AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Indonesia to Singapore missing

An AirAsia flight travelling from the Indonesia to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control with 162 people on board.

Flight QZ8501 lost contact at 07:24 (23:24 GMT), Malaysia-based AirAsia tweeted.

Read more here BBC: AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Indonesia to Singapore missing

ECO-TOURISM MALAYSIA: LOOK OUT FOR GAHARU - The Perfume Tree

Gaharu (Aquilareia malaccensis) is also known as agarwood, incense wood and aloeswood. In Malaysia, the best quality of Gaharu can be found in Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia, and Kelantan and Terengganu in the Peninsular.

This intensely fragrant resinous wood is very popular as ‘the wood of the Gods’, It is because of its uses range from incense for religious ceremonies, perfume for the Arabic world, medicinal wine in Korea and ornamental functions in China. As a healthy tree the Aquilaria is worth next to nothing, but wounded its defence mechanisms produce agarwood and the tree becomes a valuable commodity. Today the range of agarwood products and their uses is seemingly endless. Natural art Solid pieces of agarwood are highly appreciated as ‘natural art’ in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Craftsmen carve raw pieces of agarwood into beautiful wooden sculptures . Agarwood is also turned into beads and bracelets. Most of the wood, however, is processed and either turned into oil which is used in perfumes and other cosmetic products, or the agarwood chips are ground into powder which is used as the raw material for incense making (and sometimes also for special cigarettes). 

The oil is also used in the production of traditional medicine as anti-asthma antitoxic, antioxidant, hypertension (anti-stress), hepatitis, sirosis, diuretic, painkiller, and many other diseases.

It is because of the aromatic smell of some composition of oils as reported by some scientists there are dihydroagarofuran and isodihydroagarofuran ; sesquiterpene, agarol and a couinarinolignan, aquillochin; sesquiterpene alcohols, jinkohol II and jinkoheremol; agarospirol, jinkohol-eremol and kusenol.

This is why agarwood or gaharu so expensive. The high price of this woody species actually is corelated to the resin or so called “Gubal”. This resin looks like a dark brown to black solid lump or a chunk with a fragrant smell (if burned), which is found in the heartwood or roots of gaharu-producing trees undergoing a chemical and physical change due to fungus infection. The trees frequently become infected with a parasite fungus or mold, and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. So, not all plants can produce the resin because it depends on the attack. The fungus and decomposition process continue to generate a very rich and dark resin forming within the heartwood. While the unaffected wood of the tree is relatively light in color & almost useless, the resin dramatically increases the mass and density of the affected wood, changing its color from a pale beige to dark brown or black. In natural forest only as rare as 7% of the trees are infected by the fungus in natural way. Thus, agarwood develops very, very slowly over time, typically several hundred years. However, nowadays people inpurposely develop agarwood plantation using fungi-forming gaharu injection on the hole of the trunk for fast harvest.

Some of the Health benefits of Gaharu:

• Asthma, Chronic Cough, Sinus
• Chronic Fatigue
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Anxiety
• Treats Thyroid Cancer and Lung Tumor
• Sleep Disorders (Reduces Insomnia)

For a more compelling story regarding history of Gaharu read The Hidden Story of Scented Wood

10 Most Beautiful Sacred Places On Earth

Regardless of your religious or spiritual views, here are 10 most beautiful holy places on Earth. Feel the positive energy flowing into you. Investing time and money in travelling to these places may be priceless. You will get the best experience and memory, and good for your soul too.... as long you start with the best of intentions. 

Read more here

Wishing you all a Merry and Jolly Christmas!!

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” — Helen Keller

Why Medical Tourism In Malaysia Is Booming

More affordable air travel, mounting health care costs in developed countries, long waiting lists and an ageing world population have all contributed to a global explosion of medical tourism in the past decade—and Malaysia is leagues ahead in terms of its world market share.

It’s a secret that the rest of Asia has known for a long time. In fact, 80% of all medical tourists coming into Malaysia are from its neighboring countries, including Thailand and Singapore—medical tourism enclaves themselves.

So why are medical tourists flocking to Malaysia? Read more here

11 Slimming Snacks for Holiday Travel

Traveling can be the perfect storm for bad eating, especially during the bustling holiday season. You're under stress, surrounded by tempting, fattening fare and often tired and cranky from fighting crowds. But things are looking up—airports, gas stations and rest stop convenience stores have all improved their healthy offerings in recent years, so you don't have to look hard to find satisfying, low-cal snacks that leave you feeling energized and slim. Whether you're hitting the road via car, train, plane or sleigh…check out a few of my favorite on-the-go eats.

Read more here

MALAYSIA: Nationwide Roadshows Organised to Promote MyFest 2015

Malaysia declares 2015 as ‘Year of Festival’ 

PUTRAJAYA, 19 November 2014: The Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) and Tourism Malaysia are organising a series of nationwide engagement sessions with tourism industry players and stakeholders in the country to promote the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015.

Read more here, Nationwide Roadshows Organised to Promote MyFest 2015

Download MyFest 2015 here