ECO-TOURISM IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia attracts visitors drawn to its diverse culture that is infused with Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions. Malaysia's diversity extends to its natural landscapes, notably its rainforest, which is 60 percent virgin forest that has not changed for millions of years. The country's numerous natural attractions lend to its success as one of the world's leading eco-tourism destinations.

Flora and Fauna

As one of the most biological diverse countries of the world, Malaysia is home to over 15,000 species of flowering plants and almost 300 species of mammals. Additionally, there are over 150,000 species of invertebrates including marine life and insects and approximately 4,000 different species of fish. Malaysia's mangrove forests of Langkawi are an example of the fragile ecosystem that acts as a sanctuary for the country's flora and fauna.

Protected Areas

Malaysia has created over 50 environmentally protected areas that include reserves and national parks and cover approximately 4.5 percent of the country's land area. Most of the nature reserves are not generally open to the public, but the national parks welcome guests to enjoy Malaysia's undisturbed natural areas. Because of its rich diversity in tropical plant species, Kinabalu Park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to Mount Kinabalu, which is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea.

Activities

With all of Malaysia's national parks, you will have ample opportunity for outdoor activities. In addition to hiking and trekking through the jungle, visitors may go whitewater rafting, rock climbing, scuba diving and bird watching. Malaysia subscribes to eco-tourism as defined by the World Conservation Union, which includes environmentally conscious travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas to connect with nature. Additionally, eco-tourism activities promote conservation, have low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local populations.

Attractions

In addition to independently traveling to Malaysia's national parks, you can find specific natural attractions to pique your interest. Head to Sungai Lebam Wetland Preservation Area to watch the sky light up with hundreds of fireflies. Watch the world's largest birds, ostriches, race each other at the Desaru Ostrich Farm (desaruostrichfarm.com) located in Johor. While you are in Johor, also consider visiting Crocodile World (crocodileworld.teloksengat.com) in Teluk Sengat, home to over 1,000 crocodiles. To connect with Malaysia's ancient history, visit Kelam Cave, the "Cave of Darkness," one of Malaysia's largest caves that is believed to have been the home of cavemen in the Stone Age.

Source: USA Today

KUALA LUMPUR TOPS GLOBAL RICH LIST WITH 13,800 MILLIONAIRES

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Malaysia’s largest city Kuala Lumpur has the highest number of millionaires (denominated in US dollars)  surpassing all other cities of the world, according to a report by international wealth research group WealthInsight.

The city had 13,800 millionaires or high net worth individuals (HNWIs) in 2013, higher than Abu Dhabi’s 12,500, Cape Town’s 8,753 or Birmingham’s 8,736, WealthInsight said.

The  number of millionaires concentrated in Kuala Lumpur gives an indicator of Malaysia’s fast-growing wealth at the top end but also suggests an increasing gap between the richest and the rest of the population.

Average annual income in the country stands around RM20,000 and minimum wage weighs in at RM900 a month.

WealthInsight predicted that Malaysia’s number of millionaires will jump from over 26,000 last year to 30,054 in just four years, with total Malaysian wealth also projected to increase from US$151 billion (RM527 billion) to US$206 billion (RM719 billion) in the same period.

“Malaysian wealth grew at the remarkable rate of 59.6 per cent between 2009 and 2013 and is expected to increase by a further 28% to reach US$206 billion in 2018,” said the group which claims to have a detailed database on the rich and an international-based team of over 500 economists, analysts and researchers. 

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What Are the Best Luggage Brands in 2016?

Shopping for luggage can seem daunting when you see how many brands are competing for your business. Some are household names, and others you may be hearing about for the first time. Either way, we went through extensive research to determine the top ten best luggage brands. Using a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best, we have narrowed our findings down to the ten best.

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