Destination Information Guide Malaysia (Including Borneo) Big Five Tours & Expeditions, USA Big Five Tours & Expeditions Ltd. Canada 1551 SE Palm Court, Stuart, FL 34994 80 Corporate Drive Unit 311 Tel: 772-287-7995 / Fax: 772-287-5990 Scarborough, Ontario M1H 3G5 Canada 800 BIG FIVE (800-244-3483) Tel: +416-640-7802 / Fax: 1-647-463-8181 www.bigfive.com & www.galapagos.com Toll Free: 888- 244-3483 Email: [email protected] www.bigfivetours.ca Email: [email protected] Welcome to the World of Big Five! The following general outline offers practical information, suggestions and answers to some frequently asked questions. It is not intended to be the definitive guide for your trip. Big Five Tours & Expeditions is pleased to welcome you on this exciting adventure. We take great care to insure that your travel dreams and expectations are well met. Our distinctive journeys allow you to experience the finest aspects each destination has to offer. We also aim to provide you with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the places you’ll visit and the people you’ll meet. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Elevation: 72 feet Latitude: 03 07N Longitude: 101 33E Average Temperature Years on Record: 21 YEAR Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. °F 82 81 82 82 83 83 82 82 82 82 82 81 81 Average High Temperature Years on Record: 21 YEAR Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. °F 89 89 90 91 90 90 90 89 89 89 89 88 88 Average Low Temperature Years on Record: 21 YEAR Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. °F 74 73 73 74 75 75 74 74 74 74 74 74 73 WEATHER Currently, a departure tax is now MYR51; may Tropical without extremely high temperatures. be included in the air fare. All taxes are Days are warm with cool nights. The main rainy government imposed and subject to change season in the east is between November and without notice. February. August is the wettest period on the west coast. East Malaysia has heavy rains CUSTOMS INTO MALAYSIA November to February in Sabah and in Sarawak. The following goods may be imported into Rainfall differs on the east and west coasts Malaysia without incurring customs duty: 200 according to the prevailing monsoon winds cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225g of tobacco; 1 liter (northeast or southwest). Average daytime of spirits or wine or malt liquor; cosmetics, temperatures in Kuala Lumpur are around 82°F perfume, soaps and toothpaste up to the value year round. of RM200; gifts and souvenirs not exceeding a total value of RM200 (except goods from TIME ZONES & TRAVELING TIME Langkawi and Labuan, up to a value of RM500); GMT + 8. 100 matches; a total of RM75 for dutiable food preparations; maximum three pieces of new PASSPORTS & VISAS clothing plus one pair of shoes; one unit of each Passports: For international travel, a passport portable electrical or battery-operated appliance valid for at least six months from date of for personal care and hygiene. departure, containing at least 3 blank pages are necessary. Prohibited Imports It is prohibited to import any goods from Haiti. Visas: Many countries require travelers to Non-prescribed drugs, weapons, any imprint or obtain visas prior to arrival. Big Five Tours & reproduction of any currency note or coin and Expeditions has appointed Travisa to process pornographic material are prohibited. Also, it is required visas for our passengers. You can find prohibited to import any goods from Haiti and the necessary forms from Travisa’s website at: Israel Drug-smuggling carries the death www.travisa.com. Please use account code penalty. JP1551, and follow the directions. US CUSTOMS Important: Even if you do not need a visa prior Duty-Free: Returning U.S. residents are allowed to departure, please check your passport well in to bring back $800 worth of merchandise duty- advance of departure to insure: free. Travelers 21 or older may bring back 1 liter of alcohol duty free, 100 non-Cuban cigars 1) It is valid for at least six months after the date and 200 cigarettes. Regulations frequently of travel. change. For a list of exempt items & current 2) You have sufficient blank pages for regulations you can Contact the nearest visa/entry stamps that will be added as you Customs Office, write travel in and out of various countries. US Customs Service, Box 7407, Washington, DC 20044, or visit the website for Please note: Pages reserved for amendments and US Customs & Border Protection at endorsements cannot be used for visas. www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml. AIRPORT FORMALITIES HEALTH Upon arrival, proceed through immigration and International travelers should be in generally baggage claims and customs. You can also good health. Talk with your personal physician exchange money at this time at the bank about any shots or boosters recommended windows