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The Asian outdoors is little known to the outside world, yet here are some of our greatest riches on earth. Cave exploring, rock and mountain climbing (4300 metre peaks) river rafting, hunting for wild animals with a camera, diving on ancient and World War Two wrecks, archeological digs, hill tribe village exploring on elephant back, jungle bashing—they are all there. Take the jungle, for example. Here is nature that has been essentially untouched and undisturbed by mankind, wildlife in its natural environment. For your next holiday how about REALLY getting away from it all?
Mark Twain once remarked, "Everyone talks about the weather but no one does anything about it." Asia's outdoors is much the same way. Everyone talks about the jungles and rivers, about the wild animals and native people who inhabit the forests and hills, about all there is out there to see but "no one does anything about it."
It always amazes me how much of Asia people actually miss. Oftentimes those who live here keep putting it off, for some reason or another. With visitors it's something else. They have preconceived ideas about Asia.
A few years ago a local travel agency contacted me and asked if I'd help promote safari tours into the jungles. The agent had read a report about an expedition I had made with the Chief Game Warden in Malaysia in which we explored parts of the Malay jungles never before seen by anyone except the Orang Asli (aborigines) who live there.
The agent had an idea. The jungles are little known to the outside world yet here are some of our greatest riches on earth—Nature that has been untouched and undisturbed by mankind; jungles over one hundred million years old; wildlife in its natural environment with elephant and tiger, rhino and buffalo, gibbons and siamang; primeval forests and flora found nowhere else.
"Tourists would love it," the agent explained. "They'd eat it up. What we need is a campaign to sell the jungles. Let people know what it's all about."
The plan was for me to take half a dozen tourists into the jungle on a bonafide safari. The agency would do a movie short about the trip* which they would take to Europe and America to help sell the idea to their clients. They engaged one of Asia's top cinema photographers, Kurt Rolfes of Singapore. We did the safari, through the help of the game department. There were eight of us, aside from the photographer and assistants: A businessman and his son, a salesman, a lady art dealer and others with various occupations. It was a fun trip and everyone loved it.
When I saw the movie print several weeks later I was impressed. It had all the thrills: riding rapids, hiking through dense jungle, spending a night in a tree hide, fishing for giant carp and glissading down waterfalls.
It was a happy agent who tucked the film and stacks of brochures under his arms and set off for Europe and America. "It's certain to be a success," he assured me.
Would you believe, with all the promotion—a movie, talks, brochures—not one person showed up for a jungle tour. In fact, no one even enquired. The plan was a complete failure.
The reason? Those who come to Asia come for one or two reasons—and it isn't to go looking for the great outdoors. It's quite the opposite. They come to see the cities and take in the sights, and certainly to take advantage of the good shopping.
Those who live here seldom have the time and usually, when they do have time, they go off to Europe. They say they can always go on safari or raft down a river or visit a hill tribe. But do they?
On the other hand, there are some who would like to see more of the outdoors but they lack the know-how of arranging it. ROH provides several such excursions. Take a look at the ROH booklet.
Some safari areas may be remote but nevertheless they can still be comfortable with rest houses and private chalets. It’s even possible to rent a lodge deep in the jungle, reached only by river, where you prepare your own meals. There are also tree hides where you can watch wild game at the salt licks. You can hire guides and porters and go trekking into the deep forest. Many are virtually unexplored, still.
In these same jungles I have run across primitive Negritos who had never seen a stranger. We have come face to face with wild elephants and heard tigers growling in the night.
The Oriental Jungles can be interesting from another standpoint. It was here that the dawn of man began. The anthropologist could have a field day. Southern Thailand and the entire Malay Peninsula abound in limestone caves where early man first found refuge.
Some of the more famous caves have been explored but not to their fullest. There are countless lesser caves that wend their way deep into the bowels of the earth. A few years ago one expedition set out to explore one of these passages and after the second day came across the remains of a previous expedition that obviously became lost and perished. There is no record of them having been missing.
Hunting is discouraged in Asia, wisely so, but not for the photographer. And for the sportsman there is some incredible fishing, salt water for giant tuna and freshwater fishing for giant carp. (See my story about fishing wild rivers that appeared a few weeks ago.)
The rivers of Thailand have not only good fishing but offer some incredible river rafting. For example, there’s a 75-kilometre trip from Banthadon to Chiang Rai that has all the thrills one could want. Another is on the Keck River. To do the Keck you put in at Ban Pak Yang, near the Phitsanulok and Lomsak Highways. You can follow the river all the way to Wang Thong, with four waterfalls to portage around.
All you need is a boat. But that is not a crisis. Anywhere along the rivers you can hire local boats along with the boatman. Or you can take your own kayak and do your own navigation.
The latter can be the most enjoyable and it's not as difficult as it might appear. At the small town of Rangsit north of Don Muang Airport there are several kayak builders. The price is reasonable, ranging from 250 baht to 1,000 baht and you have your own boat.
