A Pandansari resident tends mangroves plants. Photo by Donny Iqbal

Indonesia’s national energy strategy relies on large fossil-fuel plants, but remote villages show alternatives are possible.

An estimated 1.6 million poor households in Indonesia are not connected to the electricity grid.

Indonesia’s national energy plan, which targets 35,000 megawatts of new generating capacity, relies primarily on coal and other fossil fuels.

In rural, off-grid areas, the government has shown more support for renewable energy generation, but progress remains slow.

In the meantime, villages like Reno on Flores Island have built their own small-scale renewable energy sources.

In a country where much of the rural population lives off the grid, villages on the Indonesian island of Flores boast their own renewable energy sources — all built by local communities.

Reno village on Flores hosts only 134 homes. The local economy revolves around weaving, raising chickens and selling snacks. Now, a micro-hydroelectric generator is powering the village.

Rural electrification is a persistent and evolving challenge for Indonesia, especially for remote communities on the fringes and uplands of the vast archipelago. By the end of 2015, Indonesia’s electrification ratio stood at 88.3 percent, behind Southeast Asian neighbors like Singapore and Thailand. An estimated 1.6 million poor households are not connected to a grid.

Indonesia is currently planning to add 35,000 megawatts to the national power grid, but it is projected to continue to overwhelmingly depend on fossil fuels, with plans to build 117 new coal-fired plants as part of the expansion policy.

Catholic Pastor Marselus Hasan had a different idea for Reno village.

Full story on Mongabay

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The Bunong, an ethnic minority group whose livelihood and culture depends on the river and the forest, will be among the most affected by the dam.

Even before the dam is completed, Bunong villages like Kbal Romeas have been divided, as some residents accept compensation packages while others staunchly refuse to leave their land.

At a time when much of Cambodia is developing at a breakneck speed, where smartphones and BMWs have become almost as ubiquitous on the streets of Phnom Penh as saffron-robed monks, the village of Kbal Romeas inhabits a world apart. Tucked deep into the jungles of the country’s untamed northeast, the village has no convenience stores, streetlights, or paved roads. Instead, a visitor would be more likely to find a stretched snakeskin nailed to a piece of teak, drying in the midday sun as a testament to the animist beliefs of the people who live there.

Full story here.

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About an hour and a half plane ride from the Philippine capital Manila is a long, narrow island home to about a quarter of all the animal species found in the country. So unique is this island called Palawan that it hosts two World Heritage sites, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in the provincial capital, and the Tubbataha Reef in Cagayancillo.

Data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) reveal more than 6 percent of Palawan’s forest cover has been lost since 2001. But as humans raze the island’s extensive forests for development, many animals – including 27 endemic species of birds, 19 varieties of land mammals, and 24 kinds of reptiles – are facing huge population declines.

Read the Full story by Shaira Panela, mongabay.com correspondent, October 31, 2014

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Tourists from those countries eligible for the VoA, in accordance to the Directorate General of Immigration, can continue to pay for this visa at the new price upon landing. Those nationals that are not granted visa free entry or VoA can apply for a tourist visa at an Indonesian embassy abroad.

The new VoA cost is similar to a number of other countries whom offer the service in Southeast Asia, and Indonesia continues to offer exceptional value for money as a destination for travellers.

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Kalibo will be SilkAir’s third destination in the Philippines after Cebu and Davao, increasing the number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network to 46 destinations in 12 countries.

Flights to Kalibo will be operated on a thrice weekly basis, departing Singapore on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The flights will be operated by Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

MI599 departs Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 10:00 to arrive in Kalibo at 13:45. The return flight departs at 15:00 to land in Singapore at 20:10.

Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province in the Philippines and is a gateway to the beautiful Boracay island where nature’s bounty of scenic attractions can be found, with fine sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Boracay also offers a wide array of attractions, from cascading waterfalls, natural cold springs, and the chance to explore the five caves of Buruanga town.

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Thai hotel development firm Akaryn Hospitality Management Services are to expand their health and wellness operations with the unveiling of a USD$21 million luxury private island resort targeting the high-end medical and wellness sectors. The Akaryn Koh Krabeay Retreat and Spa will provide advanced health care treatments, meditation instruction, yoga classes and anti-aging solutions.

