Pandaw Cruise operator persuaded to continue operation

SIBU: Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday said the Pandaw Cruise operator would be persuaded to continue operating along the Rajang River.

“I hope it is not their final decision. We will find time to persuade them to see whether or not they will carry on (the operations),” Wong, who is also Minister of Local Government and Community Development, told The Borneo Post.

The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC)’s Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism Standing Committee was disturbed by the decision by Irrawaddy Flotilla Company to cease Malaysia’s first river cruise.

Its chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai reportedly said during SMC’s full council meeting last week that they would bring the matter to Wong’s attention.

He said that during the past two years of its operation, the river cruise had lured tourists to Sibu and boosted its tourism industry.

Wong, when asked later if the cessation of the river cruise would affect the tourism industry in Sibu, said: “Yes, to a certain extent.”

Meanwhile, Irrawaddy Flotilla Company stated in the Pandaw newsletter dated Nov 24 last year that it would stop the river cruise on the 640km Rajang River.

The newsletter cited operational and logistical difficulties as reasons for the cessation.

It was reported in several newspapers that it would sail up Malaysia’s longest river for the last time in March, and that its swan song voyage was already almost fully booked.

Meanwhile, when contacted earlier, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) said it had been notified, but could not do much.

“It’s a commercial venture. The Pandaw cruise is subject to market forces,” STB director of Corporate Communication Angelina Bateman reportedly said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Pandaw Cruise operator persuaded to continue operation

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Pandaw cruise boat cruising into the sunset

RV Orient Pandaw the cruise boat that brings tourists into the heart of Borneo along the mighty Rajang is sailing into the sunset as it will cease operation next year.

It will sail up the longest river in Malaysia for the last time in March and its swansong voyage is already almost fully booked with just a few tickets left available.

The Pandaw newsletter recently announced the cessation of its Rajang cruise explaining that “…logistical and operational difficulties of working are so tough an environment that the project has been commercially unsuccessful”.

Pandaw the largest luxury river cruise operator in South East Asia runs river expedition cruises in four countries in the region – Burma on the Irrawaddy and Chindwin Rivers, Cambodia and Vietnam on Mekong River and Malaysia on Rajang River.

The Sarawak Tourism Board had been notified but there is nothing it could do because as a commercial venture the Pandaw Rajang cruise is subjected to market forces.

Direc tor of Corporation Communication of Angelina Bateman when contacted recently said; “Our role so far has been to help facilitate it by promoting the tour. Other than that we cannot get involved, except in helping them to promote since it is a commercial operation.”

Bateman expressed regret that the cruise failed to succeed as a commercial venture as it had helped to promote tourism in the state internationally.

When it was launched on July 1, 2009 it was hailed as a catalyst for the growth of the tourism industry in the central region of the state but it was also drew flaks from local tour operators who were left out of its travel itinerary.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Pandaw cruise boat cruising into the sunset

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Borneo Klias River Cruise: Monkey business after sunset

It definitely wasn't Christmas, but as we headed back up the Klias River in our boats, the trees on the bank seemed to be flickering with fairy lights.

"Fireflies," pronounced Thomas, our guide, and he directed the boatman to take us closer for a better view.

We couldn't see the fireflies themselves, but in the falling dusk it was easy to spot their lights, which twinkled on and off like those on a Christmas tree.

When the lights came on we were heading back to our holiday home, the expedition ship Orion II, at the end of a wildlife cruise through one of the last remaining mangrove wetlands in Borneo. After seeing proboscis monkeys, macaques, flying foxes, a monitor lizard and several birds, the fireflies were something of a bonus.

Our main hope, when our cruise started in the early afternoon, had been to see proboscis monkeys and that was achieved within a few minutes of leaving the small wharf in our long, lean riverboat.

We rounded a bend in the river to find a huge, fat, two-storey jerrybuilt craft, belching diesel smoke and loaded with jolly passengers seated at tables, pushed close to the bank.

Our lean machine slid easily inside the monster and we enjoyed a great view of a proboscis family enjoying their evening meal in an adjacent tree.

The dominant male - the massive nose that is his status symbol clearly silhouetted against the sky - sat at the top of the tree, munching on tender young leaves. From time to time, when he had eaten out one branch, he would lean over, grab another and pull it up to within easy picking distance.

His small harem of females, easily distinguished with their smaller, upturned noses, at least a couple of them with youngsters in tow, were dotted around the rest of the tree chewing with enthusiasm.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Borneo Klias River Cruise: Monkey business after sunset

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Kapit great for river tourism

KUCHING: Kapit Division has a huge potential to be developed as an eco-tourism area, said Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing.

