Here's what to expect at the new Singapore Oceanarium that's opening at Resorts World Sentosa in July 2025
Set to open on July 23, 2025, the refreshed attraction is three times larger than before, with 22 themed zones spotlighting different aspects of marine life. Visitors can explore everything from shallow waters to deep-sea habitats, as well as travel through time from prehistoric oceans to present-day waters.
Highlights include the Ocean Wonders zone, filled with thousands of mesmerising moon jellies, and Singapore's Coast, which recreates our local mangrove ecosystems with interactive displays.
Other features include life-sized models of prehistoric sea creatures, a reconstruction of the whale fall ecosystem, and a massive 36-metre-wide screen projecting reef manta rays and zebra sharks gliding through.
Visitors can swing by the Singapore Oceanarium Store for ocean-themed souvenirs, books and pop-ups by local brands. There's also Explorer's Nook, a themed café serving light bites and pastries.
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Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
The unsung corner of Asia you should visit now – before everyone else does
Find a map of South-east Asia and spot Malaysia in the heart of it, with lush rainforest, glittering cityscapes and pristine seaside. But despite being in the centre of the region, Malaysia is often reduced to a quick stopover in Kuala Lumpur, overlooked for its more popular neighbours of Thailand and Indonesia. But the country has plenty to offer within its own borders: white sand beaches, rare wildlife, unique street food and a rich cultural history. With a population of 36 million, the country is divided into Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia – essentially two trips in one. In Peninsular Malaysia, you can experience the cosmopolitan rush in Kuala Lumpur, enjoy street food in Penang and trace the colonial past in Melaka. East Malaysia, situated on the island of Borneo, is an eco-adventure paradise, whether you're climbing Malaysia's highest mountain in Sabah or spotting orangutans in Sarawak. After nearly five years, British Airways resumed direct flights to Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, and before the end of 2025, the country will see new openings from major international hotel brands such as Kimpton, Park Hyatt and Waldorf Astoria. Now is the time to go, before the crowds find the country's lesser explored beaches and sights. The country has already seen an increase in UK visitors, and in the first months of 2025, Malaysia saw a 20 per cent increase in overall tourist arrivals, compared with the same period in 2024. Bottom line? It's time to turn Malaysia into a trip beyond transit. Where to go Kuala Lumpur A former tin mining town in the early 19th century, Kuala Lumpur is now thriving with towering skyscrapers, mega shopping malls and high-speed trains. Standing tall in Malaysia's capital city is the Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest twin skyscrapers, complete with a luxury mall, state-of-the-art aquarium and sprawling park. The soul of Kuala Lumpur comes from its art and culture. Central Market, a century-old wet market turned arts and crafts hub, offers souvenirs and local snacks. The bright red arch of Petaling Street draws attention to the city's Chinatown, the shopping district of Bukit Bintang has mid-range goods and fancy buys, or Jalan Alor hosts street food feasts – catch hawkers firing up their woks as you secure a table amid the crowds. Just outside the city, Batu Caves, a Hindu temple with 272 rainbow-coloured steps, is a sight to behold. Stop to marvel at the majestic gold-painted statue of Lord Murugan, but look out for cheeky long-tailed macaques guarding the staircase. Penang It goes without saying that eating is one of the best things to do in Penang – George Town is the city of flavours. Dine at hawker centres or night markets to sample a plethora of local dishes in one sitting. Visit Chulia Street Hawker Food for wanton mee (wonton noodles), curry mee (curry noodle soup) and char kuay teow (stir-fried noodles), or Jetty Food Court for oyster omelette and popiah (a type of spring roll). George Town is also a Unesco World Heritage Site, brimming with century-old shophouses, colonial landmarks and Peranakan museums. Outside of town, take the funicular train to the top of Penang Hill for a spectacular view of the Andaman Sea. Nearby, Kek Lok Si, a massive Buddhist temple complex, has a grand statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Hardly a secret spot and popular with tourists, Batu Ferringhi beach has watersports, seafood restaurants and a bustling night market. For a quieter spot, hike through Penang National Park to Pantai Kerachut – Turtle Beach – to visit protected nesting sites. Stay: JEN Penang George Town ( deluxe rooms from £58 per night) has a prime city location; Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion ( double rooms from £120 per night) is a heritage stay with direct access to the 130-year-old historical mansion. Melaka Shadows of Melaka's colonial past live on through its museums and iconic landmarks. The Stadthuys and Christ Church are must-visit centrepieces of the crimson Dutch Square; A Famosa, the surviving structure of a Portuguese fortress built in 1511, is well worth a snapshot. The Maritime Museum anchors its vast seafaring history in a 34-metre replica of a Portuguese ship, and visitors can dive into stories from Melaka's past in the hallways of