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INSIDE:

Spas in KotaKinabalu, Island Escapes, Eating Out and more!

14th Regatta Lepa -

Water Festival

April 2007 Volume 74April 2007 Volume 74

Climb and Build 2007April – July 2007

This program encourages visitors, tourists andanyone visiting Sabah on holiday to contributetheir time in partnership with Habitat forHumanity to build homes for the needy.Interested participants are also welcome to par-ticipate in this good cause program during any-time of the year.Organiser: Habitat for Humanity Kota KinabaluFor further info:Jeannette Tong / Jessica RosiusTel: +60 88 264178, 264179, 016 8388718(Jeannette)Fax: +60 88 269089Email: jeannette_tong@yahoo.comor habitatkk@gmail.com

Good Friday6 April 2007

Atime when all Christians commemorate thecrucifixion of Jesus Christ in Mass services andprayer.For further info:Sabah Tourism BoardSri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn BhdTel: +60 88 212121, 232121Fax: +60 88 212075, 265540Email: info@sabahtourism.com

Sabah Adventure Challenge 20076 – 8 April 2007

This race remains as Malaysia’s oldest estab-lished adventure race and South East Asia’slongest running multi-day expedition adventurerace. Teams of two will navigate, mountain bike,trail run, hike and kayak of an estimated dis-tance of 200KM over three days in the lushCrocker Range of Borneo.Organiser: Dr. Claus PedersenAman Avtar S. SandhuFor further info:Avtar S. SandhuTel: +60 88 261770, 013 5419845 (Aman)Fax: +60 88 261070Email: info@sabahadventure.com

Easter Sunday8 April 2007

Ameaningful celebration across the land asChristians mark the Resurrection of Christ.For further info:Sabah Tourism BoardSri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn BhdTel: +60 88 212121, 232121Fax: +60 88 212075, 265540Email: info@sabahtourism.com

Mulan – The Musical13-15 April 2007

Amusical favourite brought to you by the stu-dents of SRS Datuk Simon Fung. Come andwatch them bring the tale of Mulan to lifethrough song, dance and drama. The event willtake place at the Menara Tun MustaphaAuditorium. Shows on 13 and 14 April start at7:00 pm sharp and the afternoon matinee on 15April at begins at 2:00 pm. Tickets are pricedbetween RM20 and RM200.Organisers:SRS Datuk Simon FungFor further info:SRS Datuk Simon FungTel: +6088-431680

Pesta Kalimaran 200714 – 15 April 2007

Join the folks of Tenom in this 2-day eventshowcasing the rich culture of the Murut people,one of Sabah’s unique indigenous groups asthey put up colourful and fascinating culturalperformances, handicraft demonstrations andsale booths plus many other exciting activities.Organiser:Sabah Cultural BoardFor further info:Mackey ApisonTel: +60 88 268812, 268884Fax: +60 88 264235Email: Rusman.Abdullah@sabah.gov.myor Mackey.Apison@sabah.gov.my

Vasakhi Day14 April 2007

Vasakhi celebrates the New Year in theNorthern Indian Calendar. It is also the birth ofKhalsa. During the celebration, all Gurdawars(Sikh Temple) conduct prayer services.Vegetarian food is served to all who visit theGurdawars.For further info: Sabah Tourism BoardSri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn BhdTel: +60 88 212121, 232121Fax: +60 88 212075, 265540Email: info@sabahtourism.com

14th Regatta Lepa Semporna –Water Festival21 – 22 April 2007

Semporna comes to life with the Bajau seafar-er’s unique festival of Regatta Lepa where acompetition of the most beautiful traditional sail-boats is held. Watch out also for other out of theordinary tele-matches like the boat tug-of-war,kayak race and boat racing. The town ofSemporna is also home to fresh seafood andgateway to the world’s best dive sites.Organisers:District Office of SempornaSri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn BhdFor further info:Jaafar Hj. IsmailZachary S. MobijohnTel: +60 89 781518, +60 88 232121Fax: +60 89 781472, +60 88 265540Email: Zachary@sabahtourism.com

