- Discovery Overland Holidays

November 2013 issue
SABAH (TADAU KAAMATAN)30 May 2012 - 31 May 2012
DOH FEATURE OF THE MONTH
- Turtle Volunteer Programme 2013
Volunteering has always been a critical component of Green Living. Volunteering enables us to put our skills and knowledge into practice, and to acquire
more knowledge, awareness and experience in the process. Volunteering is an essential part of walking the talk about environmental responsibility, and also
opens up our eyes to the problems we encounter in trying to implement solutions to environmental issues. The Green Living SIG chose to organise a
volunteer programme on 28 September 2013 at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre operated by the Department of Fisheries in Pantai
Pengkalan Balak, Masjid Tanah, Melaka as it does not receive as much volunteer help and positive publicity as some of the other turtle sanctuaries and
hatcheries in Malaysia. Thirty MNS members registered for the programme to learn more about turtle conservation issues in Malaysia and help with the
upkeep of the centre. Participants also made a financial contribution of RM25 each, to be used by the centre in its turtle egg buyback programme. The first
order of the day after the screening of a short video and educational slideshow was to clean the manmade turtle pond within the compound of the centre,
which held three hawksbill turtles and a green turtle for research and rehabilitation purposes. The turtles will be released into the sea once determined fit
for release by the marine biologists. Green Living would like to thank the participants of the Turtle Volunteer Programme for their helpfulness, generosity
and willingness to accommodate imperfections in the said programme. To find out more about the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre, contact
them at the numbers and address provided below:
Photo Credit: Steven Lim, Wan Sze
Pusat Konservasi dan Penerangan Penyu
Turtle Conservation and Information Centre
Pantai Padang Kemunting,
Masjid Tanah,
Pengkalan Balak,
Melaka.
Phone/Fax: 06 384 6754
Cleaning Carapace. When the cleaning of the pond was
completed, the turtles also received a bath. The young
volunteers were very careful not to hurt the turtles or
unduly stress them out.
Baby Turtles.Two tiny turtle hatchlings were released into
the sea by the centre's staff around 6.45 pm.
A Clean Pond. Once the pond and turtles were sufficiently clean, filtered seawater was pumped into the
pond. The look of relief on the turtles' faces was palpable. 'Yay, no more feet in our pond!', the turtles seemed
to say.
<<<
Cleaning the Pond. The pond was full of algae as
it was filled with filtered seawater, and the
turtles had dirt and algae on their carapace due
to the stagnant water. The volunteers got down
to work scrubbing the tiles with steelwool and
Researchers with Hatchlings. Four volunteers who remained at the centre until 9 pm had the good fortune to
witness researchers weighing, measuring and releasing a
batch of new turtle hatchlings at the Kem Terendak beach.
>>>
Resource: Malaysia Nature Society Selangor Branch
DOH FEATURE OF THE MONTH - MY “NOT SO GRAND” ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER
The “rear” view of the bull elephant as it takes in some minerals. Note its
tusk on the right of its front right legs
It’s the second last day at Ulu Muda and I needed to get my last camera trap* at Sira** Jawa. Got out of the boat on this heavily overcast day late in the afternoon. Looking up at the sky I can tell that rain was eminent. Walked following the short trail of tall bent grass along the river bank probably bent by a
foraging wild boar a few hours earlier.
Heard the familiar loud wing beat of the rare Plain-pouched Hornbill. Looked up, saw their typical V-formation flight. There were 21 birds flying south to their
roosting site for the evening. Looking through the binoculars, noted 10 males by their bright yellow pouch at their neck and while head versus the darkish
blue pouch and head. Since they usually pair for life, the one odd female must be a yet unpaired female.
As we approached the entrance of the trail into the forest, noticed it was overgrown slightly. Took out my trusty parang to clear the foliage. A few firm
strikes of my just sharpened parang opened the trail entrance. Walked into the dark damp forest and immediately noticed some old fading elephant foot
print and dung. As I looked, I also noticed a few long slender leeches already crawling up my ankle and entering my sockless rubber jungle shoes. Found a
small clearing, took off my shoes and started picking and flicking one leech at a time. Sometimes a couple at a time. Satisfied there were no more leeches, I
continued my short 200m trek to Sira Jawa.
It’s been raining intermittently over the last few days and leeches were out in force today. They like it when it’s wet and moist. Without really looking one
can easily see leeches standing erect and flicking side to side hoping to catch a ride on unsuspecting prey. Had to make a few stops to remove these persistent leeches from my feet and lower leg. Even then, a couple of leeches manage to bite although they didn’t have a chance to get their fill of my blood. Ah,
these pesky little leeches! Still, a mere annoyance while experiencing the wild of Ulu Muda.
