Free guides and downloads We’re travellers, not journalists! The information given in this document and on our web site has been provided by travellers for free, to help you get the most out of your journey. Most of the writers, who have contributed and worked to present this information to you today, are not native English speakers. If there are mistakes, then please let us know, but don’t a make a lot of fuss or tell us if we is grammar poor! :-) If you have anything that you could like to share or add to our site, then please let us know. Update us. We want this to be as useful as possible.
How to use this site and our documents. Each travel guide and download document starts with the principle city and then the towns follow on in alphabetical order; though with Vietnam it made more sense to go from North to South. We’ve also listed accommodation and food and drink establishments in the same way. If you see our paw-print embedded with a company’s information, then this is from a travellers’ recommendation; we hope that it meets your expectations!
If there’s a field that’s empty (for example, the email address or the price of a double room) it’s because we don’t know. Our objective is to give accurate information, so we’ve only given information that we know to be true.
This site/ document is not intended to replace your travel guide; more to compliment it with the latest information given to us from fellow travellers.
If any of the information is wrong, then also let us know. If you like us, then find us on facebook and tell a friend. If you don’t, then delete the file and enjoy your outdated travel guide. And if you’re writing a blog, then please give us a short mention!
That said; if you have time to help then please visit the Download Zone to see how. Elli Murr Elli@TheLeapingLemur.com
Volunteers Thank you to everyone that has volunteered their time over the last 6 months to help get our site to the position that it is now in!
Elizabeth Fineberg-Lombardi - Fish out of water? A dive guide from Kho Tao back on the road as a traveller for the first time in a year. Currently in Myanmar and sending us live updates as she travels. Perfect! Follow Elizabeth [ here].
Chelsea & Liam - writers of Powered by Noodles, we were so glad these guys are on-board. Their blogs or amusing, informative and compassionate. And they keep us up-to-date as they travel along with a trip report from time to time. So, pop along and see their blog as well.. since they are helping to make this work [ PoweredByNoodles]
Ivan Klausmeier - we wish Ivan good health and a speedy recovery and really do await the tale of how he managed to crack his ribs on a mountain trek 4 days out of Namshan in Myanmar! Good health Ivan.
Steve & Therese - The vast majority of our volunteers have their travels related to Myanmar and out of all of the comments I love their closing email the most. In response to thanking them for their updates the replied with "No probs. Leaving Burma has been like leaving an old friend". If you haven't been then doesn't this inspire you?
Pia Regan Jasinski - Pia was in Burma when it was still called Burma! A great style or writing and we'll be re-publishing some of her blogs about travelling and teaching in Myanmar. Pia - thanks for your support.
Clarky – Web work and blogs. Full-time traveller who can be spotted in Internet Cafes around Asia. When he’s not on-line, we stand still.
Wendy – so many great blogs including.... "KL on the cheap", "Myanmar: To go or not to go?", "Yangon City calling!" and more.
Cate Simmons - without Cate's art-work, well where would be? For more of her work, check out her Flickr account.
Suzzana Clarke – no relation to my web man but Suzzane’s trip report from Myanmar is still the most visited page on our site. Some amazing pictures and a girl who knows how to get the most out of her holidays.
Katarina Bartovicova found a hard copy of our guide..... and passed on the details to her friend, Mirka Molnar Lachka who gave us a trip report that is on-line now and has already had over 130 hits!
Caroline Landry – recently downloaded out guide to Myanmar. Caroline got on board straight away by sending us a link and some information about where we should head to in Chiang Mai. Caroline, for introducing me to Khoi Soi I thank you and am eternally grateful. We look forward to sharing your updates from Myanmar.
Nick Petty - blogs and reports for Sri Lanka, a section that will be growing more and more soon.
General updates: Darren, Joshua, Rizz, Sally Anne......
Sponsors Thanks to everyone that has helped us get this site online and keeping it there!
These are our major sponsors of The Leaping Lemur and through their guidance we have set-up the sponsor Us option. US$1 can help us go a long way.
Ma & Pa – when our website sat dormant for 2 weeks because our netbook had died, Ma & Pa stepped up to the plate to fund the purchase of a new one. A big thank you from me and on behalf of everyone that has accessed the information since.
