Here is a message from Rex Summer, founder of Force for the Forest, a non-profit conservation organisation in Indonesia fighting to preserve the rainforest and its invaluable ecosystem that supports rare species including orangutan, Sumtran Rhinoscerous and elephant, and Sumatran Tiger amongst much more.  This is a message of hope but also of need.

After all the doom and gloom messages about the destruction of the rain forest and how that causes climate change, here is a glimmer of encouragement. in a remote part of Indonesia, SE Asia, a huge part of lowland rain forest is being saved, an area the size of Belgium.

It is in the north western tip of the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia.  Not only is it safe, but secure in its vastness are the last viable populations of Sumatran Elephant, Orang-utan, Tiger and Rhinoceros plus all the myriad other species that live in the rainforest.

• There are just 130 Sumatran Rhinos left in the wild.  In our reserve we have 120 and they are breeding.
• The Sumatran Elephant.  We have 800 of the 1000 left in the wild.
• The Sumatran Tiger, under tremendous poaching pressure, but 300 still survive in our forest.

Clouded Leopard by Mike Griffiths

How do you save a rainforest?  Not a quick job.  We have been working on it for the last 30 years, and it is only in the last few years that all those efforts have really born fruit.

The first thing you need to do is to create a political solution, which means years of meetings, socialising, lobbying and research, until the laws that are needed are passed.  Having the laws in place isn?t enough ? they must be enforced.  So you need a local government agency in place that is dedicated, committed and corruption free.

That is what we have done.

We have started Force for the Forest because right now we are in need.  You need to understand how much money the loggers make from the rainforest ? our forest, the Leuser Ecosystem, generated US$500 million dollars a year as it was being cut down.  An oil palm plantation on the site of the old rainforest makes US$1600 a year from each hectare.

So you can imagine that the loggers are not pleased with us.

Our recent successes in preserving the forest have led to a more insidious, effective attack on us.  They have cut off much of our funding.

For the last year our work has been funded by the pockets of the personnel involved, but now that has run out.  So we have formed Force for the Forest to provide a source of funds for the essential work that cannot be compromised by the loggers.   We don?t want to just save our rainforest in SE Asia.  We want to show the world how it is done, and make sure conservationists the world over know what works and how you can combat the huge financial forces of the loggers even on a pittance.

What can you do to help?

• First and most important: send this message to as many people as you can, spread the word that some of the rainforest is saved and it CAN be done!
• Then join us!  Be a force for good, be part of the Force for the Forest.  Join the Force for the Forest email list so you can receive regular updates on what is happening.
• Donate!  £10 may not sound like much, but it goes a long way to paying for a ranger to go on anti-poaching patrol and will save the life of a tiger or a rhinoceros.

Read our story and see more about us at www.forcefortheforest.com or go straight to the donate page.

Right now our rangers are doing something incredible. They are cutting down 800 hectares of oil palm and regenerating the forest. Have you ever heard of that happening elsewhere?  This is fantastic news for all of us, so please, help us today and donate to help us cut down a tree to save the forest!

Rex Sumner

Force For The Forest

Sumatran Elephants by Mike Griffiths

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Villa Amarik is located on the tiny island of Gili Terawangan, just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia (one island east of Bali), and is renowned as one of the best dive spots within easy reach of Bali.

For anyone looking for a combination of great diving and exotic oriental culture on the Island of the Gods, this is a great opportunity.

Valid from 9th January to 31st July 2010

• Book 7 nights, pay only 6 nights Book a 13 dive package, pay for only 11 dives
• Book 14 nights, pay only 12 nights Book 24 dive package pay for only 20 dives

For accompanying Non-Divers: the same offer for Room and Meal plan applies

THIS OFFER IS APPLICABLE ONLY TO DIVERS. FOR EACH COUPLE, AT LEAST ONE  MUST BE A DIVER AND MUST BOOK A DIVING PACKAGE FOR A MINIMUM  OF 13 DIVES.

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• Book 7 nights, pay only 6 nights
• Book a 13 dives package, pay only 11 dives

• Book 14 nights, pay only 12 nights
• Book 24 dives package pay only 20 dives

For accompanying Non-Divers, the same offer for Room and Meal plan applies

THE PROMOTION IS APPLICABLE ONLY TO DIVERS.

FOR EACH COUPLE, AT LEAST ONE  MUST BE A DIVER AND MUST BOOK A DIVING PACKAGE FOR A MINIMUM  OF 13 DIVES.

