Taiping is among the top 3 most sustainable cities in the world, according to the 2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards, right behind Ljubljana, Slovenia and Vancouver, Canada in the “Best of Cities” category!
ITB Berlin hosted the most prestigious Awards Ceremony for Sustainable Destinations. This event is dedicated to recognizing innovation and good practices in tourism management: islands, towns, regions and whole countries. The award winners have been selected by a Jury representing 12 international organizations.
Taiping rated as one of the top green destinations.
The town’s Municipal Council president Datuk Abd Rahim Md Ariff received the award.
Taiping Municipal Council president Datuk Abd Rahim Md Ariff said, “This is the first time we received a prestigious international award. This achievement is due to the hard work of the community and all relevant governmental agencies.”
“The council always works hard to make Taiping a popular tourist destination,” Abd Rahim added.
The “Best of Cities” category of the awards recognizes cities that show leadership in urban sustainability and in avoiding disruptive over-tourism.
Taiping is the second largest town in Perak after the state capital Ipoh. The town also is known as the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia. Its unusual rainfall has also blessed its Lake Gardens with a fertile and splendid collection of flora and century-old rain trees. Itis characterized by aging buildings and clear blue skies with high chances of rain.
Green Destinations, a non-profit organization that focuses on the efforts of creating sustainable tourism, leading global cooperation between experts, listed Taiping on its 100 Sustainable Cities list in December 2018.
Taiping used to be a thriving tin-mining town that lost its luster with the rise of Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur as cities.
Taiping has previously been recognized as the Best Destination Manager 2016 by the Tourism Promotion Board for the Asia Pacific; besides having received the Malaysia Tourism Council Gold Award 2017 in Best Heritage and Eco Travel Destination Category and Malaysia Tourism Council Gold Award 2018 for the Best Tourism Promotion Campaign.
For those who have not visited Taiping, it is time to consider visiting this beautiful city!
The Ningaloo Coast is a World Heritage Site located in the northwest coastal region of Western Australia. It has long empty beaches, astonishing marine life and world-heritage listing combined with a strong cultural heritage.
The Ningaloo Reef is 260 km long and is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world and at some sections comes a close as 10m to shore!
Here are 10 little-known facts about Ningaloo Reef that will bump it up to the top of your wishlist!
Ningaloo Reef is a treasure for those who love scuba diving and snorkeling and exploring shipwrecks and marine life
The study of the Ningaloo Reef area has been a focus of the Department of Maritime Archaeology for a number of years. Over 1400 ships have been wrecked on the coast of Western Australia. Some of the most famous once are Vergulde Draeck, Zuytdorp James Matthews, Elizabeth Belinda, Stefano, and Eglinton early wooden-hulled merchant vessels, the Sepia and Europa iron barques and more.
It is one of the largest biological structures known and visible from space
It is one of the most expansive biological structures in the world and home to over 500 species of fish, 220 different coral and algae varieties, 600 species of crustaceans, 655 mollusc species, 75 true cave invertebrates, 69 IUCN listed threatened species, and the world’s largest migrating whale shark population
The area have been inhabited for over 30,000 years.
The Ningaloo Coast and Reef’s name come from Australian Aboriginal Wajarri language
The area have been inhabited for over 30,000 years.
The Ningaloo Coast has an estimated 10,000 Turtle Nests Each Year!
The Ningaloo Coast is recognised as one of the most important nesting places in the world for green and loggerhead turtles. Between November and March female turtles make their journey through the reef to lay their clutches of eggs on shore annually.
Ningaloo Reef is World Heritage List
It’s made the UNESCO World Heritage list for its incredible biodiversity and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with the largest fish in the ocean – whale shark.
The Ningaloo Marine Park protects the 260km Ningaloo Reef and it became the Ningaloo Marine Park in 1987
The Ningaloo Marine Park was established in 1987 and extended in 2004 to cover the entire reef. It’s World Heritage status was negotiated in 2011, with site boundaries extended to include Ningaloo Marine Park, the Muiron Islands, Jurabi Coastal Park, Bundegi Coastal Park, Cape Range National Park, and the Learmonth Air Weapons Range.
