Immigration Formalities
Airport Welcome
Hotel Information
GAIA Networking Room
Room Assignments
Personal Expenses
Meals
Hotel Services
Hotel Recreation Facilities

Money Matters
E-mail/ Internet
Fax/Photostat/Phone
Post
Book Shops
Climate and Clothing
Time Difference
Electricity

Hotel Information. Copthorne Orchid Hotel is the venue of the Meeting and where all participants are staying. It is located on a white sandy seafront overlooking the Tanjung Bunga Bay. Please note the hotel’s contact details:

Address: Jalan Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang, Malaysia

Phone: +604 - 8903333

Fax: +604 - 8903303

E-Mail: copthorne@penang-hotels.com

There will be a team to welcome you at the hotel lobby. After the check in formalities, please proceed to the GAIA Networking Room, also at the lobby, to collect your bag, name tag, agenda and other materials.

GAIA Networking Room. back
The GAIA Networking Room will serve as our Secretariat from 16 March to 22 March morning. Changes in the Meeting agenda and other important notices will be posted at the Networking Room. The Networking Room is located near the entrance to the hotel lobby. It is also near the ballroom where plenaries will take place.

Room Assignments. back
Participants are booked on a twin-sharing basis. Those who requested for single rooms will have to pay an extra Ringgit Malaysia 70 or about USD$18.50/night, which is payable to GAIA. Important: GAIA will pay for room charges starting 16 March up to 21 March only (check out on 22 March morning ). Those arriving on 15 March are to pay Ringgit Malaysia 120 for a single room or Ringgit Malaysia 100 for a twin room.

All of the hotel rooms face the sea and come with private balconies. All rooms are air conditioned and provided with TV, radio, coffee/tea making equipment, mini bar, hair dryer, bathroom amenities, in-room safe and IDD telephone.

Early check in (before 12 noon) is allowed subject to room availability. Late check out (until 3 pm) is also possible depending on availability.

Personal Expenses. back
GAIA will cover your food and lodging for the duration of the Meeting. We are not able to pay for meals and accommodation before the start of the Meeting. Important: Please note that you will be responsible for your local and overseas calls, faxes, Internet connections, room service, minibar, laundry and other personal expenses. GAIA will also not pay for beer and alcohol.

Meals. back
Buffet breakfast (from 06:00 hours) will be served at the Coffee House. The venue for lunch (13:00-14:00) and dinner (from 19:00) will be announced later. Morning and afternoon coffee/tea breaks will be served outside the ballroom. Inform us in advance if you have any dietary restrictions.

We recommend that you try the local hawker stalls and coffeeshops and experience Malaysian-style dining. There is a food court outside the hotel that serves a variety of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western dishes. For your information, Penang is the hawker food capital of the world (that is according to the FAO). A normal hawker meal will cost you Ringgit Malaysia 5 – 10 only.

Hotel Services. back
The hotel has facilities for the physically challenged. It has a self-service laundromat/ironing facilities and a business center. Free shuttle is available to Georgetown, the city center.

Hotel Recreational Facilities. back
The hotel has a private beach for your pleasure. Also, you can use the outdoor swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, massage and gym facilities – free of charge. There are many dancing and drinking places not far from the hotel - in Batu Ferringhi (where most of the top beach hotels are located), Tanjung Bunga and Pulau Tikus.

Money Matters. back
Ringgit Malaysia (RM) is the currency in the country (US$1 = RM 3.8). It is divided into 100 sen (cents). Notes in circulation are RM2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 10, 20, and 50 sen and RM1. You have the option of changing money at the airport banks in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, in Copthorne Orchid Hotel or in licensed money changers in Georgetown, which is about 15 minutes away by bus from the hotel. Major establishments accept credit cards (American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Diner’s Club). Tipping is not a common practice as hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge and 5% government tax. Bargaining is very much alive in Penang, so do not be afraid to haggle over prices especially for souvenirs and other tourist products.

E-Mail/Internet. back
The hotel business center has 3 computer units with Internet access. The charge per hour is Ringgit Malaysia 10 and Ringgit Malaysia 6 for half an hour. Cyber Cafes charge between Ringgit Malaysia 6 to 10 per hour. You can also hook your laptop to the phone line and download your messages from your room.

Fax/Photostat/Phone. back
You can have documents faxed or photocopied at the hotel business center. The photocopying fee is 40 sen per copy. For bulk duplication, we plan to have it done outside the hotel to save on photocopying charges. IDD calls can be made from your room. For international assisted calls, please dial 108. For overseas call, the cheaper way is to buy a phone card, which comes in 5, 20 or 50 Ringgit Malaysia denomination, and call from one of the phone booths outside the hotel. Phone cards are issued separately by the phone companies (Telekom, Uniphone and Citifon). Save up to 33% when you call overseas during the following hours:

Southeast Asia and Oceania

Weekdays: 9 pm – 7 am

Weekends: 6 pm Saturday – 6 am Monday

North, Central and South America
Weekdays: 3 am – 9 pm

Weekends: 6 pm Saturday – 6 am Monday

Europe, Middle East and Africa
Weekdays: 12 midnight – 12 noon

Weekends: 6 pm Saturday – 6 am Monday

Post. back
Aerogrammes and postcards to overseas destinations cost 50 sen. A good selection of postcards is available at the hotel shop.

Book Shops. back
There are bookshops located in major shopping malls such as One Stop in Pulau Tikus and KOMTAR in Georgetown, which are 10-15 minutes away by bus from the hotel. The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and the Third World Network (TWN) will run a booksale at the Meeting. CAP and TWN publish a range of books and journals on environment and development issues, many of which are not available commercially.

Climate and Clothing. back
Penang has an equatorial climate with temperature ranging from 22 to 32 degrees Celsius. Please bring light casual clothing. T-shirts are fine, but nothing skimpy though.

Time Difference. back
The standard Malaysian time is eight hours ahead of GMT.

Electricity. back
It is 240 volt, 50 cycle system in Malaysia. Power sockets are of the three square pin type.