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Business<br />
IS THE WALK<br />
WORTH THE<br />
TALK?<br />
We are generally used to being ferried around in<br />
cars, vans, buses or trains in order to get to<br />
attraction sites. But, exploring a city or village on<br />
foot seems to have a whole different meaning in<br />
the travelling world. Well, at least that is what<br />
those who offer walking tours seem to believe in.<br />
So, are walking tours a growing market in Malaysia?<br />
BackHome KL Tour Guide, Mohd Fadly Ab Ghani<br />
Hisyam (centre) explaining to tourists about walking<br />
tours in Kuala Lumpur<br />
He conducts food tours in the evenings three times a week<br />
and leads the 6am East Tabur hiking trail between Monday<br />
and Friday. On top of that, he also conducts a cultural walking<br />
tour which started late May. Despite all this, ending a food tour<br />
way past its usual three-hour routine due to Kuala Lumpur’s<br />
rainy season, BackHome KL Tour Guide, Mohd Fadly Ab Ghani<br />
Hisyam is still all smiles for his interview with Convergence.<br />
“No, no. Don’t worry about me. I’m used to this. Let’s do this!”<br />
Soon to be a certified tour guide, Mohd Fadly, who has been<br />
conducting walking tours since 2010 said there is a market for<br />
walking tours in the country but the growth is at a crawling pace.<br />
"Malaysians are not keen on walking tours because…let’s<br />
face it; Malaysians don’t like to walk. We want to hop on a<br />
bus or drive to a place. It’s much convenient. That’s why we<br />
have plenty of tours conducted using buses or vans here.”<br />
Mohd Fadly further said that he attempted<br />
a running tour after joining one while<br />
travelling in Melbourne, Australia, but<br />
there was no response for it here.<br />
But, despite the challenges, he said walking tours were slowly<br />
gaining recognition.<br />
“By going on a walking tour, you’re able to truly see how things<br />
work from the lenses of a local. Interactions and experiences of<br />
walking through puddles or knowing when to cross a street or<br />
which road lead to the morning market in the area — it’s a whole<br />
different experience if all that is done when you’re walking.”<br />
BackHome KL is a backpacker accommodation situated at<br />
Jalan Tun HS Lee, a prominent street in the city which is close<br />
to many heritage and historical buildings, classic eats and<br />
regular tourist attraction sites. Apart from being a hostel,<br />
BackHome also conducts activities for its customers which<br />
include paid walking tours.<br />
Tours are named the ‘Jalan-Jalan Makan Experience’ Malay<br />
cuisine walking tour, cultural walk and the East Tabur hiking trail.<br />
Mohd Fadly also said his food tours<br />
focused on Malay dishes and snacks to<br />
provide a deeper understanding and<br />
cultural awareness to those oblivious<br />
or less aware of the cuisine.<br />
Instead of taking the bus to<br />
discover the city, why not walk?<br />
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