Possible Activities

Tour on the farm:

The Chin’s have been doing this for some time already. It’s very interesting and people can learn a lot from it. It would be nice to add fruit tasting to the tour, possibly something made with the recipes Michael will provide.

To do: Think of some recipes to use the fruits in (Michael)

Possible: Make a tour for children, something like a puzzle walk.

Possible: Make a brochure, or an A4 paper to give the visitors to take home.

Possible: Make laminated fruit guide, with names and uses of the fruits to take during the tour.

(On the other hand, this could take the attention of the farmer and the nature guide)

Time: 1.5 hours

Temple:

The Tung Wah Tong temple is a cave temple 10 min. from the Chin farm 157 Steps up, great view over the countryside, lots of statues and stalactites and a small cave behind the great hall. This cave is very small and not really interesting, although there might be a path leading from this cave to a complex of tunnels that were previously used by the communists.

On the other side of the cave stairs lead up to a plateau overlooking the surrounding mountains. It’s not possible to get there without going through the cave, so it couldn’t be the start or end of a walk, but it is a great place to have lunch. The temple has kitchen facilities and there a some chairs and a table on the plateau.

To do: Send a letter to the committee, so they can decide whether they want to join the project.

If they join: clean up the area behind the main hall (sweep)

Make sure there are enough chairs to have lunch with the tourists

Time: 45 min (without lunch)

Walking route to Amengs farm:

On the road from the polo club to Amengs farm. Beautiful route, easy to walk.

To do: Write down the route

Write down some information on the plant, rock formations, and animals along the route

Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

Trekking from Amengs farm to the other temple:

Very nice trek could be a bit too difficult for some people, so maybe only include this in an active package. On the side of the farm you have to pass through another orchard, which belongs to a friend of Ameng. On the other side, near the temple, it looks like a private property as well. There are also a lot of dogs around on that side.

To do: Find out whose land we’ll be walking on.

Clear the route, maybe together with the MNS?

Put some ropes on slippery slopes, bridges over ditches

How about the high route between the rock formations?

Time: 1 to 1.5 hours

Dairy Farm:

This place is one of the main attractions. Sagreet is a third generation farmer, and has around 80 cows on his farm, and goats as well. He produces milk in a traditional manner, milking the cows with his own hands. He is willing to join the program as an attraction, and also thinking about using his spare room as part of the homestay project. Sagreet has received a letter explaining a bit more about the project and Ehomemakers.

Time: 30-40 minutes

BBQ & Night walk at Amengs farm:

The farm is a very beautiful place to have a barbecue. Since there is no fridge on the farm, the menu will be fresh fish from the fishpond and vegetables. We will make a standardized menu so the guide doesn’t have to go through much trouble. After the barbecue, the tour guide will take the tourists on a short walk, point out some stars, constellations, fireflies, blooming flowers of the dragon fruit, frogs and other animals, listen to jungle sounds, etc. It could be interesting to have a map of the sky handy, so the tourists can look for constellations themselves.

To do: Make a simple fish and veggies menu

Find a map of the stars/constellations

The guide needs an assistant to help cooking and do the dishes. The tourists may not help and the job is too big for one person.

Time: The whole evening

Traditional games/storytelling:

This is one of Neal’s ideas. Basically the guide would improvise this part of the tour during the evening when there is not so much to do. For example: after the night walk, while tourists are sitting around the fire.

Davi:

At this doctor’s house there are several activities. First, Davi will explain about the different forms of alternative medicine he has been practicing for the last 8 years (see business card). Then, his wife can take the tourists on a tour in the garden, which is nice and has a lot of different plants and herbs. In the back of the garden are two caves that are linked. This place could be nice for caving and could be put into the active package (B). Otherwise, this is a good cave to show tourists that are not in the active program and explain about the way caves are formed. There are bats in the caves and monkeys in the jungle garden. The family is also thinking about using his spare room as part of the homestay project. Davi’s wife has received a letter explaining a bit more about the project and Ehomemakers.

To do: Think about having Davi as a homestay host. He is not a farmer and doesn’t seem to need the money, so is he suitable as a host?

Time: Talk and garden tour: 45 min

Caving: 30 min

Orchid Farm:

Nice place to take visitors. The owner is very helpful and knows a lot about the orchids. Very close to the dairy farm. Mr. Wong is interested in receiving visitors and we have given him a letter explaining a bit more about the project and Ehomemakers. The owner of the land also agrees with the whole plan and could show the tourists him orchard.

Time: 20 minutes

Tambun cave:

A good place to take tourists. There is no actual cave, the drawings a on a big rock wall. Both the well and the drawings are worth a visit. The only drawback is the ‘getting there and away’ bit, the land is owned by some rich polo playing guy. We don’t have a name or a number, but he’s there every morning and evening practicing.

To do: Find out who owns the land and ask for permission to cross once in a while with some tourists.

Time: 10 min to walk there, 15 to see the paintings

Old mining area:

About 30 min. Drive from Tambun, but really amazing. Big piece of mature, accessible to everyone. Lily ponds, many birds nesting there, easy roads to walk.

To do: Find a map of the area, or a satellite photo

Make sure the guides know the area and know various walks

Some of the optional picnic spots are a bit messy; make sure the guides clean them up a bit before taking tourists there

Time: 30 min drive, hours to walk around

Cooking course:

Michael and Diana will be working on this

Other Activities

Plant nursery:

Not checked yet.

Pottery factory:

Not checked yet.

Batik factory:Not checked yet.

Dismissed Activities

Herbs Farm: XXX

The owner we met, Mr. Wong, didn’t know a lot about herbs. He says his partner knows more about them, but apparently this partner is not always around. The place is also really small and not as impressive as Dr. Davi’s herb jungle.

Fishing or boating on the pond at Amengs farm: XXX

Doesn’t appeal. The pond is too small to put a boat in, unless you’re talking about children. Fishing isn’t very interesting because you’ll catch a fish within a minute.

Cave behind the Tibetan temple: XXX

Too dangerous to find the entrance, not possible to take tourists there. Apart from that, it seems like the temple has other plans for the cave. Inside there are big wooden structures for the collection of birds’ nests. The temple itself is not interesting enough, and it’s not very ECO.

Host spring/waterfall: XXX

We haven’t found one so far, but maybe one of the trips with MNS or the Senior Citizens Club will be fruitful.

Kellie’s Castle: XXXIs already a tourist attraction, and commercial. So it won’t be included in the program. We can refer to this attraction on the website.

Wooden shoe factory: XXX

The owner is not interested in joining the project.

Bean Curd factory: XXX

The owner is not interested in joining the project.

Very interesting factory, a bit out of the way, but still near Tambun. The scooping and drying of the bean curd is done all day, but the grinding of the beans and the separating of the soya milk from the beans is only done in the morning. We think the tourists should see the whole process, starting with beans and ending with beans curd, so we should have someone around to turn on the machines and show them. The place needs a lot of cleaning.

Normal shoe factory: XXX

This is considered cottage industry. For the packages as they are right now, this factory is too far away and not interesting enough. Peck Lin will keep it in mind and maybe use it in another package based on cottage industry around Tambun.