On The Far Side

Geographical Location
Located between 2º and 7º north of the Equator, Peninsula Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea.

To the north of Peninsula Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are north of Indonesia in Borneo while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei.

Flag

The 14 red and white stripes represent the 14 states of the country. The gold crescent and star are symbols of Islam, the official religion, and the blue field represents the unity of the people.

Area
329,758 sq km

Population Clock
The year 2000 statistics says 1 person is added to Malaysia’s population every 59 seconds and 1 death every 4 minutes 36 seconds. It simply means expiries aren’t keeping up with additions – population is growing. 2007 estimates put the population at roughly 27.5 million.

Capital
Kuala Lumpur

People
Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians, ethnic groups and aborigines making up the rest.

Religion
Islam is the official religion but all other religions are freely practised.

Language
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects.

Government
Malaysia is governed by a Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (King), a position that is awarded to a different State Monarch (Sultan) every five years and the political Head of Government is the Prime Minister.

Climate
Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF). The highlands are cooler, where temperatures range between 15°C (59° F) to 25°C (77°F). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.

Major Holidays
New Year’s Day Hari Raya Aidiladha* Federal Territory Day ** Chinese New Year* Awal Muharam* Birthday of Prophet Muhammad* Labour Day* Wesak Day* King’s Birthday* National Day* Deepavali# Hari Raya Aidilfitri* Christmas*
Note: (*) – National holidays (**) – Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur & Labuan only (#) – Except Labuan & Sarawak

Economic Profile
Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia’s economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are other major contributors to the economy.

Currency
The unit of currency is Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money changers.

Banking Hours
Most states: Mon – Fri: 9.15am to 4.30pm. Sat & Sun: Closed (Selected banks and branches are open on Sat). Kelantan & Terengganu: Sun – Wed :9.15am to 4.30pm. Thurs :9.15am to 4.00pm. Friday/Saturday*/Public Holiday: Closed

Post Offices
Open from 8.30am to 5.00pm daily except the first Saturday of each month, Sundays and public holidays.
In Kelantan and Terengganu post offices operate during the same hours but are closed on Fridays and public holidays.

Time
8 hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time.

Electricity
Voltage is 220 – 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second.
Standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets.

Weights and Measures
Malaysia follows the metric system in weights and measures.

Telephones
Local calls can be made from public phones using coins or pre-paid cards. International calls can be made from public phones with card phone facilities or at any Telekom office. There is a growing trend of travellers buying second-hand mobile phones from shopping malls and loading the phones up with pre-paid call time to keep in touch with family and friends during longer stays.

We offer outdoor guided trips as part of our effort to raise fund for sustaining OO’s operational cost and its community work obligation .

Remember, we don’t do conveyor-belt tourism. Trips we offer involve unpolished destinations. Jaunts like these require more time for preparation and planning. So, we cannot do last-minute-trips on the fly. Kindly give us ample notice for bookings.

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Specialised Day Trips – 100% Natural homemade quality. No hidden charges. No souvenir shops. No crowded parks. No tourism gimmickry. Just reality and a good local friend to help you soak everything in. Read frequently asked questions. To see overviews, detail itineraries, cost and fabulous pictures, please click on these links …..

1. Bukit Kinta Rainforest 4WD Safari & Nature Hike
Easy going adventure that involve cave, tribal villages and a splashing time in a hidden waterfall. See details …

2. Bagan Krian Mangrove and Firefly Night Boat Safari
Trek pass a jungle with “legs”, eat local seafood and take a night boat ride to watch how firefly colonies make trees glitter like Christmas tree. See details …

3. Malim Nawar Wetland Safari, Bird-watching & Heritage
A must go for avid birdwatchers and those interested in 19th century scenes, local culture and historical sites. Eat local specialty freshwater giant prawns. See details …

4. Rafflesia Flower Deep Jungle Trekking Adventure
Trek into the deepest rainforest to see the world’s largest, rarest and the strangest flower with aborigine jungle experts. See details …

5. Taiping Larut Matang History & Heritage Trail
Avid historians know Larut Matang is where the frenzy was in 19th century. More than that, let us take you further back in time to a Malay kingdom that was founded in 1528 A.D. See details …

6. Kuala Gula – Tanjung Piandang Coastal Romp
This has the pristine nature of mangrove forest, the ramshackle charm of fishing villages and local tradition of rice farming community. And oh, did we mention you get to hand feed wild monkeys too ? See details …

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Countryside Overnight (2D/1N) – We only offer “non-intrusive” and “low impact” overnight stays that preserve local character. One can expect to live, eat and play like locals and connect with nature at its purest.

Something tell us your inner child will like this.

1. Traditional Malay Village Discovery – There is so much to feel and deal in this village, snug in a river view pocket of lyrical beauty. Of mystical tradition and deep-rooted people. Where every color is more vivid and every sound more melodic. This is Kampung Cholek, where food grows on tree and swims in the river. See details.