The Card Man (anonymous) – we sometimes get to meet our readers. When asked why we didn’t have proper business cards by one gracious traveller, he “grumphed” at the reason of cost questioning how anyone was going to take us seriously when asking hotel prices. He was of course correct. We’d already had several hotels that day look at us like we were idiots. The next day he arrived with a card that had The Leaping Lemur name, google site address and email address. Thank you!
Clarky – thank you for paying for our domain name! TheLeapingLemur.com is so much easier to write than www.sites.google.com/site/NeSw365
Follow us on Twitter or via our page on
The Leaping Lemur Team Interview
Clarky Chicken Village, Da Lat, Vietnam.
Profile Picture: This was captured by my brother Jason on a family tour of Da Lat. I took one of my personal favourite pictures here; the village kids above imitating "The Three Wise Monkeys".
Role: Web work, guide writer and part-time blogger.
My Charities: Friends-International works with marginalised urban children and youth, their families and communities to become productive, independent citizens of their country.
Favourite street food: “Mont Lin Ma Yar” in Myanmar which means "Husband and wife snack” because they sandwich them together. They have something similar in Thailand but without the eggs or the spices.
Favourite City: Hanoi, Vietnam for it's utter madness, street food, culture and history. Oh and beer hoi!
My Charities: EAST assists governments to stop the illegal wildlife trade, educate people about Asian wildlife conservation, and supports rehabilitation of endangered Asian primates.
Favourite Dinner: For my favourite meal at dinner it has to be Thai Green Curry. It is so much better in Asia because of the small green aubergines that they use to give the curry that unique flavour. [ more]
But if you're asking my favourite place for dinner, then it has to be the amazing food that the guys at Pink Elephant in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka turn out. Chaminda - you're food will never be forgotten!
Favourite Capital City: Yangon, Myanmar. Okay it's not really a capital anymore but such an amazing place to site back and watch the world go by.
Charity: World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Working in nearly 100 countries around the world, World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
Worst City: Tough - both in India and between Gokarna and Mysore. I needed a break from India when we reached Mysore and Gokarna was the unfriendliest place we visited. Since though we have met so many people who list it as a highlight of their trips to India!?!?
Best Cuppa: Easy. No brainer. The Asian Jewel outside of Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka. 228/ 243 reviews on Trip also list them as Excellent. Ignore the fact the lad is MUTD fan. Wonder if it was the tea?
Favourite Journey: The 6 hour train ride from Bago to Mawlamyine in Myanamar. Old battered train on a narrow gauge track meaning that you hit and feel every bum and bounce along the way. Just amazing scenery though.
Unforgettable Encounter: A 9ft rat-snake in our garden in Sri Lanka. I don't mind snakes, but the size of this make me shudder... then lunge for my camera!
The Leaping Lemur Team Interview
Wendy
Profile Picture: My first trip to Myanmar waiting for a parade to start.
Role: Blogs, guide-writer, Twitter and hotel hassler! Keeping the hotel prices up-to-date is a hard job.
My Charity: Animals Asia Foundation is devoted to the welfare of wild and urban animals in Asia. We also work towards the conservation of endangered species. We have three flagship programmes: End Bear Farming, Cat and Dog Welfare and Action against Cruelty
Worst City: Taiping in Malaysia. Hence there's nothing written about it! Though we are working on a back-log of cities for the site. The park in Taiping was clearly once very beautiful though no water the lake gardens. Since the industries left the area Taiping has just become a ghost town where only "Swallow spit soup" is made.
Favourite journey: The local "disco" bus north to Jaffna from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. We were given free food by the army but the road was so mad that it was like trying to eat food on a roller coaster!
My Charity: Compassionate Hands is a home-grown charity, founded by Snow Aye after the cyclone Nargis struck the southern delta region of Myanmar on 2nd May 2008. Since the start of Compassionate Hands, many people have volunteered to help realise various projects, ranging from emergency relief efforts after the Cyclone, to digging wells and helping children with AIDS. Many volunteers are from Myanmar itself, but also foreigners from other Asian countries, the United States and Europe are involved.... [ more]
Favourite Street Food: I really can't decide from the following three! 1 - Onion Bhaji before we caught the train in Madurai. Wrapped in banana leaf with an amazing sauce! 2 - India. Wadi's at the bus-station in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. Spicy fried lentil cakes. 3 - Curry Puffs in KL, Malaysia. Get the extra spicy salt on top!
