Archive for category Asia
Sabah Fest ’09
Posted by TravelDesigned in Alan McBride, Asia, Malaysia, My Travelin' Tweeps on February 7th, 2010
Please follow Alan on Twitter : @alanmcbride
Photo-journo, writer, traveller, aspiring eccentric, music lover, Francophile, walker and chef!
Sabah Fest 09
A Celebration of Sabah’s Natural Charms
You may remember harvest festivals from your schooldays, local children bringing in fruits and vegetables to celebrate the bounty the seasons bring. They were usually joyous occasions with hymns being sung in assembly, at special church festivals or after school.
In Sabah, Borneo, the harvest festival takes on a whole new meaning as the various tribes of Sabah descend on the capital, Kota Kinabalu every year. Over 30 ethnic groups speaking over 100 local dialects perform over two or three days at the magnificent Sutera Village Resort while the entire festival proceeds over the whole month. Principally the Kadazandusun and Murut communities come together each May to offer thanksgiving to the bambaazon (rice spirit) for a bountiful harvest.
An array of traditional sports: arm wrestling, blow pipe skills, racing on bamboo stilts and a type of clog-less, clog dance over rapidly snapping, potentially ankle breaking, bamboo poles performed by the Murut head-hunting warriors, this and many other cultural dancing exhibitions, provide a tremendous buzz over the several hours of the main show. The mesmerising dance of the Suluk Sandakan people of the east coast for example, called the Pangalay Agung, is a skilful dance usually presented as a royal welcome, it has been passed from generation to generation and is yet another highlight in a night of highlights.
One feature of the shows is the stunning beauty of the costumes and peoples. How Malaysia doesn’t win Miss World every year is beyond this writer's comprehension and is shown to the best extent in the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant.
Sabah Fest features many and varied events over the course of the month with separate events all over the state: the main event though is undoubtedly the Cultural Extravaganza held on the opening two days. The whole month is a spectacular presentation of song, dance, music – a total cultural blast with many food, handicraft stalls and booths on display.
As part of SabahFest a visit to Sabah Museum’s Heritage Village to learn about age-old rituals and intricate beliefs of the local ethnic groups will surely include traditional games and more exciting exhibitions.
The various stalls and events at the show and at selected venues in Sabah afterwards, extend the whole month of SabahFest. The official program lists these and many more, which include:
Sales of Local Handicraft
Crafts Exotica
Patterns and Colours of Sabah Art Exhibition
Kota Kinabalu Harvest Festival Carnival
Kadazan Wedding Ceremony Display
Harvest Festival Celebrations in Sandakan
Bamboo Orchestra Musical Show
Kaamatan Beauty Pageant
Wisma Merdeka Unduk Ngadau Beauty Contest
Handicrafts Exhibition
Traditional Murut Wedding Carnival Show
Kadazan Songs Singing Competition
Sabah World Museum Day 2009
Kaamatan Festival Fair
Handicraft Exhibition
Colors of Sabah Junior Beauty Pageant Contest
Rhythm of Sabah Musical Showcase
Kaamatan Singing Competition (Sugandoi)
The final week ends with more spectacular showpiece events but one of the most interesting in this far off land is the annual Malaysia National Harley (Davidson) Owners' Group (HOG) Rally 2009, Sabah. Incongruous but… get ready for some serious cruisin! Join the Harley Davidson parade as they wend their way through the hills and valleys, farms and rain forests of Sabah. The riders begin their journey from Tawau town and soak in the sights with a trip to Mabul island included. They continue to Sandakan and Kota Belud and end in the capital, Kota Kinabalu.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better:
SabahFest09 finished with Stayin’ Alive – a Charity Dinner & Concert 2009 for The Palliative Care Association (PCA) of Kota Kinabalu; who together with Sutera Harbour Resort put on a tribute to the legendary Bee Gees.
Thanks to Saba Tourism who organised my trip!
