STB Newsletter – Page 2 – Latest Highlights From The Sarawak Tourism

Penan Handwoven Bags

Handwoven bags supplied by Penan designers and weavers will be used as the official conference bag for the National Teochew Conference on August 15 to be held at the Pullman Kuching.

The Penan motifs are woven in the state colours of red, yellow and black, and will be given to the estimated 1,200 delegates from across the country that are expected to attend, combined with special guests from China and Singapore.

These Penan-woven bags were also the official bags during the Kuching Heritage Race which took place February this year, and received great feedback from the race participants.

These bags are produced by Sarawak’s last semi-nomadic Penan artisans, under the support and coordination of the Ten Ringgit Club, a non-profit organisation that assists these artisans to sell their woven crafts as a supplementary household income, and the proceeds go to an education fund to provide tuition and education aid for Penan children.

Photo shows penan woman weaving the bags for the conference.

AirAsia in Kuching

AirAsia has launched the Kuching-Langkawi-Kuching direct flight on August 8, a four times weekly flying on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

This is AirAsia’s 11^th destination out from Kuching, including the direct Kuching-Pontianak-Kuching route which was launched on June 5.

3.2 million guests flew AirAsia from Kuching last year.

The arrival of the Kuching-Langkawi flight being officially welcomed by water salute at the Kuching International Airport

Normah Medical Specialist Centre Receives Gold Seal of Approval

The Normah Medical Specialist Centre (NMSC) in Kuching has recently been awarded a Gold Seal of Approval for Hospital Accreditation by the Joint Commission International.

The Golden Seal of Approval was awarded to NMSC in recognition of its continuous compliance with internationally-recognised standards, and is testament to the quality treatment provided in providing a safe and effective care for local and international patients.

The Joint Commission International is a United States based non-profit organisation that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organisations and programmes.

NMSC is one of Sarawak’s leading medical institutes providing international class medical facilities and has found favour among Indonesians seeking medical treatment.

Visit Miri Year 2018

Miri will host its Visit Miri Year (VMY) 2018 next year.

The Miri City Council has formed a VMY 2018 organising committee with eight sub-committees, namely marketing and publicity; transportation; accommodation; events and calendar; safety and security; tour packages and products; local produce; and tourism impact studies to ensure the success of the campaign.

It will collaborate with the state’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Sarawak Tourism Board, the Miri Residents Office and Miri District Office, Sarawak Forestry Corporation and non-governmental organisations to make the most out of the VMY 2018 campaign.

Miri City Mayor, Adam Yii has urged local tourism stakeholders to give their best to ensure that their goals are met.

The city symbol, the seahorse proudly stands at the Miri-Airport road to welcome visitors to Miri City.

Malaysia’s Favourite Destination

Sarawak is “Malaysia’s Favourite Destination” for the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair 2017, to be held on 8 to 10 September at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.

Presenting the State with the promotion theme ‘Sarawak Je’, more than 100 travel packages will be offered for sale during the three day weekend fair by 13 travel agencies and hoteliers from Sarawak.

These packages will be made available at the Sarawak Pavillion at booth number 4M001 to 4M011 in Hall 5.

From left: Acting Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board, Mary Wan Mering, MATTA Fair Vice President, Mohd Akil Mohd Yusof and MATTA Chief Executive Officer, Phua Tai Neng, introducing the “Malaysia’s Favourite Destination” banner.

Sarawak Adventure Challenge: The Lost Mines @ Sarawak, Western

The Sarawak Adventure Challenge will take place on October 14 this year, with exciting multi-sport adventure activities, in the Bau region about 43km from Kuching.

The activities planned include a combination of 40+ km mountain biking, 14+ km trail running as well as a caving section.

The reward for navigating this exhilarating route that winds through old local and mining trails through jungles, streams and villages (aside from bragging rights) is a RM6,000.00 grand prize waiting at the finish line for those who come in first.

This event is organized by Draco Action Sports and is a joint venture between Borneo Adventure and Paradesa; two travel industry and outdoor sports veterans.

The event is supported by the Sarawak Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tasik Biru (N2) and Serembu (N18) constituencies and Bau District Council. It is endorsed by Tourism Malaysia.

Registration is open until September 5, for registration and information visit http://sarawakchallenge.com/

Baram Regatta

This year’s Baram Regatta will take place on August 25 to 27 and is expected to continue to attract both domestic and foreign participants.

The Regatta will take place at Batang Baram in Marudi, about 43km from Miri City in, Northern Sarawak.

The “Baram Open” race allows international and local participants to participate in racing down the Baram River.

Regaining some of its original provisions, the “Baram Closed” race is solely for the Baram folk to compete against each other, which traces the history of the Regatta from over 100 years ago.

The bi-annual event has been held since 1899, in conjunction with the Savage Peace Conference that led to peace among the different tribes and communities in the Baram area.

Sibu Lantern and Food Fair

The Lantern and Food Festival will take place on October 3 to 26, in homage to the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Sibu.

The Festival will feature a month of colourful lantern displays throughout the Town Square every night from 6:30pm to 11:30pm.

The Festival also includes a One Malaysia Food Fair features traditional local delicacies from the different races of Malaysia.

As the event aims to increase tourist arrivals to Sibu in conjunction with Visit Sibu Year 2017, it also aims to promote Chinese cultural appreciation.

The festival will also feature a lantern making contest, which includes prizes ranging from RM500 to RM5000 depending on skill, workmanship and intricacy of the lantern.

The event is organised by the Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and is supported by the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC).

For more information, please contact Mdm Ling of SCCCI: 016-8554033 or visit the Visit Sibu Year website at www.travelsibu.com

Sungai Semadang on the Map

Two Bidayuh villages along the Semadang River, Kampung Semadang and Kampung Danu, have acquired popularity for outdoor and water activites.

The two villages are located about 40km from Kuching City, the stretch of river has become known for its clear rivers, caves and forested areas as well as their abundance of fish, which attracts tourists interested in fishing, river and jungle activities.

Some of the major events in the Semadang region are the Bengoh Cultural Carnival, Padawan Raft Safari as well as the annual Semadang River Tagang@Fishing Festival.

Kampung Danu has participated in the Tagang System of fish conservation in certain stretches of Sungai Semadang where fishing is prohibited, except for once a year during the Tagang@Fishing Festival.

For more information on tourism activities in the Semadang area, visit Semadang Kayaking at http://www.semadangkayak.com/contact/

Fort Alice Wins Award for Restoration

Fort Alice’s restoration efforts recently won the Gold Award under the “Conservation” Category in Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) or Malaysia Institute of Architects’s 2017 Awards.

Arkitek JFN Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd) were responsible for the restoration and completed the project under the direction of Mike Boon, previously President and founding member of the Sarawak Heritage Society, with advisory contributions from Dr. John Ting, an architecture historian.

The jury of the awards cited their decision on choosing Fort Alice because of the “attention to detail reflected in the restoration of this old fort is truly amazing while the effort made to engage the local community in helping to preserve history for future generations is just as impressive.”

Fort Alice, named after the second white Rajah, Charles Brooke’s wife Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, was built in 1864 and is located in Sri Aman, about 200km from Kuching.