Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park - The gateway to Brunei's past and culture
Every first of May, ethnic Dusuns gather in Tasek Merimbun to celebrate the annual Adau Gayoh festival, which marks the end of the padi harvesting season, and to express their gratitude for the good harvest. The festival brings together not only the Dusuns but other ethnic groups and people from all walks of life from the Tutong District to celebrate the spirit of unity. This gathering is also an opportunity to uphold the ethnic group's traditions and cultural identity (Brunei Times, 2009).

Tasek Merimbun is indeed both a natural and cultural heritage of Brunei. Thus, it is now being referred to as the gateway to Brunei's past and culture. Tasek Merimbun is a wildlife sanctuary, conservation spot for flora and fauna, recreational center, and a venue for research and education. The wildlife sanctuary is the first site to be declared a national park, and the biggest wildlife sanctuary among three others in Brunei Darussalam: Pulau Berambang (721 hectares), Pulau Siarau (393 hectares), and Pulau Pilong Pilongan (two hectares).

The 7,800-hectare Heritage Park is located about 32 kilometers south of the Tutong-Kuala Belait coastal highway on the west bank of Sungai Tutong in Mukim Rambai, Tutong District. The Park encloses catchments of small rivers feeding into the Tasek Merimbun Lake, Brunei's largest lake that is shaped almost like the letter S

Khao Yai National Park has three main seasons, with an annual mean temperature of 23 °C, though this varies greatly with the seasons.

Dhole feeding on a sambar carcass in Khao Yai

Khao Yai National Park has three main seasons, with an annual mean temperature of 23 °C, though this varies greatly with the seasons.

Around 1922 some people from Ban Tha Dan and Ban Tha Chai villages in Nakhon Nayok Province built a settlement within the forest in the Sankamphaeng mountains. Up to 30 households cultivated the land. The area was formally recognized by the government and classified as Tambon Khao Yai within Pak Phli District.

Due to its remoteness from the authorities it became a refuge for criminals and fugitives. After an attempt to capture the suspects in the area, in 1932 the villagers were relocated into the plains some 30 km away and the tambon status was cancelled.

In 1959 the prime minister, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Interior to create a process whereby national parks could be established.

Nong Pak Chee grassland

Khao Yai National Park was then established on 18 September 1962, declared by royal proclamation in the Government Gazette (Book 79, Section 89) as the first national park in Thailand. A major role in its establishment was played by Boonsong Lekakul, one of the 20th century's most famous Thai conservationists. It was named after the defunct tambon, Khao Yai.

In 1984 the park was made an ASEAN Heritage Park, and on 14 July 2005 the park, together with other parks in the same range and in the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains further north, was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex". As the lands adjacent to the national park are becoming increasingly developed into luxury hotels and golf courses, acquiring land for future wildlife conservation efforts is becoming problematic. Homes and residential villas have been built illegally within the limits of the protected area of the forest.Illegal logging is also a problem in the area of the park.

Merimbun Lake
Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park
Merimbun Lake
Location | Brunei-Muara, Brunei
Coordinates | 4.5939749°N 114.6770941°E
Basin countries | Brunei

Max. length | 500 m (1,600 ft)
Surface elevation | 88 m (289 ft)

Islands | Jurundung
Labi-Labi

Merimbun Lake (Malay: Tasek Merimbun) is the largest natural lake in Brunei. It is located near Mukim Rambai in the Tutong District, about 70 km from the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.^[1] The S-shaped lake is located 27 km from Tutong Town and it is surrounded by the 7800-hectare Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park.

Name[edit]

Sources claim that the Dusun people have lived in Merimbun for longer than a few hundred years. The place was allegedly discovered by Imbun, who the Dusuns claimed was the son of a Ketua Kampung from Merangking in Ulu Belait. It is said that he came across this lovely lake while out hunting. He learned that the area had enough of food, including wild animals in the neighboring forest and fish in the lake. He moved there with his family, and several of his village neighbors soon followed. As a memorial to the founder, Imbun, the Tasek and its surroundings have come to be known as Tasek Merimbun throughout time.^[2]

The origin of the name Merimbun is intriguing in more than one way, though. As the Dusun people settled the region, it is believed that traders would travel there to provide commodities. Eng Boon, a Chinese person, was one such merchant. According to legend, this Eng Boon is where the name Merimbun ultimately came from.^[2]

