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2. Where is RAE based?
RAE is based in the village of Sukau in the lower Kinabatangan.
3. Where is the lower Kinabatangan and Sukau? How to get there?
Lower Kinabatangan is in the east coast of Sabah . It is the lower reaches of the Kinabatangan river, which is Sabah longest river that flows 560km. Sukau is one of the villages along the river. The village is accessible by road. Sukau is the gateway to the amazing nature of Kinabatangan. First you will have to take a 45 minutes flight from Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah to Sandakan, the second largest town in the east coast of Sabah . From Sandakan, take another drive for 2 hour to reach the village of Sukau . The last 1 hour driving is on a stretch of gravel road which is currently being tarred. Click here to read more about the lower Kinabatangan
4. What is so unique about RAE?
It is fully owned and operated by local communities from the village of Sukau . This initiative is to ensure that local communities get the benefit from tourism which in turn would protect the natural resources of the Kinabtangan. RAE is the only organisation that is given the exclusive rights by the Sabah Wildlife Department to bring visitors to the Orang-utan study site. It offers visitors educational programme with interpretation of scientific findings on Orang-utans and the ecosystems of the Kinabatangan floodplain. Visitors are given the opportunity to participate in conservation activities such as reforestation, monitoring Orang-utans movement with research assistants at the Orang-utan study site. RAE operates based on a strict guideline for Orang-utan viewing. It promotes ecotourism best practices including reduction of impact to the environment and allowing full local communities' participation in tourism. RAE's programme highlights cultural experience for visitors as well. Homestay is incorporated into its overnight packaging with activities for visitors to interact with the local people. It supports only local communities' services such as homestay, boats, land transport and guide to ensure benefit sharing with the communities from tourism proceeds.
5. What is local community-based ecotourism?
This is where the community participates and manages tourism in their area. It allows the community to take control of the direction of tourism in their village and to prevent exploitation.This is to make sure that their natural heritage is protected to provide sustainable income through tourism activities.
6. What is ecotourism?
The most common definition is quoted from Epler Wood 1996 which is self-explanatory :
“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people"
This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following principles:
i. Minimize impact
ii. Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
iii. Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
iv. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation
v. Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
vi. Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate
vii. Support international human rights and labor agreements
There are four basic principles of ecotourism:
i. Avoid negative impacts that can damage or destroy the integrity or character of the natural or cultural
environments being visited.
ii. Educates the traveler on the importance of conservation.
iii. Directs revenues to the conservation of natural areas and the management of protected areas.
iv. Brings economic benefits to local communities and directs revenues to local people living adjacent to
protected areas
RAE incorporates the above principles and practices into their operations and programmes. For more information, refer to RAE's Best Practices & Guidelines on Orang-utans ecotourism.
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7. Does RAE uses only services from the village of Sukau?
Yes, RAE uses only services from the village unless certain services required by the visitors are not available in the village. These services include homestay, bed and breakfast, boats, land transport, guide, catering and cultural troupe. This is within RAE's policies to ensure sustainable income for the villagers.
8. Why is the focus on Orang-utan?
Orang-utans are one of the endangered populations in the lower Kinabatangan. The ape and its habitat are threatened by the extensive conversion of their habitat to agriculture land. There are about 1,125 individuals in the lower Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary which makes that the largest population in Malaysia . Being the fact that it is endemic to Borneo (besides Sumatra ), it provides a great opportunity to highlight the Orang-utan as an ecotourism icon to achieve conservation goal in this area. If local communities sees benefit from tourism, they will protect the Orang-utan and at the same time ensure that conservation initiatives are carried out.
9. Where is the Orang-utan study site?
It is within the lower Kinabatangan wildlife Sanctuary, which is about 15 minutes boat ride from RAE's operations base.
10. What is the lower Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary?
The lower Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary consists of 10 blocks of fragmented forest along the floodplain. The size in total is about 26,000 ha. and it is meant to be a forest corridor for wildlife movement and habitat. Click here to see the map of the Lower Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary.
11. What is the expertise of the RAE team?
They are fully licensed nature guides under the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism requirement and also certified to perform first aide. They are scientifically trained in Orang-utans conservation by the Kinabatangan Orang-Utan Conservation Project (KOCP), a project undertaken by HUTAN a French NGO with expertise in Orang-utans research. The team has good knowledge of the lower Kinabatangan ecosystem.
12. Who is Sabah Wildlife Department?
Sabah Wildlife Department is a government agency mandated to protect the lower Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary and wildlife within that area.
13. Why are the prices of RAE's programmes more expensive?
RAE's pricing is definitely higher than those in the market for tour programmes to the lower Kinbatangan. Due to the fragile environment and to avoid mass tourism, RAE has chosen to manage the natural resources and their heritage according to the ‘high cost low volume' maxim. From the revenue, 5% is contributed to the Community Conservation Fund and another 5% to the Community Tourism Development Fund. This means, tourist dollars are contributions to ensure the continuity of Orang-utans research, conservation efforts and tourism development in the lower Kinabatangan. The rest of the revenue goes to paying for the running cost such as boats, guides, homestay and etc.
This chart explains the Community Organisation and Benefit Sharing process.
