Based in Sibu, Sarawak; Glenn joined Pandaw in 2009 and has helped initiate the sightseeing excursions for our new venture on the Rajang River in Borneo. Originally from the Snowy River county in Australia where he ran a ski and snowboard business, Glenn has always had a keen interest in adventure travel. He moved to Sibu with his Malay wife in 2008, giving up a high profile position in Sydney commercial property development, to experience living in Asia and pursue his travel interest. With Pandaw, he has found the perfect outlet for his talent to develop excursion potential and you can follow Glenn as he develops new and exciting excursions here!
January 13th 2010
Borneo Update
I wish you all a Happy New Year! The good news from Borneo is that at last our excursion programme is now fully operational and running smoothly. With the recent high water levels we have not encountered any problems in venturing through the Pelagus Rapids or further up the Balleh River. However, conditions can change dramatically in a very short space of time. If the water levels do fall low, we now know our limitations for low water and can revert back to a related programme so we are always in command - finally!
On the last few cruises, we managed to travel further up the Balleh 'into the heart of Borneo' to Nanga Gaat. This is a very small outpost settlement with some historical background as it was the forward staging post for British forces in the 'Konfrontasi' with Indonesia in the 1960's. What I like about the upper reaches of the Balleh is that you are so removed from essential services as there are no roads, no electricity, no phone connection, nor even any regular public transport. The remoteness is pervasive and seems to capture the real essence of adventure travel into an area that is virtually impossible to reach without a lot of pre-organisation. Our picnic lunches on the Balleh are continuing although lately the choice of shaded sandbars have been pretty limited but I managed to find one in front of a longhouse near Nanga Gaat. While lunch is being prepared, passengers can wander up to the longhouse and interact with the locals.
Negotiating the full length of the Pelagus Rapids has provided genuine adventure. It is thrill seeking to an extent but with relative safety of high water. Jungle trekking in kapit on the now fully completed and improved trail is getting great reports. Passengers that want a more challenging walk set off earlier and do the complete loop whilst those passengers preferring a more relaxed walk trek to the second rest area at the top of the first ridge and return to the ship.
Returning downstream from Kapit, we have a number of activities taking place at the small riverside town of Song. We arrive there in the evening and are treated to traditional Iban and Malay dances from nearby longhouses and children from local schools. Early the next morning, the energetic passengers can partake in a pre dawn longboat excursion up one of the two small tributaries that enter the Rajang opposite Song. This early morning activity promises a bit of birdspotting as well as meeting the locals coming down the creeks carrying produce to the market in Song. We also use a traditional style of excursion boat to travel up the Katibas River at Song to taste Ijok (the local palm wine).
At Sarikei, we have now developed the visit to Rumah Nyuka where we do a rather interesting walk through a rice paddy, pepper garden and rubber tapping areas to a very pretty waterfall. The longhouse provides an industrious activity programme back in the ruai after the trek. Passengers can witness the dying of rubber collected that morning, rattan and ikat weaving, and traditional cakes being made. Passengers are served tea and refreshments and can taste all the wild local fruits. It is not a typical longhouse visit as we are experiencing the trek and the pastoral life of the residents.
The best news is saved for last. Our new Pandaw Adventurer should be launched sometime in February. This is a purpose built excursion boat and will allow us to transport passengers to the Pelagus Rapids and the Balleh in style and comfort. It will also open up a lot more possibilities of river exploration on tributaries and can only enhance the whole Borneo experience.
Cheers,
Glenn
November 29th 2009
Trekking Trails
With the full introduction of the trekking trails in Kapit and Sarikei on our last cruise, some finer tuning is required so that all passengers can enjoy the beauty of these walks. The earlier the walks are commenced, the greater the trekker comfort zone as we escape the full heat of the day. Therefore, we plan to schedule the Kapit trek to commence in the morning of Day 4 and go to the Pelagus Rapids after lunch. A morning walk on the Kapit trail is enhanced by the rising mist climbing up the ridgelines and the freshness of the morning air. As there are some steepish sections on the Kapit trail, walkers are encouraged to wear adventure footwear that provide good ankle support. It is also advisable to tuck trousers into socks to prevent any leeches, though we do not pass any swampy areas but clear running streams and waterfalls. There are five rest areas on this trail which can be used as congregating points for our guides to address the walkers with points of interest. As the trail does wind through jungle in a single file, it would be preferable for groups to leave the boat in staggered intervals rather than one long conga line that could slow everyone down.