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Normally the Malaysian Borneo states of Sarawak & Sabah are blessed with abundant rainfall, but presently they are undergoing an exceptionally dry spell

Sarawak

Bako National Park is experiencing an extreme shortage of water, which means that, as far as visitors are concerned, there may be insufficient water for showering or for the toilets. As things stand, we do not recommend any overnight stay at the Park.

The water levels on the Lemanak River and the Batang Ai are reported to be very low. We are cutting new trails and offering alternatives, however travellers to these areas can expect delays in getting to some of their destinations in these areas.

Poor visibility has caused some disruption to flights getting in and out of Mulu. Expect an increase of travel time within the Mulu National Park.

Sabah

As in Sarawak, the air remains slightly hazy however, hopefully, conditions will improve with the rains expected to arrive next week.

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Cambodian soldiers have rediscovered an ancient temple in Oddar Meanchey province in the north west of the Kingdom. Soldiers found the found the small temple, named Dai Kei, located about 1 km from the Thai border late last week. Cambodia’s claim to Ta Moan temple, as with land around the more famous Preah Vihear Temple, is disputed by Thailand.

The new temple will be added to a list of more that 2,000 ancient structures identified in Cambodia, of whch the most famous of all is Angkor Wat that attracts thousands of tourists each year, located in Siem Reap Province.

It is estimated that the newly discovered temple dates back to the 11th century reign of King Suryavarman I who was responsible for many of the known temples scattered through the Dangrek mountain area in Northern Cambodia.

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This year, to date, there have been something like 94 deaths from lightening strike in Cambodia’s rural farmlands.  This figure outstrips the number of casualties from land mines by a factor of 10!

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The best time of year to view the mighty Mola Mola… or sun fish… around the shores of Bali is rapidly approaching, and the best chance of all, as you may know, is just before or just after the Full and New Moons

So here are The Dates:

Jul 2009:

• Full Moon: 05/07/09 – 10/07/09
• New Moon: 20/07/09 – 24/07/09

Aug 2009:

• Full Moon: 04/08/09 – 09/08/09
• New Moon: 18/08/09 – 25/08/09

Sep 2009:

• Full Moon: 01/09/09 – 10/09/09
• New Moon: 17/09/09 – 23/09/09

Oct 2009:

• Full Moon: 01/10/09 – 07/10/09
• New Moon: 17/10/09 – 21/10/09

Nov 2009:

• Full Moon: 01/11/09 – 07/11/09
• New Moon: 17/11/09 – 20/11/09

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My last visit to Karawari was in 1990 when I arrived by accident after becoming stranded at Tari Airport in the Southern Highlands.  That time, I had just complete a fortnight going walkabout with a clan of the Huli Wigmen and returnerd to the town to find that the national domestic airline, Talair had suspended operations.  Meanwhile some Raskols had blown up a bridge on the road back to Mendi… so I was stranded.

To the rescue came a private charter plane full of Californian movie moguls who (begrudgingly) allowed me to hitch hike a ride (for a price!) to wherever they were going – which happened to be Karawari Lodge in the Sepik basin.  On a shoestring in those days, I was lucky to find Pam Bates, the owner of Karawari Lodge, in residence overseeing a management change who generously offered me an unserviced room for the night free of charge.

From there I went on for one of my “big adventures” – paddling a traditional dugout canoe, solo, down to the Sepik River, inviting myself to stay at villages along the river banks, sleeping in their Haus Tamboran, going pig hunting with the men and their blow pipes, and generally mucking in.

On my most recent visit in March this year, however, I was a legitimate guest of the lodge and my two days there were altogether a more sedate affair.

View from Karawari Lodge

Karawari Lodge is splendidly situated on the top of a small hill with majestic views to the river 100m below and across the endless expanses of lowland rainforest.  Human populations in this area are very small and the damage to the primary forest is minimal, and localised to the river banks. There are no roads and people live as they always have, fishing from non-motorised dug out canoes and harvesting sago palms from which they make extract flour from the pith of the tree trunk for make “bread”. Traditions are strong here, although Christianity has largely supplanted animist beliefs… some of which still ride on the top of the adopted religion.  

Our 2 days were spent setting forth along the river by jet-propelled, flat bottom boats to visit villages along the riverbanks where local people obligingly demonstrated aspects of their daily lifestyles such as how to extract flour from the sago palm and then to make pancakes from the dough. At one village a “sing sing” was performed in our honour, with a complex array of dance routines.  At all the villages we visited, a local handicraft market instantly materialised offering wood carvings for which the Sepik is famous.