He particularly referred to areas drawn up for this year’s Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari, like Sg. Majau, Sg. Mujong, Sg. Baleh and Batang Rajang, saying they could be turned into places of great interest for tourists as well as nature lovers to explore.

“Those areas have vast potential to be turned into an eco-tourism attraction. Once developed, the riverine areas are suitable for this kind of activities,” Masing told a press conference yesterday to announce the 16th edition of Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari scheduled from Sept 22 to 24. Masing pointed out that beginning with this year’s edition, the safari was expected to have a new name to reflect eco-tourism elements in its activities.

“We will think of the name for the event soon. At the moment, it will still be the same. The new name will reflect the new concept of the event,’ he said at his office at Masja Building yesterday.

Masing added that this year’s safari would see various activities.

“There will be four main events — that is rafting, canoeing (kayaking), mini carnival and powerboat race.”

He pointed out that kayaking, which will be named ‘Kayaking 1Malaysia’, although a newly-introduced event would be an interesting one.

Partly organised by the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation (KPSU), the new event is included in a bid to scout for young and talented paddlers from the area.

“As we know, our kayak team had a poor outing in the last Sukma games. This is the right time to search for new talents in the sport to represent our kayak team in Sukma,” he said.

He believed that the task to find capable paddlers would not be difficult as there were many undiscovered talents in the upper rivers.

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Up to 50% off Pandaw Borneo River Cruises

Borneo, the third largest island in the world after Greenland and Australia, has one of the most diverse eco systems on the planet, its primary rain forest home to a vast number of species of flora and fauna.

Now part of Eastern Malaysia, Sarawak was ruled for exactly one hundred years by the Brooke family, known as the Raja Brookes, and only joined the British Empire after the war, gaining independence in 1966.

The Rajang River, at 640km is the longest river in Malaysia, flows across Borneo from Sarawak into Indonesian Kalimantan. Though well know to many from Redmon O’Hanlon’s classic Into the Heart of Borneo, there is very little tourism here due to the river’s remoteness and lack of facilities. The scenery is magnificent – a total jungle experience with the rainforest tumbling into the fast flowing river.

The Rajang is navigable on a ship of Pandaw’s size for at least 250km until the Pelagus Rapids, and further on its main tributary the Baleh River. The river is peopled with the Iban, headhunters till the 1950s, whose unique long house culture survives well to this day, blending well animist tradition with modernity.

There is much to do and see upriver, whether just gazing at the amazing scenery or visiting long houses traditional and modern. In these river towns we can explore the architectural vestiges of the Brooke Raj. Jungle treks, for all levels, are a must as are long boat trips to the Pelagus rapids.

Downriver, the prosperous Chinese city of Sibu with its old shop houses, markets and friendly inhabitants, is a calm reflection of an old China that probably no longer exists in mainland China. Sibu with its rich surrounding farmlands and tropical climate is an important agricultural area.

Continue reading at: Up to 50% off Pandaw Borneo River Cruises
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Romancing Rajang River to bring in tourist dollar

SIBU: The mighty Rajang River has vast eco-tourism potential to take Sibu places.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) CEO Datuk Rashid Khan said tourism players need not have to make huge investment to get the ball rolling.

“The central region of Sarawak, with its natural rivers, the mighty Rajang River and diverse cultures are a trove of adventure waiting to be explored,” he enthused.

This, he pointed out, was in addition to the popular Pandaw Cruise.

“They (tourism players) just need to be creative and innovative in coming up with a package to entice tourists to come to experience the adventure and excitements of what Rajang River has to offer,” Rashid told The Borneo Post after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

Citing the public tram service in San Francisco, he said this was an attraction to outsiders.

Similarly, the tourism players here can make use of the existing boats’ service to bring tourists down river to other places of interest, he suggested.

And from there, they could tie up with locals to connect the tourists to visit other places to experience a different adventure.

“They just need to find out the schedule and work out a package and promote them to visitors. There is no need to invest in the boat for example. Just utilise whatever resources that they have.”

Continue reading at: Romancing Rajang River to bring in tourist dollar

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Promoting Sarawak as an international meeting destination

KUCHING: Sarawak, also known as ‘Land of the Hornbills’, and popular for its natural splendor and colourful history, is now being promoted as a Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) venue.

Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) has, through strategic planning, arranged for 18 international events to be held in Sarawak between 2011 and 2016, attracting at least 600 participants per event.

These events include the ASEAN Australian Engineering Congress (AAEC) event (25-27 July, and the Global Conference 2011 (30 Nov-3 Dec).

