THE BEST MALAYSIA HAS TO OFFER – CITRAWARNA/COLOURS OF 1MALAYSIA 2013
Citrawarna also known as Colours of 1 Malaysia will be held on 25th May 2013 at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. It returns for another year of showcasing the best of what Malaysia has to offer and to prove that colours and cultures always have a correlation with one another in most festivals in Malaysia.
Founded in 1999 to reflect the rich cultures that Malaysia represents, the event has since spread awareness of Malaysia’s artistic, geological and cultural gems to many parts of the world.
dance performances of the country under one roof
The ruler of Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Al-Haj Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah and his queen are expected to grace the event to officiate at the Citrawarna 2013 Parade as well as to lend the event their support.
The yearly event celebrated every May, to unite various states of the nation in one single place to portray their culture and lifestyle. One can use this opportunity to see shows presented by different ethnic races of this multicultural country.
To expect larger and more dazzling event in this 15th year celebration, one can also get the experience of seeing various talents and cultural performances exhibited on one solo stage or floor where all the nook and corner of Malaysia gets bonded.
During this festival there will be traditional dances, parades, exhibitions, traditional costumes and jewelleries and many more events that will bring together all the different races in Malaysia. Each ethnic Malaysian community will showcase their traditional and customary individuality in costumes, head gears, traditional dance and music, art and craftwork and also traditional cuisine and delicacies and many more.
colours and cultures always have a correlation with one another
Depicted as a 'premier cultural extravaganza' by Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia, the festive brings in joy in every Malaysian’s soul as one can see all the arts and dance performances of the country under one roof. There are visitors from other continents as well to enjoy these shows.
This year’s festival too will be a time of celebration of unity among Malaysian, so come along with your family!
For tourists, visitors and foreigners, come and join this great gala extravaganza with your fellow Malaysians and enjoy 1Malaysia!
Come to Malaysia with wide-opened eyes and mind as this is a land of festival where you can treat your vision as well as inhale the gala air every moment and every minute. Indulge yourself in numerous functions of the country and get unlimited joy that will remain in your heart forever.
The Regatta Lepa Colourful and Excitement
Every year in April there is a water festival held in Semporna, a small town in the eastern coast of Sabah, called The Regatta Lepa, one of the major important events in our National Tourism Calendar.
This year, the 20th Regatta Lepa will be held from 26th – 28th of April 2013 and the event attracted thousands each year. “Lepa” means “boat” is believed to be originated from the Pa'alau Bajau people who live in Bum Bum Island and used by fishermen along the coast of Semporna.
The unique lifestyle and festival is celebrated by the Bajau Laut ethnic community, the major dwellers in Semporna. The Bajau Laut people are seafarers at heart and well known for their Lepa, which is the traditional single-mast sailing boat used in their daily lives.
colourful Lepa
Nowadays, the practice of this traditional lifestyle is slowly dispersing with modernity. Few modern Bajaus use the Lepa today as many of them migrated to the mainland. Nonetheless, Lepa remains a symbol of tradition and a precious legacy for the Semporna Bajau community.
With the change of time, the Lepa might not be used in the same way as it used to be but the Lepas will never be forgotten for yet another year as the symbol of pride of the Bajau people and a cultural heritage.
The Bajau seafarers' proud maritime heritage came alive in this annual festival of Regatta Lepa, featuring their boats, the Lepa with participants dancing at the helm of their boats, decorated with bright colour sails known as sambulayang and tapis (small triangular flags).
The sleepy Semporna town comes to life as the colourful sails take to the sea to compete for the prize of the most beautiful Lepa! The highlight of the event is the sail-past of the Lepa, each boat decked with smiling dancers and lively musicians, hoping to be crowned `Most Beautiful Lepa' - the grand prize of this much-anticipated water festival.
Every Lepa family has their own or daughter beautiful girl welcoming visitors with graceful igal-igal dance, a traditional dance of the Bajau.
beautiful girl welcoming visitors with the traditional igal-igal dance
The Regatta Lepa is not just a water festival, in fact the whole town of Semporna has a carnival atmosphere, what with the various concerts staged, and so many stalls set up to promote or sell products and services to the population, visitors and tourists that have certainly swelled manifold.
Further Information
Organiser : Semporna District Office
Venue : Semporna, Sabah
Contact Person : A.M Ibnu Haji A.K baba
Telephone : 6089-781518, 6089-781663
Fax : 6089-781472
Email Contact : AmIbnu.Baba@sabah.gov.my
Event Website : http://www.sabahtourism.com
MATTA FAIR IS BACK!!!
The MATTA fair is back!
Organised by the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA), the fair is held from 12 – 14 August from 10 am – 9 pm at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
This 32nd edition of the MATTA fair, showcases 945 booths promoting travel related products and services. This year’s event is also participated by several national tourism organisations (NTOs) from Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines and several other countries.
Rainforest World Music Festival
It was a blast!
Wonderful music, entertaining crowd, vibrant activities and much more at the recent 14th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Sarawak held from 8 – 10 July.
Organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, the RWMF is held at the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), a beautiful 17 acres setting by the Santubong Peninsula with the gorgeous backdrop of the famous Mount Santubong, it is a 45 minutes’ journey from Kuching city, the capital of Sarawak.
Result for 1Malaysia International Tourism Floral Night Parade Contest
Here are the results for the contest:
Most Creative Float : YTL Hotels Float
Best Lighted FLoat : I-City Shah Alam Float
“Malaysia, Your New Art Tourism Destination”
The Minister of Tourism Malaysia, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, is unveiling yet another exciting and innovative tourism product today, the “1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism 2011” (MCAT 2011) Festival at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Organised for the second consecutive year, the festival will see many art-related events being held from July to September 2011 with the support of private organisations including shopping malls, hotels, art galleries and cultural and convention centres.