Similarly, in Sarikei we will offer the walks in the early morning aswell. The walk to Pala Munsoh waterfall is longer and it is preferable for those trekkers to leave much earlier, maybe as early as 6.30am and take a small packed breakfast to consume once they reached the waterfall. The walkers going on the shorter Pau waterfall trail could leave after an early breakfast on Pandaw - maybe around 8am. The idea would be for both parties to return to the longhouse around 11am to watch rubber drying and other activities before lunch at the longhouse. The early morning walks will give greater opportunity to witness any birdlife as well as the longhouse folk using the same trails going about their pastoral activities - tending to rice paddies, rubber tapping and checking on the pepper gardens. Walkers are advised to wear good footwear as well but on these trails there are no real steep sections. A good sun protection hat is a necessity though as these trails are not as shaded as Kapit. At both trekking locations, carrying a small sweat towel is a good idea. Not that the trails are strenuous, but Borneo is hot and if you're doing any outdoor activity, you will perspire. I also intend to develop some rest and congregating areas on the Sarikei trails as we have done in Kapit. Again these trails are single file but the landscape is more open.
Early Morning Birdwatching
We did a pre-breakfast birdwatching excursion on the last cruise and it was successful - there were birds! Plus, going up a small creek in a longboat in the early morning is exhilararing. Initially, I thought only a minimum number of people would take up this opportunity but it seems to be very popular and the majority of passengers seem to want to take advantage of it. This can present a bit of a logistical problem in terms of large boats or numerous small boats on a creek. While water levels remain high, larger longboats can access the creeks near Song and we managed on the last cruise to split the party and send half the group in two boats up the Sungei Song and half in another two boats up the Sungei Iran. However, once water levels drop, we will need to utilize small flat boats that can only carry two or three persons each. We cannot send too many boats up one creek or we will end up scaring all the birds away. Similarly, we have to ensure any boat we use has paddies for when the boatman cuts the motor and cruises in silence. My idea is that when we have low water levels, we should limit each birdwatching excursion by passenger numbers at any one location but also look for other locations with small creek tributarie so that over the length of the cruise, everyone gets a chance to take this excursion.
Christmas Eve
On RJ016, Pandaw will be in Song on Christmas Eve. I just want to assure all passengers booked on this cruise that arrangements are well advanced for invoking the Christmas spirit that evening despite the fact that you are 'in the heart of Borneo'. We will hold the ususal traditional dance and it will be followed by the local church choir coming onboard after services and singing Christmas carols with us.
Cheers,
Glenn
November 9th 2009
The Sarikei Trails and Potential Dawn Excursions
The Sarikei trails are not ready just yet, there is still some work to do on the shorter trail so it looks like it will be the end of November before I can bring them on. I have been looking into the possibility to introduce a short excursion before breakfast to try and find some birdlife. There are two small tributaries opposite Song. I have done an early morning excursion on both and you can find birds - not in a great number but they are about and you can hear them twittering in the trees. Because travelling up a creek in a small boat puts everything in miniature, it does seem to work. However, at the same time, there is much more birdlife on the Rajang now as we are in the wet season and birds are more prevalent if you look hard. This birdwatching excursion could be added to the itinerary on Day 3 if we managed to make it to Song on the evening of Day 2 after leaving Kanowit. People who choose to take this trip would leave around 6am and go by a small flatboat (2-3 persons in each boat - maximum of 3 boats per creek). Apart from the opportunity to see birds it is also a bit adventurous as you negotiate eddies and meet other boats travelling downstream to the market! Those doing the trip would have to be back on Pandaw by 7.30am for breakfast so we can cast off and head up to Kapit. I just wonder if this would be seen as we are pampering a select few though! This one might need more thought!
The longhouse has been working on the trails for the last two weeks and we plan to spend a whole day there on cruise RJ015 (which leaves Sibu on November 20th) watching rubber and pepper processing, witnessing handicraft demonstrations etc, walking the trails depending on fitness levels and having lunch at the riverside below the longhouse in between treks. It should be a great day! A couple of photos are attached beside for all to see.
Cheers
Glenn
November 6th 2009
The Kapit Trekking Trail
All that is required to complete the extension of this trail now is rope supports on some of the steeper sections and the 2nd bridge built over the creek. It will be finished in next couple of days and the full length of the trail can be used on cruises from the middle of November.
I'll try and give a brief description and attach a few photos. Basically, we have constructed 2 loop trails that connect. Each trail follows an eastern and western ridge line and cross the same creek at different upstream points
Stage 1 ascends the eastern ridge past some old Iban graves to the first rest area on a saddle high on the ridge line. It then descends to the creek, which has been bridged and continues on a level contour, over a small saddle to the Rajang. The initial idea was to then follow the exposed bank of the Rajang a short distance back to the trail head and boat.Time it takes to walk this is just under 1 hour.