Physical environment and facilities[edit]

Tasek Merimbun is very dark in color; a phenomenon generated by tannin coming from leaves falling into the water. The lake supports a rich variety of fauna including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Visitors can hire a boat to take them around to explore the lake and its two islands. There is a small island in the center body of water that can be reached via a wooden walkway. Here, picnic pavilion facilities fashioned from logs enhance the enjoyment of this restful spot. Chalet facilities for researchers are available nearby.^[3]

ASEAN Heritage Park[edit]

In 1967, the first Director of the Brunei Museums Department suggested Tasek Merimbun as a valuable asset and a potential Wildlife Sanctuary. A survey on Tasek Merimbun's bio-diversity and socio-economic activities conducted in 1983-84 led to the discovery of a rare White-collared Fruit Bat. This discovery was a major reason for the 29 November 1984 designation of Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park as the eleventh ASEAN Heritage Park.^[4]

Important Bird Area[edit]

The park has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because its forest and freshwater wetland habitats support endangered Storm's storks.^[5]

Some other often seen mammals include northern pig-tailed macaques, barking deer, sambar deer, gibbons, porcupines, civets. Other more elusive species seen from time to time are sun bears, Asian black bears, gaurs, otters, dholes and jackals.

The northern pig-tailed macaques sighting is a bit rare elsewhere in the country, they may easily be overlooked. Most tourists easily mix them up with the long-tailed macaques which are very common at many tourist destinations.

Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park - The gateway to Brunei's past and culture
Every first of May, ethnic Dusuns gather in Tasek Merimbun to celebrate the annual Adau Gayoh festival, which marks the end of the padi harvesting season, and to express their gratitude for the good harvest. The festival brings together not only the Dusuns but other ethnic groups and people from all walks of life from the Tutong District to celebrate the spirit of unity. This gathering is also an opportunity to uphold the ethnic group's traditions and cultural identity (Brunei Times, 2009).

Tasek Merimbun is indeed both a natural and cultural heritage of Brunei. Thus, it is now being referred to as the gateway to Brunei's past and culture. Tasek Merimbun is a wildlife sanctuary, conservation spot for flora and fauna, recreational center, and a venue for research and education. The wildlife sanctuary is the first site to be declared a national park, and the biggest wildlife sanctuary among three others in Brunei Darussalam: Pulau Berambang (721 hectares), Pulau Siarau (393 hectares), and Pulau Pilong Pilongan (two hectares).

The 7,800-hectare Heritage Park is located about 32 kilometers south of the Tutong-Kuala Belait coastal highway on the west bank of Sungai Tutong in Mukim Rambai, Tutong District. The Park encloses catchments of small rivers feeding into the Tasek Merimbun Lake, Brunei's largest lake that is shaped almost like the letter S

Rufous-tailed robins are a rare sighting in Thailand, only reported from Khao Yai National Park. Few other rare species are; Austen's brown hornbills, white-browed fantails, Blyth's pipits, greater adjutants, Japanese thrushes, coral-billed ground cuckoos and northern goshawks.

Located in some of the deepest and most isolated jungles of Cambodia, Virachey is largely unexplored and holds a large assortment of wildlife, waterfalls, and mountains. The park comprises dense semi-evergreen lowlands, montane forests, upland savannah, bamboo thickets, and occasional patches of mixed deciduous forest. Most of the area lies above 400 meters up to 1,500 meters.

Of the pit viper three can be found in the park; Vogel’s pit vipers (Trimeresurus vogeli), large-eyed pit vipers (Trimeresurus macrops) and white-lipped pit vipers (trimeresurus-albolabris). Some of the rare snakes found in the park are Gibson's wolf snakes (Lycodon gibsonae), Nganson bronzebacks (Dendrelaphis ngansonensis) and Joynson's kukri snakes (Oligodon joynsoni). All three python species of Thailand have been recorded in Khao Yai National Park. Interestingly, several morphs of Oriental whip snake species are found in the park; white, brown and green, and they are the most encountered snake species in Khao Yai.

Visitors may enjoy a relaxing walk along a wooden bridge crossing over the lake and connecting to a small group of islands right at the park’s center.  These islands hold some of the country’s most important archeological remains, including brass and bronze artifacts, Chinese and European ceramics, and Dusun burial jars. These are pieces of evidence that Tasek Merimbun was one of the earliest sites of human settlement in the country.