the History and Ethnography Museum. After the immersive history lesson, join a relaxing cruise along the Melaka River, a former trading route that meanders past shophouses – spanning decades of architectural styles – and vibrant murals. Stay: Case del Rio Melaka ( deluxe rooms from £110 per night) overlooks the Melaka River; Baba House ( double rooms from £60 per night) is designed with traditional Peranakan touches. Sabah Sitting on northern Borneo, Sabah is a natural splendour, home to Mount Kinabalu, the country's highest peak. The lush Kinabalu National Park provides habitat for the Rafflesia (also known as the corpse flower), the world's largest flower, amid thousands of exotic flora. River safaris traverse the Kinabatangan river, the Malaysia's second longest, the natural habitat of the Borneo Big Five: the Proboscis monkey, Pygmy elephant, Bornean orangutan, Rhinoceros hornbill and Estuarine crocodile. Sabah's city of Kota Kinabalu, often known as KK, is not only the gateway to the national park but also has a thriving food scene – don't miss dining on fresh seafood; grilled fish is the locals favourite. Stay: Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa ( rooms from £310) has a luxurious spa and one of the best sunset-view bars in the city. The LUMA Hotel ( double rooms from £49 per night) is a stylish budget stay, slightly outside the city centre. Sarawak Sarawak, situated in north-west Borneo, is home to several of the country's most striking natural sites. Bako National Park, the state's oldest, has lush jungle trails where you can catch sightings of long-tailed macaques, silvered leaf monkeys and Bornean bearded pigs. In Mulu National Park, serious adventurers can join treks to the Mulu Pinnacles, a one-of-a-kind formation of limestone spires, while the more relaxed can enjoy canopy trails and after dark guided walks – a chance to see nocturnal jungle creatures. If you didn't manage to spot an orangutan in the wild, drop by the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, a rehabilitation and research centre, during daily feeding times. Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, and its cultural heart. Follow the heritage trail to explore kampongs (villages), find relics of tribal history at the Borneo Cultures Museum and the Sarawak Cultural Village, and dine on Malaysian, Chinese and Indian dishes along the waterfront. Spare a moment after dark to wander across the pedestrian Darul Hana Bridge, illuminated by LED bulbs, to enjoy the view of the Sarawak River. Stay: The Ranee Boutique Suites ( double rooms from £61 per night) is a charming boutique hotel in Kuching steps from the Sarawak River; Riverside Majestic Hotel ( double rooms from £47 per night) with riverside views. How to do it How to get there There are several flight options from major UK cities to Kuala Lumpur. British Airways ( flies directly from London, while Qatar Airways ( and Singapore Airlines ( offer connecting flights from London, Manchester and Birmingham. From Kuala Lumpur, you can travel to Penang via trains, buses or domesticg flights, whereas Melaka is accessible via buses. Domestic flights to Sabah and Sarawak are available through AirAsia ( and Malaysia Airlines ( To access remote areas like Mulu, take MASwings ( a regional airline in East Malaysia, from major cities like Kota Kinabalu in Sabah or Kuching in Sarawak. How to get around The most convenient way to travel around is through Grab, a ride-sharing service similar to Uber. However, ride availability may be limited in remote areas in East Malaysia, so it's best to arrange a private transfer in advance. In Kuala Lumpur, the LRT and MRT trains connect to major attractions starting from £1 per trip. The intercity bus to Penang and Melaka from Kuala Lumpur costs around £5 to £15 per trip. When to go Malaysia is hot and humid with sudden rain showers all year around. The best months to visit are between May and August when warm weather is ideal for outdoor activities. When visiting Penang and Melaka, prepare for the rainy season between May to September when the south-west monsoon hits. Planning nature getaways and island hopping in East Malaysia? Expect heavy rainfall between November and February due to the north-east monsoon. What to book Sightseeing around Kuala Lumpur Ivy Holidays ( can arrange specialised day tours around Kuala Lumpur with visits to the twin towers and other historical landmarks. It also offers day trips to nearby cities like Melaka. Penang in a day Klook ( offers fuss-free day tours that cover various experiences like visiting Kek Lok Si and Penang Hill or exploring the heritage side of Georgetown on a traditional trishaw. Nature adventures in Sabah and Sarawak Amazing Borneo ( has half-day or multi-day tours in Sabah and Sarawak. For Sabah, they offer packages to Kinabalu Park or for a Kinabatangan River Cruise. Mount Kinabalu climbs must be booked in advance, but the tour company can handle the permits and arrangements. For Sarawak, you can find tours to Bako National Park, Sarawak Cultural Village and Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary. Insider tips Dress modestly when visiting a place of worship. Your clothing should cover your shoulders and knees as a form of respect. Bring a scarf or shawl in case you need to cover up. Taxis are notorious for overcharging tourists, especially in cities like Kuala Lumpur. Use Grab, a ride-sharing service to get around or look up the rates before hopping on a metered taxi. Hawker centres and kopitiams (local coffee shops) are great to enjoy a variety of – extremely affordable – food in one sitting. No tipping is necessary because service charges are included in the bill.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Garden designer reveals £2.75 Tesco trick to turn plain gardens into lush rainforest paradise
