A backlog of travel tales. I’ve finally found some time to write, recollect memories and relish in the folders of vibrant photographic images that was captured during our one and half week visit to Sri Lanka. And so the stories unfold…

All packed and set to leave, we bolted straight out of the door and into a speeding taxi bound for Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Mindful not to be late, we quickly zipped into the check-in lane only to find that our flight to Colombo has been delayed for 4 hours! Our measly compensation was two RM20 food voucher and a weak apologetic smile from the Malaysian Airlines staff. We quickly filled up the hours with reading, Facebooking and catching a few cat winks.

Where old world and new world collide – Siem Reap to me is a country battling to find her identity. A mix of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, this mesh of culture, tradition and lifestyle intrigues me. Travelers  flocking to Cambodia has ‘visiting the ruins’ as top on the list of must do’s , then maybe sparing some time to volunteer at one of the many hundreds of NGOs polka dotted across the country, then comes the food and perhaps cultural centers showcasing Apsara dancers.

Indeed Cambodia has successfully preserved their national heritage of craggy temples, the famous Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon being the most visited. Throngs of tourist stream into these ancient landmarks photographing at every angle. Perpetual hand and footprints have left its mark on these stones turning them into a darkish grey. The structures are mesmerizing with century old stories to tell. Towering soft wood trees anchor themselves on these structures providing shade against the sweltering heat.

Modern day Cambodia is a representation of the old trying to embrace the new, yet not there yet. Struggling to find a foot in development, Cambodia is still very rural and laid back in my opinion. Development visited only when foreign trade and intervention infiltrated the land. Many NGOs set up in the country is established for the fact that the local economy desperately needs help. Hopefully Cambodia will one day be able to stand on its own feet and thrive.

The streets still lined with food vendors, tuk tuk drivers calling “tuk tuk lady” the minute they see a foreigner, make shift fish spas set up to lure tourists, touts continue to tail you just to get one dollar for a stack of postcards. Tourism is big here. But how far can this stretch? That remains a big concern.

Recently I was in Langkawi for work, conducting a site visit for a local resort called Frangipani Resort & Spa. They are one of the finalists for an Award scheme Wild Asia runs every year called the ‘Responsible Tourism Awards’. Only 15 accommodation operators around Asia have bagged this coveted Award since its inception in 2006. The vision of the programme is to inspire operators to change the way they do business in order to minimize the negative impacts on the environment and benefit the local communities around them. In short, we’re in the business of creating sustainable destinations for the future.

This year, I was thrilled that a Malaysian operator found its way up the ranks as one of the Award’s finalist and was even more privilege to see their efforts on site. Here’s a short snippet of my visit there. Watch the slide  show and read the full version HERE.

Self-learning and discovery is what Frangipani Resort and Spa promotes. Dispersed all over the resort are little notes, reminders and thought prodders informing guests of their green practices and encouraging them to participate in this noble effort. The green team at the resort are well trained environmental wizards with a flair for communication. Throughout our stay there, new features, ideas and innovations were revealed to us – from the way the new eco-friendly building was constructed to incorporate a garden rooftop to reduce heat transference to the guests’ rooms to the traditional sophisticated method of waste water channelling….

Next, I’d be flying to Cambodia to meet the people who run Pepy Tours, a reformed tour operator that offers travelers the best methods of exploring the country – on two wheels, a bicycle.

Then, in September a trip to Sri Lanka to roam with the elephants at Heritance Kandalama, a unique hotel built to blend in with the surrounding natural ecosystems.

The last 2 months took me by storm. My initial thoughts were to scribble my work trips when I started in August but that became a far cry with events steadily lined one behind the other. I will attempt to take a beeline backwards (without boring you) – the last two months have been good – in fact it’s been GREAT!

As part of my work, I am required to travel to selected destinations around Southeast Asia to verify s document called the Responsible Tourism Checklist. These destinations we cover have demonstrated outstanding practices in responsible travel, hence earning the title “finalists” of Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards.  The trips have been a huge eye opener for me since traveling is my passion and this was my golden opportunity to go behind the scenes to witness what resorts, hotels and home-stays do to make a positive difference by minimizing impact on the environment, contributing back to local communities and protecting the culture and heritage of the place. Noble indeed!

This year there were 8 finalists on the list – and I personally visited 4 of them.  Watch a slideshow and read more on these destinations below… My personal favourite (as a traveler) would be Soneva Fushi at the Maldives. It was pure luxury mixed with Maldivian charm and hospitality.

• (Hospitable & noble) Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Sabah, Malaysia
• (Ooh la la & awe inspiring) Soneva Fushi, Maldives… More photos!
• (Quaint stay in the middle of no-where) Lamai Homestay, Thailand… More photos!
• (Adventurous & truly Thai) Andaman Discoveries, Thailand

It’s not over yet… the Awards will finally be given to the deserving winners at the Award cocktail happening in the last week of October. Since August, I’m a reformed traveler on personal lookout for responsible tourism operators. Where’s the next stop?? Stay tuned…

It’s astounding how much of the Malaysian culture is hidden from the public eye. Although I’m not entirely new to the kampong lifestyle or even interactions with the indigenous people (orang asli) – this particular visit to Pulau Carey last week shed new light to the Malaysian indigenous culture.

Having grown up in the city, kampong life is far from reach. My exposure to kampong life rides mainly on the many mission trips I’ve been to in the past. However my knowledge or experience on the festivals they celebrate is quite limited. Hence my excitement when the opportunity was offered to witness the colourful Hari Moyang celebration observed by the Mah Meri people at Pulau Carey.

We were greeted by naturally decorated archway of pandanus leaves ushering us into an open space with several shelters in place. The Mah Meri people are incredibly friendly and this particular celebration usually brings bus loads of tourist. In cases like this individuals have taken the responsibility to monitor the flow of outsiders to protect the privacy and culture of indigenous groups.

I was there to learn about the culture and not merely join in the celebration. This small group of people is incredibly skillful with craft work, their weaving skills are seen showcased in the neatly woven skirts, headbands and sashes worn during the celebration.  Mah Meri people are also great craftsmen with an inherent skill of carving intricate wood pieces.

The celebration started with an upbeat mask dance featuring a man donned with a big artificial belly hidden under a shifting skirt. He held an intense looking mask and thumped to the beat with hit feet as he moved in circles. Then a group of women joined the dance with synchronized dance moves around a woven center piece. Tourist stood still watching the dance unfold as the whole scene was quite mesmerizing, reminding me of the New Zealand Hakka dance.

After several rounds of dancing, we were invited to join in – and we did! It was so much fun as we moved in circles, waving hands in the air, stepping to the beat of the drums. The dancing soon adjourned to feasting as villagers swamped the buffet table filled with snacks and local delights.

Slightly to the right of the buffet table was a shelter hut where I believe the spiritual leader of the indigenous group sat. Behind him displayed an array of offerings. He sat cross legged as people journeyed up the steps to seek blessings from him. Tourist beamed at the idea of cultural blessings. The spiritual leader would pronounce a blessing and then he would smear white paste on the arms and forehead. We watched but did not participate – was quite a sight.