Mabul Island Diving Packages

Mabul Island Diving Packages generally range from budget to high end for those planning a dive trip to Pulau Mabul and Sipadan Island in Sabah Borneo. What most travelers don't know is that there is a range available to suite all types of diver packages here. If you don't dive, there are also basic snorkeling packages too. When I visited Mabul Island in October 2011, it was my first diving trip to this part of Sabah and did not know what to expect apart from reading and seeing pictures of this beautiful place.

Seahorse Guesthouse in Mabul

Pat from Equator Adventures Tours, had arranged a 5D/4N Mabul-Sipadan Package for me and I chose to stay at one of the guest houses on the island called Seahorse SipadanScuba which is located at Kampung Mabul Village. To get to Mabul Island, one needs to depart via boat from the town of Semporna in Sabah. The nearest airport here is at Tawau town. From Tawau, you need to get a taxi or van-bus that travels about an hour to Semporna.

Seahorse Guest House at Mabul Sipadan

 

Dining area at Seahorse Guesthouse

Seahorse Guesthouse at Mabul Island is one of the new guesthouses with basic amenities that include an attached bathroom, dining area and dive services. Built on stilts connected by a wooden jetty, the guesthouse has some of the best sunset views on the island. The rooms are basic with two single beds and a fan where there is a housekeeping department. Full board meals are provided three times a day while there is free flow of coffee and tea throughout the day. 

Room at Seahorse Mabul

What I found most appealing was the fact that they used local dive masters and instructors there. These local boys who speak good English have good experience at all the dive sites around Mabul and know what the divers want. The lodge also has their own dive boats, air compressor and equipment making your diving experience simple and easy.

Dive center equipment at Seahorse Mabul

The dive facilities are complete here while they have sizes that fit most sizes which include Caucasians and even XXL. Equipments are well taken care and organized. As they are a new business which is about six months old, the items here are all brand new too. For those who are into macro photography, you need to bring your own cameras and casing there but fear not as one of the dive masters at Seahorse has his own camera and casing therefore he will assist you to take some pictures if you do not have an underwater camera.

Joe the dive master gives me a pose

Another cool thing here is that Mabul Island is connected to all major phone and mobile services therefore you are able to use your Edge or 3G services while you are here. For the flash packers, this would be very handy. Travelers can also easily update their facebook status and travelogues while staying here. The only set back at all the guesthouses in Mabul island is that the electricity runs from 6pm to 6am daily. So it would be wise to bring additional batteries for your gadgets. A multi adapter would be required to charge all those gadgets while the power is on. 

Below are some of the underwater pictures I took while diving in Mabul. I used one of the dive master's camera for these and you can see some of the stunning pictures taken.

Hairy Seahorse with me in the background at Mabul

Mandarin Fish in Mabul Island, a rare encounter

Green Turtle close up while diving

Cuttlefish at Mabul

Ghost Pike Fish 

Green Frog Fish in Mabul

Mabul Dive Sites Map

If you are interested in any Mabul Diving Packages, you can contact Equator Adventure Tours who are based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. They offer all kinds of diving packages that suit your style. Even if you are not a diver and want to visit Mabul Sipadan for snorkeling or just to chill out, Equator can arrange for your packages. The standard dive package consist of:

Mabul Dive Package 3D/2N - RM1115 (US$360)

Mabul Dive Package 4D/3N - RM1600 (US$516)

Mabul Package (Non Diver) 3D/2N - RM690 (US$223)

Mabul Package (Non Diver) 4D/3N - RM800 (US$258)

Van Transfer from Tawau Airport to Semporna Jetty - RM100 for 2 Persons / RM200 for 3-4 persons

Packages above includes 3 meals, boat transfer and diving fees.

Packages above does NOT include: Airfare and Transfer.

Contact:

Equator Adventure Tours (Registered with Sabah Tourism Board)

Lot G5, Ground Floor,
Golden Centre Putatan,
P.O.Box 15457,
88863 Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah, Malaysia.

