Jul 96 min read

LATest e-bulletin July '24

In this issue: ① Quote of the month ② Malaysia, Rain Forest World Music ③ LAT New Centralized Customer Service ④ Siniawan Old Town Night Market ⑤ So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT ⑥ Beyond Bali Congested Areas ⑦ Catalogue and Tariff 2025-26 ⑧ Sleepcation ⑨ Thailand's marriage equality ⑩ Singapore, Disney Adventure Cruise Ship ⑪ Singapore Night Festival

"The birds born in a cage think that flying is an illness"

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Malaysia, Rain Forest World Music

The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is an annual celebration of culture, music, and nature. Held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, the event brings together diverse cultures from around the world to showcase their music and heritage.

The 27th edition of the festival, themed "Evolution," took place from June 28-30 and featured various music workshops during the day and performances by local and international artists in the evening.

The organizer mentioned that they are considering inviting more renowned international musicians as an additional attraction for the next RWMF. Ticket sales for this year have surpassed those of last year, with Day 1 and Day 2 tickets sold out and Day 3 tickets likely to follow suit. This indicates strong interest and success.

The 2024 RWMF showcased 20 performances, featuring 68 international musicians from 14 countries across six continents and 63 Malaysian artists. Notably, Belle Sisoski, an 18-year-old Sarawakian who won second place with her song "Stop Your Games" in the 2022/2023 Commonwealth Song Contest, added a special touch to the festival.

Among the artists who performed on the first day were Grammy and Golden Globe award winner Kitaro from Japan, and Rhythm Rebels featuring Selonding Bali Aga. Local musicians such as The Borneo Collective, which includes veteran artists from the Land of Hornbills.

Kitaro, making his first appearance at the festival, is a Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning artist renowned for his groundbreaking electronic-instrumental music. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in new-age music, playing about 50 instruments and possessing a vast collection of traditional instruments from around the world.

From Cuba, the Havana Social Club brought a fresh twist on tradition, while other international acts included Alright Mela Meets Santoo from Pakistan and France, Bourbon Lassi from Australia, Imarhan from Algeria and France, Krakatau Ethno from Indonesia, and Tribal Tide from Singapore.

LAT New Centralized Customer Service

We would like to remind of our new Customer Assistance Service which revolves around a single, easily accessible number for all our destinations introducing a Multilingual IVR Telephone System, a cutting-edge Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system, now available in four languages to guide passengers through inquiries, ensuring language is never a barrier.

The new number for IVR Service, effective April 1, 2024, is: +62 21 508 896 86.

The new number for Text-Based IVR Service, which will be effective April 1, 2024, is: +62 811 390 390 88.

Be reminded that all other existing numbers have been disabled by April 30, 2024.

Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are dedicated to continuing our partnership and serving you with excellence.

Cordially,

The LAT Team

Siniawan Old Town Night Market

Siniawan, a small town in the Bau district, about 20km away from Kuching, the Capital of Sarawak. The population totals at about 3,600 people, with majority of Bidayuh (750 families) and Chinese (700 families), followed by Malay (100 families).

The Chinese are mostly originated from Guangdong Province of China, and the common dialect spoken is Hopoh Hakka.

Siniawan Night Market takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Located 21 km away from Kuching city, this small town is a beautiful place to spend the evening eating and being merry. The street is lined with old wooden townhouses, and Chinese lanterns light the street below.

Over the recent years, the old town of Siniawan has begun to really invest in their weekend night markets, promoting their traditions and cultures while breathing new life into the local economy through tourism.

Pitcher plant rice, locally called Lemang Periuk Kera is one of the ‘trademark’ foods you can find here along with other traditional Chinese, Malay and Dayak food. The Lui Teh and Ngo Hiang are also recommended.

So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT

Established in 1991

Independently owned and operated

Purely B2B with travel industry partners

Online booking engine with immediate

confirmation of hotels, tours and transfers

Skilful Contents Provider and Technology user

Knowledgeable and efficient reservations personnel

Long and proud association with the MICE industry in all Lotus destinations

Fully committed to Sustainability and CSR

Climate Contribution for all packages and services on offer

Extensive selection of scheduled group departures and innovative product lines

Direct access to a vast pool of local professional contributors

Owns small boutique island hotels strategically located

LAT Indochina subsidiary operating in Thailand and Vietnam

Multilingual guides in all destinations

Operations offices throughout its destinations

Centralised bookings and payments for multi destination tours

Assistance in language

TATTLER

Beyond Bali Congested Areas

Infrastructure improvements and the promotion of lesser-known destinations are among the steps being taken by Indonesian travel and tourism players to tackle overcrowding in hotspots like Bali.

