TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Saturday, November 07, 2009Fighting for the falls
Getting excited when you come face to face with a roaring waterfall is one thing, but dedicating your life to protecting it is another. One woman shows how a life-long obsession isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Our best waterfalls
What makes an amazing waterfall? According to Dutch enthusiast Jan Stuivenberg, who has paid a visit to more than 110 of the nation’s 130 waterfalls, “It’s really subjective, but size does not always matter; location helps, especially if it’s more remote to avoid the crowds.”
Safety first!
How could something so beautiful be so dangerous?
Cultural immersion
Curious to find out what life in a Malay village is like? Try a homestay.
Participants’ take
In the week-long homestay programme held in four states, bodies were bruised, cultures exchanged, experiences shared and friends made. Here’s what some participants thought of the programme.
A refuge for Polly
Maluku’s Kembali Bebas Avian Centre is alive with native parrots, cockatoos, cassowaries and even little kangaroos.
A Spanish love story
When you have only one week in a swashbuckling city like Madrid, the last thing you want to do is fall in love. For most visitors, however, this is bound to happen.
Spain’s food revolution
Nothing can beat char kuey teow or nasi lemak. At least that’s what I thought when faced with a menu that looked like a science experiment gone wrong. Tomato ice cream, bite-sized soup squares, smoking cocktails, whipped asparagus cream . . . uh, OK.
Twice smitten
Paris, so grand and so steeped in history, is like a living museum.
Beautiful Biarritz
If you want to get away from the city, the stylish coastal town of Biarritz is an excellent choice.
Bargain bonanza
Hungry for some shopping in trendy Bangkok? All you need is a weekend and extra space in your luggage.
Sublime Bali
Bali is everybody’s favourite holiday destination, and the resorts of Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis show why it will continue to be so.
A green culture
At Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis, you don’t only immerse yourself in Balinese culture, but also do your part in helping the community and environment.
Mail Bag
Lady of the Canyon
From S. K. Pee, Johor.
Happy trails
Nothing beats travelling with like-minded friends. However, a companion with divergent interests can turn a journey into a bad dream.
A balancing act
Home to the rare Bengal tigers, India’s Sunderbans unveils a community tourism venture that protects the endangered man-eaters whilst giving locals an alternative livelihood.
Getting it right
Set up in 1991 as a tour operator and destination management consultant, Help Tourism runs 30 community tourism projects across India’s East Himalaya, West-Bengal and the northeastern states. The social enterprise’s philosophy is to link heritage or protected sites with people’s livelihood through tourism. They believe empowering the locals with a sense of ownership is the first step to conservation.
A tale of two witches
Witch trials and executions of sorcerers may be a thing of the past but their legacy lives on in plays, books, movies and, most of all, in the places they came from.
Bangkok markets and stupas
Bangkok feeds body, mind and soul in a unique way.
Rare access
One of Bangkok’s most magnificent buildings, the Ananta Samakhom is little known but is now open to the public and hosting the spectacular Arts of the Kingdom exhibition.
Mail Bag
Few & far between
From Leow Cheah Wei, Penang.
The adventure home
From Kyron Kumar, Seremban.
Berawan taboos & beliefs
The Loagan Bunut Lake, though beautiful, is haunted, claims the Berawan tribe.
Road trippin’ Down Under
Self-drive holidays are growing in popularity in Australia, especially among Asians, and it’s easy to see why — the freedom to go wherever you like without the restrictions of a group tour. You design your own itinerary, bring your friends or family along, turn the ignition and start your adventure.
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