Website: Equator Adventure Tours
Phone: +6088 766351

Mobile: +6 013 889 9535
Fax :  +6088 766352
Email : equatorfpl@gmail.com

Personally I had an amazing time here and plan to go back again in mid December 2011 for another round of diving at Mabul and Sipadan Island. The main reason would be that I only managed to dive at six out of the ten dive spots at Mabul. I visited Paradise 1 and 2, Water Bungalow, Stingray City, Lobster Wall and Panglima Reef. Some of the other spots outside of the main island include Seaventures Rig and Kapalai Island. At some of the dive spots, I managed to encounter numerous green turtles and white tip sharks. One picture above shows how close the green turtle was to me. Something you hardly experience at other dive spots around the country. Finally, I would personally recommend Equator Adventure Tours if you are planning for some exciting diving or snorkeling within a budget for Mabul Island Diving Packages

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Wayang Kulit in Kelantan

Wayang Kulit in Kelantan, Malaysia was one of the cultural highlights during a trip made in early 2011 and it was an experience to be remembered. Never before I had witnessed such a unique performance by seasoned veterans who still manage to keep this dying trade alive. During my trip, I visited this place in Kota Baharu town called Gelanggang Seni (Cultural Center) which is the cultural development center of Kelantan. It is located in the city center so getting here is pretty easy. If you have never witnessed this in real time, I would suggest you try to do so as this centuries old trade is slowly fading away. Read on to find out more about this traditional entertainment called Wayang Kulit.

Tok Dalang (Puppet Master) gets ready for the show

The term Wayang Kulit translates as Shadow Play where a puppet master known as a Tok Dalang sits and controls the hand made colourful puppets behind a white screen. To become a Tok Dalang or puppet master, it takes many years of skill to handle these puppets with both hands while singing, narrating and tapping the kechrek (rattle) with his leg to signal the musicians. The dalang also has to master the change the tone in his voice to suit the various characters played. This includes the evil laughter sounds and also the soothing voices of males and female.

Wayang Kulit Siam in Kelantan

The Tok Dalang also has to master the numerous stories by heart. These stories are drawn from the odysseys of the Ramayana and Mahabharata which are part and parcel of the fundamental writings of Hinduism and Indian civilization. Usually the stories presented are mythical and morality tales. When I sat there throughout the show, I was fascinated on how the master could change his voice so many times to suite the various characters throughout his story.

Tok Dalang in action

Wayang Kulit Kelantan

The colorful puppets are made of cow or buffalo leather which has been stretched and then dried. The intricate patterns are then carved out manually, hand painted and fitted on banana stems. Rods are also connected to the elbows and knees of the puppets giving them 'life' when moved. Good characters will appear on the right side of the stage while evil characters would be on the left. Behind the screen, traditionally back lit by a flickering oil lamp, the dalang will weave his tale, bringing to live the shadow play aided by a troop of traditional musicians in the back. These days, energy saving bulbs have since replaced the oil but are still fitted into the traditional oil lamp which is hung just above the master.  

Wayang Kulit Musicians

The Wayang Kulit musicians usually comprise of about 10 people playing various instruments like various gamelan gongs, gendang drums and serunai flutes which are all traditional Malay instruments. They would be seated behind the Tok Dalang (Dhalang) and awaiting his instructions by knocking his knee with the kechrek (rattle). This would signal them to start and throughout the performance, the dalang would knock many times changing the tone of the music. These talented musicians have years of experience therefore knowing what and when to play.

Serunai flute (Malay Traditional Flute) played

 

A veteran passionately playing the Serunai Flute

As I sat back stage observing the entire music troop, I could not help notice that all of the musicians were well over fifty years of age and looked wise and experienced. They knew exactly when to play what while looking very cool and totally undisturbed by the fact that I was there moving around taking pictures. But I did it quietly tip toeing around the backstage.

Puppet Master at work

Musicians take a break during the show

During the show, the Tok Dalang would then tell various stories through his mic which was taped around his neck the old fashioned way. During some parts, he would be be talking in a very harsh tone and then changing to a sweet ladies tone. The musicians would take cue to stop playing while they waited for his signal before they changed to a different music to suite the play.

In between the screen and the backstage area

Tok Dalang ending the Wayang Kulit show

Finally after about 30 minutes, the story comes to an end with multiple puppet characters being used throughout. Some big, some small and some even evil looking. The strong colors projected by a modern kerosene lamp with an energy saving bulb display brightly against the plain white sheet. Spectators on the outside then clap to the performance while it is just another day for the troop here. Word has it that it is quite difficult to catch a performance like this around the state and once needs to really ask around to actually see it performed in the local villages.

