The North Borneo Beauty

Not too late for me to wish Selamat Hari Raya to all!

You see, that’s the beauty we have in Malaysia, Sabah in particular. We celebrate all festivals like its our own, and we looking forward for all the festivals every month.

This year Raya, me and my best friend has decided to go for water rafting at Padas river. It had been planned before with some friends, unfortunately they cannot make it. End up only me and my best friend enjoying the rafting!

The journey started from KK using a bus, all the way to Beaufort. We start our journey from KK at about 6 in the morning.

Around 7.30 we reached Beaufort  and we proceed to Beaufort Train station.

From there we took the train to Tenom. It took nearly 2 hours ride with so many exciting view along the railway and inside the train as well

The train is not something you imagine with aircond or comfy seat. You just sit on the floor, and some just lie there..But it makes the journey more exciting !

You can view the beautiful river and villages along the railway, by just sit near the door. Cool ey?

Okay more to come on Padas River adventure!

Are you worried because you still haven’t got funds for your family vacation? With gas prices these days higher than a kite, airplane and train tickets are following the lead and going up unabated. And we haven’t even gotten to the hotel reservations – it’s virtually impossible to book you, your better half and the children, which may or may not include a couple of teens, on one week’s salary equivalent. These factors leave many families with a small budget wondering how they can afford to take a family vacation without breaking the bank. Hold your horses, Henry Hill, budget family camping might be the way to go!

The option of packing the family car and driving out to a secluded place at the lake or in the woods sounds ideal to some families. Let’s face it; we all want to get away from the incessant ringing phones, the sound of traffic, and the responsibilities of life now and then. Budget family camping doesn’t require much planning for a pleasant trip. Many campgrounds around the country offer overnight camping for tent campers ranging anywhere from $7-25 a night which is far less than the cost of even the most budget priced hotel. Why, the rates aren’t even high if you decide to camp out in an RV, or Recreational Vehicle, as they can reach $35 tops except in some exclusive campsites. And if you’re looking to book your camping trip on the World Wide Web, you’ll be glad to know that this is an option offered by several National Parks. You can plan your budget family camping trip even a year in advance regardless of the state you live in.

Once the reservations are made the family simply packs their bedding, extra clothes, fishing gear, and their food before heading off for their budget family camping trip for some family togetherness time.

If the whole idea of a camping trip is new to you, you’ll want to have several pieces of camping gear that could stand the test of time. For a family of four your budget family camping trip will require the following gear: A cooler (decent size) to make sure your food and drinks remain chilled Enough disposable plates, cups, knives and forks High quality sleeping bags for the four of you – total $160 to 250 for everybody A set of four tarps to ensure your tents remain dry at all times – $8-10 each A battery powered lantern with extra batteries A family tent that’s good for five or more people at $80-170. Basic game gear – balls, bikes, horseshoes, dominoes, cards. If you plan to go fishing, bring your fishing poles, bait and tackle box

Everything should fall into place once you prepare for your budget family camping trip – preparing for the next ones should be a snap. Chances are you’ll keep adding to this list as you make more and more trips. Many campers find it addicting to get away at least once or twice a year with the family.

Nowadays, people are so busy thinking about their look, not only women, but also men. Twenty or fifteen years ago, maybe men not really that obsessed about how they look. But now, men and women are both same.

Actually today i want to share with you some important facts about tomato. At my place, it’s easy for us to get fresh tomato, because it is one of the main vegetables that being planted in Kundasang (ranau) area.

I bet we all know that tomatoes are low in calories, an excellent and nutritional type of food for people that wish to follow a weight-loss plan.
Having high vitamin C levels that help the body increase naturally its immune system, tomatoes have evolved to become one of the most loved vegetables used in meal preparation worldwide.

In one study, 10 healthy women ate a diet containing two ounces of tomato puree each day for three weeks, either preceded by or followed by a tomato-free diet for three weeks. The researchers measured blood levels of lycopene and evaluated oxidative damage to cells before and after each phase. They found that cell damage dropped by 33% to 42% after consuming the tomato diet.. Hmm no wonder people in kundasang area looks young and healthy..so that’s the secret, tomato everyday..

And for those who are always busy or those who still don’t have the confidence to cook a ‘complex meal’ (meaning you have to prepare with CO2 fire extinguishers everytime you step inside the kitchen) maybe you can try this tips and idea for a simple meal..

Tomato diet Tips and Idea

Breakfast

Lunch

Snacks

* Cheese and tomatoes on toast
* Mackerel in tomato sauce

Want fresh tomato? Come visit Kundasang, Sabah..  

In 1982-1983 more than 9.1 million acres (3.7 million ha) burned on the island of Borneo before monsoon rains arrived, while more than 2 million hectares of forest and scrub land burned during the 1997-1998 el Niño event, causing $9.3 billion in losses. The fires also produced wide-ranging and severe economic, political, social, health, and ecological damage to Indonesia and the neighboring Southeast Asian nations of Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand, already in the midst of an economic crisis. Satellite analysis of the 1997-1998 fires revealed that 80 percent of the fires could be linked to plantations or logging concession holders.

