SOME fruits are best eaten when they are mushy, gooey, slushy or slimy, or at least, soft and pulpy and oozing with a gummy sweetness. At that stage, they are at peak quality in terms of sweetness, smoothness and fragrance, but if they are over the hill and into the superlatives, then it is over as it may have turned putrid or even begin to ferment.

SABAH Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin believes Sabah has what it takes or all of the “right stuff” to become a world-class tourism destination, particularly as an eco-tourism destination.

SABAH is known for the its breathtaking sceneries; it is blessed with beautiful nature in every way. There are the brooding mountains, the cascades of waterfalls, the sparkling clear water that flows down pebbly river banks. There are the clear starry nights, where silver lights of the moon reflect on pools of water, There are the warbles of birds and fragrance of wild flowers in the forest greeting us in the morning.

TIME passed on. There was a world economic depression of the 30s. It affected our land too. The economy mainly depended upon rubber and to a lesser extent, timber and copra. The rubber which wasformerly sold at $400 came down just to a mere $4/- with no demand for the same. The labourers would not go for rubber tapping. All the rubber estates were more or less closed.

MANY in this world who are meat lovers are of the opinion that all animals, or at least, most of them, are edible. With plants, the narrative is quite different, as not all plants can be chewed up, and lesser still can be planted and swallowed. There are varieties of plants which, although toxic, harmful and illegal, such as Cannabis spp. and kratom, can be allowed in certain countries especially in the western world. Locally, these are complete no-nos unless the laws are amended to allow for medical uses that may benefit from the availability of psychoactive constituents or stimulant effects in the components of such plants.

THE eyebrow-raising verdict is out: The Asean Sustainable Tourism Award (Rural) 2022 goes to Walai Penyu Conservation Park, Libaran – an unsung island 40 minutes from Sandakan, which was excluded from the 1,740ha Turtle Islands Park Sabah set up between 1966 and 1968.

TA Neelakantan Iyer joined the Lands and Surveys Department during the Chartered Company administration in 1930 and spent 33 years before returning to India upon retiring as Chief Draughtsman in 1962. He was so fond of Sabah that he even named his house in Madras, “Borneo House”.

HOMESTAYS are an affordable type of accommodation where guests stay with the host family and get an opportunity to know more about their way of life. It is ideal for those who wish to get an in-depth knowledge or experience with the locals of the host country.

SOME might wonder why trekkers go out of their way to walk up hills and mountains and come back exhausted.

MAGALUS used to be frequently held by the Kadazans in the early era especially those who reared livestock or other animals like pigs.