Thursday, May 31, 2007

Partners Lorna Dowson-Collins and Gaye Thavisin


Ecotourism in 'Lord Jim' country

Jakarta Post Features - May 20, 2007

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan

There's a lot of curiosity and much activity among the mud and mangroves at a Kahayan River inlet in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan.

Six carpenters are building cabins atop a stripped-down, 20-meter former cargo boat bought by two foreigners with a dream. They want to introduce serious ecotourism to the huge but almost empty province -- and by doing so save the forests and the Dayak who depend on them.

The inlet, with two primitive hand-cranked steel cable winches, is a local bush version of a dry dock though heavy rains have flooded the site.

That hasn't deterred the workers who are racing to get the craft looking presentable for the May 23 celebrations of Central Kalimantan's 50th anniversary (see sidebar).

When the cheering has faded and the bunting been pulled down the engine will be installed, heaved in by muscle power, for this open-air boatyard has few facilities. Then the fittings will be finessed to ensure they're of a standard to meet the needs of international clients.

The Dayak Hope will be a floating boutique hotel with five double cabins. It will be capable of sailing into the upper reaches of the province (known locally as Kalteng), giving ecotourists the chance to see distant Dayak villages, wild (not rehabilitated) orangutans scrambling through the treetops and tropical flora and fauna.

For businesswomen Lorna Dowson-Collins and Gaye Thavisin this is a major undertaking. They plan to put the Indonesian part of Borneo on the world map of discerning tourists looking for experiences they can't get in Amsterdam or Adelaide.

The couple have already sunk more than US$60,000 (Rp 550 million) of their own money into the plan, which includes development of a river port in Palangkaraya, more floating hotels and extensive marketing overseas.

"Gaye and I have gone beyond just ooh-ing and aah-ing and thinking how great it would be to open up the Kalimantan environment to others," Lorna said.

"We're now up to our necks in a venture that's driven by our vision to protect Kalteng's unique forests and create new sources of income for the local jungle-dwelling communities."

Up to their necks? An outside observer might think this a defective metaphor. Add the crocodiles of business envy, the leaches of bureaucratic interference, the everyday hazards of remote-area life made doubly difficult in the tropics, and the fickleness of the tourist industry -- and you can see that on the Richter risk scale this show is quaking.

Lose one visitor into the swirling brown crocodilian waters or have a hard encounter with a hornbill and the word will move at warp-speed through the Internet.

Fun in frontierland? Sure -- but only if it comes with air-conditioning and cell phone access.

Boat-based tourism

This is "Lord Jim" country, the land made famous in Joseph Conrad's classic. In the story, a disgraced young seaman shrinks from society to live with the Dayak. He helps better their lives but is killed after making a second error of judgment. (Read the book if you want to know the first.)

Fortunately, neither Lorna nor Gaye are dewy-eyed business maidens. Both have sweated long enough in Indonesia to know that foreigners giving birth to a new idea won't have an easy labor, whatever soothing sounds are made by politicians who say overseas money's welcome, but won't ease the traumas of investment.

Lorna grew up in Jakarta where her father was a doctor at the British Embassy until he was kicked out of the country. Before that happened the family went sailing most weekends through the Thousand Islands just offshore from the capital -- an experience that helped develop Lorna's love of adventure.

She went on to study anthropology and work in the UK on international development programs, but was soon back in the archipelago.

In Indonesia she's been a consultant with the Australian aid agency AusAID in Aceh, and with a non-government organization (NGO) in Kalimantan on training projects and developing business enterprises.

Gaye is an Australian who formerly managed the Kalimantan Meeting Center (KMC), a three-star hotel and restaurant at Rungun Sari, about 36 kilometers northwest of Palangkaraya. She now runs a foreign investment company, PT Kalimantan Tourism Development.

Both are members of the Subud community, a spiritual movement started in Java early last century. They live at Rungun Sari where a magnificent meeting hall has been built and is available to all faiths.

"My river journeys whilst working for the NGO took me to the heart of the local people's lives and their rapidly depleting forests," Lorna said.