located in the airport. Big Five depending on your personal health profile and personnel or their representatives will assist you your itinerary. Tetanus and polio vaccines with your baggage and escort you to your hotel. should be up to date. Currently, there are no They will assist with check-in formalities. required vaccinations, unless you are coming from an infected area, in which case you will be LUGGAGE required to have a yellow fever certificate. For general baggage information, please review the Travel Handbook in your pre-departure materials. Yellow Fever: Yellow fever inoculation is required if one of the following applies: MONEY If you are coming from any area other Currency: Ringgit (MYR; symbol RM) = 100 than the United States, Europe, or sen. Notes are in denominations of RM100, 50, Canada. 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, If you plan on visiting more than one 20, 10, 5 and 1 sen. The Ringgit is often referred African country. to as the Malaysian Dollar. The best currency for exchange is the Pound Sterling, but US Hepatitis C and E occur and hepatitis B is hyper Dollars are also widely accepted. All commercial endemic. Epidemics of dengue fever and banks are authorized foreign exchange dealers; Japanese encephalitis can occur in both urban major hotels are only licensed to buy or accept and rural areas. Outbreaks of meningococcal foreign currency in the form of notes and meningitis can occur. Rabies is present; if bitten traveler's checks. It may be difficult to exchange seek immediate medical advice. There have been foreign currencies outside the main tourist confirmed avian influenza deaths in chickens. centers. Note: If you are on medication, be sure to bring Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs enough for the duration of the trip, but not an American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard excessive amount that would raise suspicion. and Visa are accepted. Also, it’s a good idea to ask your doctor for a note detailing the drugs you are taking. *For Traveler's Checks Accepted by all banks, Customs inspections, you must have hotels and large department stores. To avoid medications in their original containers. additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in Pounds Health insurance is strongly advised during Sterling, US Dollars or Australian Dollars or any foreign travel. Please check the latest Euros. regulations with your local health office or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention LANGUAGE hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI- Bahasa Malaysia is the national & official TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax: 1-888-CDC-FAXX language. English is widely spoken. Other (1-888-232-3299), or their main telephone languages such as Chinese (Cantonese and number in Atlanta, 404-332-4559. Or, visit the Hokkien), Iban and Tamil are spoken by CDC Internet home page at minorities. http://www.cdc.gov. Malaria risk exists only in certain regions. Urban and coastal areas are ELECTRICITY usually safe. 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs and bayonet-type light fittings are generally used. CLOTHING For general clothing information, please review the FOOD & DRINK Travel Handbook in your pre-departure materials. Water should be regarded as being potentially See pre-departure information for general packing check contaminated. Use bottled water for drinking, list. brushing teeth, cleaning contacts, or making ice; or if not bottled, it should have first been boiled Lightweight clothes are worn throughout the or otherwise sterilized. Use bottled water for year. Waterproofing is advisable all year. Milk is unpasteurized and should be boiled. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Pork, centers. The islands of Labuan and Langkawi are salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. duty-free zones. Cameras, pens, watches, Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. cosmetics, perfume and electronic goods are In multiracial Malaysia, every type of cooking available duty-free throughout Malaysia. from South-East Asia can be tasted. Malay food Malaysian specialty goods include pewterware, concentrates on subtleties of taste using a blend silverware and brassware; batik; jewelry; pottery; of spices, ginger, coconut milk and peanuts. and songket. Enquire at Malaysian Royal There are many regional types of Chinese Customs and Excise about claiming cash back cooking including Cantonese, Peking, Hakka, on duty-free goods. Sichuan and Taiwanese. Indian and Indonesian food is also popular. Korean and Thai food are SOCIAL CONVENTIONS available in restaurants. Western food is served Malaysia's population is ethnically and culturally throughout the country. Although the country is diverse. Malays account for more than half the largely Islamic, alcohol is available.