Forest fires.. what do we know about it? What cause it? and the most important thing is, how to prevent it from destroying our forest? Well of course, when we think about fire, automatically we will think fire extinguishers right? So here I will share with you some information about forest fires..

Fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat to survive. In forests, the fuel is provided by trees and bushes. Oxygen is not hard to find, seeing as it is all around us in the air (it’s everywhere).. And without heat, the fire could not continue. The main causes of forest fires can be divided into two, and they are Man Made Causes and Natural Causes.

Natural Causes

Lightening can burn the trees, but the rain after it extinguishes fire which can reduce the damages.

Oxygen is everywhere, and it is one of the main factors to start fire. At a temperature of 572 degree wood releases a gas that reacts with oxygen present in air and triggers a flame which will give heat to the surrounding woods and the fire will start growing more and more strong. This can also happen in the cold days.

Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906 causes fire.

High temperature and low humidity (dryness) provides favorable conditions to the fire and hence it can start in forests.

Man Made Causes

Negligence :: any source of ignition like cigarette, naked fire which when comes in contact with inflammable things causes fire.

Smokers :: sometimes they drop the lighted cigarettes and matches in the forest which can easily set nearby bushes on fire and further develops into huge forest fire.

Locomotives :: those that powered by wood and coal can set the grass and trees (near the railway lines) to fire with just a spark.

Farmers :: fire lighted by cultivators to burn a patch of forest can go out of control and burning more trees than required.

Facts about Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world located north of Australia, and south of Philippines. Politically, the island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, the only island in the world that is a recognized part of 3 countries:

1) The Indonesian provinces of East, South, West and Central Kalimantan
2) The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (the Federal Territory of Labuan is located on nearshore islands of Borneo, but not on the island of Borneo itself)
3) The independent country of Brunei (main part and eastern exclave of Temburong)

Sabah, Malaysia

So let’s focus on Sabah (Land below the wind).. which is also quite a big state itself.. so places to go if you visit here? Hmmm… there are so many places you can visit if you have enough time to spend..
But..if someone ask me to choose between Sabah travel packages and Disney World Packages, I will absolutely, definitely take the Disney packages.. (Duh! I’m a Sabahan, so i can visit my own place anytime I want right..)

Ok, forget about the Disney thing.. I will list down some places that you should visit when you are in Sabah:

Filipino Market
The Filipino Market is a good place to buy cultured pearls (about RM5 each) and has everything from fake gemstones to camagong-wood salad bowls, fibre shirts and traditional Indonesian medicines. A variety of Filipino and local handicrafts are sold in the hundreds of cramped stalls, along winding alleyways which are strung by low-slung curtains of shells, baskets and bags.

Manukan Island
The island has very clear waters and an excellent venue for water-skiing and sea-sports. The beach however is somewhat rocky and swimmers should exercise some caution. There are coral beds on the eastern and the western reefs and multicolored coral fishes abound here. The best stretch is on the eastern tip of the island. There is a trail system around the island. Ideal for snorkeling, diving and swimming.

Labuan Island
Labuan is a tiny island town off Sabah’s coast that was formerly known as Victoria Town. Today, it is a hub for duty-free goods and boasts some nice cultural touches and landmarks. Because of its proximity to Brunei, Labuan attracts many visitors from there frequently as well as avid scuba divers for its rich marine life.

Mount Kinabalu, Kundasang, Ranau
The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with over 600 species of ferns, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species identified. Among them are the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status.

Poring Hot Spring, Ranau
Other than the natural hot spring main attraction at Poring Hot Springs, there are also other interesting areas in the park to be visited such as the butterfly farm, the Poring Orchid Conservation Centre, the tropical garden, the Poring canopy walkway, and the Rafflesia flower site.

Sabah Tea, Ranau
Sabah Tea Plantation, nestled into the lush tropical wilderness of Malaysia’s first ever World Heritage Site, Mount Kinabalu, sits on a 6,200-acre land at 2,272 feet above sea level.
It is surrounded by the world’s oldest rainforest of about 130 million years. Sabah Tea Plantation is the largest single commercial tea plantation in Borneo with approximated area of 1,000 acres endowed with an interesting plant and agriculture resources, Camellia Sinensis. It is also one of the very few tea plantations in the world that certified to produce organic tea.

Mesilau, Kundasang, Ranau
Mesilau is practically the highest point accessible to automobiles; it is surrounded by hills and is very close to the foot of Mount Kinabalu. The chilly climate engulfing Mesilau results in sparse population of trees, verdant ferns, as well as other medium-height vegetations. It is situated about 100 kilometers (2 hours 30 minutes – 3 hours away) from Kota Kinabalu.

Enjoy your visit!