Get a Sneak Peek at the 2014 Malaysia Celebration Calendar

Sabah and Sarawak are located on Borneo in Malaysia, with over half of their land area covered by tropical rainforests, making them one of the world’s most precious ecological treasures and earning them the nickname “Amazon of the South Seas.” From the deep sea to the high mountains, they are home to precious natural ecosystems and offer many unique ecological landscapes, such as Southeast Asia’s highest peak “Mount Kinabalu,” one of the world’s top diving paradises “Sipadan Island,” and the world’s largest flower “Rafflesia.” Here, you can also see Borneo’s famous orangutans and proboscis monkeys, as well as other rare flora and fauna. Sarawak is Malaysia’s largest state and boasts uniquely distinctive limestone caves, such as Malaysia’s first national park “Bako National Park,” and “Mulu National Park,” which houses the world’s largest cave “Deer Cave.” Next May and June will see the hosting of the “Borneo Jazz Festival” and the “Sarawak World Rainforest Music Festival,” featuring performances by world-renowned bands and musicians. Most notably, the “World Rainforest Music Festival,” which has been rated the best international music event in the world for four consecutive years by the international music magazine Songlines, draws tens of thousands of music fans each year to experience raw, wild music in the rainforest. Its dynamic rhythms free you from the constraints of the city, allowing you to feel the deepest stirrings of the human heart in nature.

  

Melaka and Penang are Malaysia’s most renowned World Heritage cities. Melaka, a key stop along East-West trade routes, was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British during the era of Western expansion, leaving behind a wealth of European cultural heritage. Examples include the Melaka Cultural Museum, also known as the Sultan’s Palace, the Dutch Red Square (Stadhuys), Christ Church built by the Dutch, the Portuguese-built A’Famosa/Porta De Santiago gateway and St. Paul’s Church, as well as the Queen Victoria’s Fountain erected by the British to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 60th year on the throne. Located in northern Malaysia, Penang, also known as the “Penang Island,” was jointly inscribed as a World Heritage Site with Melaka in 2008. Over half of Penang’s residents are ethnic Chinese, so Chinese signs are common throughout the city. The most attractive aspects are its well-preserved old districts and century-old buildings, including British colonial-style municipal buildings, Peranakan shophouses with a distinctly Nanyang flavor, as well as mosques and Hindu temples. Different ethnic groups and religions coexist peacefully here, creating a unique Malaysian style. Every July 7th is the World Heritage Day celebration in Melaka and Penang, during which the cities host various cultural and artistic performances, allowing visitors to share in the joy of being listed as World Heritage Sites.

One of the things Taiwanese find most unforgettable about Malaysia is its rich and diverse cuisine. Influenced by Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures, Malaysia offers a unique and varied food culture, such as Indian curries, Indian sweets, teh tarik (pulled tea), and roti canai; Malay dishes like nasi lemak, Malay kuih, and satay; Chinese-style dishes such as bak kut teh and Hainanese chicken rice; and the famous Peranakan dish, nyonya kuih. All are must-try Malaysian specialties. The annual “Malaysia International Gourmet Festival” held every October allows people to enjoy meticulously designed tasting menus created by dozens of top restaurants from across Malaysia, or to visit Kuala Lumpur’s Petaling Street and Penang’s New Lane Night Market. A trip to Malaysia is like embarking on a world culinary tour.

  

Malaysia’s warm, summer-like climate year-round, combined with its rich natural environment, provides ideal conditions for a variety of international sporting events. As a result, many world-class sports competitions are held in Malaysia each year, attracting sports-loving tourists from around the world, some of whom even become participants in pursuit of glory. These include the “Ipoh International Marathon” to be held next June, the “Mount Kinabalu Climbathon” in Sabah next October, and the “Penang Bridge Marathon” next November, all of which draw tens of thousands of marathon runners from around the globe. The “LPGA Malaysia Ladies Open Golf Championship” in October is another unmissable highlight. The “F1 World Formula One Championship” and “MotoGP World Motorcycle Championship,” starting at the Sepang International Circuit in March and October, offer a truly thrilling visual and auditory experience of the fastest speeds on four wheels or two. Meanwhile, the “Pahang Royal Billfish International Challenge” next August will take you to the pinnacle of world fishing.

The mascot for the 2014 Malaysia Year of Tourism will be the proboscis monkey, an endangered and protected species in Malaysia. Known as Proboscis Monkey in English and Monyet Belanda in Malay, the proboscis monkey is a protected species in Sabah, Malaysia, with only about 3,000 remaining worldwide. Its most distinctive features are its unusually large nose and potbelly, with the noses of adult males growing larger with age, reaching up to about 10 cm in length. Proboscis monkeys are social animals, living in groups led by a single male or composed of multiple families.

This winter vacation, let Malaysia’s Club Med all-inclusive packages provide your family with a relaxing and enjoyable journey. Club Med Cherating Bay boasts 80 hectares of tropical rainforest and a 4-kilometer stretch of pristine beach, with all architectural designs inspired by nature. The resort’s “rainforest hiking,” “cliff climbing,” and “tree-top paintball” activities welcome the whole family to challenge themselves together. G.O.s (Gentils Organisateurs) from around the world bring energy and enthusiasm, planning unique performances for guests every day. Just take a China Airlines winter charter flight to Cherating Bay, Malaysia, and enjoy a value-packed family vacation.

 

 

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Escaping the Crowded City – Penang’s Forest Adventure Theme Park

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