Eco adventure in Heart of Borneo Highlands in July

MIRI: An exciting eco challenge dubbed ‘The Heart of Borneo Highlands Eco Challenge’, awaits nature and heritage lovers and adventure seekers this July.

The six-day (July 25 to 30) event will bring participants through intensive jungle-trekking across old world Bornean rainforest, remote yet scenic villages and historical sites of the people living in the Maligan and

Kelabit highlands between Ba Kelalan and Bario.

It is organised by Forum Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi (Formadat), a trans-boundary, grassroots initiative that aims at increasing awareness and understanding of the highland communities in the Heart of Borneo (HoB).

Event director John Tarawe said the event was supported by the state Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak Tourism Board, Forest Department, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Sarawak Museum Department, and two universities – Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

Other supporters included Gantuman e-Bario, Tutum Bala e-Ba Kelalan, Planet Borneo Tour, Highland Paradise, WWF-Malaysia, Bario Slow Food and Cultural Festival (Pesta Nukenen dan Kebudayaan Kelabit), Rurum Kelabit Sarawak and Persatuan Lun Bawang Sarawak.

John said the Eco Challenge, the first of its kind to be held in the highlands, would start from Ba Kelalan before passing through Lepo Bunga, Mount Murud (Church Camp), Long Rebpun, Pa Lungan and finally ending in Bario to coincide with the first day of the 10th Bario Slow Food and Cultural Festival that would run from July 30 to Aug 1.

“The route, a migratory path since thousands of years ago by the highlanders re-lives history, culture and the stewardship of nature,” said John during the joint Eco Challenge pre-recce press conference held at Curtin Sarawak yesterday.

Curtin Sarawak Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski and WWF-Malaysia head of Conservation Sarawak Dr Henry Chan also spoke at the press conference and among those present were Museum Department deputy curator Mohd Sherman Sauffi, Curtin Sarawak Research Institute acting director and Dean of R&D Professor Clem Kuek and a fellow of Curtin University Research Institute Dr Lisa Marie King.

John, who is also Formadat deputy chairman, added the eco challenge was an ecotourism adventure with a difference – true ecotourism event taking conservation of the highlands seriously.

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WWF-Malaysia honoured to co-host Eco Challenge in July

MIRI: WWF-Malaysia is honoured to partner the state government, Curtin University Sarawak and Forum Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi (Formadat) in co-hosting ‘The Heart of Borneo Highlands Eco Challenge’ in July.

Its head of Conservation, Dr Henry Chan is confident that such ecotourism activities implemented in a responsible manner, driven by the community themselves, and with a focus on nature, would empower the people to generate livelihood activities that strongly feature conservation.

Besides, he said, responsible ecotourism would allow people to know the various types of plants, their names and uses. Scientists call this Ethnobotany.

“The slow walk, observing the bounty of nature in the forests, and camping together for a few nights, serve to foster close relationship between the visitors and the Lun Bawang and Kelabit people who are famous for their hospitality.

“The visitors would develop a deep sense of appreciation towards nature, and respect for the local community who have introduced them to this new spectrum of viewing the world,” he said.

Chan said this at the joint Eco Challenge pre-recce press conference held at Curtin Sarawak yesterday, together with the event director John Tarawe and Curtin Sarawak Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski.

The inaugural eco challenge will run from July 25 to 30 at Ba Kelalan and Bario.

Chan added that the 6-day trek, from Ba Kelalan to Bario through pristine forest, scenic mountains, rivers and villages was not only important to the people living there but also vital to the Heart of Borneo Initiative.

He said that Heart of Borneo Initiative was a joint effort of the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to manage 22 million hectares of land and forest in central Borneo.

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Take Sarawak tourism to the next level

KUCHING: Travel agents and tour operators must work hard to ensure quality products and services are delivered to customers, said Sarawak Tourism Assistant Minister Datuk Talib Zulpilip.

“Sarawak has a lot of tourism products to offer to the world but travel agents and tour operators must do a good job in promoting Sarawak through Class A service.

“They must have integrity, especially when promises are made to customers. As travelers expect good service, travel agents must deliver quality products and services,” he said prior to launching the 6th Matta Travel Fair at Boulevard Shopping Mall here yesterday.

Talib pointed out the various tourism products that are unique to Sarawak and are of particular interest to many travelers.

“First and foremost is our diversity in cultures. With various ethnic backgrounds, Sarawak is a celebration of diversity.

