Manual for Training Localized Nature Guides

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A very good and well written manual for training of localized Nature Guide by RARE, a NGO committed to Conservation, is reproduced below. This could be a valuable guide to those interested in providing quality training materials for Christian Tourist Guides in Malaysia which is fast becoming one of the World top ten tourists' destination because of its rich bio-diversity of its flora and fauna, the multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial make up of its people under the leadership of Prime Minister  Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the promoter of the 1 Malaysia concept.

RARE Manual for Training Local Nature Guides

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Federal Minister of Tourism on Front liners - Dr. Ng Yen Yen

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In 2009, Malaysia managed to be one of the top 10 world favored tourists' destination, earning the country quite a sizable amount in foreign exchange but that may change as competition from the neighboring countries like Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, etc upgrade their tourists facilities and intensify their campaigns. 

Another  possible reason may be the bad treatment tourists received from front liners liners like taxi drivers, staff of airlines and hotels.

The Ministry is hoping for increase arrivals of tourists from China, Russia, Australia, Belgium, Holland, Britain and Middle East this year.

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PRETTY TOUGH FOR SMOKERS TO BE A GOOD LICENSED TOURIST GUIDE

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Forest Fire could be started by the un-extinguished
 discarded smokers' butt on the forest floor

Among the participants in our 20 days of intensive LNG course/boot camp, four were ladies, three of them were heavy smokers - we used to lovingly referred to them as the "Chimney Ladies" because sitting near them is like sitting near a chimney.

For Local Nature Guides, one of the worst nightmares is to be connected, or blamed for, starting forest fires especially during the prolonged drought seasons. It does not happened very often in the tropical rain forest as it rains most of the year but in cases of dry spell, forest fires do occur and it will bring with it untold havoc to properties and the environment.

So our trainer, who was himself a non-smoker, played a video that illustrated his point but sadly this did not deter the smokers' habit. In the following video clip, a Jamaican professional tourist guide conveyed beautifully and comically  his messages to the tourists he was guiding who were entertained, rather than took offence at his joke, because of his unique style of presentation. It had been seen by about 4.8 million YouTube viewers.

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The non-Professional Tourist Guide

The traditional Kadazan families, who were mostly rural farmers and entrepreneurs, keep cats to catch or guard the house against the menace of mice; only few keep them for pets for the terrible noise they make at night when they are mating. My wife hates cats as many of her priced china bowls and plates were broken because the neighbors' cats keep coming into our kitchen to steal food. Of all my children, only Tina my second daughter seems to have a liking on cats and it was her who took pity on them and offer them food or we just shoo them away and occasionally frightened them with a stick.

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