Responsible Tourism in Malaysia

Malaysia imagery

Inspired by the growth spurt in responsible travel – Malaysia is positioning itself to be the obvious destination choice for those wishing to broaden their personal horizons through traveling abroad. It is a country ranked 12th worldwide in terms of bio-diversity and, since last year, more than eight million trees have been planted in Malaysia in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in 2009 had made a pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emission to 40 per cent by 2020 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Malaysia embraces responsible travel calling all travelers to unpack their initiative, courage and sense of adventure to live life as a local Malaysian in place of a traditional holiday in South East Asia. The relaxing holiday is so last year. You need to challenge your mind and emotions to get the best of traveling abroad. Sightseeing is only skin deep – volunteer travel however, gets you under the brochure gloss and into what makes Malaysia truly Asia – living with its villagers, helping save its endangered animals, replanting its forest, cooking its dishes and making a difference whilst traveling.

Traveling to Malaysia on one of the responsible tourism volunteer programmes is an experience or "taster" of what it would be like to work with animals and local people in exotic locations. Don the kakis of a conservationist, share your rice bowl with like-minded adventurers and immerse yourself responsibly into a meaningful project In Malaysia. You can choose to collect data on migration patterns of the pygmy elephant along the jungle river in Sabah. Escape your life and live Iban tribes’ people (descendants of head hunters of Borneo). Make games to enrich orangutans in forest rehabilitation centres. Those of you with a real passion for animals can try an Orangutan conservation holiday in Borneo, with departures on the 3rd of every month.

Or you could count turtle nests along 20km coast line of East Malaysia and monitor coral reef in pristine seas. Teach English to remote village children. Malaysia offers a world of great projects to choose from during your gap year, sabbatical, career break or adventure holiday. Malaysia offers you the once in the lifetime chance to experience wildlife and local people more intimately than any other ecotourism destination. Where else could you help in the conservation of pygmy elephants with the assistance of an English speaking guide, while exploring Borneo at the same time?

Tourism Minister Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen said ‘the Government's tree planting campaign "Greening the Earth: One Citizen, One Tree" launched in 2010 was nearing its target of 26 million trees. Malaysia is proud to have 18.4 million ha or 56 per cent of our total land area under forest cover.

The true diversity of what Borneo has to offer makes it ideal for a tailor-made holiday, allowing travellers’ individual requirements to be taken into account on trips such as these: tailor made Borneo holiday and wildlife and beaches holiday (£100 discount until 10th December 2011). Or leave it to the experts on a journey through mystical Sabah

Travel to Malaysia Helps Save Orangutans: Think Orangutans Dream Borneo.

Is it a calling or a coincidence that some of the most endangered animals are keystone to the very destination dream travel is made of? We would like to think it is a calling of the fastest growing industry to help reshape fundraising for wildlife causes around the world. It is a tourism based on generating economy from the personal experience of natural phenomena by personally giving back to nature phenomenally. This is far from token charity. This is giving smart. Another way to holiday. A fearless philanthropy as you enter the depths of the Borneo jungle in search of orangutans you want to donate to.

A truly responsible tour package is designed around the conservation or community development project to drive much needed funds to it. This tourism is in its most compassionate form and you can use your travel to express your responsibility to an endangered species or habitat. This makes responsible tourism in Malaysia a seriously good way to travel and make a difference abroad.

Orangutans are Asia’s only great ape and found in Malaysian Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak as well as Borneo with only 20,000 orangutans left on the third biggest island in the world. Flagship endangered species, such as orangutans, are used to explain the complex interrelationship between humans and the environment, allowing you to relate to problems and engage in solutions. You could be a part of the solution on an amazing 15 day journey through the world of the orangutan in Borneo and Malaysia or at the Matang wildlife centre in Borneo as a volunteer for 2 or 4 weeks. Experiences, feedback and open dialogue of everyday people visiting these project sites can help shape the responsible tourism service delivered by Malaysian tour operators.

Now you can give endangered animals a fighting chance in the battle against habitat loss. Work alongside inspired individuals who have taken the challenge to provide what it takes to secure habitats. Often you will find that protecting an iconic animals like the orangutan in Borneo and habitat preservation, also means wealth generation for local communities in terms of micro enterprise and wildlife tourism.

Tourism Minister Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen

"I urge you to visit and discover Malaysia, as one of the world’s top 12 biodiversity countries, Malaysia has many beautiful parks; our tropical climate makes it suitable for the growth of exotic plants and flowers. Malaysia has about 14,500 flowering species, including 3,000 species of trees, 300 species of palms and 60 species of bamboos and also 600 species of birds, 210 species of mammals and thousands of exotic insects and marine life." - Tourism Minister Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen