Symbiosis Custom Travel » Wildlife

Orang-utan in my bedroom

chris — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:05:00 +0000

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Special Summer Liveaboard Diving Discounts, Raja Ampat – July/Aug 2018

AnhLam — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 10:49:32 +0000

Are you still deciding on your summer getaway? We may have just what you need – The SMY Tambora is now offering special discounts for the following 4 scheduled dates for liveaboard diving around North & Central Raja Ampat. Located northwest of Indonesia’s West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) on the Bird’s Head Seascape, it is the world’s most bio-diverse marine region with more recorded fish, coral and mollusc species than anywhere else on the planet. And, here is your last chance to grab these special deals!

Details:
03-12 Jul 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $3,182 as compared to regular USD $3,535

15-24 Jul 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $3,182 as compared to regular USD $3,535

27-Jul – 05-Aug 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $2,750 as compared to regular USD $3,535

08-17 Aug 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $2,750 as compared to regular USD $3,535

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Whale art installation in the Philippines

chris — Fri, 26 May 2017 01:29:09 +0000

A massive whale is unveiled on the shores of Sea Side Beach Resort in Naic, Cavite, Luzon, Philippines.

The 15m x 3m blue whale, which looked to be in the late stages of decomposition, captured the attention of nearby communities and beachgoers.

As groups gathered to haul off the dead whale, they noticed that its entire body was made of plastic waste found in the ocean

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Wild Haven of Cambodia

chris — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:39:04 +0000

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Cambodia Wildlife preview – Wildlife Alliance

chris — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 12:26:53 +0000

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Endangered Gibbons Released Near Angkor Wat

chris — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:07:59 +0000

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Wildlife caught on camera trap in Thailand’s Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary

chris — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:49:18 +0000

Published on Jan 13, 2015
This is a compilation of videos taken from two different
cameras set up in Thailand’s Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Surat Thani province in July 2014. This incredible habitat is still brimming with rare wildlife.

Full story on Mangobay

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Kayaking in the Philippines – last minute adventure

chris — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 03:50:26 +0000

Superlative sea kayaking in the Calamian and Linapacan islands of Northern Palawan, Philippines. Last trip 15-23 Nov. Next trip: circumnavigate Coron Island by sea kayak 30 Nov-03 Dec. Four participating so far. There’s room for 3 more!

Next: An 8-day Round Busuanga and Round Coron kayak expedition Dec 31 – Jan 08. 4 participants already booked. Room for 3 more.

Contact Symbiosis now if you would like to join. We can also help with travel arrangements, hotel bookings and anything else you would like to do while in the Philippines. One not to miss!

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The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

chris — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:11:31 +0000

To those of you in the UK, please watch this – Pailinesque travelogue with lots of useful, insightful knowledge about the wonderful Mekong River and the dangers it faces from over exploitation. Watch on iPlayer

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Palawan’s Subterranean River, Philippines

chris — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:18:44 +0000

St Paul's Underground River, Palawan

Claimed to be the longest underground river in the world (although I hear rumours that a much longer one has been found in South America somewhere) is located in the St Paul’s National Park in Palawan, Philippines.

Emptying directly into the South China Sea through a cave at the bottom of karst limestone cliffs, topped in rich rainforest, the river flows underground for about 8 km, and it is possible to row small boats through the cave system for at lest half of that distance. By kayak, much further… although I am told it is not possible to actually emerge the other side.

To get to the entrance of St Paul’s National Park and to the underground river, you have to take a banca (Philippine version of an outrigger boat) along the Palawan coast from the small seaside town and beach of Sabang.

Monitor Lizard

Once there, you disembark onto a pristine white sand beach (shoes off) from where there are forest trails leading off into the jungle. One of these leads to a boat landing point where you charter your boat and boatman to take you into the caves.

This is a popular day out for local Filipinos and there can be quite a long wait to get a boat, so get there early or plan to spend some time bird watching and wildlife spotting along some of the other trails in the park. In the short time that I was there I saw various monkeys and several large monitor lizards – very close up – in addition to plenty of our feathered friends. Reinforcing the reputation of the park, there was also a posse from the Philippines Birding Society there laden with expensive-looking optical gear.

Daluyon

The St Paul’s National Park is named, it is said, for the shape of the mountain above the caves (see pic) which strongly Catholic Filipinos reckon looks like the profile of a well known Saint!

Most visitors come to visit the underground river from the main town of Puerto Princes, a 2-3 hour drive away (parts of the road are still under construction and parts are very poor). To be there early, I would recommend staying overnight or longer in Sabang where there is one delightful little resort right on the beach called the Daluyon. Swimming pool, nicely appointed rooms in 2 storey villas and excellent food! There are backpacker places at the other end of the beach in Sabang town itself.

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Tiger traffickers busted in Indonesia

chris — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 04:15:20 +0000

Two online merchants of tiger parts have been arrested in Indonesia. The bust was the result of a coordinated effort between local and national authorities, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which supports ‘Wildlife Crimes Units’ operating throughout the country. The arrests are a small success in the battle to curtail the trafficking of wildlife parts online—where sellers can readily connect with a broad international customer base.