A total of 17 events have been identified this year, doubled as compared to the previous year. For the first time, eight shopping complexes are participating, namely Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Fahrenheit 88, Starhill Gallery, Publika Shopping Mall, Sungai Wang, Plaza Low Yatt, KL City Walk, and Sunway Pyramid. An exhibition by the society of people with learning disabilities will be held at the Malaysia Tourism Information Center (MaTIC) in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur beginning July.
1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade 2011 set to glitter at Putrajaya Lake
For the first time ever, the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia will be organizing the 1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade (1MITNFP) 2011, which is set to shine at the Putrajaya Lake, from July 9 until July 17, 2011. Minister of Tourism Dato’ Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen will be present at the 1MITNFP 2011 to officiate the Opening Ceremony on July 9, 2011. There will also be a closing ceremony on July 17, 2011.
The theme for 1MITNFP 2011 will be ‘Magic of the Night’ which is portrayed by the colourful lights that represent the vibrant floral species and designs as well as the multicultural facade of the ASEAN region. The parade will be presented on boats filled with colourful and spectacular decorations depicting the exotic flora and fauna and icons representing each participant. The parade will begin after sunset.
The event comprises of two components, namely The Parade of the Night Floral Boats at Putrajaya Lake and Static Night Floral Boats Display where all participating boats will be in a static display after the floating parade. Visitors and tourists will be able to have a closer look and appreciate the designs and details of each floral boat.
There will also be a contest in several categories, namely Overall best Boat, Most Creative Boat, Best Lighted Boat and Most Popular Boat where the winners will be chosen based on evaluation by panel judges appointed by the Ministries as well as on public poll.
Other attractions awaiting visitors at the 1MITNFP 2011 include exhibition by 20 tourism related booths that offer various tourism product and packages for the public, a photography contest of Night Floral Boats, fireworks display, performance by musical and cultural group including Shafinaz, Rhythm of Borneo Group, No Noise Percussion Group, Balle Balle, Nakasutra Group, Mokaba Group, PCC Orchestra, Kiruba Group, Fresco Harmonica Group, fun facilities and competitions including 1Malaysia Green 1Malaysia Clean and Tarian Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia.
This parade has attracted participations from 13 countries and organisations, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Melaka, Perlis, Terengganu, Perak, Johor, Putrajaya, Pahang, AirAsia, Sunway Group, I-Berhad and also Tourism Malaysia.
Besides showcasing to the world that the 1MITNFP 2011 is signature event to attract global tourists to the country, this event also aims to introduce and promote the diversity and richness of nature, culture and tradition of ASEAN and the Plus Three Countries. This is tandem with the intra-ASEAN and Plus Three tourist traffic which has always been the largest component of tourist arrivals to the region. Hence, promoting the region as a single unique tourism destination is timely and can maximise the region’s potentials, with close collaboration and cooperation among all the ASEAN Member State and the Plus three Countries.
The 1MITNFP 2011 will be held in conjunction with the Floria Putrajaya Festival, Malaysia’s premier outdoor garden and flower showcase, which displays the best of the Malaysia’s and international landscape and horticulture industry. In 2010, this festival attracted participation from nine countries namely Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Netherland, New Zealand, Serbia, Taiwan and United Kingdom. More than 600,000 international and domestic tourists visited the festival last year. For 2011, some 700,000 people are expected to visit the 1MITNFP 2011.
This event will be broadcasted live on national television as well as through international media and news network participating in the event. Overseas organisations under Tourism Malaysia’s Mega Familiarization Programme are expected to feature this event in their respective publications/network worldwide.
BUKIT LAYANG-LAYANG: A GROWN-UP’S PLAYGROUND
Contrary to popular belief, being a travel writer isn’t as hyped up or as glamorous as other people make it out to be. Like any other writing profession, whether you are writing about the latest celebrity gossip, or whether you’re reviewing food at a high class gourmet restaurant, there are always things you want to do, and things you have to do. So when my editor assigned me to cover the 16th Annual Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival in Johor the other day, I just barely managed to hide that slight raise of the eyebrow quickly enough to replace it with a smile and an enthusiastic “Yes, boss!” whilst secretly thinking, Kite-flying? Really?
But to be honest, the assignment really wasn’t that bad. I was intrigued by the practice; I had always pegged kite flying as a child’s activity, something that you did as a child and outgrew, like having leftover pizza for breakfast, or playing video games. Although now when I come to think of it, I still do these things, so I suppose in comparison, kite-flying was the lesser of many pre-pubescent sins.
Happy New Year!
Hello everyone!
It is such a refreshing experience, coming into 2011! New travel destinations, or undiscovered previously have always been on top of travel destinations throughout the world.
Maybe this year, we'll discover more of Malaysia's unique experiences and travel hideaways. Who knows?
The simple life
I must admit it was quite a new experience for me, a city kid through and through, to be boarding a train heading to the rural areas in the northern state of Kelantan for my first homestay experience. As a young adult relishing the comforts of a modern world, I wondered how I’d fare in the absence of an internet connection, flashy restaurants and bustling roads.
Nevertheless, my anxious spirits were slightly elevated as I travelled with other Singapore tourists wanting to check out the Malaysia homestay experience as well. Seeing the excitement portrayed on their faces, I thought that perhaps, like them, I should see this as a good opportunity to get away from city life and enjoy the pleasures of simple living for a little while. So I threw my concerns out the window and resigned myself to the experience as I boarded the train.