Anzac Day25 April 2007

An annual event to commemorate theAustralian and New Zealand Army servicemenwho fought during World War II in Sabah. Manyretired servicemen and family members fromAustralia and New Zealand make a pilgrimageto Sabah during this time of the year to remem-ber the fallen and the locals who risked their liveto help others.Organisers: Sandakan Municipal CouncilFor further info:Catherin ChuaTel: +60 89 224026, 275400Fax: +60 89 222964Email: Catherin.Chua@sabah.gov.my

Church of Mary Immaculate,Kota Kinabalu

Contents

2Feature Personality3Happenings & Highlights

14th Regatta Lepa Semporna Water FestivalPesta KalimaranSabah Adventure ChallengeMulan - The MusicalAnzac DayClimb and Build 2007

6Eating Out

Restoran Rasa PenangAnjappar Chettinad

7Places of Interest

Weston Wetland

8Spa Essentials

Spas in Kota Kinabalu

10Feature

Island Escapes

12Through The Lens14Culture

Sea Bajau

15What’s New at Kadaiku

Sabah Souvenirs &Handicrafts

16Bahasa Malaysia Section18Chinese Section20Japanese Section22Korean Section24Directory Listings25 Sabah Map & Listings26Sabah Art Gallery

he month of Aprilbrings plenty of sun-shine. What better timeto bask in the sun andexplore Sabah’s manyisland wonders! Thismonth, we bring you someof Sabah’s best beachesand island retreats (p.10).Whether you’re an aviddiver or a certified beachbum like yours truly, there’ssomething for everyone.The East Coast town ofSemporna is not only thegateway to some of the top dive sites;it is also the venue for the annualRegatta Lepa Water Festival (p.3).Every year, the Sea Bajau communityhonours the use of the Lepa, a tradi-tional sailing boat which have beenintegral part of their lives over gener-ations. A rainbow of colourful sailsmarks the sea as they parade theirlepas, vying for the title of MostBeautiful Lepa. On the West Coast,head to Tenom for the annualKalimaran Festival or PestaKalimaran (p.3), celebrated by theMurut people. Learn more about theirfascinating cultures and traditionsduring this celebration. A must-seeduring this event is the Lansarandisplay; a traditional game which willsee young men ‘bouncing’ on aplatform!After all that sun-soaking andexciting events, why not treat yourselfto a spa experience? The spa industryin Sabah is on the rise and there areplenty of establishments to choosefrom. In Spa Essentials (p.7), wefeature some of our recommendedwellness centres to cater to yourneeds.As for dining delights, we invited youto have a taste of Penang or Indiaright here in Kota Kinabalu (p.6).On another note, the Sabah TourismAwards is now open for nominations.The prestigious awards ceremony willbe held in July this year, honouringthe crème de la crème of the tourismindustry. Closing date for submissionof nominations is April 16, 2007.It’s another exciting month right herein Sabah and we hope the bulletincan be of assistance as you plan yourholiday. Don’t forget to bring homewonderful souvenirs to remind you ofyour time in Sabah and be sure toshow off that glorious tan!

ADVISOR

YBhg. Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin

EDITOR

Melissa Leong

DESIGNER

Trevor Thomson Lam C.W.

PUBLISHER

Sabah Tourism Board51 Gaya Street, 88000 Kota Kinabalu

TRANSLATORS

DESIGNED & PRINTEDBY

Inna Kinabalu Sdn Bhd

(Publisher of The New Sabah Times)Jalan Pusat Pembangunan Masyarakat, Sembulan88100 Kota KinabaluEvery effort has been made to ensure that the information iscorrect at the time of publication. The publisher cannot be heldresponsible for any inaccuracies, omissions and alterations whichmay occur as a result of last minute changes. No part of thismagazine may be reproduced without the written permission ofthe Sabah Tourism Board.

Editorial

Melissa Leong

Editor

Mataking Resort by night