WOMEN TOURISTS DESTINATION ONLY IN TASIK KENYIR

One of the many waterfalls in Tasik Kenyir, which is being promoted by Terengganu as a major tourist attraction and duty-free lake, is to be reserved for women tourists only.

 

The people handling boats going to that waterfall and the security personnel for the area would all be women, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

This arrangement was being made in meeting a special request from women tourists from West Asia, he told reporters after launching the month-long Kenyir Festival 2014 which will be on until May 29 at Pengkalan Gawi at the lake.

The specially-designated area was one of the Terengganu government’s efforts to promote the lake as a unique international tourist attraction.

From September next year, Tasik Kenyir will also be the first duty-free lake in the world.

 The government had spent about RM300 million to develop the lake into a tourism attraction and duty-free area.

Several islands in the lake area had also been developed and work was now in progress to build the main jetty on Pulau Bayas at a cost of RM70 million.

 

He also said that 75% of the construction of a network of shops, facilities for Indah Water Konsortium, a water tank and the Customs complex had been completed.

Work on a new four-lane bridge which would become the main link between Pengkalan Gawi and Pulau Poh Besar would begin soon.

The island which was about 40 hectares, would also get two jetties, one for passengers and another for cargo.

A hotel, a water recreation park and a 1,000-bay car park will be build as Pengkalan Gawi does not have a large space for parking.

On the Kenyir Elephant Village, it would be managed by the private sector and was due to open to the public on May 9. The village now had nine tame elephants while there were 14 wild elephants in the surrounding area and 21 more elephants  will be added.

An interesting and unique feature of the Kenyir Elephant Village would be the tree-top chalets, a suspension bridge and a perimeter lookout point. The area would be very attractive with its waterfalls, and tourists who stayed in the chalets would get to see the elephants wandering in the area.

Tasik Kenyir can draw the tourists and become a choice tourist destination in the future. The Terengganu government, through Ketengah, is targeting about 500,000 tourists to the largest artificial lake in Southeast Asia, sprawled over 260 sq km, that has 340 man-made islands. Last year, the lake attracted about 400,000 tourists.