newspaper article from The Star dated December 12, 2006. By hosting meetings, Sarawak will be able to showcase its business expertise and create new markets for its products whereby conventions provide a bridge between tourism and trade. For more information on hosting your meetings and conventions in Sarawak, visit the Sarawak Convention Bureau website.

Bureau targets 50 conventions for Sarawak

KUCHING: The new Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB), officially launched yesterday, has set a target of 50 conventions to bid for next year.

Its chief executive Jill Henry said the bureau would work hard to bring in national as well as international organisations to hold their meetings in the state.

“We want to convince 50 organisations from different industries that Sarawak can host their meetings.

“Our first target will be national organisations, which regularly meet in Kuala Lumpur or Langkawi, and get them to consider Sarawak as an alternative venue for their conventions,” she told reporters after the bureau was launched by Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh at the state legislative assembly building here.

Henry also said the bureau would be compiling statistics and baseline data on the number of people coming into Sarawak to attend meetings.

“At the moment, the meetings industry is not separated from ordinary tourist arrivals, so we’re now working with the tourism industry and hotels to get the statistical evidence in place.

“Once we have the baseline information, we’ll be able to track our growth,” she said.

Wong, who was representing Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, said in his speech earlier that the bureau would provide specialist services and assistance to the business community and event organisers in bidding for conventions to be held in the state.

“Sarawak is still relatively unknown as a meetings destination. In establishing Malaysia’s first convention bureau, we have taken an important step forward to attract more meetings to Sarawak,” he said.

He added that the meetings industry worldwide was worth an estimated US$280bil (RM1 trillion) and that international delegates were especially sought after because they typically spent up to three times more than the average tourist.

“Sarawak has a distinct advantage in that we have so many assets endowed by nature.

“Our excellent tourism products such as Mulu National Park and unique cultural attractions will add to the delegate experience and encourage them to extend their stay here,” he said.

Reasons To Visit Sarawak #2

REASON #2 The Rich Culture Within

Sepi- a traditional musical instrument

Bidayuh- the "land dayak" with her bamboo produce

A long house

A bamboo product

The famous Sarawak clay pottery

A Orang Ulu house decoration

Reasons To Visit Sarawak

Next, we'll provide you 7 reasons why Sarawak is a destination for all in the next 7 publishes. Not much explanations, but showing you the truth of the living creatures and happenings here.

REASON #1 ITS NATURE

Below The Endangered Proboscis Monkey

Above The Pitcher Plant

Left The Mulu Deer Cave

A Testimony

I am delighted to know that my city is being honoured as the World's Healthiest City. Therefore I have decided to post this testimony earlier than planned, to share with you how much others appreciate Kuching.

I never knew what kind of impression Kuching gave to its visitors from the western countries until I heard from the following English couple.

Let's see what they have to say about Kuching.

“This is my home. I’m here for good and never want to leave this place.”
- Louis Barton , England

I met Louis some years ago. He was in his late fifties. Retired. Started his journey to go around as many places as possible with his loved one, Rose.

Malaysia was not the first place they visited. “I was first in Singapore, then had a short stay in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia before stepping in this land for the first time in 2001. In fact, my first stop in Malaysia was in Penang.

Not until I stopped by in Kuching before departed to Miri and Mulu, I was so attracted to the feeling of peacefulness in my heart. I had never felt that way for a place before. And I told Rose we must come back here again.”

Louis and Rose revisited Kuching the next 2 years, and decided to make Malaysia as their second home. The couple applied a special program called “Make Malaysia The 2nd Home” and now is settling down well in Kuching.

“In fact, I love this country. Don’t ask me why. I just can’t answer this. But Kuching is just exceptionally different! I am glad I am here.”

This is the testimony of an English couple, Louis and Rose Barton. In fact, many visitors whom we have met here share the similar testimonies. Consider Kuching, and you will feel the difference.

Malaysia Y.E.S.!

Ready! Get set! GO!!!

Malaysia Year End Sales is gonna KICK OFF in 2 days!

Malaysia's Year-End-Sale to begin on Dec 1. It will soon be time to shop around for some real good bargains. The Malaysia Year-End Sale is set to begin nationwide from Dec 1 till Jan 31 with 6,000 retailers taking part. And shoppers can expect discounts of up to 70 per cent.

SALE! SALE! SALE!

So what's your solution?!

Spend, Spend, & Spend!!!

