MALAYSIAN COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM

There must be a place in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak with a scenic area of high plains and jungle covered mountains, possibily adjacent to one of our national park and has all the ingredients of a biodiversity "hotspot," featuring an exceptional number of endemic species. Tropical rainforest covering the park should be acknowledged to be part of the oldest terrestrial ecosystem in the country. It must be a natural treasure trove to be uncovered.

The majority of people in these areas are fruit orchard and plantation farmers, who mainly grow rambutan, mangosteen, minusops, durian, and many more. Wild seeds from the forest have been carefully selected over several generations, and planted in the same area. This farming system contributes to high quality soil. It is recognized internationally as best practice for maintaining biodiversity alongside profitable, sustainable agriculture.

It would be ideal if there is a Waterfall.' The villagers can organise themselves to establish a Community Based tourism group, in order to share Malaysian rural life and culture with guests, and show the world that there is more to Malaysia than just the Petronas Twin Towers.

Activities can include stroll to the waterfall or trek into the National Park. Local guides can lead visitors through the mixed orchards, and up into the national park. The profusion of life in the jungle can be breathtaking. A range of trekking options are possible, depending on guests' fitness and time available. Visitors can pick fresh fruit from the trees, and learn to make a local spicy dip or a milder dish if they prefer. Guests will enjoy visiting local occupation groups.

Enjoy cycling in the community. Visitors can visit important local sights, such as mosques, churches or temples. They can also participate in conservation activities, such as conducting clean-ups, environmental surveys, producing media for the tourism group, or developing activities for local students.

The local community can devise a cooperative system to manage tourism in their village. Everyone has a chance to work together, learn from one another, develop their skills, create team building and cooperation. The CBT group can contribute income from tourism to fund clean-ups of the waterfall and nature-trail with local youth, and to produce materials about forest conservation and mixed fruit farming.

The project can lead to the recovery of many aspects of local knowledge which had almost been forgotten. As the CBT project develope, community members can discus and recorded a great deal of local knowledge concerning forest, plant life and management of natural resources.