14 – 17 Nov 2013 – UPDATE from previous post – ECO CYCLING ADVENTURE – Kuching

Date: 14th to 17th November 2013

Are you looking for a cycling adventure with a distinct difference?

Green on Bikes!!! Nothing is quite like touring on bike for an ecological, cultural, culinary and experiential experience!!!!

We synergize with the hotel and a team with the best of local knowledge and an insatiable passion for cycling to envision and provide adventurous experience in SARAWAK.  With moderate, achievable riding on charming small roads through village communities and lots of local interaction, you will have a chance to learn about the country and the people who live here. Food is a highlight.

Fortunately, cycling offers a low-impact form of physical activity that appeal to a wide range of the population. As long as you’re reasonably fit and familiar with your own limits, you’re a good candidate for a cycling adventure.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM*Program subject to change

November 14 2013 [Thursday] DAY 1 Upon immigration and custom clearance will transfer to check-in at Riverside Majestic hotel and prepare bicycle. Freshen up. Subjected to time and circumstances will then experience an evening ride (20km+-) and have dinner (own account).

November 15 2013 [Friday] DAY 2 – B/L/Commence cycling journey firstly to local kopitiam for breakfast. Continue to Fairy Cave (55km +-) Explore the cave and then have ethnic lunch. Rest and relax and continue to Lan-E-Tuyang home stay. (25km +-). Check in, explore the garden for durians. Wash up and then have dinner. Relax and enjoy the environment, culture and ethnic music. Overnight is at home stay.

November 16 2013 [Saturday] DAY 3 – B/D After breakfast at home stay, commence cycling through the village roads to Mt Singai – CMPC is a historical site. Although one needs to walk up the steps for more than 30 minutes, but upon getting to the centre with a chapel, longhouse, and amphitheatre et cetera, the feeling of fresh air and lush, green scenery that surrounds the place greets you with a calm and peaceful feeling. All you hear is the sound of the small jungle creatures that was left to live undisturbed. Perhaps may find durians too. Then continue cycling journey through scenic roads and stop for lunch (own account). After lunch continue cycling to Riverside Majestic hotel (30km +-) check in relax and freshen up and adjourn for seafood dinner.

November 17 2013 [Sunday] DAY – B After breakfast at the hotel, free and easy Check out of hotel and transfer to airport for flight back to Singapore

 Suggested Flight Malaysian Airline

SIN / KCH                 MH0642                    1250 / 1415
KCH/SIN                   MH0643                    1040 / 1205

Please note the luggage allowance is 30 Kgs The air ticket base on group is SGD250.00 and you can purchase through the travel agent Muhibbah Travel –Tel: 62942011, however, you may also check with other travel agents. But most important is to purchase the air ticket immediately if you have decided on participation. Please advice upon booking your flight

Anyway, I have already booked my air ticket online which was relatively cheaper.

 Bike Rental

You may rent bicycles in Kuching at RM70.00 per day. Through our experience we encourage participants to bring their own bike as one will enjoy much better knowing your own bike.

Cost is SGD 295.00 (10 participants & above) SGD 345.00 (6-9 participants) – EXCLUDES AIR TICKET, INSURANCE & personal expenses. Inclusive of 2 nights @ hotel and 1 night home stay; return airport/hotel transfer; marshals; support vehicle; meals as indicated; entrance fees; and activities.

Confirmation is upon payment of SGD295.00 and balance (if any) to be paid on day of departure. Group will be a minimum of six (6) and maximum twenty (20) participants only.The closing date is October 18 2013

Please indicate your interest in this post or email malchen@singnet.com.sg if you require further details.

Author: Malcolm Chen

Briefly, yours truly Malcolm is 68 years “young” semi-retired. Since 2002 is involved in promoting, marketing and organizing diverse events/projects such as experiential education; ethnic music & culture; Equestrian; adventure races and sports tourism, community-involvement tourism, incentive & niche programs. These events are mainly in Malaysia in particular Borneo. Currently focusing on cycling toursim, international - AGELESS BICYCLISTS

13 thoughts on “14 – 17 Nov 2013 – UPDATE from previous post – ECO CYCLING ADVENTURE – Kuching”

  1. Silent in the site does not mean nothing is happening………..just to keep updated currently we have a total of nine (9) participants who have confirmed and booked their flight……..several are in the pending list. The maximum group size is twenty (20) participants. Looking forward to more participants.
    Malcolm Chen
    Charles Chua
    Eileen Thean
    Anna Seet
    Rene Leong
    and others………….