Some of the preferred venues for the MICE programme are the five-starred Pullman Hotel; Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching (BCCK); Damai Beach Resort; Sarawak River Cruise; and Four Point by Sheraton, Kuching.

More events planned for 2012

A total of nine MICE events have been lined up for 2012, including the 50th MD 308 Lions Convention 2012. This will be held at the Pullman Hotel from 19-22 April, and will bring 2,000 participants.

Others events include the CDA/MDA 69th AGM Malaysia Dental Association Conference and Trade Exhibition 2012. This will be held between 30 May and 1 June at BCCK, and will attract 3,200 participants. Additionally, the 9th World Congress of Chinese Medicine 2012 (WCCM) will be held during 20-23 Oct, attracting 1,000 participants.

SCB’s chairman Datuk Seri, Dr Muhamad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, said Sarawak is not in competition with Kuala Lumpur and other cities as a destination for MICE, since it has its own unique attractions.

“When they are looking for a new perspective, they can consider the Sarawak River Cruise, as it is unique. They can watch the beauty of the sunset while cruising,” he said.

“This is about what is different in Kuching and not available elsewhere.

It’s our focus. We can provide both river-cruise packages and rainforests, depending on what they are looking for,” he said.

Growing as a mice destination

Explaining the purpose of SCB, Dr Muhamad Leo said that the non-profit organization, established in 2006 by the state government, has a mandate to promote the state as a leading MICE destination.

Chief executive of SCB, Jill Henry, added that an estimated RM57 million will be spent by the attendees of business meetings here, between 2011 and 2016, based on the number of confirmed international association meetings.

A driving force in MICE-industry development in Sarawak, SCB does not, however, intend to stop at this figure. It is aiming for a larger slice of the global industry, worth RM11 billion.

Malaysia currently has a 1.1 per cent share of this pie.

As the first agency created exclusively to promote the MICE industry in the state, SCB is confident the state has what it takes to achieve this objective.

Continue reading at: Promoting Sarawak as an international meeting destination
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Sarawak’s budget river cruise making waves

KUCHING: Barely three-months in operation, a river cruise touted as the state first-ever budget cruise is raising eyebrows among established cruise operators.

Wholly-owned by Koperasi Lan Berambeh Sungai Bedilku Kuching Berhad, a cooperative operated by a Malay village located in Kuching City, it is now eyeing to expand its appeal in the domestic and international markets.

The cooperative’s chairman Zamahari Saidi said among the winning features of the cruise since it started operations in March were affordability and flexibity factors.

“We are charging as low as RM15 per person and if they want a river cruise together with beverages, then it will be RM35 per person for a one-and-a-half hour trip,” he told Bernama here yesterday.

Zamahari said the cruise offered flexibility as passengers could request to be picked up at any river jetty as long as it was on the route.

He said the popularity of the cruise was fast catching up as the number of passengers has risen from a total of 330 passengers in March to 347 in April and 589 in May.

He said the 70-feet-long and 10 feet wide wooden cruise boat cost about RM120,000, had a 24-horsepower Yanmar engine and could accommodate 40 passengers and a crew of five.

Continue reading at: Sarawak’s budget river cruise making waves
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Sarawak tourism ministry urged to maximise use of Sarawak river

KUCHING: The Tourism Ministry has been urged to maximize the use of the as an alternative transportation network in the city to help ease traffic congestion around the Sarawak RiverKuching Waterfront, as well as enhance the appeal of the state’s tourism industry.

Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) chairman Datuk Seri Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah said the state government planned to introduce water taxis as a public transport system for locals and tourists.

Speaking at a reception for a group of media representatives after the launch of the new Sarawak River Cruise package, here yesterday, Muhammad Leo said the initiative would start with 10 to 20 water taxis to meet the needs of locals and tourists.

“The concept is similar to what the Melaka government has introduced. The difference is that in Melaka, water taxis are geared for the tourism sector, whereas, here, we are trying to use them for public transportation as well,” he added.

Muhammad Leo also suggested an increase in the number of cruise ships for the Sarawak River Cruise to further develop tourism and business sectors in the state, which has been dubbed “The Land of Hornbills.”

He said the cruise service was “unique” and had potential for continued progress in the future, particularly as a venue for the government and corporate sectors to organise meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.

“Sometimes, people want a change, a break from the normal pattern. During those times, they can hold these events onboard the Sarawak River Cruise for a change, and be treated to a spectacular sunset in the process,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sarawak River Cruise managing director Fiona Marus Rasa said the company had only one cruise ship for the service so far, which sets sail from Kuching Waterfront at 5.30pm.