Good news for the ladies.
1. Your collections of fancy gadgets will dramtically increase.
2. Impulsive shopping to destress your whole year burden.
3. Massively get discouted prices for things you have aimed for long long time ago.
4. And yes, Christmas time! Buy a good present for yourself and your loved ones.

Gentlemen
Sorry for your pockets! But at least the ladies help the economy grow.

Kuala Lumpur is always the better choice for shopping. Consider the below places to pamper yourself when you start to wind down for the rest of the year:-

Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur
www.timesquarekl.com

Mid Valley Mega Mall
www.midvalley.com.my

Suria KLCC
www.suriaklcc.com.my

Sunway Pyramid
www.sunway.com.my/pyramid/

Sungei Wang
www.sungeiwang.com

BB Plaza
www.udaholdings.com.my/bbplaza/

Lot 10
www.ytlcommunity.com/lot10/

Star Hill Gallery
www.starhillgallery.co

1 Utama
www.1utama.com.my

Ikano Power Centre

The Curve
www.thecurve.com.my

Fast Facts About Malaysia

Country

Comprises Peninsular Malaysia of 11 states in the west, and Sabah & Sarawak are located in Borneo.

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

Geographical Location

Located between 2' and 7' north of the Equator. Peninsular Malaysia is seperated from Sabah & Sarawak by South China Sea. Up north of the Peninsular is Thailand, and down south neighbour with Singapore. Sabah & Sarawak are bordered by Indoenesia as well as Brunei.

Area and Population

Approximately 329, 758 sq km with near 25 million of population

Language

Official language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). However, other languages like English and Mandarin are widely used by the locals. Some common dialect like Cantonese and Hokkien are commonly used too.

Race

Majority Malays. Chinese comes in second and third are the Indians. Natives are also found in the country.

Religion
Malaysia is a free religion country. Islamic is the official religion but other religions are practised freely.


Climate
Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Don't expect four seasons. Do expect constacnt heat in the country with monsoon rain visit at the end of the year. Temperatures ranges from 21C to 32C. Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.


Time
Eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time.


Currency
Ringgit Malaysia (RM) is the official currency in the country. It is paged RM3.65 to USD1.00. The RM comes in denominations of RM1, RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100. Coins are knows as sen. These include 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen and 50 sen. Major foreign currency could be changed at the money changers or banks.


Entry Requirements
Visitors to Malaysia must possess a valid passport of travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the period of stay. Most nationalities do not require visas for social or business visits.

Kuching- World's Healthiest City

Being a Sarawakian or a Kuchingnite is proud! Not just once, not the first time, that our city is being recognised with such international honour. Locally, Kuching is always the cleanest city in Malaysia. Let's keep it up for our beloved Cat City.

KUCHING, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Kuching is the healthiest city in the world this year.
The Sarawak state capital, on the northwestern tip of Borneo Island, won two international honours -- "Good Practices of Healthy Cities 2006" and "Pioneers in Healthy Cities 2006" -- awarded by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) in Suzhou, China, on Oct 30.

"This is the second time Kuching is voted the world's healthiest city. We won it for the first time in 2002," Deputy State Secretary Datuk Morshidi Gani said at a press conference, here Monday.
Kuching hosted the first Asean Healthy Cities Conference in June 2002 and the AFHC General Assembly in October 2004.

It adopted the healthy city concept implemented in Brighton, England.

Malaysia - Truly Asia

13 colorful states. 3 fascinating Federal Territories.

Warm climate. Predictable weather. One season.

Multi racial. Multi cultural. Multi lingual.

Warm hearted personality. A trademark smile on every people.

One country. That forms Malaysia.

In 1957, 31 August, with the three famous shouts of “Merdeka” by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia had therefore declared its independence!

Since its independence day in 1957, Malaysia is reaching its 50th anniversary in 2007. But in the eyes of many, this country has painted an impression of surrounded by old buildings. Looking back, from a rubber plantation country transforming into its modernity of today, this has amazed many.

Since then, Malaysia’s image has changed.

It’s no longer the country with 60’s or 70’s of street look. What is presented is the new modern look. Skyscrapers are seen in the cities. The landmark has been the 2nd tallest building, the Petronas Twin Towers. Cyberjaya, the new seat of the government has become the multi-media super corridor. The Subang Airport has been replaced by the new and high technology Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Four storey highways were built to ease the heavy traffic in the cities. Roads are expanded to freeways. Shopping complexes are built everywhere, understanding the transformation to a regional shopping paradise. Business centers are all around to cater the need of speedy growth businesses.