"Rivers are still the main transport system linking remote villages, a fascinating but uncomfortable affair. This led me to think: What could be better than a boat hotel with comfortable cabins and a restaurant viewing deck to enjoy the passing, peaceful days of village and jungle life?"

Indeed. Great idea but nothing stands in isolation. The current investment buzzword is "infrastructure" meaning roads, ports, airports, hotels and other public facilities have to be fixed first.

Sustainability

There aren't too many roads in Kalteng -- the biggest province in Borneo at 154,000 square kilometers. However, by Indonesian standards the main links are in reasonable condition.

Borneo isn't jam-packed Java: There are only 10 million in the whole Indonesian section of the island, with maybe less than 250,000 in Palangkaraya.

The locust swarms of Hondas and Yamahas have yet to plague the highways and the air is breathable outside the smoke season when farmers set fire to the forests in defiance of edicts from Jakarta.

There's no international airport so connections -- frequently late -- have to be made through Jakarta or Surabaya. Foreigners remain a rarity -- only 2,000 visited last year -- and not all Palangkaraya hotels are either comfortable or welcoming to outsiders.

The plan is to run Dayak Hope from the river close to the KMC hotel while port facilities in Palangkaraya are upgraded. Then, if all goes well, boats two and three will be built. These will probably be custom-built rather than converted.

The original budget of Rp 280 million for the boat alone has already doubled. Other investors have come to the rescue so the project is still afloat and heading for commercial operation in September -- with a plan to break even by the second year.

Mike Johnson, a marine environmental anthropologist from East Java, has been hired to advise on the work, though the design came from a French marine architect.

Johnson reckons the cost of building a floating hotel from the keel up will be little more than buying and reshaping an old boat -- and a lot easier.

The proposed tariff is Rp 4.3 million per person for a three-day, all-found river trip. The partners reckon this will attract a market between backpackers who'll rough it anywhere, and the top-end tourists who want five star toilets.

Lorna put together a business plan entered it in an international competition and won a useful Rp 74 million for her proposal. Through this she met Dutch travel agents interested in supplying management skills, clients and maybe investment.

"Our first planned tours will be along the Katingan River into the newly established Sebangau National Park, one of the last surviving peat swamp forests in Kalimantan and home to the largest known remaining orangutan populations in the world," she said.

"Unfortunately, illegal logging and forest fires continue to threaten the survival of the park.

"Our overall aim is to promote ecotourism in Kalteng as a viable way of protecting the forest and promoting the welfare of local communities through creating an effective strategy for economic growth.

"We'll provide 25 per cent of our boat tour profits to finance village ecotourism and conservation programs using microfinance loans to establish home-stays and train guides.

"The communities depend on the natural resources for their livelihoods. When use is sustainable the balance in the ecosystem is maintained. But where income is low the local people are forced to exploit.

"Poverty is a large threat to biodiversity. To conserve nature it's important to deal with poverty alleviation.

"We believe that our boat will be the vehicle to develop a social enterprise that can make a real difference."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Rahai'i Pangun


Our cruise boat has a name! On 22 May 2007, as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of Central Kalimantan, at a traditional adat ceremony, local Kaharingan spiritual leaders gave the name Rahai'i Pangun to our cruise boat. Called after a mythical boat which widely traded up the rivers of Kalimantan and throughout Asia, it was famous for its ability to travel cross treacherous seas. Still under construction, the boat will be ready for its first tourists in September.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Mixing waters

The image of black water coming off the peat swamps and drifting into the muddy Kahayan River water looks like an odd painting, where the undercoat has still to be glazed by the final murky brown or conversely by the translucent black. But this scene is normal from the vantage point of the bridge over the Kahayan. A nearby creek which has run over the peat deposits on which Palangka Raya sits, sends its brackish water off to a swirling battle, where these days the muddy water will win. Once, they say, all the rivers of Kalimantan were black.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Rains


