Photo by Leong Siok Hui

In an era where everyone brazenly hitches a ride on the green bandwagon, the folks behind Nikoi Island are an aberration. When I asked Andrew Dixon, one of Nikoi’s founders, about the resort’s eco-friendly approaches, he says, “We take sustainable tourism seriously but avoid labelling or marketing ourselves as such.” Dixon thinks, and rightly so, that these green labels have been bandied about by too many hoteliers who don’t do much beyond asking guests to reuse towels or changing light bulbs.

To find out for myself, I took a ferry to Bintan Island, Indonesia, from Singapore’s Tanah Merah terminal. From the fishing village of Kawal, I boarded a boat to “Eden”, and in less than three hours I was on the island, a world away from bustling Singapore. A white sandy beach fringed by sparkling azure waters and a row of rustic thatched bungalows peeking out from a lush green forest greeted us in Nikoi. Wide grins on their faces, the resort staff scampered out to the arriving guests – yours truly and an American couple, Lara and Nick, who were on the same boat. Read more of this article…

Wild Asia

High above us, two Orang Utan are perched on the tree branches, munching happily on figs. A monitor lizard darts off as our boat approaches while an Oriental Darter swooshes across the water.

Through our binoculars, we spot a pair of Black-and-red Broadbills with their crimson and black plumage and turquoise beaks. Hoot, hoot, hoot…the Bornean gibbons cry out in the distance. The mist lifts up slowly, unveiling a theatrical wildlife “stage” as our boat glides across the Menanggul tributary of the Kinabatangan River. Read more of this article…

Wild Asia

Divers identifying substrates during the EcoDiver certification programme.

Time and time again, we read articles on the problems plaguing our diverse marine life – overfishing, global warming, blasting, unchecked tourism, pollution, etc. Coral reefs around the world have been in crisis for some time now.

But is anyone listening?

The statistics are alarming with 30% of the world’s coral reefs severely threatened, 15% lost over the last decade, and many fish stocks becoming extinct. The first step towards a solution?

Reef check surveys. Read more of this article…

Wild Asia

One of the many natural beauties Kangchendzonga has to offer.

From lush tropical forest, postcard-pretty trails to snow-capped peaks, Sikkim has it all. Little wonder, the natives call their home the ‘earthly paradise’.

When I told friends and family that I was going to Sikkim, the response was, “Huh? Where on earth is Sikkim?” Well, it’s in India and it is also part of the Indian Himalayas.

Most people associate the Himalayas with Nepal. But the Great Himalayan Range actually stretches from Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat (8125m) in the west, across Nepal, and over 2000km to the peaks framing Sikkim and Bhutan in the east. Read more of this article…

Wild Asia