Wayang Kulit Malaysia

I have to say that this traditional show was an eye opener for me as being a Malaysian, I have never witnessed something like this happening live in front of my eyes. I have only seen it on televisions and in books so it was a bit of a cultural shock for me. The sad fact is that there used to be four main varieties of Wayang Kulit in Malaysia where only the first two are still being performed. They are;

• Wayang Kulit Siam of Kelantan
• Wayang Gedek which is performed by the Thai communities of Kedah and Perlis
• Wayang Kulit Jawa, performed by the Javanese communities of Selangor and Johor
• Wayang Kulit Melayu, performed by the Javanese communities of Terengganu

If you thought there would be nothing much to do in Kelantan, I would easily reconsider that statement. There are many places to visit and things to do around here. I visited the largest Sitting Buddha Statue in Kelantan and also the famous Siti Khadijah Market among some of the popular places here. I also stayed at the Tune Hotels in Kota Baharu as it was convenient for me to move around due to the strategic location in the main town area. If you are visiting Kota Baharu in Kelantan, I would recommend you explore the many places, food, cultures and traditions available here and most of all, if you have the chance, go and see the Wayang Kulit in Kelantan.

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Malaysia Asia Wins Best Online Media at Sabah Tourism Awards 2011

Malaysia Asia Wins Best Online Media at Sabah Tourism Awards 2011 and this is my first actual award after three and a half years of travel blogging. It came to me as a shock because I was not informed of this until I got into Kota Kinabalu city after a flight from Kuala Lumpur on that day itself. Initially about two weeks prior to the awards, I was invited to the black tie event by Sabah Tourism Board to attend the occasion and little did I know that I was nominated under the "Award for Best Tourism Article and Documentary on Sabah" in the Online Media section. Was I stunned? You should have seen my face when my designated guide picked me up from the airport and informed me that I was one of the nominees.

Sabah Tourism Award for Best Online Media

The Sabah Tourism Awards (STA) are held every two years and is a prestigious event where tourism industry players are invited to this black-tie event held at the Magellan Sutera Harbor Resort. Nominees are selected by the board members and only revealed on the day itself. This is the sixth STA ceremony after being introduced back in 1997 where it was inaugurated to celebrate Sabah's industry’s achievements and to acknowledge the commitment to excellence. The nominees include contributors to the state and national tourism developments in various fields including front liners, agencies, hotels, resorts, businesses, and the media which includes print and online. For the state of North Borneo also known as The Land Below The Wind, The Sabah Tourism Awards is the highest prestige given only to the crème de la crème of the tourism industry and I am very thankful for receiving this award.

 My certificate of recognition for Best Online Media at the Sabah Tourism Awards 2011

It was a night of glamor and excitement as I walked through the main doors of the stylish Magellan Ballroom at the Sutera Harbor Resort and was greeted by the staff of Sabah Tourism. As they ushered me to my seat, I took a look around noticing that the function room looked simply beautiful while the massive screen on the main stage area stole the attention of the guest who were all dressed to the nines. I was happy that I choose a black suit with a gold tie as I blended in with everyone else here. As the emcee and host read out the awards for each category, the crowd was very supportive with each of the winners. During each interval, there was a performance or show by various artist and well known celebrities from Sabah.

STB Awards 2011 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

A special surprise performance at the awards was local girl Che'Nelle who made it huge in the United States and globally with her hit 'I fell in love with the DJ' which got the crowd excited and some singing along. She sang three numbers before the awards reached the last category. For the final gambit, the staff of Sabah Tourism Board gave a performance that rocked the house. They had been practicing the 'Shuffle' from LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem and made a grand entrance straight to the stage area. Dressed in their suits and gowns, the staff shuffled away along with professional dancers impressing the VIPs and guests. Some even joined in and they partied on the dance floor for a number of songs before ending the night.

 

 Che'Nelle performing at the Sabah Tourism Awards 2011

 Sabah Tourism Board staff doing the Shuffle to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem

Sabah Tourism Awards 2011 staff shuffling for the end gambit

The night ended with VIPs, guest and staff networking and socializing at the lobby area of the hotel and I caught up with lots of new and old friends there while we congratulated and chatted over wine and beers to celebrate the occasion. I was also fortunate to be introduced to Sabah's Tourism Minister - Datuk Masidi Manjun by the STB General Manager Datuk Irene Benggon and later have my picture taken with him (my opening picture in this post).