Tasek Merimbun likewise offers other activities through its nature trails and lakeside gazebos. Visitors may choose to take a cruise on the lake or stay overnight at forest campsites.

A laboratory building with an office for processing data and sleeping quarters for guests was built to attract more researchers in the park.

Like Tasek Merimbun, many of the AHPs are highly visible in tourism. The AHPs are protected areas of high conservation importance, showcasing wealthy ecosystems that are uniquely ASEAN. To date, 44 protected areas have been designated as AHPs. This number, however, may increase with the nomination of five protected areas from Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.  These are Hat Chao Mai National Park and Mu Ko Libong Non-hunting Area (Thailand); Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park (Thailand); Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park (Viet Nam); Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (Viet Nam); and Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary (Myanmar).

 “What attracts tourists the most is the beauty of these ecosystems. AHPs like Tasek Merimbun show us that ecotourism and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand,” ASEAN Center for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim said.

In promoting tourism, she added, factors like the carrying capacity of the area and the involvement of the community in the decision making are considered.

“We also take the opportunity to raise awareness among tourists on the importance of biodiversity conservation,” Lim said.

The ACB, as the secretariat of the AHP Programme, facilitates the effective management of the AHPs and the capacity-enhancement of the park managers.

Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park’s management has been successful in conserving Brunei’s rich flora and fauna in one of the first AHPs in the region.  Its achievements and milestones are among the highlights at the Sixth ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference (AHP6) that will be held in Pakse, Lao PDR on 21–24 October 2019.

With the theme “Sustainability and Innovation for Parks and People—Celebrating 35 years of ASEAN Heritage Parks,” the conference will gather protected area managers, representatives from international environmental organisations, businesses, academe, traditional and local communities, and youth to discuss knowledge and best practices in managing protected areas.

Organised by the ACB and the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR with support from the European Union (EU), the German Development Cooperation through the KfW, German development agency GIZ, SwedBio, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Japan Biodiversity Fund, the conference aims to improve the AHP network and strengthen camaraderie among AHP stakeholders and other development partners.

Heritage Park grew out of the connection Calgarians have to the preservation of our shared history. The Park continues that vision, telling diverse stories of those who came before us.

Many mainstream agencies offer cheap tours from Bangkok, these often only cover visiting of waterfalls, viewpoints, the vicinity of the visitor center and driving along the roads a bit.

The visitors interested in seeing wildlife or walking longer trails are recommended to book a wildlife tour with an experienced English speaking guide. A guided tour will make it possible to walk longer trails in the jungle and see more of the elusive animals.

Tour operators may not include pickup from hotels too far away from the park entrance. Also, some hotels don't like guides to pick up their customers from their hotels. If you are considering booking a tour, it may be wise to first send an enquiry for a tour operator's attention and ask if they do pickup from hotels you are considering.

Oil was first discovered in Seria in 1929 - forever changing Brunei's fortune. By that point, Brunei had been under British rule for half a century.

After researchers put 28 camera traps in July 2011, 6 months later the researchers found one male and six females, and predicted the population is not more than 27 Sumatran rhinos, of which the total population is predicted to be around 200 in Sumatra and Malaysia, half the population of 15 years ago.

Water supply

The first signs of reduced water replenishment have already been seen in and around the Leuser Ecosystem. Groundwater reservoirs are rapidly being exhausted, and several rivers fall completely dry during part of the year. This has severe consequences for the local community. Both households and industries need to anticipate water shortages and higher costs for water.

What is Ketamble Reasearch Station?
Ketambe Research Station is located in Aceh Tenggara District, is one of the oldest orangutan research station in the world. Established in 1971 by Herman Rijksen, Ketambe Research Station has long been a hub for primate research, especially the Sumatran Orangutan, in Sumatra and Indonesia. 

Lampi Marine National Park covers a group of islands in the Myeik Archipelago in the Tanintharyi region of southern Myanmar. The Myeik Archipelago consists of over 800 islands dotted along 600 kilometres of coastline in the Andaman Sea. The area is covered by tropical evergreen rainforests and is surrounded by an extensive coral reef system.
Lampi Island is the biggest island within the park and the core of the marine national park. 48 kilometres long and hilly (150-270 metres above sea level), Lampi island has a rocky coastline and beautiful sandy beaches, bays and inlets.

