Sabah, Malaysia - Top Ten Major Tourist Attractions


The following are the top ten major tourist attractions at Sabah:

Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in South-east Asia, rising to 4,101meters in north-western East Malaysia. You can find variety of plants which consist of 1200 species. In year 2000, UNESCO declared Mount Kinabalu as "The World Natural Heritage in Malaysia"

Turtle Island Park

Turtle Island Park is located at Sulu Sea, off the east coast of Sabah. You may find three beautiful small islands over the Turtle Island Park, Selingan, Gulisan and Bakungan Kechil Island. The main activities over these islands is to see turtle laying eggs. The best time to visit these islands is between July and October when the sea is calmer.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park consist of five islands, they are Gaya Island, Mamutik Island, Manukan Island, Sapi Island and Sulug Island. The nature lovers are attracted by the shallow waters, sumptuous coral gardens, scuba diving, the sandy beaches and enjoying the beautiful flora and fauna.

Gomantong Caves

Gomantong Caves located at the eastern lowlands of Sabah, are the intricate limestone cave system of Gomantong Hill. Collection of birds' nests is the main activities of the caves, WWF described it as 'the best-managed edible birds nest cave in the world'. The harvesting season is around February to April and July to September.

Sabah State Museum

Sabah State Museum was built in 1985. The attractions for this museum are handicraft, collection of ceramics, traditional weapons, traditional houses and in summary you can get to know the Sabah's history, culture and social by just having a one day tour.

Poring Hot Spring

Poring Hot Spring is located within the Kinabalu Park. The sulfuric hot waters of the springs can make you feel relax and rest your limbs after climbing the Mt Kinabalu. You may also have chance to see the world's largest flower, Rafflesia over here. Remember to stop at the native market for fruits and handicrafts along the way.

Kinabatangan River

Kinabatangan River begins its 563 km north-easterly course towards the Sulu Sea, this is the second longest river of Malaysia and the longest river over Sabah. You must visit to the limestone caves, reverie forest, freshwater swamp forest, oxbow lakes and salty mangrove swamps when you reach there.

Sipadan Island

Sipadan Island is one of the top five dive sites in the world, it also surrounded by the most amazing marine animals. Sipadan is an oceanic island and was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano. Sipadan Island also gather the green and hawksbill turtles to mate and nest at the beach.

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre was established in 1964. The primary objective of the centre is to rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned baby orangutan and prepares them for life in the jungle. You will have chance to see others wild animals like hornbills, spiders and 200 species of birds too.

Semporna

Semporna is known as the scuba diving and snorkeling spot. Each year, in the month of April, the traditional boat race, Regatta Lepa will be conducting at this Island too. Bajau is their major population and they live in sprawling stilt villages over the water and away from the town. Their main source of income is from the pearl culturing.

By visiting Sabah, for sure you will have an unforgettable experience; check out http://www.1asiantravel.com for other attractive tour destinations over Malaysia.

Mary is the founder of http://www.1asiantravel.com, a website that offers information on tour destination, hotel information for Asian countries. She is a natural lover and a mother of few kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=April_Mary_Lee

National Parks of Sarawak


Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia, is located in eastern part of Malaysia. It lies on the northwest coast of Borneo, which is itself the third largest island in the world. The state is the first choice of wildlife lovers in Malaysia. Forests are the most valuable asset of Sarawak which holds the national parks of the likes of Gunung Mulu, Niah, Bako, Talang Satang, Lambir Hills and Similajau.

Gunung Mulu National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park, the most famous of Sarawak parks, is visited for its clear forest streams, diversity of wildlife and rainforests. However, the topmost among the Gunung Mulu are its large limestone cave systems. The cave system is nothing less than a marvel. The park boasts of the cave systems like Sarawak Chamber, the world's largest natural chamber; Clearwater Cave, the longest cave in Southeast Asia; and Deer Cave, the world's largest cave passage.

Niah National Park
Archaeological assets make Niah National special. The huge cave sheltered humans some 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. The oldest human remains in Southeast Asia have been discovered in Niah National Park. The Painted Cave, bedecked by early humans, is another attraction of Niah Cave. Both the caves have been granted the status of National Historical Monuments by the Malaysian government.

Bako National Park
Bako is just 45 minutes from Kuching, the provincial capital, making it the most accessible among Sarawak parks. For seeing wildlife, it is the best among all parks in Sarawak. One gets plenty of chances to observe and photograph wildlife. For seeing the best of wildlife, you must visit the park at dawn or dusk. There are some very good trails for trekkers. An array of activities makes it among the most popular parks in Sarawak.

Talang Satang National Park
Talang Satang, developed with objective of marine turtle conservation, is the first national park in Sarawak having significant marine landscape. The park is comprised of the islands of Pulau Satang Besar, Pulau Satang Kecil, Pulau Talang-Talang Besar, and Pulau Talang-Talang Kecil. You could visit it some good marine beauty and creatures.

Lambir Hills National Park
Located 30km off Miri town, Lambir has good value for recreational and educational purposes. The park has several good waterfalls, a high tree tower and the trail systems consisting primary, secondary and tertiary trails.

Similajau National Park
Scenic coastal region is what makes Similajau distinct. Located just 30km off Bintulu town, it has several places of tourist interest including Batu Mandi, Selunsur Rapid, Turtle Beach, View Point, Batu Anchau, Golden Beach, Sebubong Pool and the trails.