Within Bali alone, the spread of tourists has been uneven, with a strong concentration in South Bali, which includes Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Jimbaran, Benoa, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, and Pecatu.

More travelers are visiting areas such as Lovina for one-day dolphin-watching tours. Hotels in South Bali are usually fully booked, while hotels in the north, east, and west suffer from low demand. Improving access can help spread demand to other regions of Bali.

To disperse travelers to other parts of Bali, the Bali Tourism Office is enhancing tourism infrastructure. There are repairing works at the Besakih Temple, building an international theme park with Paramount Pictures in Jembrana, West Bali, completing the Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access, and continuing the construction of the toll road in West Bali.

The Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access development has already yielded positive results, with more visitors taking one-day tours to Sekumpul Waterfall and the Lovina area in Singaraja. More agents are also selling one-day tours for dolphin-watching in Lovina.

Another issue exacerbating overtourism in areas such as Canggu and Ubud is improper traffic management. It is important to carefully assess each area and the reasons behind the high tourist numbers before labeling it as overtourism.

Meanwhile, there is hope that road improvements will connect all Bali regions, allowing travelers to easily access areas such as Pemuteran, Amed, and Munduk, thus easing the burden of crowds on South Bali.

However, it is worth noting that improved infrastructure could be a double-edged sword. With easier access, more people might visit a destination, potentially leading to overtourism.

HIGHLIGHTS

Catalogue and Tariff 2025-26

The new edition of our Catalogue and Tariff for 2025-26 is now available for download. Please visit www.lotusasiatours.com click on "Agent Login" in the menu bar, and use your credentials to access the content section. If you do not have credentials, you can register to receive new ones.

Sleepcation

Sleeping is possibly the last thing on many travelers' minds during vacations. After spending good money on transport and accommodations, the overwhelming instinct is to make the most of the holiday, in terms of sightseeing, eating and drinking, and physical activity. For the sleep deprived, though, heading to a place where sleep habits can be reset can be the main attraction, so much so that "sleepcation" as some are calling them, are luring stressed-out holidaymakers. Southeast Asia offers plenty of relaxing destinations, infrastructure and “activities”

Thailand's Marriage Equality

Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and only the second territory in Asia, after Taiwan, to legalize full and equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Thailand's news delivered a boost to LGBTQ rights advocates across Asia, where homosexuality remains highly stigmatized, even illegal, in many societies.

Singapore, Disney Adventure Cruise Ship

The Disney Adventure cruise ship will set sail from Marina Bay Cruise Centre starting in 2025, offering three- and four-night voyages. The 208,000 gross ton ship will carry approximately 6,700 passengers and 2,500 crew members. Guests will enjoy seven themed areas on the ship, each featuring characters from popular movies and series such as Toy Story, Big Hero 6, Moana, Finding Nemo, and Avengers.

Singapore Night Festival

Singapore’s largest nocturnal experience, the Singapore Night Festival, will celebrate its 15th edition this year at the Bras Basah and Bugis precincts. The festival will run for three weekends from August 23 to September 7. This year's theme, "Art of Play," will explore the concept of play and childhood, inspired by the historical significance of the precinct as the birthplace of some of Singapore’s first schools.

Our whole product for free and independent travellers, groups and MICE are based on a Climate Contribution programme. This means that part of the greenhouse gas emissions that will be generated are offset by projects in collaboration with Climate Partner, one of the leading climate protection solution providers for companies.

The arising emissions are being compensated by supporting a third-party certified geothermal energy project in Darajat, Java (Indonesia). The project helps to meet the growing demand for electricity in Indonesia. By increasing the share of renewable energy, the dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity decreases, and about 705,390 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved per year.

For over thirty years, Lotus Asia Tours Group has provided services and assistance to travellers the world over, specialising in the design and implementation of corporate events, activities, incentive tours and motivational travel, targeted at FIT, GIT and MICE markets, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indochina. The group also operates four boutique island hotels in Indonesia, in Lombok, Bali, Sulawesi and Papua.

To learn more about our brand please head to our website, or contact us directly; we look forward to hearing how we could help make your next trip, tour or event memorable and successful.

Corporate Office D-5-4 Megan Avenue 1, 189 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia T: +60 (0)3 21617075 · F: +60 (0)3 21617084 · E: latgroup@lotusasiatours.com

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