  2. Cyclist to Kuching, hope you enjoy your trip.
    One point to note is that Lan-E-Tuyang is a native village set in natural ‘virgin’ jungle surroundings. The first thing you may notice is ants abound upon entering the bedrooms. Hope the tribe stores enough Baygon to ward off those ‘natural’ creatures. After all, they are the original inhabitants and we are just passerbys, so say yr grace first before you zap them. Second is that cooking is done on open stove amidst ‘natural’ structures of wood. So if there’s an accidental fire, be ready to jump from the 2nd floor where these rooms are located as fire extinguishers are a rare sight (hope this has changed since my last visit earlier this yr). Note also there’s no water heater so it’s best to take your bath after you have sweat the most, ie right after your cycling. Any attempt to boil hot water using the kettle provided may get a earful of advice from the camp-in-command. In addition, it’s best to buy bottled water for consumption and H2O tapped from the fishing pond behind the ‘resort’ may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I had a slight diarrhea after 3 days of consuming from that fountain of youth but fortunately my diarrhea medicine which I took along saved my day, if not my life. Finally, my partner and me saw a small snake below our window so hopefully their mother don’t sneak up and become your pillow in the middle of the nite.

    Anyway, be aware of these little surprises and your trip would be a wonderful one

    Happy cycling.

  3. Well, Mr James Tan it certainly reflects very much your true character in posting these malicious comments at this time.It is window dress to appear helpful,but it has an underlying motive.
    I will address these comments at a later date as my 94 year mother was admitted to hospital this morning and will be subjected to an operation and same time I have to accompany the group to Kuching. I firmly believe that the blessings we received will be extended that she will survive!!!!! Praise be to HIS name.

  4. Malcolm, I wish your mom well and hope she recover fast.
    I am surprised as organizer, you took people’s sharing of experience so negatively. Nobody is hitting out at anybody juz trying to let fellow travellers know ahead what pitfalls to avoid. If you can’t see it from this point of view, juz too bad. Ultimately, the experience of the fellow shcians will decide if the trip is worth its weight in salt or in gold.

  5. James

    I am shocked to read the comment by u ! What is a “Virgin” Jungle surrounding ??? Air-con ? 5 Stars Hotel come with room service ?? or do u expect Bygone to kill all the ants and insects in the “Jungle” ? I was there 2 years ago and enjoyed the trip very much.

    Singaporean are too pampered and don know how to enjoy the “Nature” . If u are expecting a “jungle” come with a 5 stars Hotel services – then I must say – u make a wrong choice to a wrong place.

    No Heater ?? – I have warm water shower everyday ? Why ??? – I boil water with the kettle there ?

    I wonder if u ever experience “open kitchen” cooking by your mom or grandmother ? I love the food prepared by Candice/Mathew , The Owner .

    If there is a fire at the place – Any Tom , Dick & Harry will just jump down from the house !!!

    Is u who are not suitable for such trip and it is up to individual to know their own expectation for such trip.

    I don think anyone will be expecting Bygone for killing the ants in the FOREST , Hotel Services , Heater , Room Service and clean towel , White bedsheet in a long House.

    One thing u should be very Happy – Free Flow of Tiger Beer – F.O.C !!!

    karen

  6. Malcolm

    Sorry to hear about your mother’s condition. Hope it is an age related illness that will go away with treatment. If you need any help, call on me or Charles who is with you now.
    You need not be so upset with Mr James Tan’s comments. Readers here do not necessary agree with everything that is written here and do form our own opinions on the comments and the person making the comment. Have faith in us.
    Just for the record, I have also been with you to stay at Lan-E-Tuyang’s long house and I enjoyed myself. In fact,my view is that the accommodation is too luxurious for a long house. I did not see any ants or snake much to my disappointment. I would also like the ‘garden’ to be more wild. If I want what James is looking for I would have stayed at home.
    Take it easy my friend.

