BORNEO
Borneo
is the world's third largest island. The North and North-western
part of the island are the Malaysian state of Sarawak and
Sabah, and the newly independent state of Brunei Darusalam
between them. The rest of the island is part of Indonesia,
divided into four provinces - East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan,
Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. |
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Beside
the common phrases of “Wild men of Borneo” and
“Land of the head hunters”, Borneo also offers
the natural environment of white sandy beaches, crystal clear
waters, diverse coral reefs, winding rivers, lush rainforests,
national parks, world heritage sites, intricate cave systems,
rugged mountains and rich wildlife which provide exciting
and excellent attractions for leisure, sports and adventure
activities. |
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| SABAH
Sabah
has a population of 2.5 million people, with Kota Kinabalu
as its capital city. Main attractions in Sabah: |
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A
diving paradise, Sipadan Island is about 30 km off the coast
of Semporna, a small town in the southeast coast of Sabah.
The mushroom-shaped Sipadan is the only oceanic island in
Malaysia, offering myriads of colourful tropical fish and
corals in its crystal clear waters.
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Ever since celebrity Jacques
Cousteau documented on film about Sipadan's diversity of marine
life, this diving paradise has been indisputably the most
famous scuba destination in Malaysia and the world. |
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Kinabalu Park And Mount Kinabalu
Mount
Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in South-East Asia with its
peak rising to 4,101m (13,455ft). The climb to the peak will
take about 12 hours.
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The mountain is the focal
point of the Kinabalu Park which covers an area of 754 sq
km (291 sq miles). The park is a natural haven for a variety
of plant and animal species. One of the largest flowers in
the world ,the Rafflesia, with its giant red blossom can grow
to over 170 cm in diameter here. Several bird varieties including
the Mountain Bush Warbler, Kinabalu friendly Warbler, palefaced
Bilbul and Mountain Blackeyes. More than 250 bird varieties
have been recorded. Small mammals which inhabit the mountain
include mountain squirrels, tree shrews and bats. |
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Orang
Utan Sanctuary
Sepilok Rehabilitation
Centre is one of the well known orang utan sanctuaries in
the world. It was founded in 1964 to rehabilitate orphan orang
utans. The site is a 43 sq km of protected land at the edge
of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve. Today around 60 to 80 orang
utans are living free in the reserve. It is accessible after
a 25-km drive from Sandakan.
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| These gentle orang utans are very appealing.
Trained orang utans may be cuddled for a memorable snapshot. |
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How
to get here:
Kota Kinabalu International Airport
is a major air hub for the Borneo states of Malaysia. The main airlines
are Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia providing the main links with
Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and as several regional destinations
like Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kaohsiung,
Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka and Macau. Other airlines which service
Kota Kinabalu are Dragonair, Silkair, Royal Brunei Airlines and
Asiana.
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SARAWAK
Sarawak
has a population of 2.4 million. Kuching is its capital city.
Main attractions in Sarawak:
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cave system is a breath-taking natural wonder which contains
a number of record breaking caves. With the world's largest
cave passage - Deer Cave, the world's largest natural chamber
– Sarawak Chamber and the longest cave in Southeast
Asia Clearwater Cave, it is not surprising that Mulu is now
world-famous. |
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Over 200 km of cave passages
have been surveyed but this is thought to represent just 30-40%
of the actual total.
Mulu Cave is located in Gunung
Mulu National Park, about 30 minutes plane ride from Miri. |
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Sarawak
Museum
Sarawak Museum was established in 1891. It is located in Kuching
and is one of Asia's finest. It houses a collection of Bornean
ethnological and archaeological items and an exhibition featuring
a reconstruction of the great Niah Caves, with remains of
the Neolithic people who lived in the Caves.
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Sarawak
Cultural Village and Rainforest World Music Festival
Sarawak
Cultural Village is some 45 minutes' drive from Kuching. It
is a living museum of different tribes and architecture spread
over a lovely green area at the foot of Mount Santubong. |
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You will be able to see
how Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh and many other tribes live, work
and cook in the longhouses, each with its own identity. Rainforest
World Music Festival is a three-day world music festival which
brings together some of the best world musicians for workshops
and nightly live concerts.
It is best to visit Sarawak
Cultural Village during the annual Rainforest World Music
Festival which happens each July. The festival is held on
the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village
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How
to get here:
Kuching International
Airport is a major local air hub. The main airlines
are Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia providing the main
links with Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and as several
regional destinations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhou,
Maucau and Perth. Other airlines which service Kuching
are Silkair and Royal Brunei Airlines. |
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