DID you know there are rainforests in Britain? Nope - me neither. But you may well have visited one without realising if you've holidayed in Cornwall, Wales or along the Atlantic Coastline. 3 3 Especially if you remember walking through green woodland packed with ferns, moss and lichen - with a really memorable earthy, damp scent. They once covered more than 20 per cent of the UK - but history devoured them - and now there's less than one per cent. So the Wildlife Trust, sponsored by Aviva, has just launched an epic 100-year restoration project to bring them back. The temperate rainforest restoration programme will restore approximately 1,755 hectares of temperate rainforest across the British Isles. Some of the new sites created through this programme include Bowden Pillars in Devon, Bryn Ifan in North Wales, Creg y Cowin and Glion Darragh on the Isle of Man, Trellwyn Fach in Pembrokeshire, and – most recently - Skiddaw in Cumbria. Garden Designer Zoe Claymore, won a silver gilt medal at RHS Chelsea for her British Rainforest Garden. She told me: 'I didn't know it at the time - but I played in a British rainforest as a child. The end of my grandparents garden in Devon went into Lidford Gorge which is one of the last existing rainforests. 'In the UK they're found in the Goldilocks zone - not too hot, not too cold - and by rivers, gullies and gorges, because you also need the moisture from the river creating that ecosystem.' But there are ways of recreating one in your own garden, she said. 'Even if you don't live in an area suited to creating a rainforest there's other plants that will create the same vibes. 'Create shade with Hazels - they're a great small tree which gives a real native-feel and perfect for small gardens. Or include hollies, birch or willows. 'Create a water feature - from a little stream with a few rocks or simply as an old-school rock water bowl - to create that sense of humidity. "But even if you just did a pond in a pot surrounded by some fun little logs, that will create habitat, that will bring wildlife, and it will create that kind of feeling of rainforest-y wetness." It's easy to make a home made pond - using old washing up bowls. Tesco's are currently selling one for just £2.75. First choose a spot that's sunny but not in direct sunlight all day - otherwise the water will evaporate. Then all you have to do is put some logs around it, and a few stones, so wildlife can climb in and out easily - almost like a ramp. Ideally fill it with rain water rather than tap. And then put in about three water plants - like mini water lillies or water forget-me-not and sit back waiting for the wildlife. Zoe added: 'Then use British classic woodland plants and really focus on ferns - the unsung beautiful heroes of shade gardening - as well as bluebells, foxgloves, primulars, ivy, bananas and - if you've got a wet area - moss - which is the jewel in the crown - so your garden will be green all year round." For a 'how to' guide adapted to all UK gardens - as well as a rainforest-inspired pot combination - head to - and a share of the proceeds will go the Wildlife Trust. Also in Veronica's Column this week... Gardening tips, news, plant of the week and a competition to win a garden border worth £195 PLANT OF THE WEEK! Dierama Wind Nymph Pink - pictured above - clump forming perennial with slender arching stems with soft pink blooms and evergreen foliage. Bees love it. Plant in direct sunlight, likes well drained soil but might need protection in Winter. NEWS! A dad's 60-year-old lawnmower has taken its place in gardening history as the UK's oldest Flymo - after he read a plea in Sun Gardening. Pete Goddard's monumental mower was inducted into the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport, Merseyside, last week after Flymo sent out a request for old mowers. The rare blue Flymo was unveiled last month - taking its place in the museum alongside King Charles, Brian May, and Nicholas Parsons' former mowers. It came after a nationwide search for the UK's oldest Flymo to celebrate 60 years since the iconic hover mower was invented. The 79-year-old retired Highway Maintenance Operative's Flymo was originally bought in the 1960s by his father-in-law and lovingly maintained across three generations - and still works today. NEWS! Great Comp Gardens will show off some salvias not released to the general public before - at it's annual Summer Show next weekend. The seven acre garden in Platt, near Sevenoaks will be at it's best - with the hot and cool border in bloom, salvias bringing swathes of colour to the perennial borders and the Italian Garden in full flower in time for their annual two-day flagship event. The weekend event features a group of talented artists, craftspeople, award-winning nurseries and garden ornamental suppliers plus live jazz bands on the lawn. Curator William Dyson says: 'We can't wait to share the garden with our Summer Show visitors - it looks particularly splendid in August with the salvias in full flow. 