  7. Malcolm, sorry to hear about your mum’s condition. I hope she has a speedy recovery after the procedure.
    Take care
    Best Regards
    Caroline

  8. Hi..frens..
    I was borned n raised in Kuching ,Sarawak, though not in a longhouse nor d virgin jungles..have never heard of accidental open stoves/longhouses fires big enough to kill anyone..in fact every year I only read about Australia ragging bush fires killing dozens of people n destroying thousands of homes…
    I used to work in a hotel in Kuching for many years before coming to work in Singapore and have never heard of any foreigners (mostly Europeans) dying from drinking any kind of water in Sarawak..alot of these foreigners went even further inland for trekking ..hiking..photographies etc..eg..places like d kelabit highlands etc…
    Too bad if u only see some common ants n snakes…u miss d baboons..orange utans..hornbills..be n all d stunning beauties of d natives tribes of Sarawak etc..
    It is sad that a few nights stay in a simple longhouse can result in such damaging comments..
    Kuching girl

  9. We return home today from the ECO Cycling Adventure in Sarawak, it was a fantastic trip.
    Our home stay at the Lan-E Tuyang long house was a real back to nature experience, we all love it.
    We do what the locals do and eat what the locals eat.
    We know what we are in for, we didn’t expect any 4 or 5 star services. Non the least we have clean cooling water for our bath, (we didn’t expect any hot water) and we have mineral water for drinking.
    We all enjoyed the cycling, trekking, durian picking, the Sape music entertainment and of course the greenery along the country side.

    Thank you Malcolm for leading us.

    Cheers
    ET

  10. Hi Malcolm,
    I am just back from the same Kuching trip that you arranged. Cycling with the Kuching boys and the Kuching police, eating local Kuching food and staying at Matthew and Candy’s longhouse.

    After the lot of you left I cycled around Kuching town and tried 80% of local Kuching cuisine. Unlike James T, I have no complaints.
    I wondered why James T wrote such a sly and cunning back-handed post.
    I don’t see how he can complain about ants and snakes when he chose, freely, of his own volition to stay, to live in a genuine, Sarawak longhouse in a homestay project.
    Homestays are where the guests stay in a typical local environment, in a native house, so as to learn about how others live.
    It is insulting and disrespectful when a guest makes disparaging remarks about the hosts’ house. It is disappointing to read his remarks as coming from a supposed, mature Singaporean, whose only reason is to provide objective feedback to his friends in SHC. Even the timing of his post is suspect. He wrote when we were all in Kuching, probably cycling furiously, with no internet access, and no way to respond.
    Like Macchiavelli, he seems so confident of his stab in the back, with his back-handed compliments and twisted observations about life in a typical Sarawak longhouse. Like all right-minded and decent humans, I hope peoples of other races and cultures, especially our closer neighbours, don’t think that James T is the typical ugly Singaporean, arrogant and insulting, and disparaging about how other people, with different cultures live.
    He has no hesitation in sharing about his twisted and cunning observations because I think he has an axe to grind with you. He does not mind that in the process, he brings other people down without basis. Helen Kuek has beautifully and graciously defended the people of Sarawak’s lifestyles. A defence which is completely unnecessary.
    He is unrepentant and abject of support. He has shown no indication of remorse, despite the many rebuttals, in fact should I say 6-0.
    My suggestion to James, if he has an axe to grind with you, is to take it up elsewhere, Mano o Mano, ie man to man, and not spoil this SHC forum. We are interested in Truth and objectivity, not twisted observations hiding a cowardly intent.
    Thanks for organising this trip. I enjoyed it, and I needed it too, both for the exercise, toxin ablution and reminding myself we are not the centre of the Universe.

  11. Hi Caroline
    Thanks very much the concern, it is appreciated. The cardiac and anesthesia doctors are conducting more test and she is still under observation in view of her age in undergoing operations. We salute the entire team of doctors including the Neuro Surgeons in optimizing the safety. Anyway, most probable she will undergo the operations and there still remains the risks. For now we just have to pray…..
    I would also like to thank many who are concern for her recovery and mine well-being. Please continue to pray!!!

  12. Hi Malcolm

    You are welcome. This is where friends come in. Be it some words of concern or comfort or a shoulder to lean on. Take care and I hope everything goes well.

    Best Regards
    Caroline

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