Facilities include a meditation cave and an organic garden that will provide the healthiest pesticide-free food to complement physical treatments. Management said they envisaged the retreat becoming their flagship property and a leading destination in Asia for innovative health escapes.

Koh Krabeay is part of a chain of secluded islands accessible from Sihanoukville by speedboat in less than 20 minutes.

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A Kelabit lady with traditional long ears

Traditionally the women of the Kelabit tribe of northern Borneo would use heavy brass weights to stretch their earlobes, considered to be highly attractive. Sadly this is another tradition that is fast disappearing. I once met a lady who had had her earlobes surgically removed as she considered them no longer fashionable.

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Hun Sen said the move would “maintain equity and refine the effectiveness of economic land concession management” and followed policies on land use, division and management under the second phase of the government’s triangular strategy.

Full story at Asia News Network…

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Cambodia has called for an immediate halt to the construction of the Xayaburi dam in an official protest note to Laos, officials said in a statement last week, as opposition to the hydropower project gained momentum in Thailand.

Full story at Asia Times Online

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The free internet service covers the three ancient wards of Minh An, Cam Pho and Son Phong.

Hoi An is already a popular destination for tourists, drawn by its old world charm and proximity to the beach and to the ancient historical ruins of My Son.

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Batad Village & Rice Terraces in 1990 before typhoons and neglect destroyed sections of them. Photo by Chris Gow

The Ifugao Rice Terraces are considered an UNESCO World Heritage site, and have been declared by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation as a Globally-Important Agricultural Heritage System.

Alcala said the P30 million is an initial amount, with P10 million coming from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for the repair of the damaged portions and the enhancement of the irrigation systems for the terraces in the village of Batad. The remainder will come from the National Rice Program for the reinforcement and upgrade of similar terraces in four other sites.

These include the picturesque Banaue rice terraces that can be seen at the Danara Viewpoint and the terraces in Mayoyao, Hapao and Kiangan.

Full story by MARVYN N. BENANING in the Manila Bulletin

The best way to explore the amazing rice terraces of the Ifugao, Botoc and Kalinga tribes of the Philippines Cordillera is to make a trek from village to village, staying at small guest houses and as guests of local tribal families. Here’s how.

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Created in 2005, the Angkor Photo Festival is the first photography festival to be held in Southeast Asia. Each year the weeklong event features exhibitions and outdoor slideshows by celebrated and emerging photographers in Siem Reap.

The strong educational goals of the Angkor Photo Festival sets it apart from other photography events. At the free Angkor Photo Workshops, renowned photographers tutor emerging Asian photographers, while the festival operates its own outreach program, the Anjali Children’s Photo Workshops.

More about the festival here.

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The event, organised by Village Focus International, will take place on Saturday 3rd December, and allows travellers to experience Siem Reap’s magical temple complex at a unique time when the Angkor roads are closed off to traffic.

The Bike Race & Ride encourages participants of all ages and fitness levels to cycle through the beautiful temples of the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Wat temple complex to help raise funds for Village Focus International’s life changing work supporting vulnerable children and sex trafficked victims.

Since the event began in 2006, it has grown each year and raised a total of US$100,000 towards empowering young people and communities break out of poverty.

Village Focus International and CIMB Bank are hoping to raise over US$50,000 (net proceeds) this year and beat previous participation figures.

The Angkor Wat Bike Race & Ride is entering its sixth year this year. Last year 400 participants took part and organisers are expecting 600 this year. In 2010 participants from over 25 different nationalities took part.

For more information on how to plan a visit to Cambodia timed to participate in this fun event, contact us now at Symbiosis Custom Travel.

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Mekong Skies

On the left, the tallest, completed building in Cambodia, the Canadia Tower. On the right the half built Sokha Resort complex currently being developed on the Chroy Changvar peninsular, opposite the popular Phnom Penh waterfront.

More pics on the Symbiosis Custom Travel Facebook page.

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