One has to be very attentive of one’s surroundings when near a saltlick and on a trail that is known to be used by elephants and other wild animals. It is
darker under the tall canopy of a typical tropical jungle. The many tree trunks of various sizes, the vines hanging like ropes of assorted diameter and the foliage can easily help camouflage wildlife. One can pass meters from a wild animal without knowing it being there. It is especially dangerous if there are elephants around. They are powerful and despite their size, one has to appreciate that this is their domain. They can move through the thick jungle with relative
ease and rapidly. Definitely faster than any person can. They can inflict fatal injuries if they catch you.
Sira Jawa is one saltlick where I have personally encountered elephants before. Thus, I am naturally careful and looking around eagle eyed. Eyes darting
around trying to note everything in the forest. My sense of smell and hearing working overtime sniffing the air and listening for any unfamiliar smells or
sounds. Suddenly a loud noise froze me on my track! I must have stopped breathing and eyes not blinking before I realized it was a Red Jungle Fowl taking
flight ahead of me on the same trail. Obviously this jungle chicken saw two intruding humans before the humans saw it!
“MY “NOT SO GRAND” EL EPHA NT ENCOUNTER ” continues on next page...
Resource: Ulu Muda Earth Lodge Malaysia
DOH FEATURE OF THE MONTH - MY “NOT SO GRAND” ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER
The paw print in the mud of a small carnivore
Continued “MY “NOT SO GRAND” EL EPHANT ENCOUNTER”...
As we approached Sira Jawa, we saw a paw print of a small carnivore. No idea what made this print in the mud but will certainly try to find out. It is still fresh
so, probably made last night. Took some photos and measurements for reference later.
Walked the final 50m to Sira Jawa and lo and behold! I noticed a large bull elephant standing in the river. He had its backside facing us! Sira Jawa is rare as it
is one of only two saltlicks in Ulu Muda that is located in a river, Sungai Jawa. I was cautious as I didn’t want to startle the elephant, especially a large tusker
like this one. Signaled my mate Zul who was some distance behind me. He is my boatman and companion on this short excursion. Told him by hand gestures
of the presence of the elephant and to approach quietly. We were about 30m from the beast still in the dark trail with tree trunks and foliage hiding our
presence from the elephant. The fact that the elephants had his backside to us helped too
All we could see was its behind with its tail swinging side to side. It was standing in the 3m wide shallow and rocky river busy blowing the mineral rich sand at
the bottom of the stream, sucking in the water with the sand and minerals up its trunk and placing this brew into its mouth. Because we were behind him, he
couldn’t see us. Elephants got poor eye sight. It was his sense of smell that I was afraid might pick our scent up. Fortunately, his nose, his trunk is busy transporting the important brew.
Herbivores like elephants lack certain minerals due to their plant based diet. They search out saltlicks like this to help supplement their diet with the required
minerals. Carnivores on the other hand get their minerals from the meat they prey on. They congregate around salt lick as their prey are usually there in
numbers.
Saltlicks are magnets for larger wild animals and knowing which animals visit satlicks can provide an insight on the species diversity of Ulu Muda and some
idea on numbers of each species. Due to this, WWF Malaysia and Earth Lodge are cooperating on a project to record wildlife visiting saltlicks by placing camera traps at several saltlicks in the area. The camera traps are sponsored by The Coca Cola Company, WWF Malaysia’s job is to try to make sense of the data
collected while Earth Lodge helps maintain the cameras in the field by regularly changing their batteries and collecting their SD cards.
Zul and I discussed our next course of action. If the elephant decides to use the trail we are on when leaving the saltlick, we are screwed! We also noticed a
family of wild boar rummaging through the soil and leaf litter just meters away from the elephant. If they get spooked by us, the elephant too will get
spooked which won’t be good too. We were left with only one choice. We had to back away and return to the river and our boat. The camera trap will just
have to wait another day to have its batteries changed and SD card collected.
written by Hymeir Kamaruddin
Resource: Ulu Muda Earth Lodge Malaysia
Featured Video - November 2013
Celebrations’ Video
Deepavali Celebration Part 1
Reference: http://discoveryoverland.com/html/
video_listing.aspx?ID=9&PID=136&CatID=246
Date: 2nd November 2013
Description: Diwali also called Divali, Deepavali or
the "festival of lights", is a five-day Hindu festival
which starts on Dhanteras, celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight)
of the Hindu calendar month Karthick and ends
on Bhaiduaj, celebrated on the second lunar day of
Shukla paksha of the Hindu calendar
month Kartik. Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days
after Dussehra. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali
falls between mid-October and mid-November.