Stage 2 continues from the first rest area on the eastern ridge ascending in an easy walk to a 2nd rest area at the very top of the ridge (call it Sunlight Hill as this is about only point where the sun breaks through the foliage). It then descends steeply to the creek and a 2nd bridge directly in front of our own pretty little waterfall. The trail then climbs the western ridge to another rest area on the top. It then follows the ridge line in another easy easy and very pleasant walk to a lookout point offering views to the river below and Kapit town on other side. Trail continues descending to meet Stage 1 on the small saddle just before the Rajang. The time it takes to walk this is abut 2 - 2 and ½ hour.
The Rajang is at its high watermark at the moment and its impossible to walk along its bank back to the boat. So when river is this full, we will use the trails as follows:
People not wanting too long a walk will ascend eastern ridge to second rest area and then retrace their steps. They did this on the last crusie and it seems to have worked fine. The time runs out to a very acceptable 1 and half hours.
Those people wanting a fuller trekking excursion will complete the longer loop and return to boat via the Stage 1 loop. This is a 2 and ½ to 3 hour walk. The terrain is steep in parts but 75-80% is easy ridge line walking. The variety of forest is quite enchanting - huge trees with large canopies, copses of bamboo, wild fruit, butterflies, waterfalls, 2 bridges and 4 rest areas (one is used twice - making 5 comfortable stops). I think it will really satisfy the most discerning trekkers. Rope supports on both sides of trail will be in place in all steep sections and we will look at shortening the steps for easier walking!
Cheers
Glenn
You can click on this file to see a hand drawn map of the Kapit trail!
October 14th 2009
Our New Excursion Boat
Well I have finally got a set of drawings that detail all the design elements of our new excursion boat, which you can see below. The hull is all framed up and in summary; the boat design features the following:
- latest shallow draught expressboat hull with propeller protection
- old style timber clad superstructure on, engine room and roof of stern viewing deck to give "Pandaw" feel
- large and low slung open frame windows with sliding perspex closers when raining
- angled seating for optimum passenger viewing
- open roofed section at mid-ship enabling people to stand on side bench seats and look out through the roof frame for photo opportunities and a roll down canvas awning when raining
- stern viewing deck that is roofed and could seat on back to back centre benches at least 10 people with still room for another 10 people standing at rails
- toilet and generator operated fridge
- entry/exit is through the bow when nosed onto a river bank and on either side at mid-ship when moored at a wharf or alongside Pandaw
Overall the capacity of the boat will see 46 people seated internally, 10 seated on stern viewing deck with standing room for another 10 people. I am really happy with what we have come up with and I really look forward to seeing the finished piece in operation. With this type of excursion boat, it will allow us to totally free up our sightseeing to Pelagus and beyond to all tributaries - Balleh, Katibas, Kanowit and even another good sized river just down from Song which may offer early morning bird watching potential! I am checking it out next week.
Cheers
Glenn
October 6th 2009
Sarikei Treks
I am in the process of arranging jungle treks that will originate from a longhouse in Sarikei. I have recently made four visits to the longhouse to check out three potential jungle treks that would originate from the longhouse. My plan is to bring this excursion into the itinerary during the Rajang cruises afternoon visit to Sarikei and replace the current small soft walk at Sebangkoi Country Resort. These jungle walks are much more "Pandaw" as they run along old Iban paths through primary jungle and past pepper gardens, rice cultivation and rubber tapping huts. Each walk terminates in a different waterfall location. The Munsoh walk is 2 and half hrs (return) and more suited to more active and fitter passengers while the Pau and Ruan walks are only 1 hr (return). The Pau is the more interesting of the 2 short walks and leads to a pretty rock ledge between 2 falls.
At Pandaw we agreed to donate 7,000 Ringgit to the longhouse to allow them the opportunity to upgrade the safety of their trails and clean up all the storm damage over the years. We really wanted to give something back into tourism development in Sarawak and thought that this would be the perfect project to assist seeing as Pandaw passengers can reap the benefits too and venture on these wonderful trails.
The beauty of this excursion is that it will complete our trek opportunities (Kapit and Sarikei) and cover pepper garden and rubber processing. My plan would be to take passengers on these excursions and then head back to the longhouse for high tea late in the afternoon. The longhouse will have pepper for sale and handicrafts plus a rattan weaving demonstration - so should be quite a convivial gathering after the walks before returning to Pandaw.
I have uploaded some photos below of the walk for all to see!
Cheers
Glenn
