We believe that in travelling - we can learn so much about our world; our history, geography, the beauty and mysteries of the people and other inhabitants …and in the process, we learn more about ourselves.
Ren i Tang is the result of a 2 year long restoration project on a 19th century Early Straits Eclectic Styled Building located within the core zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Penang Island: Malaysia.
Converted into a Heritage Inn, Ren i Tang retains its original architecture and the flavour of a warehouse interior but is injected with modern amenities in each room for the comfort of today's travellers. Its name is the phonetic spelling in Mandarin of South East Asia’s oldest Chinese Medical Hall Wholesaler, Yin Oi Tong which occupied the premise for 124yrs . It is now open for bookings. For more: http://www.journeymalaysia.com/islandpenangrenitang.htm
Announcement: From Kuala Lumpur North bound travellers ~ The main bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur, Puduraya Bus Terminal has reopened and bus companies have resumed operations to/from this terminal East Coast bound travellers ~ Those heading to the East Coast should go to Hentian Putra. Getting There: Take the LRT (Light Rail Transit) on the Ampang Line bound for PWTC LRT Stop. For more , http://www.myrapid.com.my East Bound travellers ~ Those heading to the East eg Raub, Temerloh, Jerantut, Bentong should go to Hentian Pekeliling . Getting There: Take the Monorail bound for Titiwangsa LRT Stop. For more , http://www.myrapid.com.my South Bound travellers ~ Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Bandar Tasik Selatan was recently opened in January 2011 to facilitate those going southbound to Johor and Singapore. Getting There: Take the LRT (Light Rail Transit) on the Ampang Line bound for Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT Stop. For more , http://www.myrapid.com.my |
Bornean Sunbear Conservation
Malaysia's jungles and other habitats is home to a great variety of endemic and unique creatures, big and small. When the early 17th - 20th century naturalists arrived on the shores of Malaya and Borneo, they had a glorious time identifying and naming the then 'unknown' fauna and flora.
In Malaya, we have the Malayan Sun Bear, The Malayan Tiger, the Malayan Tapir (which is a close relative of the elephant), Malayan Roundleaf Bat, Malayan Water Shrew, Malayan Porcupine, Bornean Orangutans (different from the Sumatran ones), Kinabalu Ferret-badger, the Bornean Pygmy Elephants, Borneon Slow Loris, Pahang Frog, Black Shrew. With so many names to recognition of our land's biodiversity and uniqueness, it's still a wonder as to why there are so much hunting, poaching and wildlife trafficking going around and not monitored stringently.
here is a snippet of the sun bear and why we need to help them before it's too late. http://wongsiewte.blogspot.com/
The Rape of the Penan People
Our journey into the upper reaches of the Baram River in 2007 introduced us to communities of different tribes living harmoniously in villages just within walking distances from each other. A far cry from the days of the savage headhunters in the early 1900s. The Berawans, Kayans, Kenyah, Morek and Penans live in the Ulu Baram area. One thing that was clearly put through to us when talking to other tribes such as the Kayan, Berawan and Kenyah is that the Penan tribe is desperately in trouble. Their extinction seems to be imminent. The head of one tribe even mentioned to us that the nearby Penan Village had children been bred out of wedlock and of different fathers and they looked of mixed parentage. Of course, these other tribes ridicule the penan for continuing to live a simple, semi nomadic life, unable to integrate with the modernities provided by the government. They also mentioned of logging communities taking advantage of the tribe's naivety. For more on what purportedly is happening to them...
Please log into http://blog.limkitsiang.com
http://www.bmf.ch/
The Malayan Tiger ~ help these endangered animals by signing the petition
The Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti). In the 1920’s when Malaya was almost entirely covered in jungle, the tiger was man’s no.1 enemy. Villagers were afraid to leave their homes at night for fear that they may be ambushed along the way by a hungry tiger. Today, wildlife trafficking, intense development and clearing of jungles for plantations are pushing these formidable beasts into extinction. If we don't start protecting their habitats and implementing more stringent set of laws against wildlife trafficking, the tigers will - in less than a century be just an iconic mythological creature. Find out more on what you can do locally for our tigers at:
Responsible Volunteering : Conservation Solutions
It is important for everybody to become connected to the issues facing humanity and the planet, and empowered to realizing solutions. WOX has developed volunteer programs to achieve this goal. Volunteers or participants pay money to fund the enhancement of ongoing conservation projects and physically contribute in the implementation thereof with their manpower in activities such as interpretation, husbandry, enrichment, infrastructure building, rehabilitation and release of animals, habitat restoration as well as community involvement and education.
WOX terms this “connecting everyday people to endangered animals“. The volunteers/participants have the unique opportunity to experience first-hand the social and environmental issues of that project, and form an appreciation of the realities of conservation and human development. Ultimately, volunteers/participants relate their experiences back to their everyday lives, broadening their understanding and cultural horizons, and giving them further opportunities to make a difference in their lives . For a look at what WOX has done over the past year , 2010 Bulletin.pdf
Help Buy A River Terrapin Egg!
The questionnaire survey that we carried out in the major rivers in Terengganu not too long ago brought about some really interesting findings. One of them was the discovery of sizable river terrapin populations in the Kerteh and Kemaman Rivers that we were otherwise not aware about. In addition, we also found out that there wasn’t an agency that was carrying out any river terrapin related projects in these rivers, whether research or conservation based.
During the interviews in the villages along the Kerteh and Kemaman Rivers, we suggested that the local villagers protect the river terrapins by incubating as many river terrapin eggs as they possibly could. The suggestion was very well received and some fishermen were obviously very excited about the prospect of being able to do something to help the terrapins :D They volunteered to show us the nesting sites along the rivers, and some of them also volunteered to incubate the terrapin eggs in the compound of their houses.
However, one problem remains. The egg collectors who wait by the nesting banks for the female terrapins to lay their eggs must be compensated. And TCC does not have an allocation for the purchase of these eggs (because we did not foresee the fact that there would be so many river terrapins in these rivers!).
Hence we came up with a “Help Buy A River Terrapin Egg” campaign. Each river terrapin egg costs RM 5 (they cost more in the Setiu River) and monies raised from this campaign would be used to purchase terrapin eggs in the Kerteh and Kemaman Rivers. Please help us raise the necessary funds by “buying a river terrapin egg”. We will send you a THANK YOU card as a token of our appreciation.
If you need further information/clarifications, don’t be shy, email us at cp@turtleconservationcentre.org and we will get back to you ASAP!
Past to Present to Future
The former premise of Yin Oi Tong, South-East Asia's oldest chinese medicinal wholesaler is currently undergoing a restoration process to return its state to its glorious past. The 3 unit shophouse sits majestically at the junction of China and Penang Street in the heart of UNESCO George Town and is expected to be completed and open for business in 2012. There will be a Chinese Medicinal Hall, a Chinese Medicinal Museum, a bistro , a living heritage stay and a resource centre. The shoplots, built in 1823, originally belonged to Cheah Kay and is now under the ownership of the Cheah Kongsi, one of the largest landowners in George Town. Yin Oi Tong, had occupied the premises since 1885 but had moved out to its own premise in Paya Terubong on June 30 ,2009.