Deepavali Celebration Part 2
Reference: http://discoveryoverland.com/html/
video_listing.aspx?ID=9&PID=136&CatID=246
Date: 2nd November 2013
Description: The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a
contraction of deepavali which translates into
"row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of
small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the
triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept
on during the night and one's house is cleaned,
both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are
burst because it is believed that it drives
away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and
snacks with family members and friends.
Heritage Video
Traditional Popiah Skin Maker
Reference: http://discoveryoverland.com/html/
video_listing.aspx?ID=9&PID=136&CatID=1048
Description: A popiah "skin" is a soft, thin paperlike crepe or pancake made from wheat flour. The
method of producing the wrapper involves making
an extremely wet and viscous dough. A ball of this
dough is held to the right hand, then quickly
"rubbed" lit. "to rub a lumpia crepe" against a hot
steel plate in a circular fashion, and lifted. Through
this process, a very thin layer of the wet dough
adheres to the plate and begins to cook. The upper
surface of the crepe is then usually cleaned of excess pieces of dough using the dough ball through
a dabbing process. When the dough has been
cooked to completion, it is peeled off of the hot
steel plate before being removed. The rubbing is
typically done over two or three plates at once,
which allows the baker to continuously produce
crepes and gives the proper time for each crepe to
be properly cooked.
DOH RECIPE OF THE MONTH - Malay Spicy Tomato Chicken (Ayam Masak Merah)
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Cooking Time:
35 minutes
Makes:
4 serving
Ingredients
1 (1 1/2 kg) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pinch salt, to taste
1/4 cup dried red chilies
cardamom seeds
3 fresh red chili, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red onion, diced
1 (3cm thick) slice fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise pods
Whole Cloves
5 whole cloves
5 cardamom seeds
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup (125ml) water
star anise pods
Method:
1. Rub the chicken with turmeric powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Soak the dried red chili in hot water until softened. Blend the softened dried chili, fresh red chili, garlic, onion
and ginger in a blender to a paste.
3. Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil until golden on all sides.
Remove the chicken from the fry pan and set aside.
4. Remove excess oil from the fry pan leaving about 1 tablespoon. Cook and stir the chili paste with the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom seeds until fragrant. Return the chicken to the fry pan.
5. Stir in the water adding more if needed. Toss in the tomatoes and stir in the tomato sauce and sugar. Bring to a
boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run
clear; about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Dried Red Chilies
DOH RECIPE OF THE MONTH - Sweet Potato Soup (Bubur Cha Cha)
Preparation Time:
30 minutes
Cooking Time:
30 minutes
Makes:
4 serving
Ingredients
80g
80g
80g
150g
10g
50g
Purple Sweet Potato
Orange Sweet Potato
Yellow Sweet Potato
Yam (Taro)
Sago (Tapioca pearls)
Black-eye beans (soaked for 1 hour)
Sweet Potatoes
Tapioca flour jelly:
100g Tapioca Flour
½ cup Boiling Water
Red coloring
Coconut Milk Base
3 liter water
1 cup Thick coconut milk
120g Sugar
3 Banana (peeled and cut half inches thick)
2 Pandan leaves
Salt to taste
Method
1) In boiling water, boil black-eye peas until soft. Boil sago separately, until translucent and cooked.
2) Peel and cut all potatoes and taro into cubes or desired shapes. Steam, separately, until cooked.
3) To make tapioca flour jelly, place the flour in mixing bowl. Pour in boiling water. Mix the flour and water
until well incorporated. When the dough is cool, roll it out evenly on a well floured surface and cut into
cube or desired shapes.
4) Bring a pot of water, add in 1 table spoon sugar, pour in banana and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
5) In boiling water (3 liters), add in thick coconut milk, sugar, salt, pandan leaves and cook over low heat about
10–20 minutes.
6) Pour in all the ingredients, together with the sago, tapioca jelly into coconut milk base and mix well. Serve
hot or cold, as you like.
HOTEL UPDATES
Kings Green Hotel City Centre Melaka (Boutique Hotel)
Opening
Location
Rooms
: 18 Oct 2013
: Malacca
: 161 guest rooms
The Royale Bintang, Penang
Opening
Location
Rooms
: November 2013
: Georgetown City
: 300 Rooms
The St. Regis, Kuala Lumpur
Opening
Location
Rooms
: 1 December 2014
: An artist's impression of St Regis Kuala Lumpur in KL Sentral.