The rivers are overflowing and changing colour from the muddy brown of the lower levels to the black, clear brackish water flooding from the peaty soils in the forests. Floating houses, or rumah trapung, along the rivers rise with the tide and strain on the ropes anchoring them to the riverbanks. The stilt houses along the rivers are like islands with their canoes bobbing at the front door, and rickety bridges zigzagging to the nearest dry land. Forests flood and we can float through them to surprise birds and proboscis monkeys. As the rains culminate, and the dry season begins, the clouds scatter and the sun shines on this watery world, reflecting perfectly in the black water. Rains upriver still keep the levels high, as high as 15 feet or more above the dry season lows. With an easing of the rains, the river levels go down quickly and the floods rush away to the Java Sea or are absorbed into the sandy base of Kalimantan, once said to be the bottom of the ocean.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Getting ready for the festival

Palangka Raya is full steam ahead on preparations for the Isen Mulang Festival and 50th Anniversary celebrations. Practises for the mass marching and bands go on every night as buildings and thoroughfares everywhere are getting a spruce up. We visited the ceremonial longhouse to check on preparations for the formal dinner and dance spectacular to find renovations almost completed. The Museum is humming with activity as exhibits are prepared for a display of decorative features and tools from 39 provinces. Being part of it all lends excitement and a sense of shared responsibilty. Wish us all luck!

Monday, May 7, 2007

VIP Eco cruise boat preview

On 22 May, as part of the Isen Mulang Festival and 50th Anniversary of Central Kalimantan, we will preview our eco cruise boat, currently under renovation, to a group of VIP's from Jakarta, guests of the Governor.

The first to be operating on the rivers of Central Kalimantan, this boat is a major step forward for tourism. Taking guests in to the heart of the jungle to see unique wildlife, traditional lifestyles and stunning scenery, this boat will be equipped with 5 cabins, 3 bathrooms, dining area, covered viewing decks, and air conditioning. From its comfort, the guest can enter areas not before seen by tourists and later, take adventurous treks through the national park to seek the iconic orangutan in its native habitat.

VIP's will be treated the the traditional Dayak boat naming ceremony on 22 May, whereby a Dukun will bless and give the most propotitious name to the boat. Work will be finished by August, and we hope to be taking our first guests in September.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Museum Balanga


The rainy season is still with us, and while it is my favourite season as it makes the rivers high and the temperature pleasantly fresh, constant rain can make sightseeing a bit of a drag. But, on the other hand, it is a good day for the Museum!

The Palangka Raya Museum Balanga is laid out in such a way that the visitor moves one by one from the artifacts and customs of birth, childhood, and marriage to death. There are carved birthing stools and inclined benches, slings and hammocks for babies and the delicatedly sequined backdrops and clothing for weddings. An intriguing miniature collection of sandung or bonehouses flanked by their attendant carved guardians is next to the rows of gongs and musical instruments that always accompany traditional rituals. A stunning series of tall, weathered carvings stand together in a group around a Kaharingan altar, an integral part of the faith of the indigenous Dayaks. Collections of masks, mandau or swords and highly prized traded procelain pots and vessels make this small collection a fascinating insight to the unique local culture.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Isen Mulang Festival 19-24 May 2007

Blowpipe, fireball, enchanted boats, canoe paddling, dances, chopping, cooking, singing and other popular local games and sports are open for fierce competition between the regencies (regions) of Central Kalimantan. Heats are already on in the regencies for the best groups to compete.

This year is also the 50th Anniversary of Central Kalimantan, so there’s more happening. Kalteng Expo 2007 showcases what’s going on across the board in the province. The Museum, as well as its collection of Dayak cultural objects, will also have a special exhibition of Indonesian decorative features. Restaurants (warungs) mushroom at night along the streets and the city lights up. Literally too, when fireworks will flash into the Anniversary night sky.

Kalimantan Tourism is doing special Isen Mulang Tours which you can buy through recognized Indonesian Travel Agents, including Indonesia Ecoventure www.indonesiaecoventure.com and Bayu Buana www.bayubuanatravel.com

Here is an abbreviated program :

CENTRAL KALIMANTAN TASTER TOURS
18-20 May 2007 Long Weekend Isen Mulang Tours

3 days/2nights

Day 1 Arrival in Plk, traditional lunch on riverbank, speedboat ride to see orangutans and check in hotels. Enjoy a dip. Evening meal and traditional dance watching sunset over Tangkiling hills.

