MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA DIRECTORY •• Volunteering lonelyplanet.comperiod, so your 30-day permit from Sabah or
Sarawak remains valid. You can then extend
your initial 30-day permit, though it can be
difficult to get an extension in Sarawak.VOLUNTEERING
Opportunities include the following:
LASSie (www.langkawilassie.org.my) Dog and cat lovers
may want to help out at the Langkawi Animal Shelter &
Sanctuary Foundation, next to Bon Ton Resort.
Ma Daerah turtle sanctuary (http://madaerah.org)
About 70km south of Terengganu, you can help work to
protect turtle populations along the east coast.
Malaysian AIDS Council (www.mac.org.my) Assist in its
campaigning work.
Miso Walai homestay program (http://miso
walaihomestay.com) Gets travellers involved with local
wetlands restoration projects.
Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron
Highlands (Reach; http://www.reach.org.my) Take part in
reforestation and recycling programs in the Cameron
Highlands.
Sepilok Orang-utan Centre ( p502 ) Has one of the best
established volunteer centres.Wild Asia (www.wildasia.net) Options are generally
connected with the environment and sustainable tourism
in the region.WOMEN TRAVELLERS
Foreign women travelling in Malaysia can ex-
pect some attention, though most of it will
just involve stares from locals unfamiliar with
(or curious about) Westerners. It helps, and
is much more respectful of the culture, if you
dress conservatively by wearing long pants or
skirts and loose tops that cover the shoulders.
Western women are not expected to cover their
heads with scarves (outside mosques, that is).
In resort areas you can wear shorts, sleeveless
tops and swimwear, but it isn’t appropriate an-
ywhere in the country to sunbathe topless. On
more remote beaches you’re better off doing
like the locals do and swimming fully clothed.
Keep a watch out for sleazy local beach boys in
Langkawi, Cherating and the Perhentians.
Tampons and pads are widely available,
especially in big cities, and over-the-counter
medications are also fairly easy to find.532© Lonely Planet© Lonely Planet. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted.
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