Lampi is covered by tropical lowland wet evergreen forest. Large trees of up to 26 meters tall tower behind sandy white beaches. The lush vegetation of the park is characterised by a high diversity of plants and small populations of rare tree species such as Dipterocarpus, Shorea, Vatica and Hopea.
Along rivers and freshwater sources grows mangrove forest with an extremely high ecological value, due to its excellent conservation status. The 63 species of mangroves recorded in the park – belonging to 31 families – are also home of many species of mollusc, crustacean and fish.
Beach and dune forests can also be found along narrow strips of sand along the coast.

The Myeik Archipelago is rich in coral reefs, seaweeds and seagrass beds. This serves as important habitat for molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms (stars and urchins) and fish. Not only ecologically significant, many of these species are economically important as local and export food resources.
The seagrass meadows surrounding Lampi are important food for threatened species such as the green sea turtle and the dugong, as well as for a variety of birds.
The Lampi island has also two major perennial rivers and many small seasonal streams serving as abundant freshwater resources

The marine national park provides food, water and energy sources to approximately 3,000 people spread across five settlements: Makyone Galet, Sitta Galet, Kho Phawt, War Kyun and Nyaung Wee. Several hundred Moken sea gypsies live in the protected area.
The main village is Makyone Galet. Located on Bo Cho Island, the busy fishing village is set on a beautiful bay overlooking the southern tip of Lampi Island. Makyone Galet has many teashops and restaurants, and a pagoda providing panoramic views of the village. Houses on stilts surround the beaches and are inhabited by the Moken.

An indigenous population arisen from Malay people, the Moken – as they call themselves, or Salone as they are referred to in Myanmar – have been living in the Myeik Archipelago for many centuries, roaming the sea from island to island collecting and trading items gathered from the sea.
During the rainy season, these sea gypsies used to settle on islands that offered good shelter and whose forests provided food when the sea was too rough for navigation. They built their huts on stilts very close to the shore so as to be able to constantly check the sea and their boats. During the dry season most Moken live in these huts, except when they embark on long fishing trips.
It is estimated that a total population of 3,000 Moken still inhabit the Myeik archipelago. Nearly 100 Moken households – about 400 individuals – live within Lampi Marine National Park in the villages of Makyone Galet, Nyaung Wee and Ko Phawt.
One reason the Moken are staying put more these days is a decrease in the number of their traditional Moken big boats – kabang – in the archipelago. Nowadays Moken use smaller dug-out canoes and row close to the coastline in search of sea products, or they have one big boat that tows many canoes to the fishing ground and back.
Moken do not traditionally conserve any specific area or resource. They have never perceived resources as limited. Under such a limited population pressure and low impact activities, resources would regenerate during the Moken’s movements from island to island or during the rainy season. Yet the Moken believe that no one should be greedy – taking only from the sea and forest what is necessary for subsistence.
Moken are famous for being good divers. In former days the Moken’s livelihood depended on the collection of a variety of molluscs and other marine creatures, together with subsistence spear fishing and hunting. One good way of earning an income was by collecting sea cucumbers at low tide, or even in up to 10-12 metre deep seas. Nevertheless, recently the resources in and around the park have become scarcer and the Moken cannot compete with better-equipped fishermen from other areas.

Lampi is covered by tropical lowland wet evergreen forest. Large trees of up to 26 meters tall tower behind sandy white beaches. The lush vegetation of the park is characterised by a high diversity of plants and small populations of rare tree species such as Dipterocarpus, Shorea, Vatica and Hopea.
Along rivers and freshwater sources grows mangrove forest with an extremely high ecological value, due to its excellent conservation status. The 63 species of mangroves recorded in the park – belonging to 31 families – are also home of many species of mollusc, crustacean and fish.
Beach and dune forests can also be found along narrow strips of sand along the coast.