Favourite City: Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Whether it was the history linked with the area because of the famous bridge over the river Kwai, the amazing pizza at Bells or the relaxing gardens of Green View Guest House? I don't know. But my birthday at Elephant World and the waterfalls were amazing!
Charity: The Travel Foundation works to help the tourism industry become more sustainable. They exist to protect and enhance the environment and improve the well-being of destination communities, as well as
Favourite Capital City: Colombo, Sri Lanka. This is our next big project because Sri Lanka is an amazing place to visit! On-line I'd have to say Kuala Lumpur.
Favourite Dinner: Butter Chicken. The best so far was in Verkala, India but Tomato in Langkawi, Malaysia comes a close second.
Favourite Country: Sri Lanka for the wildlife, people and sunshine!
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A sample from our facebook page. Follow us for regular updates.
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Garden of Reflection,
Chiang Mai, Thailand:
There is no glory for a lazy person however good looking |
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Temple,
Krabi Thailand:
Solitude and silent reflection seems to be moving with the times |
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Almost Famous,
Pai, Thailand:
Toilet humour, bar humour and a great quiz. |
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Posted 26 Jun 2013, 21:11 by Elli Murr
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Kuala Lumpur Charities: The Leaping Lemur Group
The following are all Kuala Lumpur based Charities. If you’re looking for something fun and rewarding to do then get involved in volunteering at one of many charities who need your help! Whether you have a lot of spare time on your hands or just a little, there is something to suit. There are plenty of opportunities to use existing skills such as playing with children, teaching, nursing, marketing, accounting or learn some new skills. You really can make a difference and get to know a lot more about the community, culture and environment you are living in.
Elli xx
Home of Peace
Home of Peace is a safe haven for young girls which places special emphasis on education and the girls realizing their full potential. They are always looking for volunteers to help with homework and tutoring. Volunteers can work with older girls (ages 12-16) any day of the week in the afternoons from 4:30-6:00pm and with younger girls (7-9 years old) in home school from 10:00-1:00pm. The girls would also love to do craft activities and receive piano or music lessons, so if you can help out, please let them know. They are also in need of administrative support.
Contact Justine Morais jnissi60@gmail.com
Riding for the disabled
Help disabled and handicapped children use horse riding as a part of their therapy to change disability to ability. Equine assisted therapy is used to achieve learning and stimulates physical, mental, social and educational progress. Volunteers are needed to help children prepare for the ride, prepare the horses for the ride, lead horses and provide emotional support to the children. Volunteers are also needed to help with administrative duties in the main office. Sessions are held in the morning at three locations;
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Bukit Kiara Club, Damansara
Tues & Thurs, 9.30 – 11.30am
Call: Ms Zuraidah Omar tel: 019-2108127
E-mail: zuraidahomar@hotmail.com
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Selangor Polo Club,
Tues, Wed & Thursday 10am – 12noon
Contact: Karyn Stewart tel: 016-6162945
E-mail: karynstewart@hotmail.co.uk
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Royal Selangor Turf Club, nr Mines Resort City
Tues, Wed & Thurs, 10am – 12noon
Contact: Cheryl Victor
E-mail: equestrian@selangorturfclub.com
Tel + 6 03-90502346
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Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones is a children’s home in Taman Seputeh (near Mid-Valley). ABWM members tutor a small group of boys on a Tuesday 09.30 - 11.30. Some of them do not currently have access to regular schooling and volunteers are needed to help with basic Maths, Science and English. Lessons do not need to be prepared in advance; just show up and help with homework. During holidays more recreational activities are organized. Call Monica Maclean: 017 609 6087
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
UNHCR helps to run various community and education programmes to assist the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. Help is needed to teach English and skills such as computer, crafts and music. There are opportunities to work at an adult centre in Cheras and the youth in various centres in Cheras and Pudu, and to provide support to asylum seekers at a detention centre.