2. Orang Asli Deep Jungle Adventure – To scrape off the pages of National Geographic, this is the place to savor. For some, an equatorial holiday story is not complete until one experience the rainforest’s inner core. If you have what it takes to go deep, this would be a galloping adventure that sweeps you along. See details

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Jungle-Based Learning (half day) – Well, people say the mother of all teachers is nature. Started out as a community project by OO to help urbanites loose their fear for the jungle, today this program is highly sought as an interesting educational retreat by families, friends and youth. It is a good choice for beginners and those who would like to know how to trek the jungle properly and safely while learning hands-on about Malaysian rainforest’s rich ecological wonders.

This day trip is easy going. Participants will learn how to identify useful plants, animal’s tracks and unique features only found in Malaysian jungle. See details …

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Experiential Learning Program (multi-day) Apart from the above standard packages, OO can also organise tailor made outings for hobbyists, families, clubs, students and special interest groups. Email us and we’ll carve an enjoyable and safe program that suits you. We have the expertise and know-how on the following activities …..

1. Team Building and Character Building Program
2. Orienteering & Navigation Skill
3. Jungle Treking & Survival Camp
4. Basic Malaysian Outdoor Photography Course
5. Butterfly Appreciation & Photography Course
6. Botanical, Edible and Medicinal Plant Learning Field Trip
7. Student Youth Nature and Adventure Camp
8. Jungle Food Ingredients and Cooking Lesson
9. Countryside Painting Course (Watercolour)

Fees subjected to group size, program and duration requirement.

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Saturday Spin (half day) Not many places in the world is named after a poisonous tree. That’s right, our hometown is anything but ordinary. Carved from jungle clad limestone valley, Ipoh accentuates the velocity of its medieval past to modern day progress with a laid back flair. Here’s a solid jolt of history, town tramping and good coffee all in 3hrs with a guided walking trail that will cover …

- Railway Station / Ipoh tree
- Court House / Royal Ipoh Club
- Ipoh Padang
- St Micheal’s Institution
- Jamek Mosque
- FMS Restaurant & Bar
- Lawyers Row
- Old town (savour Ipoh’s famous beverage “ipoh white coffee”)
- Little India
- JWW Birch Memorial Clock Tower

Priced at RM80 per person, the heritage walk is only conducted on Saturday mornings from 9am to 12noon. Meeting venue Ipoh Railway station front entrance. Dress down, bring water, raincoat (just in case) and most important – an open mind. Read overview of Ipoh here.

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Showcase & Special Event If you’re organising a special event, exhibition, carnival or party and want to spice it up with some extraordinary sideshows, talk to us. We have the Orang Asli aboriginal expertise for …..

1. Traditional “Sewang” dance
2. Blowpipe Demonstration
3. Basket Weaving Using Jungle Materials
4. Aboriginal Art and Culture Show

The Sewang dance is a dance ritual practiced by Orang Asli to usher in good blessing for joyful events like wedding, opening ceremony and the likes. Days of preparation are needed to collect plants and materials from the jungle for making the dance wear. During the performances, fragrant leaves and palms are distributed to guests and everyone can join in.

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Are the trips dangerous ? Rest assured we are not swashbuckling adventurers who do crazy things just to impress you. We are dads and moms with families too. Going home safe and sound IS definately part of the plan.

We always travel in small group to ensure we stay hands-on with every participant for safety and effective communication. All activities are fully escorted by English speaking expert and we never pass groups over to agents or the cheapest sub-contractors – we do everything ourselves.

Not all trips are rough and tough. We always plan journeys accordingly to age group and fitness level

We have years of experience under our belt with youth, families and senior participants. We are versatile and have lots of programs and activities that suit all ages. Let us know your age, special medical attention needed or if your kids are tagging along when booking your group outing. We can also custom design trail or activity that’s suitable for everyone’s fitness, pace and interests.

As precaution, if you suffer regularly from severe stomach, muscular, chest, heart or bronchial disorders, are a severe asthmatic or have high blood pressure, epileptic fits and pregnant, you are strongly advised AGAINST participating. We know the difference between adventure and recklessness. In adverse weather condition or if our trackers pick up clues of dangerous wildlife, we reserve the right to exercise our discretion and may cancel trips for safety reason.

Our Guests, Our Best Testimony
(3.5 mins video clip)

Also see Guest book entries & photo album.

David is a regular columnist for local English daily New Straits Times and his ponderings are also published in The Expat, a favourite magazine for expatriate community living in Malaysia.

We visited Abang Sum, one of Outskirt Outreach’s co-founders from the Temiar tribe, and were pleasantly surprised to find the whole village celebrating New Year. According to Temiar calendar, New Year falls on 10th Jan and it’s a day when everyone eat, drink and be merry. Needless to say, we were quickly ushered into Abang Sum’s house for a traditional food binge with his wide circle of family and friends.

After exploring the village ground and more eating sessions around the neighbourhood, Abang Sum gave David a short blowpipe lesson; no animal was kill during the practice because the target was a banana tree