Continue reading at: Sarawak tourism ministry urged to maximise use of Sarawak river
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‘Lan Berambeh’ river cruises to boost Sarawak tourism industry

KUCHING: The ‘Lan Berambeh’ river cruises will act as the catalyst to spur developments and boost tourism industry along the Sarawak River.

“Within the next 10 years, the infrastructures along the Sarawak River will be upgraded. There will be a great change, different than what is seen today,” said Minister of Housing and Urban Development Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg prior to the maiden cruise of ‘Lan Berambeh’ from Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar’s Nibong jetty last Sunday night.

Costing RM120,000, the 70 feet long and 10 feet wide boat is built with a capacity of 40 passengers (25 below deck and 15 upper deck). It promised to be among the first among its kind to traverse the Sarawak River, besides the Equatorial.

“We have a lot of attractions along the Sarawak River for the locals and tourists alike to enjoy,” said Abang Johari of the river cruise which will do pit stops at Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar, Pengkalan Sapi, Kampung Boyan, Kuching Waterfront, Kampung Lintang and Kampung Paroh jetties.

He enthused that Kuching is unique, famous for its rich culture and the rarity of a river which divides the city centre and residential areas.

“This creates the opportunity for tourism like the famous Venice which recorded more than 60 million visitors a year,” said Abang Johari who believed in re-enacting the stature of the Venice River in Kuching.

Abang Johari, who is also state assemblyman for Satok, said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given an allocation of RM15 million for upgrading works along the Sarawak River.

“The pit stops that were identified will be colourfully lighted at night with loud signboards to let passengers know on which part of the Sarawak River they are traversing,” said Abang Johari of the routes which will encircle from Kubah Ria to the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.

“With Lan Berambeh in full operation, it is now possible for people to visit the new Satok Market and Kubah Ria via river while enjoying the beautiful sceneries instead of by road, which is prone to traffic jams,” said Abang Johari who is in the midst of remapping the public transport system for the new market.

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Usukan Cove, Kota Belud, Sabah

By Tadpole

“A bay full of corals” is my first impression of Usukan Cove. The diversity and density of corals in Usukan Cove is better than Sapi and Manukan. In fact, it looks like Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in pristine condition 30 years ago.

Usukan Cove is only a few minutes away from Kg. Kuala Abai of Kota Belud. On the way to Usukan, you will pass by a white steel bridge called “Japanese Bridge”, which was built by the Japanese to transport the copper mined from Mamut in the past.

Built next to the sandy beach of Usukan Cove is Usukan Cove Lodge, which offers clean and cosy accommodation, from bunk-bed room to sea view twin-bed room. The lodge is able to host maximum of 50 people, so it is a suitable school retreat location.

Many European tourists love this quiet place too, as they want more privacy. A variety of nature-based activities are available for visitors to enjoy the sea, river and forest around.

SNORKELLING

Snorkelling is the best choice of activity due to the rich corals in Usukan. The density and size of the coral reef is remarkable. A boat sent me to Usukan Reef and Icy Point for the snorkelling. The Usukan Reef mainly consists of hard corals. Many species grow in big clusters. I saw large areas of big plate corals and stag-horn corals.

In Icy Point, I saw hard corals, as well as a mix of soft corals and sea grass. The sea water in Icy Point is a bit strange. In one spot the sea water is warm, but moving a few feet away I would feel cool, probably that’s why they call it Icy Point. The corals come in different forms and shapes, like big boulders, brain, fingers, pyramid, sponge and lower. Though the shore is quite far away, the water was shallow and most of the times, the corals were only a few feet under me.

For divers, you have a choice of four dive sites in Usukan, and three wreck-diving sites for advanced divers. The feature in Usukan is a type of coral that looks like Christmas Tree.

DEEP SEA FISHING

I also tried “deep sea fishing” in the sea 20 minutes off the mainland by boat. Actually it was only 14 Meters in depth. It was so nice that the workers prepared everything for me, from the fishing rod to hook and bait, making my life so easy.

In 3 minutes, we got our first fish! At first I thought we were only lucky. But from there on, we got fish in every 3 minutes. I got 3 fishes, two blacktip groupers and a Jackfish. One of us even got a puffer fish and another got blue-dotted stingray. The capture of blue-dotted stingray caused a brief moment of fear onboard because the sting on its tail is venomous. After an hour of fishing, we returned to Usukan Cove Lodge with our fruitful caught and they cooked the fishes for us as dinner.