An indigenous population arisen from Malay people, the Moken – as they call themselves, or Salone as they are referred to in Myanmar – have been living in the Myeik Archipelago for many centuries, roaming the sea from island to island collecting and trading items gathered from the sea.
During the rainy season, these sea gypsies used to settle on islands that offered good shelter and whose forests provided food when the sea was too rough for navigation. They built their huts on stilts very close to the shore so as to be able to constantly check the sea and their boats. During the dry season most Moken live in these huts, except when they embark on long fishing trips.
It is estimated that a total population of 3,000 Moken still inhabit the Myeik archipelago. Nearly 100 Moken households – about 400 individuals – live within Lampi Marine National Park in the villages of Makyone Galet, Nyaung Wee and Ko Phawt.
One reason the Moken are staying put more these days is a decrease in the number of their traditional Moken big boats – kabang – in the archipelago. Nowadays Moken use smaller dug-out canoes and row close to the coastline in search of sea products, or they have one big boat that tows many canoes to the fishing ground and back.
Moken do not traditionally conserve any specific area or resource. They have never perceived resources as limited. Under such a limited population pressure and low impact activities, resources would regenerate during the Moken’s movements from island to island or during the rainy season. Yet the Moken believe that no one should be greedy – taking only from the sea and forest what is necessary for subsistence.
Moken are famous for being good divers. In former days the Moken’s livelihood depended on the collection of a variety of molluscs and other marine creatures, together with subsistence spear fishing and hunting. One good way of earning an income was by collecting sea cucumbers at low tide, or even in up to 10-12 metre deep seas. Nevertheless, recently the resources in and around the park have become scarcer and the Moken cannot compete with better-equipped fishermen from other areas.

An indigenous population arisen from Malay people, the Moken – as they call themselves, or Salone as they are referred to in Myanmar – have been living in the Myeik Archipelago for many centuries, roaming the sea from island to island collecting and trading items gathered from the sea.
During the rainy season, these sea gypsies used to settle on islands that offered good shelter and whose forests provided food when the sea was too rough for navigation. They built their huts on stilts very close to the shore so as to be able to constantly check the sea and their boats. During the dry season most Moken live in these huts, except when they embark on long fishing trips.
It is estimated that a total population of 3,000 Moken still inhabit the Myeik archipelago. Nearly 100 Moken households – about 400 individuals – live within Lampi Marine National Park in the villages of Makyone Galet, Nyaung Wee and Ko Phawt.
One reason the Moken are staying put more these days is a decrease in the number of their traditional Moken big boats – kabang – in the archipelago. Nowadays Moken use smaller dug-out canoes and row close to the coastline in search of sea products, or they have one big boat that tows many canoes to the fishing ground and back.
Moken do not traditionally conserve any specific area or resource. They have never perceived resources as limited. Under such a limited population pressure and low impact activities, resources would regenerate during the Moken’s movements from island to island or during the rainy season. Yet the Moken believe that no one should be greedy – taking only from the sea and forest what is necessary for subsistence.
Moken are famous for being good divers. In former days the Moken’s livelihood depended on the collection of a variety of molluscs and other marine creatures, together with subsistence spear fishing and hunting. One good way of earning an income was by collecting sea cucumbers at low tide, or even in up to 10-12 metre deep seas. Nevertheless, recently the resources in and around the park have become scarcer and the Moken cannot compete with better-equipped fishermen from other areas.

Extremely rare plants in Myanmar such as local Black Orchid and Rare Tiger Orchid are the treasure of Putao. Varieties of orchids displayed for the visitors at the Khakaborazi National Park Exhibit Hall are the rare plants originated from Putao, Naung Mung, and Ma Chan Baw. Some orchids being explored in the areas are simply registered and they are yet to be classified and named.
Mdn.gov.mm

Being rich in untouched natural diversity, it became the best national park as national heritage in Myanmar. It is famous not jut only in Myanmar but also in Asia. It possess the highest ice mountain, Mt. Hakaborazi, many rare specious of animals, plants, orchids, birds and etc…

It is the best place for hiking and trekking in the natural forest mountain park.

Studying the tradition, culture and life style of highland tribal are other attraction of the park. Recreation at snow-capped mountain, studying mammals and bird species which can be found in high altitude are also high recommended.

Observing 30 mammal species including Red Panda, Takin, Red goral which can be found in East-Himalayan and studying 200 bird species and hill pine forest, evergreen forest, medicinal plants, wild rare orchids will serve you to be in nature paradise.

One can choose to fly to Deqen, dibrugarh or Lijuan . Flight will take 13 to 17 hours

The geologically diverse landscape of Laos, with its forested mountains, upland plateaus and lowland plains, supports an equally diverse population that is united largely through agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. Interactions—sometimes hostile, sometimes hospitable—with the neighbouring Khmer (Cambodian), Siamese (Thai), and Myanmar (Burmese) kingdoms between the 5th and the mid-19th century indirectly imbued Laos with elements of Indian culture, including Buddhism, the religion now practiced by most of the population. Both Buddhist and Hindu lores have shaped the visual, performing, and literary arts of the country. Many of the indigenous and minority peoples of the remote highland slopes and mountainous regions, however, have maintained their own idiosyncratic ritual and artistic traditions.