One individual was arrested in Bandar Lampung, the capital of Lampung Province located 90 km from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, critical habitat for the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). He allegedly sold tiger parts via social media networks, advertising their mystical and healing properties. The other was detained at the port of Merak on the western tip of Java, a critical shipping link between the two islands and a popular exit point for smuggled wildlife. His online offerings reportedly included a variety of ‘home decorations,’ including tiger skins as well as stuffed tigers, bears, and lions. The stuffed tigers listed for $5,000-7,000.

Read the full story by Loren Bell, Mongabay-Indonesia correspondent, November 04, 2014

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“Too many people”: Philippine island being deforested despite extensive protections

chris — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 03:49:05 +0000

Almost completely covered in Protected Areas, Palawan lost 6.4 percent of its tree cover in just over a decade.

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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Elephant Valley Project, Cambodia

chris — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:25:00 +0000

For an original elephant experience, visit the Elephant Valley Project. The project entices local mahouts to bring their over‐worked or injured elephants to this sanctuary, where, in the words of project coordinator, Jack Highwood, ‘they can learn how to act like elephants again.’ A Briton with a contagious passion for elephants, Jack is on a mission to improve the lot of Mondulkiri’s working elephants. While Bunong tradition calls for giving elephants a certain amount of down time, Jack says that economic incentives to overwork elephants prove too great for the impoverished mahouts of Mondulkiri. In addition to toting tourists around on their backs, elephants are hired to haul around anything and everything, including illegally cut timber. Most tour companies in Mondulkiri stress that their tours employ only humanely treated elephants. Jack commends this, but says it’s the exception rather than the rule. “Most elephants in Mondulkiri are in a highly abused state. They are beaten on the head and made to do things they aren’t meant to be doing.’

Enter the Elephant Valley Project. Mahouts who bring their elephants here are paid a competitive working wage to retire their elephants full time to ecotourism. Mahouts continue to work with their elephants, feeding and caring for them and making sure they don’t escape into the wild. The elephants, for their part, can spend their days blasting through the forest in search of food, uprooting saplings to get to their yummy roots and hanging out by the river spraying mud on one another. You are not allowed to ride the elephants here. Instead, you simply walk through the forest with them and observe them in their element. In the process you learn a lot about not only elephant behaviour but also Bunong culture and forest ecology. Other project components include health care for the Bunong communities in the project area, and health and veterinary care for the mahouts of Mondulkiri. The Wildlife Conservation Society lauds the EVP for helping to protect the eastern reaches of the Seima‐Protected Forest.

The main option for visiting the EVP is a day trip in which half the day is spent observing the elephants, and half the day is spent washing the elephants and doing other tasks around the project site. There are a few exquisite bungalows at EVP but at the moment they are not able to accept overnight stays. Access to the site is strictly‐ controlled so don’t show up unannounced and the maximum number of day trippers allowed per day is 12. The site is not open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday, however there are plans to open six days a week in the future.

Ask us at Symbiosis Custom Travel how you can include a visit to the Elephant Valley project in Mondulkiri during your Cambodia visit.

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Irrawaddy Dolphin Watching in Cambodia

chris — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 02:09:14 +0000

The freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin is an endangered species throughout Asia, with shrinking numbers inhabiting stretches of the Mekong River in Cambodia and Laos, and isolated pockets in Myanmar. The dark blue to grey cetaceans grow to 2.75m long and are recognisable by their bulging foreheads and small dorsal fins. They can live in fresh or salt water, although they are seldom seen in the sea. Before the civil war, locals say, Cambodia was home to as many as 1000 dolphins. However, during the Pol Pot regime, many were hunted for their oils, and their numbers continue to plummet even as drastic protection measures have been put in place, including a ban on fishing and commercial motorised boat traffic on much of the Mekong between Kratie and Stung Treng. The dolphins continue to die off at an alarming rate, and experts now estimate that there are fewer than 85 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong between Kratie and the Lao border.

The place to see them is at Kampi, about 15km north of Kratie, on the road to Sambor. Motorboats shuttle visitors out to the middle of the river to view the dolphins at close quarters. Encourage the boat driver to use the engine as little as possible once near the dolphins, as the noise is sure to disturb them. It is also possible to see them near the Lao border in Stung Treng province, at Preah Rumkel, which also boasts a community homestay. Another serious threat to the lifespan of the dolphins is the environmental impact of a series of hydroelectric dam projects that are in the works in both Laos and Cambodia. No‐one really knows the impact on the Mekong River and its tributaries or the knock‐on effect on the dolphins and fish stocks that inhabit the rivers, but environmentalists fear the outcome will be nothing short of catastrophic. Our message is simple, see them while you can.

How do I get to see freshwater dolphins? Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel

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Last minute deal – Adventure cruise November 2014, Indonesia

AnhLam — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:11:41 +0000

Super deal available for adventure cruise onboard the Ombak Putih. When book this November cruise, you are entitled to free domestic flights (associating with the cruise program) which saves you up to USD $700+.

What: Sailing cruise (Snorkelling & Paddling) onboard Ombak Putih
Where: Sorong – Raja Ampat – Sorong, Indonesia
When: 20-29 November 2014
Offer: Free Domestic flights – Save up to USD $700

For further details, please contact Symbiosis Custom Travel

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