AS a form of tourism, the ‘homestay' phenomena is quickly gathering steam as Malaysia's next selling point for potential tourists. On its own, homestay programs allow tourists to rent a room from a local family to learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. However, Malaysia is working on making its homestay program a vital attraction for its tourism industry. “An important objective of the (homestay) program is to promote people-to-people understanding through tourism,” Haji Sahariman Hamdan, president of the Homestay Association Malaysia, and founder of the program, told Saudi Gazette following a press conference at the Legend Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on the first day of the arrival of more than 200 representatives from 23 countries for the “Colors of Malaysia 2009” annual celebration. The contingent for the Mega Familiarization Program of Malaysia Tourism from Saudi Arabia, was led by Ibrahim Makkawi of Malaysia Airlines and included ten travel agents as well as a representative from the Saudi Gazette. Hamdan announced that 1,200 families in 25 kampungs (traditional villages) all over Malaysia are participating in the program, and explained that all villages are carefully selected and comply with strict guidelines laid down by Malaysia's ministry of tourism. The houses are usually traditional Malay houses made of timber and raised on stilts, with many “superbly crafted” windows for good ventilation. “Many kampungs are located close to rivers and lakes, rich tropical rainforest, flora and fauna all around, where elephants, tapirs, and deer can also be spotted,” Hamdan said, adding “at many homestay villages, the houses are surrounded by fruit trees such as star fruit, banana, ciku, rambutan, durian, pineapple, mango, mangosteen, jackfruit, and coconut.” The charge comes up to US$25 daily per person, and tourists usually stay for four nights. The cost includes bed, meals, and some of the activities at the village, but tourists must get there themselves. “The guests have to come on their own to the village. Travel by bus, train or plane is cheap and very good in Malaysia. However, if they want, it can be arranged at an extra charge,” remarked Hamdan. People come from all over the world, particularly from Europe, the United States and Japan. Last year, 48, 000 tourists visited under the program, contributing nearly US$5 million toward the Malaysian economy. The Kingdom is still slow to catch up, however. “There was only one family from Saudi Arabia, but we are proud of that and want to increase the number from our brotherly country,” Hamdan urged. He also said that the government has granted 40 million ringgit to participating Homestay members to upgrade housing facilities as well as the infrastructure. “What is important is giving the rural people a chance to participate in tourism to help enhance relations between peoples with a human touch. We are a big human family,” Hamdan remarked, adding “in the true spirit of Islam, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is striving for world unity. We are keen to see people from Saudi Arabia visit under this program and we make our best efforts to make the guests feel at home.” Protecting wildlife So genuine is Malaysia's willingness to play host to tourists, that one can say that Malaysia is making ‘elephantine' efforts not only to boost tourism but also understanding between men as well as between man and the environment. Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks, for instance provides a safe sanctuary for elephants in distress under its transrelocation program. “We get elephants from human conflict areas,” explained Ahmad Kamsul bin Alias, deputy chief of the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandha, on the Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan Highway. “Sometimes, due to habitat loss, elephants are forced to look for food in plantations and villages, where farmers kill or maim them, or they simply die of starvation. There are also incidents of tigers attacking and injuring them. Such elephants are brought to the center. Right now we have an elephant that is undergoing treatment from a tiger attack. Another was injured in a snap trap by an illegal hunter. Both are recovering well,” he added. After recovery, they are translocated to other suitable habitats throughout the Peninsula such as Taman Negara. “Over the years, our elephant relocation team has helped prevent the further decline of the elephant population by relocating more than 500 wild elephants,” Alias said. Some are kept at the center with the aim to spread public awareness about the plight of elephants and to both stress the importance of habitat and environmental preservation, as well as support research into their translocation and conservation. The center also looks after orphaned elephants. Of the 15 elephants at present, 11 are from Malaysian jungles, one each from India and Myanmar, and two from Thailand. The center - established in 1989 - was opened to the public in 2000 and 2,000 people visited it in that year alone. In 2007, the number went up to 80,000 and last year jumped to 143,000, of which 75 percent were foreigners – mainly from Europe, Australia and even from the Middle East. “Right now the visit is free, and limited to 120-150 visitors per day. The activities include riding, bathing and feeding the elephants. People enjoy it and make voluntary donations. The centee has generated so much interest and attained so much international popularity that a recently concluded survey has shown that a majority of foreign visitors are prepared to pay 25 ringgit,” Alias said. He said that the Asian elephant is listed as a “critically endangered” species, with less than 40,000 wild elephants in Asia of which 1,200 are in Peninsular Malaysia. “Protecting elephants helps safeguard thousands of other species within its habitat. The elephant creates vital natural pathways by knocking down trees, thereby allowing smaller wildlife to feed, as well as dispersing plant seeds in its dung,” he stressed. “We are continuously making efforts to upgrade the facilities for research and development, and for visitors,” added Alias. Tourist attractions In Kuala Lumpur, the Sunway Lagoon - with its theme park, rides, wet slides, animal kingdom, and Scholar Stones collection - offers fun, entertainment and education for children and adults alike. The Scholar Stones are natural limestone formations named so because they were first studied by the ancient Chinese scholars. They are formed by interactions between sand, water and wind, and take from thousands to millions of years to take shape. The resultant formations are so incredible that they have to be seen to be believed. A cruise on the 650 hectares' man-made Putrajaya Lake, a blue watery expanse, with its placid and clean, but deep water (14 to 18meters), is absolutely rejuvenating. One can go for a simple one-hour cruise or enjoy lunch or dinner on the glass-canopied boat. Moreover, the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), rising majestically on Putrajaya's highest point Puncak Selatan, is not only the premier venue for meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, but also for a range of social events such as weddings, which take place in its spacious halls. The building, quite literally, looks as if it is ready to take off. The design is based on the traditional wau (ancient kite), and the pending perak (silver royal belt buckle), while the main halls are set in the bejeweled ‘eye' of the buckle. Of the main halls, the Plenary Hall is the largest with a capacity to seat 2,800 people. From the prime minister's seat in the Head of States Hall, his office in Putrajaya is clearly visible from the huge entrance opposite it. The 452-meters-high, 88-storied Petronas Twin Towers, situated in the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC), are another awe-inspiring sight to behold. They are the tallest twin towers in the world. The design of each tower's floor plan is based on simple Islamic geometric forms of two interlocking squares creating a shape of eight-pointed stars. Architecturally, these reflect important Islamic principles of “unity within unity, harmony, stability and rationality.” The towers are linked by the double-decked skybridge at levels 41 and 42, that offers an absolutely breathtaking - if slightly dizzying - view of the city, as it is 170 meters high from street level. The Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower) - boasting of a revolving restaurant - is the fourth tallest telecommunication tower in the world at 421 meters. The observation deck - 276 meters above ground - offers spectacular views of the city. Surrounding the tower is the Bukit Nanas forest reserve, which covers an area of 9.37 hectares. It contains an 100-year old Jelutong tree, for which a 430,000-ringgit protective retaining wall has recently been constructed. The tower boasts of glass arches that illuminate the giant diamonds arranged in the shape of ‘muqarnas', (the three-dimensional geometrical constructions unique to Islamic architecture), which can be seen at the lobby entrance, lift lobby, and soffit (the horizontal underside of an eave and cornice) of the tower head. This design forms larger brusque patterns at the bottom to symbolize the seven layers of the sky. Whether visitors participate in the Homestay program or not, there is a great deal of excellent sight-seeing to be done and fantastic experiences to be had.