Colonization by the French from the late 19th to the mid-20th century infused Laos with a European cultural element, which intensified throughout the country’s embroilment in World War II and the Indochina wars, as well as a civil war of its own in the second half of the 20th century. Guided by Marxist-Leninist ideology, Laos emerged from the turmoil in 1975 as a communist country. Economic reforms of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including the development of tourism, have strengthened Laos’s economy, gradually shrinking the country’s debt and diminishing its dependence on international aid.

Land

Laos is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest by Myanmar (Burma).

Relief

Dominating the landscape of Laos are its inhospitable forest-covered mountains, which in the north rise to a maximum elevation of 9,245 feet (2,818 metres) above sea level at Mount Bia and everywhere constitute an impediment to travel. The principal range lies along a northwest-southeast axis and forms part of the Annamese Cordillera (Chaîne Annamitique), but secondary ranges abound. On the Xiangkhoang Plateau in north-central Laos, the Plain of Jars (Thông Haihin; the name derived from large prehistoric stone jars discovered there) consists of extensive rolling grasslands rather than a true plain and provides a hub of communications. The karst landscapes of the central provinces of Bolikhamxay and Khammouan contain caverns and severely eroded limestone pinnacles. In the south the Bolovens Plateau, at an elevation of about 3,600 feet (1,100 metres), is covered by open woodland and has generally fertile soil. The only extensive lowlands lie along the eastern bank of the Mekong River.

Drainage

The general slope of the land in Laos is downhill from east to west, and all the major rivers—the Tha, Beng, Ou, Ngum, Kading, Bangfai, Banghiang, and Kong—are tributaries of the Mekong (Mènam Khong). The Mekong flows generally southeast and south along and through western Laos and forms its boundary with Myanmar and most of the border with Thailand. The course of the river itself is severely constricted by gorges in northern Laos, but, by the time it reaches Vientiane, its valley broadens and exposes wide areas to flooding when the river breaches its banks, as it did most notably in August 1966. A few rivers in eastern Laos flow eastward through gaps in the Annamese Cordillera to reach the Gulf of Tonkin; the most important of these is the Ma River, which rises in the northeast, just inside the Vietnam border.

Geography[edit]

Nam Ha National Protected Area is located about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Luang Namtha and covers parts of all five of the province's districts. The park's area is 2,224 km² (860 sq mi). The park encompasses the Nam Ha Important Bird Area with an area of 1,845 km² (710 sq mi).^[4]

Elevations range from about 500 m (1,640 ft) to the park's peak at 2,094 m (6,870 ft). The park incorporates three rivers which drain into the Mekong: the Nam Tha, Nam Fa and Nam Long. The Nam Tha is the Mekong's first major tributary after entering Laos.^[2]

History[edit]

In 1980 Nam Ha was identified as a Provincial Protected Area. In 1993 Nam Ha National Protected Area was initially decreed to cover 697 km² (270 sq mi). This was extended in 1999 to cover the present area of 2,224 km² (860 sq mi).^[2] In 2003 Nam Ha was designated an ASEAN Heritage Park, the only one in Laos.^[5] In 2006 the Nam Ha Ecotourism Project (a joint UNESCO–Lao project to sustainably manage the park) won the Equator Prize.^[1]

Flora and fauna[edit]

The park's main forest type is mixed secondary deciduous forest including secondary evergreen forest. At the park's lower elevations, in the Luang Namtha plain, human modification of the forest is evident and habitats include bamboo and scrub areas.^[2]

Animal species include Assam macaque, clouded leopard, gaur, tiger, elephant and a possibly unique species of muntjac.^[2][4] The frog species Amolops akhaorum is only known from the park.^[6] It is named for the local Akha people who helped with the fieldwork of the team who discovered the species in 2007.^[7]

The park is host to diverse bird species: about 300 species are recorded here.^[2] A few species are unique in Laos to Nam Ha: crested finchbill, white-bellied redstart and white-necked laughingthrush.^[4]

Threats[edit]

