Craig Ansibin Photoblog: Regatta Lepa 2010 (Semporna Trip 2010

While i'm doing my practical, i got a chance to attend the Regatta Lepa Festival that was held on April at Semporna Town.

Lepa is Bajau for single masted sailing boat which is usually made of Ubar Suluk or Red Seraya Wood. It is an ancient legacy which originates from fishing community inhabiting the coast of Semporna and the Bum-Bum Islands has long been the focal point of Lepa making.

After finished doing work at the office we directly go to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal 2 to catch a flight to Tawau.

Sunset's scenery at KKIA facing Tanjung Aru Beach and Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Parks

While we attending the Festivals, we'll also doing some product updates for a tourist attraction around Semporna and Tawau.

Passing the Majestic Mount Kinabalu

Kinabalu Park, in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and scrub on the higher elevations. It has been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia and is exceptionally rich in species with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malaysia, as well as pan-tropical flora.

Believed by old-men as a resting place for a spirits

After arrived at the Tawau International Airport, then we heading to Semporna Town that takes about one hour drive.

Semporna Township

We stayed at the Dragon Inn, Floating Resort near the Semporna Oceanic Centre. While having our dinner. I managed to take a picture of Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysia's no 1 singer and Asia's songbird. She and her husband, Datuk Khalid Muhd Jiwa (Datuk K) believed just back from Mabul Island for a short vacation and she will perform during the Regatta Lepa opening ceremony.