Travel Magazine

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Issues 1 March 2014 RM 18.00

SEEKING AROUND FOR THE PLACES

TOP 5 MUST VISIT PLACES !

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MALAYSIA

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‘Having had an interesting past and being a part of the inter national spice route many hundreds of years ago, Malaysia has turned into a mosaic of cultures. Everything from its people to its architecture reflect a colourful heritage and an amalgamated culture.

To understand Malaysian culture, you must first get to know its people.’

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TOP 5

1 LANGKAWI

MUST VISIT PLACES !

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angkawi, officially known as Langkawi the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border.

On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island. Langkawi, a cluster of

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104 islands separated from mainland Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca, is a district of the state of Kedah in Northern Malaysia and lies approximately 51 km west of Kedah. The total land mass of the islands is 47,848 hectares. The main island spans about 25 km from north to south and slightly more for east and west. The coastal areas consist of flat, alluvial plains punctuated with limestone ridges. Two-thirds of the island is dominated by forest-covered mountains, hills and natural vegetation.[citation needed]. The island’s oldest geological formation, Gunung Matchincang, was the first part of South-East Asia to rise from the sea. Langkawi means island of the reddish-brown eagle in colloquial Malay. The Malay word for eagle is helang - which is shortened to “lang”.

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KUALA LUMPUR

Kuala Lumpur sometimes abbreviated as K.L.,[6] is the federal capital and most populous city in Malaysia.[7] The city covers an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 1.6 million as of 2012.[7] Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 5.7 million as of 2010.

[3] It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in the country, in terms of population and economy.

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Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix. In addition, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia’s futuristic development.

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CAMERON HIGHLAN

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The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. The size of Singapore, it occupies an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi) in the Titiwangsa Mountains.

To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak.

Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, the “Camerons” is approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Ipoh or about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Kuala Lumpur. It is the smallest constituency in Pahang.

Discovered in 1885, it consists of three districts, namely Ringlet (5,165 hectares), Tanah Rata (2,081 hectares) and Ulu Telom (63,981 hectares). Its eight sub-districts are Ringlet, Tanah Rata (the administrative centre), Brinchang, the Bertam Valley, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja. All are nestled at different elevations ranging from 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level.

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HANG A P , A R A G E N N TAMA Taman Negara was established at the Titiwangsa Mountains, Malaysia, in 1938/1939 as the King George V National Park. It was renamed to Taman Negara after independence, which literally means “national park” in Malay. Taman Negara has a total area of 4,343 km² and has a reputation as the world’s oldest tropical rainforest.[1][2] Taman Negara encompasses three states, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, each with its own legislation. The Taman Negara Enactment (Pahang) No. 2 of 1939 is enforced in the state of Pahang, the Taman Negara Enactment (Kelantan) No. 14 of 1938 in the state of Kelantan and the Taman Negara Enactment (Terengganu) No. 6 of 1939 in the state of Terengganu.

The enactments have similar contents.

Taman Negara Pahang is the largest at 2,477 km², followed by Taman Negara Kelantan at 1,043 km² and Taman Negara Terengganu at 853 km².

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MABUL ISLAND

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abul is a small island off the south-eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysia.

The island has been a fishing village since the 1970s. Then in the 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island.

Located 15 km from Sipadan, this 20-hectare piece of land surfaces 2–3 meters above sea level, consists mostly flat grounds and aerial view is oval-shaped. Surrounding it are sandy beaches, perched on the northwest corner of a larger two square kilometer reef.

Mabul island is administered

by Semporna, Tawau district.

Basic amenities include a mosque, schools, community and fishermen hall. The main transportation mode from one point to another is by boat.

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Mainly fishermen, the village source of income depends on sea products such as squid and fish. Traditional fishing methods are called “Payau” and “Sangkaliya”.

Mabul fishermen prefers catches close to the Malaysia-Philippines borders, perhaps due to its abundance.

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It is more correctly recognised now that the reason for the quality of the MUCK Diving is simply a result of overfishing uses of cyanide and dynamite by the local people of this area.

The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to 25 to 30 m deep. There are several dive resorts operating on Mabul island.

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MALAYSIA

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