This is the new millennium Malaysia. Brilliant!

Another Reason To Visit Miri

A newspaper cutting from The Star. It's another reason to visit Miri, the northern city of Sarawak.

Friday November 24, 2006


Sarawak plans chartered flights from Seoul
MIRI: Direct chartered flights from Seoul to Miri in northern Sarawak will start next year, said Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Gracie Geikie.

She said a planeload of about 180 Korean tourists will be visiting Miri and the Mulu National Park and taking part in the Miri International Jazz Festival 2007 here in May.

“These Korean tourists belong to a major golf club that has more than 8,000 members in Korea. They have confirmed their plans to come to northern Sarawak using a chartered aircraft,” she said.

“We (STB) are trying to arrange with Malaysia Airlines to facilitate this tour package from Korea to Miri, direct without any stops. We are also looking at the possibility of arranging similar direct chartered flights to Miri from other Far East countries and Europe,” she told a press conference here yesterday when launching the Miri international jazz festival logo here.

Geikie said the jazz festival to be held on May 11 and 12 will be a major event to commemorate Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and to celebrate Miri City Day on May 20.

Renowned jazz groups from Cuba, Morocco, Germany, India, France, New Orleans in the United States, Australia, England, Spain and China will be taking part in the musical.

“CNN have agreed to give coverage to this event and so has Discovery Channel and Travel and Living. This event will be shown to global audiences and hopefully will give a lot of international publicity to this part of Sarawak,” said Geikie.

“STB will soon arrange with a global online ticketing agency to enable tickets to this jazz festival to be purchased via Internet,” she said, adding that the festival will be held at the Parkcity Everly beach resort, which overlooks the South China Sea.

STB hoped to turn this jazz musical extravaganza into a major tourism success just like the Rainforest Music Festival in Kuching, she said.

The rainforest music show brings in more than RM10mil in revenue yearly by drawing more than 20,000 visitors.

Who We Are

Some people have asked what Borneo Travellers is all about.

We are G&S Tourism Co., an independent online tourism company. G&S Tourism Co. is not contracted to any private or government bodies in tourism, but have been trying hard to meet thousands of tourist expectations and contribute to the society every year.

Our philosophy is simple. We want to let those who wish to visit Sabah and Sarawak to be able to read this blog, and utilise the information given to map out a good visitng plan in future. The beauty of this is the practicality and simplicity in the descriptions of the places we gonna introduce.

Customers' satisfaction is our first priority. We have been topping our customers' statisfaction list over the years. And we want to do better. But there are thousands or even million of foreign visitors each and every year. And in fact, this number is growing. Lauching this blog is a breakthrough not only for us, but the tourism industry in East Malaysia, which we include Sabah and Sarawak.

Everyone is invited to this site. We would post all the interesting places in a few major cities, Kuching and Miri of Sarawak as well as Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan of Sabah. In the past, from our understanding is, tourists are normally brought to the "common" places, and have some "common" food and therefore they have "common" experience during their stay.

No doubt, these are interesting places for visit or for good food. But we want more for you. We care and you deserve the best of all. In fact, there are more places worth for visits or eating out. And these places are normally beyond foreign tourists' reach. These places are "hiding" somewhere in the city. Your tourist guides won't bring you there!

If you want to visit Sabah or Sarawak for some extraordinary experience, then you have come to the right place. We aim to list all the interesting activities, places worth for a visit or activities, and good local food.

Therefore, it is our call to launch this blog to introduce you all the common places which your tourist guides would normally bring you. But at the same time we are going to "dig" out all the hiding places one by one which tourists guides won't bring you. This information is open, and you are free to access to it!

Borneo Travellers- The Beginning

This column is specially made for those who plan to make a visit to Borneo, the fifth largest island in the world.

In conjunction with the Vist Malaysia 2007, we will now post the attractive spots, activities, festivals, the tribes, our culture, heritage, the local favourite food and etc every now and then.

We will mainly concentrate in the happenings in major cities in Sarawak (Kuching & Miri) as well as in Sabah (KK & Sandakan). However, useful travel information of other states in Malaysia would be available too from time to time.

Stay tuned with us, for more information. If you are one of those who have been to the places in Borneo, you are most welcome to leave a comment, or post us some beautiful pictures.
Enjoy the blog, tell your friends about this fanstastic site and have a great day ahead.