Nam Ha faces a number of environmental threats. The most significant is slash-and-burn agriculture. Harvesting of forest products, including timber, is also a threat. Hunting of wildlife is conducted by both residents and outsiders. Domesticated animals roam freely, disturbing wildlife and damaging wild habitats.^[2] Clearance of forested land for rubber plantations has occurred.^[1]

Park forest

 

Village within NPA

Lampi is covered by tropical lowland wet evergreen forest. Large trees of up to 26 meters tall tower behind sandy white beaches. The lush vegetation of the park is characterised by a high diversity of plants and small populations of rare tree species such as Dipterocarpus, Shorea, Vatica and Hopea.
Along rivers and freshwater sources grows mangrove forest with an extremely high ecological value, due to its excellent conservation status. The 63 species of mangroves recorded in the park – belonging to 31 families – are also home of many species of mollusc, crustacean and fish.
Beach and dune forests can also be found along narrow strips of sand along the coast.

A childhood favourite, and all you need are seven stones. Using the dexterity of just one hand, the player has to lay out seven stones and while tossing one stone in the air, pick each stone off the ground without touching or moving the other stones. This game has another version with five stones, and can be played in groups or individually.

A childhood favourite, and all you need are seven stones. Using the dexterity of just one hand, the player has to lay out seven stones and while tossing one stone in the air, pick each stone off the ground without touching or moving the other stones. This game has another version with five stones, and can be played in groups or individually.

It is shown on Cat Tien National Park TripAdvisor page that the remarkable here is the Crocodile Lake Wetland Complex (locally called: Bàu Sấu) and the guided night safari trip to the wildlife. The crocodiles here are blended, from the common ones to the red-listed ones. It’s an amazing fact that the crocodile here is so much friendly that trekkers can sit by the lake, watching crocodiles (in the lake, of course) catch its prey (and of course, not tourists), or just simply seeing their eyes wandering around the lake surface.

Cát Tiên National Park (CTNP) was protected initially in 1978 as two sectors, Nam Cat Tien and Tay Cat Tien. Another sector, Cat Loc, was gazetted as a rhinoceros reserve in 1992 upon the discovery of a population of the Vietnamese Javan rhinoceros, an occasion that brought the park into the world's eye. The three areas were combined to form one park in 1998. Nam Cat Tien is contiguous with Vĩnh Cửu nature reserve thus providing an enlarged area for species to breed. The forest is now protected by the Kiểm lâm (VN Forest Rangers) with responsibilities for managing poaching, fire control, and other issues.

Parts of the park area suffered historically during the Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with defoliant herbicides. However, substantial further damage was done by logging up until the 1990s. To this day these areas have extensive bamboo and grassland cover and trees have not yet grown back.

Take a tour of Singapore, a city with a multicultural heritage See all videos for this article

Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world. It owes its growth and prosperity to its focal position at the southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, where it dominates the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore first joined the Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but seceded to become an independent state on August 9, 1965.

We hope you have learnt something new about Singapore from this month’s HappyNews because the HappyDot team certainly did! Keep a lookout for more interesting tidbits coming your way!

Cat Tien National Park has two segments, namely Cat Loc to the north side and Nam Cat Tien towards the eastern half, which is often visited and contains the Park headquarters. The Park is located in three provinces: Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc.

It was protected initially in 1978 as two sectors: Nam Cat Tien and Tay Cat Tien. One more sector, Cat Loc, was gazetted as a rhinoceros reserve in 1992 when there was a discovery of a population of the Vietnamese Javan rhinoceros. The park is quite famous for the scope of adventure activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and trekking.

The entry to the park is at a flat rate of VND 60,000, however, this is only a base charge and all the other services have to be paid for separately, the rates for these are displayed on the park's official website. These can be booked directly from there itself.

Lauded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has a history of over 150 years since its founding in 1859; that’s more than a century older than modern Singapore itself!

Its most popular attraction is the National Orchid Garden, which houses thousands of orchid species known as Very Important Plants (VIPs). Over 200 hybrid orchids in this garden have been affectionately named after visiting foreign dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as celebrities like actors Jackie Chan, Zhou Xun and Bae Yong Jun.

Another fun fact: Singapore’s first botanic garden opened in 1822, on the slopes of the area now known as Fort Canning Hill. Measuring just 19 hectares, the garden closed in 1829 due to rising costs. Its land was then used for various public projects, including an Armenian church, a school and a hospital.