Dinesh Patairya has been writing on Malaysia Vacations [http://www.yourasianvacations.com/malaysia/index.html] for several online and offline publications for several years. This article is part of his assignment with YourAsianVacations.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dinesh_Patairya

Travel Vaccination Tips


The number of people who travel has exploded in the past 5 years due to the rise of budget carriers. People who would never have been able to afford flying to far off destinations because of the high cost associated with full carrier airlines in the past are now able to fly cheaply. There is even an airline that was launched in Malaysia some years ago, Air Asia, that has it's tagline as, "Now Everyone Can Fly." The expansion of air travel has been more phenomenal in Asia than in Europe or the US in these past few years.

This increase in travelers brings with it, its own set of problems. People are traveling to countries with endemic diseases that the travelers have no natural immunity against. For example, malaria is not endemic in the US and Europe but is an everyday event in Africa and certain Asian countries. Therefore travelers from the US would not have any immunity from this disease if they are infected with the malaria agent.

Travelers are one of the biggest transmitters of infectious diseases. Transmission of such diseases is even more rampant and fast because of air travel. It's like air travel has unleashed the infectious agents onto the world. Recall the speed with which SARS spread from Hong Kong to Canada - within 5 days of its recognition.

In order to avoid personal infection and therefore avoid becoming a carrier of disease, it's only judicious that travelers avail themselves of the following information for personal protection.


Find out the diseases prevalent in the country traveling to at the time of visit
Check if they need to be vaccinated against the diseases endemic in this country because some diseases only affect those of a particular age range
Check if they have been vaccinated before for these diseases
Check if they need to revaccinate, if they have already received the vaccine before. Some vaccines need boosters or revaccination after some years and others don't.
Equip oneself with a medical travel kit that contains relevant medical accessories and medication.
If they ascertain that they need to be vaccinated, then ideally they should vaccinate 14 days before embarking on the preferred mode of travel. This is to ensure that the measure of antibodies achieve the optimum levels before travel. Some vaccines take only 7 days to achieve maximum levels and others up to 14 days. Oftentimes the rate of antibody production depends on the efficiency of each person's physiological makeup. So 14 days is a general rule of thumb. However, if the ideal cannot be adhered to, vaccination even on the day of travel is advisable - the philosophy being, better late than never! Vaccination is akin to an insurance policy.

Here are some vaccines that are considered travel vaccines. They may not be considered travel vaccines for denizens of the country where the disease is endemic.

i) Influenza - for those traveling from one hemisphere to the other during the winter of the destination country
ii) Travelers diarrhea
iii) Cholera
iv) Typhoid
v) Hepatitis A
vi) Hepatitis B
vii) Japanese encephalitis
viii) Meningococcal A,C,W,Y
ix) Polio
x) Rabies
xi) Tetanus
xii) Yellow Fever
xiii) Diphtheria
xiv) Pertussis
xv) Lyme disease
xvi) Tick-borne encephalitis
xvii) Measles-Mumps-Rubella

Generally anyone can receive these vaccines if it's appropriate for their age.

People who have an allergy to specific components of the vaccine should not receive the vaccine, so be sure to inform the healthcare professional of such allergy status.

Pregnant women are usually discouraged from vaccines unless there is a life threatening need.

Having fever rules out vaccination during the episode.

James T Pereira is the Founder of Breakthrough Health Solutions, LLC that reveals the breakthrough health tools that help people achieve supercharged health.

Vaccines are unnatural methods of safeguarding your health and they cause side-effects that can maim you. There are natural methods to shield yourself fro infections.

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Great Travel Safety Tips For You


The world has not quite become a global village yet. Although it has become a lot easier than before to travel to most places around the globe, it's yet not as simple as roaming about in your own country. Add to that, the problems of terrorism and insurgency, in most countries you can think of and travel can become a really scary prospect. So, what do you do if you're planning a trip abroad?

Going abroad may be something you have wanted for a long time. Despite potentially volatile conditions in many parts of the world, you will see that people still travel to the supposedly 'dangerous zones'. This is because of the magnitude of their wanderlust. If you are one of them, then there is no need to hold yourself back. These travel safety tips can ensure that you have a safe trip abroad.

1. Do thorough research about the language and culture of the country which you intend to visit. Learning a few important phrases in the local language can help you a lot in times of emergency. Knowing the local customs and traditions can also help not to offend the residents and blend in as much as possible.

2. Choose your hotel carefully. Do not go for cheap motels and inns which might turn out to be seedy joints! Look for moderately priced hotels located in the heart of the city.

While in your hotel room, keep the door bolted at all times and do not open without verifying the identity of the person knocking at the door. Check and locate the fire escapes and alarm systems. Do not hesitate to complain to the reception, in case you see any irregularities.

3. Get your transport arranged beforehand. You can arrange pick-ups and drops with registered transport agencies, throughout the duration of your trip. This is the best way to prevent possible problems with local drivers who may not understand your language.

In case you are renting a car for your entire trip. Make sure that you get the right maps with directions marked for you. If the car has GPS, it's even better. Do not stop to give lifts to strangers and keep your car doors locked at all times. In case you get lost, drive on to the next populated area and ask for directions.

4. Make sure that you do not carry any expensive or valuable items when you travel. Only have the necessary credit cards and as much cash as you simply cannot do without.

Always keep passports and visas close to you and not with your other luggage. Remember that your passport can let you access help from the embassy in case something goes terribly wrong. It may be a good idea to submit photocopies of the vital documents to the embassies beforehand.

5. Be polite and try not to stand as the odd one out. But take care not to get overly friendly with strangers and share your travel plans with them. Do not accept food and drink from anyone for they might be laced with drugs.

If you stick to these travel trips, you might have a great time abroad and find inspiration for more trips in future!

Simon Johnnson is the director of content for Executive Gift Shoppe. They specialize in leather briefcases and wallets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Johnnson