RIVER CRUISE

We started our river cruise at Kawa-Kawa River in late afternoon, to look for the Proboscis Monkey. On one side of this 15-Meter-wide river is human settlement and another side is mainly mangrove and nipah forest. Since the proboscis monkeys are so used to people, they are relatively less elusive and we can get really close to them.

To stay away from predators at night, Proboscis Monkey has the habit of spending the night on the trees next to the river. About 4 to 5 herds of Proboscis Monkey live along Kawa-Kawa River. Luckily we found 3 groups of them despite the poor weather.

Besides long-nosed monkeys, we also saw crab-eating macaque (long-tailed macaque), monitor lizard and many birds such as oriental darter, white-bellied sea eagle, little heron, blue-throated bee eater, white-collar kingfisher, frigate, doves, egrets and bulbul. After we exited the estuary of Kawa-Kawa River and on the way to Abai River, we were rewarded by the magic moment of the sunset.

Then we proceeded to the mangrove forest of Abai River to look for firefly. We saw the “Christmas Trees”, which are in fact the twinkling light of hundreds of fireflies gathered on the trees! That was such a wonderful closing for my tour in Usukan Cove.

Source: New Sabah Times 'In' Sites

NOTE: Photo Copyright to New Sabah Times
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Good air connectivity needed to lure tourists to Sibu

SIBU: It is necessary to have better air connectivity to better promote the ‘treasures’ of Rajang River to the outside world.

Managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan opined that having good tourism products alone would not go far unless fueled by good air accessibility.

“We have rare fish species such as ‘empurau’, which tourists from Singapore and the peninsula crave for. They would not be able to find such fresh water fish anywhere else.

“But to facilitate these tourists coming here, good air connectivity is required. Perhaps, airlines could consider flying the Sibu/Singapore route.

“This is because tourists will be enticed to come if the tickets are competitive and flights are convenient,” Tan said when asked on the rebranding of Rajang River to tap tourism potential.

Recently, Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit suggested that the rebranding should include factors that would lure more tourists to the longest river in Malaysia.

Dawos said visitors would be very curious about ‘empurau’ and that night cruise along the river could be another tourist attraction.

Increasing flight frequencies such as Sibu/KL and Sibu/JB routes would do wonders for the tourism industry here, Tan suggested.

Again stressing the importance of good air connectivity, he said: “The only way to travel to Sarawak is by air.”

Asked about concerns by airlines that the load factor might be inconsequential to sustain their profitability, the managing director indicated even during low season, the load factor was around 70 per cent.

Continue reading at: Good air connectivity needed to lure tourists to Sibu
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The lure of the empurau fish up the Rajang river

A CRUISE up the Rajang River with the empurau, reputed to be one of the most expensive fishes in the world, as the centrepiece could be the next big tourism draw for Sibu.

Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit believed that tourists would be fascinated by the habitat of the empurau which is found in the Rajang River. The empurau can cost about RM580 per kg.

“The empurau has migrated upriver and efforts should be made to capitalise on them for tourism,” Dawos told reporters after closing the Fabulous 1Malaysia Street and Restaurant Food Fair at the Sibu Town Square on Sunday night.

He pointed out that though the population of the empurau could have plummeted in the lower reaches of the Rajang River due to polution, they were still thriving in Balleh and near the Bakun Dam due to the water quality.

Dawos therefore hoped that more river cruises could be organised on the Rajang River besides the one operated by Pandaw Cruise which started last July.

“Tourists are fascinated with riverine activities such as people fishing and also the many longhouses they can see. Thus, local tourism industry players must be imaginative and creative in using local products to lure tourists,” he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The lure of the empurau fish up the Rajang river
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Sibu's Orient Pandaw attracting more high-end tourists

THE RV Orient Pandaw, the only cruise ship operating out of Sibu on the Rajang River has been successful in bringing in high-end tourists to Sarawak.

Pandaw Cruises Management Pte Ltd chief executive officer Yim Choong Hing said 90% of the passengers were from the niche markets in Europe, United States, Australia and New Zealand.

“Since we commenced operation in July last year, our ship had ferried an estimated 1,300 foreign passengers. They easily spent few hundred US dollars a day in Sarawak,” Yim told StarMetro.

He brushed off critics who said Pandaw Cruises did not contribute anything to the local economy.

“We imported nothing. Everything the crew and passengers consumed on board are purchased locally in Sibu or Kuching. At the same time, the local shipyards and the hardware shops are also benefiting from our regular maintenance work,” he added.

Yim said apart from companies selling fuel, local transport companies also benefited from Pandaw Cruises when they used their facilities such as coaches, vans and boats several times in a month to ferry tourists.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Sibu's Orient Pandaw attracting more high-end tourists
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