Sunday 11 June 2017

Visit Johor tourist spots by train (From New Straits Times website 10th November 2014)

By SIM BAK HENG

JOHOR BARU: THE state wants foreign and domestic tourists to start using trains to visit places of interest in Johor.

This is in view of the 11 Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train stations in the state, with each located either near or a short distance away from numerous tourist attractions.

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said tour operators are encouraged to come up with packages that incorporate train rides.
“Singaporean tourists can, for instance, take the train service from Woodlands to Kluang to enjoy Kluang coffee. From the Kluang train station, they can also visit some of the eco- or agro-tourism destinations in Kahang or Ayer Hitam.

“For those disembarking at JB Sentral, various tourist attractions are within walking distance such as the Heritage Walk near Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

“They can even take a connecting bus service to Legoland and Sanrio Hello Kitty theme park in Nusajaya.

“At the Kulai train station, it is just a short distance away to the Johor Premium Outlets.
“If one intends to go to the Endau-Rompin National Park, the Bekok station is an ideal stop,” he said.
Tee said taking trains would offer an exciting and unique experience for tourists, as the rail tracks usually cut through rural areas, which offer verdant and rustic scenery along the way.
He noted that most people are not exposed to trains as a mode of travel, although it is a popular mode of transport overseas.

“Travelling by trains will become a trend in future. I hope KTM Bhd will increase its frequency to cater to the needs of the people,” he added.

“This is also a viable option for those coming from districts outside Johor Baru but want to travel to Singapore,” Tee said, adding that the train service provides a cheaper alternative, as it is the only mode of transport not subject to toll charges and vehicle entry permit fee at the Causeway.

“Train service and facilities have improved over the years. More importantly, there will be no traffic congestion which means travellers will arrive at their destinations on time,” he said.

Let’s travel to the jungles of Johor (From New Straits Times website 21st January 2015)

JOHOR BARU: Trekking into the jungles is neither meant for the novice nor the faint hearted as one could easily lose the way or come face to face with dangerous wild animals.

However, the route to the jungle is made much easier with the 3P travel programme (Student Tourism Programme) rolled out by Tourism Malaysia Johor in conjunction with Johor National Park Corporation and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).

This writer recently sampled the 3P programme that took a group of student visitors to the lush rainforest of Taman Negara Endau Rompin.

It was certainly an unforgettable experience even for any novice. It was also a learning trip where visitors were exposed to the many hidden heritage of the jungle.

The main objective of the programme is to encourage students to visit places while studying and get exposed to valuable information, recreational activities and see for themselves the flora and fauna conservation at the national park.

This writer joined the group under the 3P travel programme themed “Learn, Discover and Explore Johor 2015/2016”. The journey to the Selai entrance of the national park that cuts across two states - Johor and Pahang - started with a train ride from Johor Baru Sentral terminal to Bekok.
From Bekok, the group continued the journey on a 4x4 vehicle to the Selai entrance of Taman Negara Endau Rompin.

LEARING ABOUT THE LIVING FOREST

Among the interesting itineraries of the programme were a night walk, light trap, jungle trekking to Takah Pandan, mini explorace, sketch and water based activities with the group members divided into teams.

Apart from that, numerous group activities like jungle survival lessons that required participants to build a shelter, boil water in a leaf, cook rice in bamboos and start a fire.

LEARNING ABOUT THE JUNGLE

Edzuar Zar Ayob Azari, Tourism Malaysia’s director for Johor, noted that the 3P programme is not something new as it has been ongoing since year 2000 but the activities then were more towards elocution, quizzes and so on.

Now it is more oriented towards learning of Johor’s natural heritage.
“Anchored on three core aspects of learning, discovering and exploring, we hope that the participants will be able to dwell deeper and learn of the unique places and the packages offered during the programme,” he said.

IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR EACH TOURISTS

Edzuar noted that the 3P travel programme would also take students and undergraduates to islands as well or other places according to their requirements.
“We are looking into ways to promote the places associated with legends in Johor, like Gunung Ledang, as places of interest for tourists where those keen on extreme sports could scale the mountain and those who love nature could enjoy the sight and feel of the verdant landscape,” he said.
Edzuar pointed out by this way the public would understand better and learn more on the tourism packages available in Johor that include programmes like Homestay, Agro Tourism, Back to Nature and others.

THE REMARKABLE FIRST EXPERIENCE

One of the participants Habibah Bachok said Taman Negara Endau Rompin boasts its own uniqueness where many of the rare flora and fauna could be found.
“Though it is my first experience, I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity to enter a jungle and get a feel of the jungle.

“Here, I not only learned of the animals that live here but also learned how to use the blowpipe, jungle survival that include making traps and shelters, learning of the names of the jungle trees and flowers,” said Habibah adding that the most challenging part was trekking upwards to Takah Pandan Waterfalls due to the difficult terrain.

The 3P programme provides an opportunity for students and undergraduates to learn to travel to new places and expand their horizon. – Bernama

Residents paint murals to promote tourism (From The Star website 9th March 2015)

by kathleen ann kili

LABIS: The local community has come together to paint murals on walls of a row of wooden old shoplots as an effort to promote tourism at the Bekok town here.

The mural-painting effort was part of the Bekok Transformation programme, which was initiated by the locals and supported by Labis MP Datuk Chua Tee Yong.

The transformation programme committee secretary Tien Thong Sin said that the residents took about five days to complete a mural depicting the town’s popular Sungai Batang Waterfall along Jalan Wijaya here.

“This is just the first phase of the mural-painting activity, as we are planning to come up with more murals in the next few months which will involve another row of wooden shoplots along Jalan Gunong,” he told StarMetro recently.

He added that the community decided to liven up the town especially the structure of old shoplots, which had been around for over 60 years.

Apart from attracting tourists to throng the town, Tien said that the community hoped to attract locals who have left the town to pursue an education or career in more developed cities to return for holidays.

“We want our people especially the younger generation to visit their hometown and contribute to its economy.

“Besides encouraging creativity among youths, we also hope to recruit more volunteers and create job opportunities for locals through the programme,” he added.
Tien said the committee also launched a photography contest, which was open to the public, for the programme.

“The competition is open to members of the public and the only criteria set is that the photograph must be taken within Bekok such as the iconic Sungai Batang Waterfall, the Bekok train station, quaint kopitiams (popular hangout spot among locals).
“Winners will walk away with cash prizes of up to RM1,000 and a certificate and participants have until May 31 to submit their photos,” he said adding that those interested could log on to their Facebook page “Labis Ecotourism” for more details.
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