Day 2 EITHER (included in tour package)

Isen Mulang City Tour – Start your tour at Bukit Batu, or boulder hill, a place renowned for spiritual power, where the Founder and first Governor of Central Kalimantan meditated. Return for early lunch to hotels. Afternoon visit the Museum and special exhibitions and then enjoy some shopping in the traditional handicraft market. Join in the opening ceremony of Isen Mulang and later stroll along the boardwalks of the old town at sunset. Dinner and later watch the night fireball competitions and Dayak songs. Return to hotels.

OR

Wild Orangutan Walk (conservation surcharge applicable) - CIMTROP open their 25,000 hectares of conservation peat forest to a special type of eco-tourist interested in experiencing first hand the rainforest habitat and the orangutans that live there. Experience the awe of having a unique encounter with a wild (not the usual rehabilitated) orang-utan as you watch them in the canopy above you. Trek through parts of the, conserved by the care of the CIMTROP Team. Feel the thrill as you first spot orangutans in the canopy or on the ground of their natural habitat. Follow them on foot and keep up as they swing through the tree tops.
Learn about the importance of the peatland forest at CIMTROP’s natural laboratory and the work they have been doing to protect this endangered environment.

Day 3 Early check out to watch traditional canoe races and blow pipe competitions. Depart Palangka Raya 1100 for the airport

Are you coming?

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Orchid and jungle trekking eco tourism was on the agenda last night when Upik came to talk about his activities in a small community of the Barito Timur region of Central Kalimantan, adjacent to the Barito River. He is working for the regional government in a community which maintains an 'adat' forest, one that is traditionally managed and utilised. In effect, this gives the forest protection from development or logging or other activities that would destroy it.

The forest is some 60 square klms in size, and contains potential for forest walks, peaceful canoe rides through proboscis monkey habitat, and seeing the famous black orchid of Borneo in situ. The latter flowers in June and July, and this would be a perfect time to visit, between the rainy and dry, hot seasons.

We talked about planning a trip which included some time within the community to learn about what exactly the 'adat' forest is, and how they maintain and control its use. Staying first in a home stay, and then having 2 nights in a jungle camp, would give a real experience of this surviving traditional forest usage. The problems we have are simply getting there. The roads are very poor from Palangka Raya to this region, so we are looking at usage of float planes - an adventure in itself!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007



Our eco cruise boat, planned to operate on rivers and lakes along the boundary of the Sebangau National Park, is well under construction. Now is the exciting time when the framework goes up, and the cabins and decks begin to appear. The interior of this traditionally built freighter will house 5 cabins and 3 bathrooms. On the quarter deck to the stern of the boat will be food preparation and covered dining areas. Above, on the deck over the cabins, will be a roomy, covered viewing deck. From there, our guests can lay back and enjoy the passing scenery. Glimpsing monkeys, including the larger proboscis monkey, several species of hornbills, the electric blues of kingfishers, swooping swallows, the velvety royal blue of a delicate species of bird of paradise, and the tawney gold of the local pheasant, is all the work they will be asked to do!

Our committment to true eco tourism, where we are working with local craftsmen and upgrading their skills by bringing in experienced internationally trained and recognised designers and builders, is happening at every level. We are already working in villages where the boat will call, and are collaborating with other NGO's already there. This eco tourism venture aims to have direct benefits to the preservation and conservation of the Sebangau Park, native forest habitat of the Bornean orangutan. Joining us on the boat makes a direct contribution to that effort.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007


Palangka Raya is currently booming, and celebrated the opening of its first mall last week. The well planned city with its wide boulevards was intended by Sukarno to become the capital of Indonesia. It is now the bustling centre of government with an expanded role after decentralisation of power from Jakarta. It is also the centre for natural resources development in plantations, mining, fishing and ecotourism.