Tel: 603 2141 1322 Fax: 603 2141 1780 Email: mlslu@unhcr.org
Malaysia Association of the Blind (MAB)
Located in Brickfields, MAB needs volunteers to help in the reading and Braille production service. One opportunity is to type books onto disc which can be converted into Braille and another is to help develop a talking book library for the blind. Readers who speak English, Malay or Mandarin are needed to help produce more talking books. Volunteers may come anytime during the week between 9am-5pm. Alternatively, volunteers may record the tapes at home and send back the finished product. Volunteers are also needed to assist in a playgroup for blind and low-vision pre-school children or with general administrative work.
Contact: Ramdas Nayar, MAB at 03-2272-2677 www.mab.org.my
Beautiful Gate
Beautiful Gate is charity which helps young disabled adults to acquire vocational skills. Volunteers are needed to teach English as a second language in a relaxed and informal setting. They also organise art and games activities and various outings. Contact Pastor Sia Siew Chin, 03 7873 6579 or 019-219-8440
SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
The SPCA runs a shelter for dogs and cats and needs volunteers to help with feeding, cleaning, taking dogs out for a walk and other general animal care. Volunteers are welcome 7 days a week anytime between 9:00 and 4:00, although mornings are generally the busiest time.
Call 03-4256-5312 Website: www.spca.org.my
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Posted 27 Jun 2013, 20:27 by Elli Murr
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Myanmar Charities: The Leaping Lemur Group
There are no charges for receiving information on this site, because this is about sharing the latest information and not making money. That said, please take the time to look at some of the charities that we've highlighted beneath, and if you want to "pay" for the information you've downloaded, then look into some of these worthy causes.
The Burma Children’s Fund supports orphanages and pre-schools in various parts of Burma in order to provide shelter, health care and education for orphans and children. We will only support orphanages, clinics and pre-schools for infants and younger children where we know that the staff are dedicated and that the money they receive is spent on the children and for the direct benefit of the children. Children in Burma cannot control their own destiny and this is why our goal is “To Support their Future". [more]
Burma Campaign UK works for human rights, democracy and development in Burma.Burma Campaign UK is one of the leading Burma campaign organisations in the world. We play a leading role in raising awareness about the situation in Burma, and pressuring the international community to take action in support of the people of Burma. Founded in 1991, Burma Campaign UK is one of the leading Burma campaign organisations in the world. We play a leading role in raising awareness about the situation in Burma, and pressuring the international community to take action in support of the people of Burma. [more]
Friends-International works with marginalised urban children and youth, their families and communities to become productive, independent citizens of their country. We do this by listening to and being guided by those who matter the most to us - the children and youth we work with everyday. Friends-International has been assisting marginalized urban children and youth across the world since 1994. We now run and support projects for these children and their families in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Egypt and Myanmar. Friends-International and its partners reach out to over 50,000 marginalised young people -particularly street children and youth – each year. We offer a range of comprehensive services as part of our holistic approach to assisting children and their families to improve their lives. [more]  Compassionate Hands is a home-grown charity, founded by Snow Aye after the cyclone Nargis struck the southern delta region of Myanmar on 2nd May 2008. Since the start of Compassionate Hands, many people have volunteered to help realise various projects, ranging from emergency relief efforts after the Cyclone, to digging wells and helping children with AIDS. Many volunteers are from Myanmar itself, but also foreigners from other Asian countries, the United States and Europe are involved.... [more] |
Posted 27 Jun 2013, 20:17 by Elli Murr
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| Focus Charity Popular City Guides   Popular Blogs Recent Trip Reports Travel Guides Over 1,000 downloads of "A travellers Guide to Myanmar". We've had over 27,000 hits in just 7 months! For some, that's nothing, for the charities we support, approx. 2% of our visitors visit on.Which means all of our hard work is worth it. Thanks if you've visited one of the many charities that we promote. We're always working on our next update for Myanmar, but also busy writing for Thailand, Malaysia and getting ready to hit Cambodia! Can you help?
Definition of Charity:
"Generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy and suffering"
This is all about giving something back to the people of the countries that we've visited, to thank them for the wonderful experiences that we've had. There are no charges for receiving information on this site, because this is about sharing the latest information and not making money. You'll also note, there are no pop-ups or sponsored links to businesses. So, please take the time to look at some of the charities that we've highlighted on our charities page, and if you want to "pay" for the information you've received, then look into some of these worthy causes. Otherwise we'd gladly accept any support to help keep this site alive.
You will be directed to an Email window. If not, then email: volunteer@ TheLeapingLemur.com
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