The following pie chart provides the Actual division of payouts in percentage on revenue acquired from RAE's to the village, to the Community Conservation and Tourism Development Funds and other services, based on the total revenue earned from year 2003 to 2004.
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14. What is the Community Tourism Development Fund?
This fund benefits and assists the local communities' homestay programme and other local services such as upgrading of transportation facilities and training of nature guides.
15. What is the Community Conservation Fund?
This fund supports the Wildlife Warden Programme and Elephant Conservation Unit such as electric fencing at the village cemetery to prevent elephants from entering the cemetery. The fund also supported a programme for fishermen called “Nelayan Konservasi” or Conservation Fishermen. This initiative aims at replacing the use of tree bark and other forest materials in the construction of the traditional fish and prawn traps by plastic wire mesh, which also prove more resistant than the wooden ones. This hopes to attain sustainable ways for local communities of using local natural resources.
16. Who manages these funds?
The Tourism Development Fund is managed by a village committee which consists of the village elders, youth association, KOCP and RAE. The committee will suggest and approve funding for initiatives related to tourism development in the village. The Conservation Fund is managed by RAE in collaboration with the Sukau Wildlife Warden and the Elephant Conservation Unit to identify conservation activities in the area.
17. What is Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project (KOCP)?
This is a project in collaboration between Sabah Wildlife Department and HUTAN. The team consists of 35 trained staff from the Kinabatangan community. The project aims to achieve long-term viability of Orang-utans populations in Sabah . Its objective is to restore harmonious relationships between people and the Orang Utan, which in turn will support local socio-economic development compatible with habitat and wildlife conservation.
18. What is HUTAN?
HUTAN is a French NGO conducting research on Orang-utans and conservation project in the Kinabatangan.
19. What is the link between RAE, HUTAN and KOCP?
HUTAN and KOCP are the scientific technical advisor to RAE.
20. Does RAE fund the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project (KOCP) and HUTAN?
No.
21. What kind of accommodation is offered in RAE's overnight programmes?
The type of accommodation in RAE's overnight programme is homestay and the Bed and Breakfast. This one way of supporting the services offered by local villages and in turn visitors experience the culture and hospitality of the locals during your stay with our programme. Visitors stay with the host families in the village of Sukau . Facilities in the each home and bed and breakfast are basic which includes, individual rooms with fan, common bath & toilet, coffee & tea, boiled water, first aid kit and electricity supply for several hours in a day. Some houses have generators to supply electricity for 24 hours. We have an online page specifically on homestay with pictures. Click here to read more about homestay.
22. What do I need to bring for my overnight trips?
i. Cotton clothing (long and short sleeves t-shirts & pants)
ii. Socks
iii. Towel
iv. Sun blocked lotion
v. Insect repellant
vi. Hat
vii. Raincoat
viii. Good walking shoes or trekking boots
viiii. Toiletries
x. Water container
xi. Knapsack
23. What kind of clothes should I wear during my stay in Sukau?
Cotton t-shirts and long pants for jungle trekking. Otherwise wear comfortable clothes such as T-shirts and shorts at reasonable length (especially women) as it can be quite hot and humid at times.
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24. Can the homestay host family speak English?
Most of them understand very basic English. Otherwise, your guide will help you with the translation.
25. Can the homestay and bed and breakfast cater for vegetarian meals?
Yes they can but prior notification during reservation is required.
26. Is there any electricity in the village?
Electricity is available for 24 hours but expect some power failure every now and then. Some household uses generator as stand by for electricity.
27. Is the water in Sukau safe to drink?
In all the homestay, drinking water are rain water and its boiled. It is safe to drink. However, some visitors may want to buy several bottles of mineral water depending on the duration of their stay for their own consumption . There are also bottled mineral water for sale in the village sundry shops.
28. Is alcohol allowed?
Alcohols are not served or available in the homestay and bed and breakfast because this is a Muslim community. Therefore, alcohol are not allowed.
29. Is there laundry services in Sukau?
This can be arranged with the homestay host for laundry services.
30. Do I need vaccination or take any medical precautionary measures?
There is no requirement for vaccination on prevention of tropical diseases when visiting Sabah or Kinabatangan. The area has no report of malaria or any other critical diseases. However, should you feel that you need to take any medical precaution, that would be at you own discretion.
31. Is it safe to walk around the village on your own?
Yes.
32. Are there shops in Sukau?
Yes, there are sundry shops operated by the villagers that sell toiletries such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, face towels. You can buy snack such as cookies and chips, carbonated drinks and mineral water too.
33. Is there medical facility in Sukau?
The village of Sukau has a clinic for basic medical attention. A hospital with general medical facilities and doctors (general practitioners) is located about 1 hour by road from Sukau. For emergency evacuation, helicopter services can be engaged at the visitor's expense.
34. Is there any form of telecommunications in Sukau?
Land lines are available in the village of Sukau. There are receptions for cell phones provided by major Malaysian telecommunications companies such as Maxis, Celcom and Digi. This means if you have a cell phone with global roaming facility, it is possible to get reception in the area. Public phones using calling cards are also available. Calling cards are sold at sundry shops in the village. If you need to use the internet, please check with you guide for possiblities.
Note:
If you have questions that you would like to know and it is not listed anywhere in our website, please write to us.
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