The forests are rich with wildlife, though we did not have time to explore in detail.  We did, however, make an sunrise visit to the known residence of a 12 Wired Paradise Bird where we were privileged enough to witness a mating dance. 

Here are some pictures from my brief Karawari visit.

Approaching the Karawari Airstrip

Arrival

A Karawari greeting

Arrival at Karawari Lodge

Sepik artefacts

Sepik faces

Making sago pancakes

Illustrating the use of a penis gourd

Yours Truly looking somewhat less glamourous than my host!

Karawari River

Sing Sing preparation

The Sing Sing gets underway

Sepik river craft

Sea Eagles abound

Karawari ladies on a fishing trip

Shy Karawari villagers

Impromptu crafts market - people come from around the world to collect Sepik wood carvings

A pet cuscus

Typical Karawari village houses

Praying Mantis

Time to go

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East New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Mt Tavurvur taken from Kopopo, Rabaul PNG

Yesterday I returned from a fact finding mission to Papua New Guinea – as always a fascinating experience. I also had a couple of days in the Solomon Islands… my first time there!  Stunning! More on that later.

The trip started in the former Colonial era capital of Rabaul on the island of New Britain.

Rabaul before the eruption in 94

Rabaul was partially destroyed in 1994 when two volcanoes flanking the town, Tavurvur and Vulcan, erupted simultaneously covering the city in ash.  Vulcan is now extinct but Tavurvur periodically comes to life spewing more ash into the sky and over the surrounding area.

On my last visit in 2006, Tavurvur was emitting little spurts of steam only.  This time was much more entertaining with periodic bursts of activity, loud explosions and plumes of thick black emissions rushing skyward.  

Rabaul just after the eruption

With half of Rabaul already buried, and with the remaining half subject to frequent new coatings, most of the population have long since moved around the coast to Kokopo, near to the replacement airport, a 40 minute drive away.  From here you can clearly see the volcanic eruptions without having to suffer the effects.  Having said that, the airport is often closed when the wind blows in a certain direction – jet engines do not like ash!

I stayed at Kokopo Beach Bungalows, located close to the commercial part of Kokopo and right above the beach.  The place is undergoing expansion with new rooms and a very fine new restaurant area that was scheduled for a grand opening the following week. Nice rooms and a good location, and excellent hosting by its charming owner, Simon Foo.

Dancers at Kokopo Beach Bungalows

Rabaul was once known for its excellent wreck diving within the Simpson Harbour (the flooded caldera of an ancient massive volcano), but the most popular of these was buried by the volcanic eruption in 1994.  Others within the harbour are still diveable but visibility can be very poor with so much ash still falling into the sea. here.  

Outside the harbour  there are more wrecks to dive, including George’s Wreck and a Mitsubishi biplane, plus more.  Meanwhile new discoveries are being made and the reputation of Rabaul as a top dive destination is rapidly being restored.

Japanese WWII tunnels, complete with supply barges, Rabaul PNG

For non divers there is plenty to see and do, including visiting the Volcanology centre just above Rabaul from where you can get splendid views of Simpsons Harbour and the smoking Tuvurvur as well as a fascination introduction to the science of life management in a highly geologically unstable region, or visiting the maze of tunnels burrowed by the Japanese during WWII. 

Tavurvur from the Volcanology Centre above Rabaul

Islands out in the Bay have superb beaches, rarely visited and the fishing is exceptional.  I only had the line in the water for about 5 minutes before I hooked this fine Spanish Mackerel!

Me with Spanish Mackerel at Pidgin Island, Rabaul PNG

Enjoy the photos.  More from my trip coming up.

Brian & Erin with my fish

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Yesterday a large group of United Front for Democracy protesters demonstrated on Phitsanulok Road where government House is situated. The protest was mostly peaceful and organised to pressure the current administration into dissolving the House and amending the constitution. No violent incidents were reported.

Protest leaders have said they will stay outside Government House for not more than three days. They however vowed not to protest at the Asian summit in Hua Hin.

The protest leaders issued a statement today, warning about possible traffic closure around Government House between 6 pm to 6 am during the night and apologizing for any inconveniences caused. The Prime Minister could, however, enter the compound of Government House, this morning, to go to work normally. Most of protestors are limited to the area around the Government House, far from all major tourist areas and hotels.

