RANAU: A new attraction has popped up in this popular tourist district – the ‘Go Sabah Frame’ (very much like the NatGeo logo), which stands quaintly at the Sabah Tea Resort.
Visitors are now flocking to the attraction, as they can take a picture next to the quirky installation, with the majestic Mount Kinabalu as the backdrop.
The frame installation was officially launched this morning, along with the Tourist Information Centre at the Tea Resort Restaurant.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi said the Resort is an iconic tourism spot for Sabah, where local tea is produced to be sampled by visitors from Malaysia and abroad.
The new additions are expected to create extra buzz for tourist-magnet Ranau.
"If we do a massive campaign for this place, it can become one of the best tourist destinations in Malaysia", Kamarlin said.
Meanwhile, the Resort’s Executive Director, Goh Mung Chwee, said that they have a vision of making Sabah Tea a must-visit destination in the region, and are planning more attractions for the plantation.
Goh said visitors numbers doubled or tripled recently, compared to last year’s figures.
"I think we are getting about 300 or 400 visitors daily, whereas last year, we only had about 100 people a day,” he said.
Goh added that besides the scenic view of the expansive tea farm, the unique tea-infused food on offer at the restaurant is an attraction in itself.
"We prepare food using tea as ingredients, such as ‘green tea nasi lemak’, ‘green tea pancake’, ‘green tea waffle’ and ‘green tea ice cream’,” he said.