I flew with Air AsiaX and Air Asia from Australia to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, stayed as a guest of the following properties:
Nexus Resort,Kurambanai
Eco Gayana Resort
Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
Hyatt Regency, Kota Kinabalu
Borrneo Rainforest Lodge, Dannum Valley
Tune Hotels, LCCT Kuala Lumpur
Thank you, Alan for sharing another amazing article with us about Malaysia. A friend of mine sent me a magnet for my collection from Sabah. Now I know more about this magical destination! Thanks again! — Stephanie aka TravelDesigned
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3 Quirky Christmas Days
Posted by TravelDesigned in Africa, Asia, Christmas Travel Tales, Middle East, My Travelin' Tweeps, Quirky Traveler, South Africa, South Pacific, Uncategorized on December 21st, 2009
Please follow Zoe on Twitter: @quirkytraveller
Looking at life from a quirky point of view. Leadership Coach, Speaker, Travel Writer and Happy Mum.
3 Quirky Christmas Days
Aswan, Egypt
In the early 80s a group of us spent one Christmas and New Year in Egypt. On Christmas Day so we left our VERY basic hostel to find a cheap restaurant open which served festive fare and a drink. As you can imagine, in a predominantly Muslim country on a Saturday, that was not so easy … Eventually we found a little place by the Camel Market (not on that day), with a big table outside. We were offered Roast chicken and chips with local beer… Perfect.
Whilst we waited (for hours!) for the chicken, we drank warm beer and relished the hot sun, safe in the knowledge that back home in the UK it was probably raining and definitely cold. The chicken was the toughest, ropiest old bird you could imagine – but we enjoyed it anyway as we reminisced about our favourite Christmas holidays, exchanged REALLY cheap and fun gifts, toasted absent friends and congratulated ourselves on having a very unChristmassy Christmas Day.
Pattaya, Thailand
In 1990, a friend and I escaped from Hong Kong to stay at a luxury hotel in Pattaya, which looked absolutely dreamy. What we didn’t know was that during the Vietnam War, Pattaya had been a favourite place for soldiers to chill out and ‘relax’ and their legacy lived on …
Having arrived on Christmas Eve we decided to eat out in Pattaya the next day, so after a relaxing day by the pool we wandered into the town. What a shock that was! It was late afternoon and still daylight but all the bars were busy and it was obvious what delights were on offer for Christmas here! We wandered up and down Soi 6 barely able to contain our amazement. Some of the bars and clubs had festive decorations amidst the neon – I’ll never forget one sign which read ‘A Merry Christmas to all our Customers’ above a lap-dancing club offering some very exotic acts …
Eventually we found a vaguely respectable bar where we had Pad Thai noodles and fended off the attentions of some very drunk Australian guys who’d clearly partaken of a fair bit of Christmas cheer. As their propositions got more extreme we decided return to our hotel and leave Pattaya red light district to its own unique Christmas festivities!
Queenstown, South Africa
“We’re having a Braai on Christmas Day – just family and a few mates …” and so I was introduced to Christmas Dinner, South African style. I was staying with my boyfriend’s family on their farm just outside Queenstown. The weather was fantastic, warm, sunny and fresh. On Christmas morning we exchanged presents and drank sparkling wine, opened cards showing Santas and snow-covered carol singers outside typical English churches; all very incongruous with the African veldt outside the back door.
A Braai is a BBQ, SA style. On the biggest grill I’ve ever seen was every kind of meat imaginable, including ostrich and Boerewors, a spicy sausage. Big buckets were filled with ice and beer, boxes of red wine stood outside the kitchen door next to a big fridge full of white wine, soft drinks & mixers. Two trestle tables were loaded up with all manner of salads, dips, breads and fruit, with a smaller table for the kids – and not a turkey or Brussel sprout in sight.
By 4pm the party was in full swing and it was time for carols and the Christmas pudding. The farm workers joined us and as ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ rang out from over 50 voices, it seemed the best way to celebrate this wonderful season.
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