As this is my first actual physical award for Malaysia Asia, I would like to say Thank You Very Much to Sabah Tourism Board, my family and friends and to my followers and readers of Malaysia Asia. Without your support, I would have not got to where I am today. I will continue to do my best in sharing my travel experiences, information and photographs with everyone around the world by using my blog, Facebook and Twitter. As I am still on cloud nine, I honestly never expected that Malaysia Asia could win Best Online Media at the Sabah Tourism Awards 2011.

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MO.A Super Junior, Miss A, F(X), B14A Live Concert at Kelana Stadium

MO.A Super Junior, Miss A, F(X), B14A Live Concert at Kelana Jaya Stadium on the 3rd Dec (Sat) 2011. The most sought after top Korean Pop bands are finally making their live concert here in Malaysia and is a dream come true for the many tens of thousands of fans around the country. This is your chance to see the world's most popular K-Pop Bands live in Malaysia. Believe it or not, K-Pop is huge in Malaysia and Southeast Asia with all kinds of cultures and races listening to Korean pop music. From Malays, Chinese to Indians around Malaysia, the Korean sensation has taken the country by storm! During this concert, each band will perform about 40 minutes so you will be getting a show to remember. For the hard core Elf fans in Malaysia, fear not - There is a Contest to actually MEET Super Junior and the other bands in person! Read on...

Super Junior: Leeteuk, Heechul, Han Geng, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Kibum, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun

Tourism Selangor has run an online campaign in conjunction with the MO.A Most Amazing 2011 Concert where 5 Lucky Winners will get the chance to meet Super Junior, Miss A, F(X) and B14A during a press conference before the concert. Rumor has it that the meet and greet would be held in a special fans-only room (though this is only a rumor). This is also a chance of your lifetime to be up, close and personal with your favourite Korean Band! Never before has this been done where fans are given a chance to meet these Korean superstars. Take a picture with Super Junior 슈퍼주니어? Maybe even shake their hands? OMG! Wait......On top of that, the 5 winners will also be given a Free MO.A Concert Ticket each! How sweet is that?

So, how do you participate in this MO.A K-Pop Contest? 

Answer: You need to go to Tourism Selangor K-Pop Contest 2011 to complete the simple 2 steps there.

Contest period: 22 Nov - 1 Dec 2011

At the end of the contest period, Five (5) winners will be drawn randomly.
Look out for the announcement on the Tourism Selangor Facebook Page.

 f(x) members; Victoria, Sulli, Luna, Krystal and Amber

 

Miss A: Fei, Jia, Min and Suzy

B1A4 (Be the One, All for One); Sandeul, Gongchan, Baro, Jinyoung and CNU

MO.A Most Amazing 2011 Concert at Kelana Jaya MBPJ Stadium Poster

MO.A - K-Pop Concert 2011 Information

• Venue: MBPJ Stadium Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
• Time: 7.30 PM
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Admission age: 9 Years and above only
• Strictly: No babies in arms allowed, No photography and recording materials allowed

MO.A Concert Ticket Prices

• Tickets are priced at RM183, RM253, RM283, RM383 and RM483

Buying MO.A Most Amazing Concert 2011 Tickets

• You can get them at Ticket Pro Malaysia 

Free MO.A Concert Tickets 2011

• For the Chinese speaking community, you can try your luck with MyFM Chinese Radio Station to win some free tickets

MO.A Concert Layout at Kelana Jaya Stadium

MO.A Concert Ticket Prices

MO.A Organizers

M Live by CJ, is jointly organized by one of South Korea's biggest entertainment companies, CJ Entertainment, Malaysia's largest entertainment site Fooyoh.com, and July Media. The event is managed and handled by GFW.

Map to Kelana Jaya MBPJ Stadium

View MBPJ Stadium Kelana Jaya, Selangor in a larger map

How to go to MBPJ Stadium Kelana Jaya?

