Category: Updates From The Industry

The CH Premier Restaurant at Jalan Tun Jugah, Kuching, has set records as the first restaurant in Malaysia to have robotic serving staff.

With four new robotic waitresses on their payroll, the taller robots named Goddess 1 to 3, and a smaller robot named Lolita, all four of whom use magnetic strips on the ground to navigate the floor.

The Restaurant serves fine dining meals, steamboat meals and Chinese-style family platters, so  in lieu of the theme, the robots speak in Mandarin and are able to speak a specific set of phrases including ‘thank you’, ‘excuse me’ and ‘please take the food from the tray’.

This bodes as the dawning of a new age in cuisine for Kuching, as it shows a blend of traditional cuisine and modern times, and this upgrade should encourage local attractions and facilities to add more marketable aspects to their business to keep them relevant.

Tusan Beach on the outskirts of Miri City has now gained prominence after the discovery of natural bioluminescence or a neon-blue glowing in the ocean waves at night better known as “Blue Tears”.

While the Blue Tears are a product of phytoplankton in the water, and while it does not occur every night, it is undoubtedly a breath-taking sight.

There is no promise that one can get a heads-up as to when to go to the beach to witness it, but Tusan does have incredible pull even without the blue-glowing waters at night.

The Beach is one of the more secluded beaches on the Northern coast of Sarawak.

With pristine white sands, incredible natural rock formations like the Horse Head Cliff, and a group of local food and drink stalls with fresh coconut and barbeque.

One can come by and enjoy a fun and peaceful day out on the beach, away from the hustle of the city.

Diethelm Travel have created an eight day volunteer programme at the Batang Ai National Park, to enable participants to take part in the conservation works of the endangered flora and fauna.

Registration is open from now until October 31, 2017.

The programme will range from checking camera traps to maintenance of trails and infrastructure, as well as assisting local communities that live adjacent to the park who are vital first responders and informers in the conservation efforts of Batang Ai.

The unique twist of this volunteer programme is the planned trek to the areas where the wild Orang Utans and other protected wildlife live, being in their natural habitat.

At the end of the eight day programme, the volunteers will visit the Semenggoh Nature Reserve to gain awareness on the ongoing wildlife rehabilitation efforts of the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

For more information, visit their website at www.diethelmtravel.com

Sarawak’s Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s recent open policy towards foreign scientists and institution collaborations for Research and Development in Sarawak’s rainforests has yielded promising results for the future of Nature tourism in Sarawak.

In the short time proceeding the open policy, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation have announced the discovery of 12 new plant and animal species in the Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) of Sarawak’s prime rainforests, with encouraging possibilities of more species yet to be found.

The Chief Minister has been pressing for a crack-down on illegal logging for the past year, which has resulted in the accelerated gazettement of TPAs and protection of wildlife within the state.

With the increase of National Parks and TPAs, as well as the increasing discovery of endemic flora and fauna, the viability and sustainability of Nature tourism within the state are increasing exponentially.

Since July this year, 903,769 ha of areas have been gazetted as TPAs that consisted of 35 national parks (694,770 ha), 14 nature reserves (2.539 ha) and six wildlife sanctuaries (206,460 ha), nearing the state’s target of 1.2 million ha as TPAs.

The Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa has become the first rainforest resort in Asia to be awarded the Best of Malaysia Top 5 – Best Resort Experience and Excellence Award by Expatriate Lifestyle.

The Resorts that receive this annual award are voted on by Expatriate Lifestyle readers who have experienced the various Resorts for themselves.

After recent renovations throughout the resort over the past few years to better the facilities of the chalets, this looks to be a very encouraging and deserved rebound for Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa, and this award will hopefully bounce it back to the forefront of local and international travel markets.

The resort boasts 101 rooms and is just minutes away from the Mulu National Park, which is Sarawak’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site with the world’s largest natural cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber), the world’s largest cave passage (Deer Cave), the world’s largest limestone cave system (Gunung Benarat) and the longest cave in Southeast Asia (Clearwater Cave).

For more information on the Excellence Award:

http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/bomawards/Best-of-Malaysia/2016/Best-Resort-Experience/Mulu-Marriott-Resort-and-Spa

For more information on Mulu National Park:

http://mulupark.com/about-us/mulu-world-heritage-area/

 

There will be major renovations of the Miri Handicraft Center Building in the City centre of Miri, under the coordination of the Miri City Council.

Due to renovations on the main building, all stall owners will be moving temporarily to High Street, located just in front of the Miri Resident Office.

The renovations are estimated to be completed in June 2017, wherein all stall owners will be moved back into the premises.

Link given below will show you the map of the new temporary location:

http://www.miriresortcity.com/content/miri-handicraft-center

Picture shows Miri Handicraft Center. Photo credit: Miri City Council

Contact person Mr. Dennis Ng (0168161060).

 

The Malaysia Airlines direct Kuching – Penang –Kuching direct flight will be reinstated on November 18 and will continue until December 31.

According to Malaysia Airlines, further extension will be considered to cater for the Chinese New year.

It will be times weekly flight on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and will depart at 9.20 am and is expected to arrive in Penang at 11. 30 am.

The return flight from Penang is at 12.05 noon arriving Kuching at 3.00 pm.

The current the promotional fare is RM 150.00 per one way inclusive of taxes.

For further information please log on to www.malaysiaairlines.com

 

Imperial Riverbank Hotel, 3-star hotel located at the iconic Kuching Waterfront is now open for business

The latest addition to the Imperial Group of Hotels the 109 room “boutique” setting offers Standard King, Superior King and Deluxe Twin rooms equipped with essential facilities and amenities for discerning travellers.

Located at the bank of the picturesque Sarawak River, visitors can be easily accessible to the Waterfront, handicrafts outlets at the Main Bazaar or leisurely taking a sampan ride across the river to the Malay villages for “kek lapis” shopping.

For bookings and enquiries contact them at Email: irhkch@imperial.com.my

The Taipei International Travel Fair (Taipei ITF) 2016 will be held on November 4-7 at the Taipei World Trade Center.

 The Taipei ITF is the most popular travel fair in the Asia-Pacific region, providing golden opportunities for multiple business ventures at once while maintaining its reputation as a high-quality platform, as all exhibitors are strictly vetted to ensure only the best attend.

Last years’ ITF recorded 950 exhibitors and 1,450 booths from over 60 countries and regions over the four-day event, attracting nearly 350,000 visitors.

The Sarawak Tourism Board will be exhibiting throughout the event, alongside with others of the industry.

The 55^th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress will be taking place at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on November 13-16.

The Congress hopes to facilitate networking, encourage the formation of new business ventures, as well as allowing participants to broaden their awareness and share experiences with others, thereby maximising the benefits for everyone attending the event.

Aside from forum-like presentations, the main attraction of ICCA is the incredibly social and communal concept of the event, with opportunities for everyone to participate in small-group discussions led by veterans of the field who can provide useful advice for a businessperson’s professional development.

ICCA is a knowledge hub and a global community over 1,000 member-companies strong, creating a knowledge hub of specialists from over 90 countries, all dedicated in the organising and logistics of international meetings and events.

With special attention to the international association meetings sector, ICCA has become an expert in its field with unparalleled information banks and communication networks, like a hive-mind of kindred businesses.