: 200 guest rooms & 200 branded residences
The Clans Hotel, Georgetown
Opening
Location
Rooms
: 3rd Quarter2014
: The Khoo Kongsi, Georgetown
: 46 stylish rooms and suites
Swiss-Garden, Malacca
Opening : 4th Quarter of 2014
Location : Melaka City Centre
Rooms : 306 units hotel room & 392 units serviced apartment
Berjaya Langkawi Resort (renovation work in progress)
Duration : Immediate till 31 January 2014
Involves : Junior Chalet on Water will have increased space & comfort, including the introduction
of semi-outdoor lounge and Jacuzzi, new closet and cabinet space, flat screen TV on
wall, features, as well as change of color style and lighting.
Impact : All work will be within the continues of the guest rooms and adjacent areas will be
condoned off as necessary
Tanjung Rhu Resort (renovation works in progress)
Duration : Rooms: Immediate till 15 December 2013 and resume in the New Year 2014, Saffron
Restaurant: Immediate till November 2013, Rhu Restaurant: Immediate till October/
November 2013
Involves : Refitting the room interior with an improved layout, new furniture and fittings, new wall
and ceiling panels as well as electrical and plumbing improvement.
Note
: The works areas will be designated from time to time and buffer zones will be
incorporated to reduce impact on guest rooms and facilities.
EVENT UPDATES
Deepavali Festival of Lights
02 Nov 2013
Venue: Nationwide
Deepavali or the 'Festival of Lights' is
celebrated by Hindus with prayers,
family gatherings and festivities. Open
houses are held where family and
friends visit each other and enjoy
delicious traditional goodies (except
Labuan and Sarawak).
Raja Muda Selangor International
Regatta 2013
15 Nov 2013 – 23 Nov 2013
Venue: Nationwide
The Raja Muda Selangor International
Regatta (RMSIR), one of Asia’s oldest
keelboat sailing events now in its 24th
year, is scheduled to take place from
15th to 23rd November 2013. Organised by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club
(RSYC) in association with the UK
based Royal Ocean Racing Club
(RORC).
Baba Nyonya Convention & Festival
23 Nov 2013 – 25 Nov 2013
Venue: Jonker Walk, Malacca
The origins of Baba Nyonya can be
traced back to centuries ago when the
Chinese emigrated from China to the
British Straits Settlement of Melaka,
Singapore, Penang and also Java of
Indonesia.
Labuan Remembrance Day Ceremony 2013
10 Nov 2013
Venue: World War II Memorial
Also known as “Poppy Day”, it is commemorated on Sunday closest to November 11 every year. War veterans
from the Commonwealth countries as
well as locals and visitors from all over
the world gather in WWII Memorial,
Labuan F.T. to pay tribute to the brave
souls of yesteryears.
Fabulous Food 1Malaysia - ASEAN
Food Heritage Trail
01 Nov 2013 – 30 Nov 2013
Venue: Nationwide
Malaysia’s cultural diversity lends a
unique flavour to its culinary offerings.
Its multi-racial landscape means that
all the flavours of Asia can easily be
found here. Take your pick from traditional Malay, Chinese, Indian and
other ASEAN offerings to indulge in, or
tantalise your tastebuds with a variety
of international and fusion delights.
Malaysia Year-End Sale
16 Nov 2013 – 05 Jan 2014
Venue: Nationwide
Urbanscapes 2013
23 Nov 2013 – 24 Nov 2013
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
The Year-End Sale is back with great
discounts! It's the season eagerly
awaited by Malaysians and visitors
alike for the unbelievable discounts,
bargains and promotions. Load your
shopping carts with gifts, souvenirs,
branded items and everything else you
need for the year-end festive season!
Urbanscapes is the first and only all-day
“user-generated” creative arts festival. It
aims to bring together communities and
participants from the fields of music,
arts, lifestyle and film under a single
banner to showcase the best of the
local scene.
World Cup Asia Paintball 2013
14 Nov 2013 – 17 Nov 2013
Venue: Langkawi
Join paintball enthusiasts from across
the globe, fighting battles in a more
colorful world! Taking place for the
second year, the indoor paintball tournament brings together participants
from more than 50 countries, promising the winning team the title of ‘World
Paintball Champions’.
Christmas
25 Dec 2013
Venue: Nationwide
The Christmas spirit is made merrier
with Malaysia's tropical weather and
friendly people. Visitors will be spoilt
for choice as there are many restaurants, bistros, shopping malls and
hotels that offer great promotions
planned specially for the occasion.
Join in the celebration and have a
sunny Christmas in Malaysia!