• RapidKL Bus T624 from Kelana Jaya LRT Station to MBPJ Stadium Kelana Jaya
• The nearest LRT Station is Kelana Jaya and the next one is Taman Bahagia
• You can also take a Taxi from the LRT Stations
• You can connect to the Kelana LRT Line from KL Sentral Station
• Landmark nearby is the Kelana Jaya Giant or MAS Training Center
• If you choose to walk there from the LRT, you need to follow the LDP and walking is about 30 mins

Can you imagine all the fans from all around Malaysia and even neighboring countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand traveling to Petaling Jaya, Selangor to catch this K-Pop Concert of a lifetime? Imagine, the biggest act - seeing Super Junior Live in Malaysia with 3 other top Korean Bands performing in one show! For those traveling to see this K-Pop Concert, you are advised to plan your journey there including your accommodation.

There are NO hotels around the MBPJ Stadium area. Nearest hotels would be around Damansara Utama, One Utama and at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara. Alternatively, you can also stay at a hotel near a LRT station along the Kelana Line (KL-PJ) and take the train to Kelana Jaya Station then a taxi to the stadium. 

Finally for the fans, a super big Korean Pop Concert arrives in Malaysia with four famous top bands. While they are extremely popular in Malaysia, you can expect thousands of screaming teenagers and even working adults at this concert. Some of you may even follow your children to the concert so be prepared with ear-plugs. For the K-Pop Fans, this is your time to catch the MO.A Super Junior, Miss A, F(X), B14A Live Concert at Kelana Jaya Stadium, Malaysia.

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Bearded Pig Pictures

Bearded Pig Picture - The bearded pig found at the Bako National Park in Sarawak is also known as Sus barbatus or as the Bornean bearded pig. (Babi Janggut in Malay). It can be easily recognized by its prominent beard and sometimes has tassels on its tail. This breed  is usually found in Southeast Asia in the island of Borneo, Peninsula Malaysia and also in Sumatra.During my trekking trip to Bako Park, I was fortunate to encounter this fascinating creature along the beach and again inside the park. If you are visiting the national park, you are most likely bound to come across these unique pigs. 

Once you encounter them, I would advise to keep a distance as you never know what they will do. Their senses are really strong and can sniff out food a mile away so if you are carrying food, most likely the pigs would be eying you. Some of these pigs grow up to about 90cm high and weigh about 100 kilograms. 

Bearded Pig at Bako National Park

Bearded pigs are usually most active in the morning and late afternoon. They usually wallowing in mud, rest, or sleep during the midday. In areas inhabited by humans, bearded pigs may shift to a nocturnal existence, particularly if they take to raiding crops or general waste thrown in dustbins. In the rainforest, the pigs regularly follows gibbons and macaques, feeding on fruit that is dropped or dislodged by the primates. The pigs swim well too, including between oceanic islands, and are good climbers and jumpers, even when young therefore you may even find them in islands.

 

 Bearded Pig Picture

While exploring Bako National Park, I noticed some tourist who were fascinated with this creature and could not stop trying to take pictures of the animal. As you can see in the picture above, the hiker very close to the pig photographing it as it passes by. Just for the record, there are other known names for this creature which are Sanglier à moustache, Bartschwein, Nangoi or Babi putih.  For a close encounter experience, you can visit the Bako National Park in Sarawak to see Bearded Pigs.

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Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia (Pt 2)

Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia is the second part of my photo series. I visited Bali back in June 2011, I was fortunate enough to attend a massive local festival which showcased the many different people and cultures of Indonesia in one big event. This festival which was held at Lapangan Puputan in Badung, Denpasar was a spectacular event where you get to see almost all of the Indonesian cultures in one parade.

One thing that stands out in these pictures are all the amazing headdresses, costumes and details they put into each of the clans. Just examine the pictures and you will know that they are very serious about their culture. Without hesitation, I give you the many faces and tribes of Indonesia below. Please feel free to comment or ask me any questions.

There you have it, various pictures of the different cultures found around Indonesia taken by me using my Nikon D60 with 55-300mm lens, no filters. If you have missed my earlier series, it was photographs of the Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia (Part 1). 

For those of you who are interested, this unique parade in Bali is held in the second week of June and in Denpasar. You should check with the Bali Tourism Board on the exact dates if you want to witness this amazing event. I hope you have enjoyed all the pictures and for the coming year in 2012, I am currently making plans to photograph in detail  on the upcoming Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia.

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