“For those who are interested in religious buildings, we have them all. Those who want to preach or pray in peace, Sarawak is the place. There is something special about Sarawak as we do not quarrel over cultures or religions.

“Travel agents play a role in telling the world of our unique harmony.

“Then we have our flora and fauna. People who want to see forests and jungles, they can see it here,” he enthused.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Take Sarawak tourism to the next level

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Exploring Malaysian Borneo from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu

We spent just over three weeks in February and March 2015 exploring the two Malaysian states, Sarawak and Sabah, that share the island of Borneo with Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan.

It was a mysterious place that I really knew nothing about, which seemed a good enough reason to end our year of travel with one more adventure.

The island of Borneo straddles the equator, but our travels finally brought us back into the northern hemisphere.

Unlike Indonesia with its influence from the Dutch, Sarawak and Sabah have a strong British presence. 

The Sultan of Brunei was an Anglophile and he actually gifted the lands of Sarawak to James Brooke, a Brit whose family ruled as “the White Rajahs” until independence in the 1960s. 

Sabah was run by the British North Borneo Company, very much like the East India Company (or the Hudson’s Bay Company). 

Missionaries brought Christianity to local native groups and it was interesting to see churches on every corner with only the occasional mosque used by the Malay population who have come over from the peninsula.

The parts of Sarawak and Sabah we saw had an almost western infrastructure. 

Roads were wide and well paved, there were modern shops and products and only a few Asian type markets. 

Malaysia’s oil and gas industry started in Miri (just outside Kuching) in 1910.

The other major contribution to the economy is palm oil (35% of Sabah is under cultivation with palm oil and Indonesian Kalimantan is actually higher than that)

Sarawak

The itinerary for the first ten days included visiting three of the main national parks in Sarawak. 

Not all of them had the same level of infrastructure which I found surprising. 

Bako NP, a short drive from Kuching, was dishevelled, moldy, had limited food available and staff seemed uncaring about the message they were sending to tourists. 

On the other hand, Mulu NP which is only accessible by air, was clean, well developed and provided a variety of well maintained accommodation and choices of food as well as the option of Wifi.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Exploring Malaysian Borneo from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu

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Borneo – How NOT to see Orangutans

How many people can say their mum likes backpacking South East Asia? I can. And her bag is always smaller than mine. A true minimalist and responsible for my wanderlust genes, she is an inspirational travel partner, never shy of some late night exploration, making friends with the rough looking taxi drivers or ordering four beers at once.

And she’s my mum. So when I need to suck it up, she says so, but when I’m really at the end of my tether, I get a big hug and the knowledge that I’m with the person who loves me most in the world.

I was more depleted from a trip than I ever have been after the motorbike accident in the Phillipines. A week of oozing third degree wounds, a purple, swollen abdomen, a broken arm with no plaster, internal bleeding and the most excruciating pain I’d ever experienced; I was well ready to see my Mummy. On the final leg of a four and a half month journey, my bank account was exhausted, my insurance company had gone completely AWOL, and the only medical assistance I could receive was from wide-eyed girls in tin sheds.

The two boys I had been travelling with were absolute champions, scraping and dressing my yellow, seeping wounds twice a day, forking out cash whenever I couldn’t, carrying my bags, and putting up with the tedious pace at which I dressed and walked.

I had visited Muslim countries before, however I hadn’t ever quite felt as strongly the effect my casual dress code had that morning upon landing in Kota Kinabalu. Coming from three weeks in the tropical and touristic Phillipines, I disembarked my flight in bright pink cotton shorts and a white tank.

Utterly inappropriate, and my mum didn’t mince her words with me when we reunited. Having already spent almost a week in the city, she had a good feel for the mood, and was dressed accordingly in long cotton pants and long sleeved top. Despite the humid, relentless heat, and the raw abrasions on my knees and elbows, I had to also very quickly cover, as the attention I was drawing was far from desirable.

Even fully covered, my blonde hair was like a beacon, me and my German friend being the only fair people we encountered that week.

The hostel we had previously decided on was immensely different from the photos online, in fact we decided it wasn’t even the same building. After an inhospitable welcome, we moved to one across the street, Stay In Lodge, run by a family, the father cooking every night in the common area and the two children running the reception.

Gery (the son) quickly befriended us, and we still keep in contact. Mum had cooking lessons from the dad, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

On her first day, mum had found a favourite street food vendor, and we made the trek across the city each day to lunch there.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Borneo – How NOT to see Orangutans

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