A sport that is becoming more and more popular in Southeast Asia is scuba diving. Scuba diving has taken on a new impetus since the discovery of several Chinese wrecks in the Gulf of Thailand. Other than wrecks, exploring coral reefs can be rewarding.
At one time or another we all dream of the perfect escape to a tropical isle with a quiet lagoon, palms nipping at the blue sky and empty white sand beaches. In a man's lifetime he could not visit all the islands in the area. From Pattaya down the Malay Peninsula to Singapore there are hundreds worth visiting. Some are inhabited, mostly with small fishing settlements while others seldom see trespassers. A few years ago I sailed my schooner up from Singapore and made 16 island stops. Each island was different, with its own beauty and charm. In some lagoons we dropped anchor and watched it settle into the sand thirty feet below.
In Thailand everyone talks about Phuket but it is Ko Samui that is just as fascinating. If MGM is ever looking for locales for a romantic isle, then Ko Samui is the place. A large island, it is indented with coves. lt would take a full day to motorbike around it.
It's helpful having your own boat, of course, but it's not necessary. If islands don't have ferry services from the mainland, you can always hire a fishing boat to take you back and forth. You can arrange to have the boat pick you up in a few days, or keep it and sleep aboard. I know people who have done both
A sport in Asia that one hardly ever considers is mountain climbing. We all hear about climbing Mount Fuji in Japan, and perhaps Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. These certainly are two mountains worth attempting. But there are others that you seldom, if ever, hear about.
One is Mount Ophir, a mountain with a legend. It lies a dozen or so miles inland from Malacca. It's said that a fairy goddess makes her abode on the mountain. Her beauty is striking* and she has a way of luring men with her charms. Once a man rests his eyes upon her he never wants to leave.
To reach the summit takes two days. Once you begin climbing, what may have sounded like fantasy suddenly takes on new meaning. You begin to wonder. The trail, of sorts, leads through an almost forbidden forest. The twisted and gnarled trunks of trees are green with damp moss and vines and creepers are hanging everywhere in deep folds. The vegetation is so thick that even at midday the sun cannot penetrate to the trail below. It becomes eerie. Is it night or day? Water in rivulets makes gushing sounds and mist and fog everywhere are rising upwards.
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Islands galore in the waters of Southeast Asia
Can't tell what you might find on an abandoned
island
Found, a castle in the jungle
In hills like these are hidden hill tribe villages
Crossing a river without a bridge
A negrito family in the Malay jungle
A man of the jungle
A young hill tribe girl
Can't tell what you might find in a cave
Hill tribe women pose for a photo
Hop aboard a ferryboat for real excitement
The author poses at a cave painting site
Stone carvings at Angkor as tall as a building
Don Bianco, left, and the author at the summit of
Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain is Southeast Asia
A real discovery, cave paintings
Divers going over the side aboard the author's
schooner
Found 180 feet down, the HMS Repulse
The author inspects strange steps in the jungle
The author inspect human sacrifice site in Laos
The author fishing for marlin
Great to explore the ruins at Angkor Wat
Mt. Kinabalu, a challenge for anyone
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You may not believe in the myth but you find yourself looking. Just in case. You might even imagine you've seen her. A warm fire and a brandy at the summit put you at peace with the world.
Another mountain that only a few have tackled is Mount Tahan in central Malaysia. It's the highest on the peninsula. Just to reach it takes a week, first by dugout up the Tembling for two or three days and then hacking through the jungles for another four. The Park Headquarters can arrange for guides.
Wild rivers, jungle safaris, the undersea world, cave exploring, mountain climbing, island hopping, game fishing — it's all there, and more.
Fortunately we don't have to be wealthy or friendly with a rich maharaja to enjoy Asia's great outdoors. Cost for guides and porters are only a few dollars per day. You can buy bedding and clothing from surplus stores—but don't be too military looking. And there is good transportation to about every place we want to go.
Enjoying Asia outdoors is up to each individual. But, Royal Orchid Holidays can help too.
Next week I’d like to explain the advantages of signing up for Royal Orchid Package tours.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Dear Mr. Stephens, I read and enjoyed you story on the hutongs of Beijing. I am interested in side trips like that when I travel and you stories are encourage. My wife and I are planning a trip to Beijing and would like to visit the hutongs but my wife has some reservations. Is it safe? Please help me out. James Helms, LA, CA.
Dear Mr. Helms, to answer you question I can only tell you that many thousands of tourists visit the hutongs these days. It isn’t what it used to be. Although ROH doesn’t have guided tours there, if you sign up for Beijing Minibreak, ROHS23, on the morning of the fourth day you are at leisure to travel where you please. This is the opportunity to visit the hutongs. –HS
Harold Stephens
Bangkok
e-mail: ROH Weekly Travel
Note: The article is the personal view of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited.
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