'We've also introduced lots of new and interesting plants to the garden this year including a collection of new world salvias that we've inherited from Lindsay Pink (a collector in Portsmouth) that people won't have seen before. "We urge people to come along and see our revamped planting schemes which help to showcase new salvias that we have been keeping under wraps until now. There are salvias that I've only seen once before and can't wait to show people. We are mixing in drifts of South American annuals like Cosmos for interest and colour and Tagetes erecta (Mexican marigolds) plus lots of varieties of dahlias." For more info visit WIN! Garden on a Roll - which provide ready-made garden border paper templates, and the plants to put them in - are offering three £195 borders at 3m x 60cm of any style - including the 'Wildlife border' for bees and butterflies. To enter visit or write to Garden on a Roll competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. August 16, 2025. T&Cs apply JOB OF THE WEEK! Stake your dahlias, trim your lavenders, take fuchsia cuttings, prune climbing and rambling roses, add tomato food to corn and peppers. For more gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom
The Guardian
30-07-2025
- The Guardian
UN holds emergency talks over sky-high accommodation costs at Cop30 in Brazil
The UN climate bureau has held an urgent meeting about concerns that sky-high rates for accommodation at this year's Cop30 summit in Brazil could price poorer countries out of the negotiations. Brazil is preparing to host Cop30 this November in the rainforest city of Belém, where representatives of nearly every government in the world will gather to negotiate their joint efforts to curb the climate crisis. Concerns about logistics have dogged preparations for the summit. Developing countries have warned they cannot afford Belém's accommodation prices, which have soared amid a shortage of rooms. In an emergency meeting of the UN's 'Cop bureau' on Tuesday, Brazil agreed to address countries' concerns about accommodation and report back at another gathering on 11 August, said Richard Muyungi, the chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), who called the meeting. 'We were assured that we will revisit that … to get assurances on whether the accommodation will be adequate for all delegates,' Muyungi said afterwards. He said African countries wanted to avoid reducing their participation because of the cost, adding: 'We are not ready to cut down the numbers. Brazil has got a lot of options in terms of having a better Cop, a good Cop. So that is why we are pushing that Brazil has to provide better answers, rather than telling us to limit our delegation.' Brazil has faced criticism for its decision to host the conference in a small city in the rainforest rather than in a bigger urban centre that already has the necessary infrastructure and hotel rooms. The country is racing to expand the 18,000 hotel beds usually available in Belém, a coastal city of 1.3 million, to accommodate roughly 45,000 people who are expected to attend Cop30. This month, the Brazilian government said it had secured two cruise ships to provide 6,000 extra beds for delegates. It also opened bookings to developing countries at more affordable nightly rates of up to $220 (£165). That is still above the daily subsistence allowance (DSA) the UN offers some poorer nations to support their participation at Cops. For Belém, that DSA is $149. A diplomat familiar with Tuesday's meeting said complaints about affordability came from both developed and developing countries. Wealthier countries have been told to expect nightly accommodation costs of up to $600 – far higher than at previous Cop meetings. The Panamanian negotiator Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez said in June that he feared the conference 'might become the most inaccessible Cop in recent memory' and that developing countries, small island states, Indigenous voices and civil society would 'not be adequately represented — if represented at all'. Media organisations, activists, NGOs and charities have also raised fears that they may not be able to participate in the conference if a solution on accommodation costs is not found. In February, the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, told critics that if hotels were unavailable, they should 'sleep under the stars'. An agenda for Tuesday's meeting confirmed it was convened to address 'operational and logistical preparations for the climate change conference in Belém' and the AGN's concerns on the matter. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Brazil's foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Officials organising the Cop30 have made repeated assurances that poorer countries will have access to accommodation they can afford. A spokesperson for the UNFCCC, the United Nations climate body, declined to comment on the meeting. Two UN diplomats showed Reuters quotes they had received from hotels and property managers in Belém for nightly rates of about $700 a person during Cop30. Officials from six governments, including wealthier European countries, said they had not yet secured accommodation because of high prices, and some said they were preparing to reduce their participation. A spokesperson for the Dutch government said it might need to halve its delegation compared with recent Cops, when the Netherlands sent about 90 people during the two-week event including envoys, negotiators and youth representatives. This month, Poland's deputy climate minister, Krzysztof Bolesta, said: 'We don't have accommodation. We'll probably have to cut down the delegation to the bone. In an extreme event, maybe we will have to not show up.'