The whale sharks and whales of Ningaloo Reef are majestic, wild and rare. Australian waters are home to approximately 170 species of sharks and 120 species of Ray. The world’s largest fish is seen from March to August and can grow up to 15 meters long. They are plankton feeders and are not dangerous to humans.
Ningaloo is recorded to have had around 320 days of sunshine every year with its beautiful weather conditions
The water temperature at Ningaloo Reef is a balmy 22°C – 26 °C all year around
The water temperature of the sea along the coast of the Ningaloo Reef is excellent all year round and varies between 26 ° C in the summer months and 22 ° C during the winter months.
Ningaloo Reef is the world’s largest fringing reef
Ningaloo is home to the world’s largest fringing reef and can be reached by just a short swim in many places.
Haarlem is a small city located just 27 minutes with a train outside of Amsterdam. Its abundance of historical sights, cultural attractions and hidden gems crammed into a relatively small city, a visit to Haarlem makes for a brilliant day trip from Amsterdam. There are many attractions to keep you busy – including river cruises, flower markets and more.
The square is located at the historic heart of Haarlem, underneath the imposing Grote Kerk, and is the image of the city that many people will recognize. Hosting regular festivals, concerts and markets, the Grote Markt is the hub of daily life in Haarlem.
The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem. This Late Gothic cruciform basilica, now reaching 140 meters in length with its slender 40-meter tower, was started in the 14th century. The cathedral’s famous Müller Organ is considered one of the greatest such instruments in the world for its tone and decoration.
The beautiful giant towers high above Haarlem’s rooftops and the gothic interior is nothing but breathtaking.
The Frans Hals Museum is one of the leading art galleries in the Netherlands. The museum has the world’s largest collection of works by Hals, including five of his large civic guard pieces.
It was founded in 1862 in the newly renovated former Dominican church cloisters located in the back of the Haarlem city hall.
The museum is specialized in restoration and research on the works of Haarlem painters in the 17th century and of the painters of the 16th century who taught them to paint, most notably Jan van Scorel, Maerten van Heemskerck, Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis van Haarlem.
The museum includes a collection of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and graphic art by artists from Haarlem and the surrounding area.
The City Hall in Haarlem is the seat of the city’s government. The oldest parts of the City Hall date back to 1250. The north wing, and the Neoclassical façade were added in the 1600s. The interior is also of interest and includes numerous fine paintings, relics, and mementos.
Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands, was founded in 1778. The museum is in the former home of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. He was a wealthy cloth merchant and Amsterdam banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art and science. Nearby the museum is the Teylers Hofje, a hofje which was also founded in Teyler’s name.
Teyler’s Museum displays an eclectic collection of fossils, minerals, scientific instruments, medals, coins, and paintings. It is most famous for its extensive collection of old master’s prints and drawings, including several works by Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
In the 19th century, the museum was expanded with two painting galleries.
Bakenessergracht is home to some of the city’s oldest and most spectacular buildings. At the end of the Bakenessergracht is the River Binnen Spaarne, crossed here via an attractive old drawbridge, and from which you get a great view of the Amsterdamse Poort. Haarlem’s city gate, built in the early 1400s and a national monument has two octagonal towers and two round towers.
In the 1960s the gate was declared a national monument. In 1985 a complete renovation of the gate took place.
The Proveniershuis is a hofje and former schutterij on the Grote Houtstraat in Haarlem, Netherlands. The complex of buildings surrounds a rectangular garden taking up a city block that is on the Haarlem hofje route. The homes around this courtyard are much larger, and the garden itself is about twice the normal size.
This home for Haarlem proveniers was founded in 1707 by the city council to house elderly men. The main buildings are much older than that.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Bavo is a relatively recent three-aisle cruciform basilica built between 1895 and 1906. Some 100 meters long, 42 meters wide, and 60 meters high
That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578.
Haarlem has been voted as the Netherlands’ best shopping destination. You can find a unique combination of big brands to independent labels, as well as charming antique and curiosity shops. The best-known streets in Haarlem are the Grote Houtstraat, the Barteljorisstraat, and the Zijlstraat. But you’ll find many interesting shops if you explore the smaller streets such as the Schagchelstraat, Kleine Houtstraat, Anegang, Warmoesstraat, Koningstraat and Gierstraat.
Want to find more sustainable destinations? Check our other posts.