All major tourist attractions are operating normally and there is no inconvenience to tourists. Bangkok reportedly remains safe for visitors. If the situation changes, I will post new here.

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I recently visited a community deep in the Cardomom Mountains, western Cambodia that, until recently existed to plunder the rainforest of trees and wildlife.  

Approaching Chi Phat

Chi Phat is a former logging community a 2 hour boat trip up river from the newly refurbished road linking Koh Kong to the rest of Cambodia and the largest settlement within what is now the Cardomom Mountains protected area, and it is here that the Wildlife Alliance (formerly known as Wildaid) have been driving a community based eco-tourism initiative to ween the local people off hunting endangered wildlife and chopping down the rich rainforests.

Already the commune of 4 villages and 520 families has 4 guest houses established and almost daily arrivals of Western tourists, thanks to a mention in Nick Ray’s recently published, latest edition of the Lonely Planet Cambodia. 

Guest House in Chi Phat

According to the Wildlife Alliance, 94% of the families have now thumb printed an agreement to participate in the eco tourism project, and to desist from illegal wildlife and timber trading.  Expectations must be pretty high for a quick economic result.  But I wonder if they really understand the changes that tourism will bring to their community, and I also wonder how they will moderate tourism arrivals such that the tourism itself does not drive tourism away again.

The big dilemma – how do you stop tourism from loving what it loves to death?  Most backpackers heading to a place like Chi Phat will be doing so to try to get a closer look at an authentic rural community, unadulterated by modern development or by tourism. Many will also be going there for the kudos of having gone to a place that few outsiders know about.  So what will be their response when they find that there are already dozens of foreigners wandering around the village, bathing in the waterfalls and generally “intruding” on their uniquely personal experience?

For the moment the visitors are coming in their ones and twos.  The community needs to be aware of the risks of over selling and compromising the charm of their product.  Meanwhile, they need to keep the income growing so that there is not the temptation to revert to illegal wildlife collecting.

Trekking around Chi Phat

Chi Phat’s attraction: While I was there I went for a 2 day trek into the rainforest, sleeping overnight in hammocks under a jungle shelter.  Most of the walk was through secondary forest, sometimes following former logging tracks, now heavily overgrown.  The group was too big and noisy for any real chance to see wildlife, though we did see and hear fly-overs by 2 different hornbill species – pairs of Greater Hornbill and several large flocks of Pied Hornbill.  In a natural clearing near the campsite we disturbed a large group of wild pig.

Greater Hornbills

To start the trek we too a very scenic, early morning boat ride along mist-shrowded, winding rivers through dense forests.  Such expanses of seemingly undamaged, natural growth is a wondrous thing to see and heart warming to find that Cambodia still has large expanses of unspoiled wilderness.

Upriver in Chi Phat

The second day we used mountain bikes to explore sandy tracks and trails, and to visit dramatic waterfalls.  That was great and, for people who enjoy exploring on 2 wheels, worth a two or three day visit.

Mountain Biking, Chi Phat

There is talk of building a hide near to one or both of the natural clearings where there are watering holes for the wildlife.  If this happens, then I think that Chi Phat could become a magnet to wildlife watchers… although it will be years of rebuilding trust between the nature and humans before you are likely to see very much here.  

River, Chi Phat

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Users may think ecstasy is a drug of peace and love, but every tablet they take plays a part in destroying Cambodia’s pristine Cardamom mountains and puts the lives of those fighting for the environment at risk, reports Bronwyn Sloan..

Read this revealing article here

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I am being thrown special offers left right and centre – mostly for hotels in Thailand – if anyone is interested. Some really quite nice places are discounting in anticipation of the big downturn expected. Let me know if you are interested.

CHRIS

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“Tiny batbitim—part of a mostly uninhabited karst archipelago northwest of West Papua—is home to great schools of giant tuna and mobula rays hunting shimmering clouds of anchovies. “We hung in mid-water watching this spectacular dance unfold,” Misool Eco Resort owner Andrew Miners says of his first dive there. “I realized that not only had I stumbled upon a place of spectacular beauty, but, aside from a few intrepid divers, I had arrived before anyone else.” Miners decided this was the place for the land-based conservation project he’d been dreaming of. ”

This is the start of the “Dive Green and Dive Often” story about Misool Eco resort in Raja Ampat, featured in the Feb 09 edition of National Geographic Travel Magazine.  Read the full story here: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/02/islands/indonesia-text

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