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Sail
BIMP-EAGA
Exploring Equator-Asia |
Concept
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
is an annual programme of four yacht cruises designed to
highlight the cultural attractions and amazing biodiversity
of BIMP-EAGA.
BIMP
- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
EAGA
- East ASEAN Growth Area
Apart from the
beautiful anchorages, beaches and spectacular scenery,
these cruises are designed to introduce
participating crews to the diversity of culture, wildlife,
habitats, traditions and unique national characteristics of
BIMP-EAGA.
The programme and
management of these
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
events has been established to give cruising yachts the
confidence to explore relatively isolated - but
beautiful - areas of BIMP-EAGA. The support services
available to participating yachts are
intended to provide information, advice and helpful local
contacts, so
yacht crews feel confident to undertake their journeys
through these beautiful, rewarding but often less developed,
regions.
The format of all
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
events aims to
give participating yachts the time to explore, relax and
interact along the route. The most appropriate way to
describe the events could be a cruise-in-company, rather
than a tightly structured rally schedule. The routes contain
arranged Stops
- where formal events and organised tours will take place,
where there are greater local supports services, repair
workshops, air freight services etc, and where local officials and travel
operators can provide the latest local knowledge advise about places to explore,
enjoy and visit along
the route to the next arranged
Stop.
Arranged
Anchorages
are defined places of special interest or activities between main stops, where
there may be shore facilities - resorts, markets, tours etc
- but where the other support facilities - such as boat
repair, engine mechanics etc - are less likely.
Between the organised stops and anchorages, there are ample
opportunities for independent exploration, interacting with
local communities, relaxing (or boat jobs!), or waiting for
a better weather window to make a passage.
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
includes four main
events:
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The
EQUATOR
ASIA
cruise – a four to five month event, from
June/July to November, with stops in all four BIMP-EAGA
nations. This is the principal event carrying the BETC's
tourism marketing name for BIMP-EAGA –
EQUATOR
ASIA
– and is the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council's signature
event. Takes advantage of prevailing winds along the
route to allow yacht crews to experience the diversity
of nature and culture in BIMP-EAGA.
-
The
Borneo-Palawan
cruise – an up to three month event, mid
December-February or late January-April in the main
scuba -diving season. Starts from Brunei, Sabah and
Sarawak to take yachts up the west coast of Palawan
(Philippines) during the NE/E Monsoon when winds and
weather-shore normally create great sailing and cruising
conditions.
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The
Mindanao/Sabah-Indonesia
cruise – a three to four month event.
Starting from Dakak in late June, yachts cruise the
Mindanao coast for six weeks to Davao. Depart Davao mid
August down the island chain to Manado. In Sabah, a
start in Kota Kinabalu, Kudat or Sandakan brings yachts
to Semporna by mid August before sailing to Manado to
join the Mindanao yachts. From Manado, cruise to Sorong,
and take either a northern route along the coast of
Irian Jaya to Jayapura, or south through the Spice
Islands to Saumlaki . Designed especially for yachts
headed for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
-
The
West
Borneo
cruise – a five week event, begins mid
November & ends in Kuching by 20th
December, linking Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak. Uses the
fresh NE/NW monsoon to help push yachts south to
attractions along the west coast of Borneo in time for
Christmas/New Year in Kuching, or to cross to Singapore
and Peninsula Malaysia.
Click
on this link
to see a map of the events,
and alternate route options available with some events:
It is expected that
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
fleets will divide into smaller groups of 2 to 4 yachts to
travel together. These small groups will provide a self-help
capability for
the inevitable yacht maintenance questions, give the
advantage of group buying power when arranging shore transport, local
tours, boat transport ashore etc, and help with the security
of each other's yachts when some go ashore.
BIMP-EAGA
has been identified as a key future bread-basket for SE Asia
and the
world. The wealth of traditional knowledge, the steadily
emerging understanding of hidden genetic material, and the rich marine and
terrestrial eco-systems, all contribute to this expectation.
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BIMP-EAGA
includes some of
the largest remaining areas of rainforest in the
world. A repository of plants, wildlife and
genetic material to help sustain future generations. |
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BIMP-EAGA
includes key environmental preservation regions - the Coral
Triangle and the Heart of Borneo. Both have prompted
scientists, national leaders and the business community to
speak in a unified voice about the vital need to preserve and protect this
incredible bio-diversity.
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The
Coral Triangle contains 76%
of the known species of coral in the world and 37%
of all reef fish species. 30% of Tuna caught in the
world comes from the Coral Triangle. |
Note:
The
Coral Triangle was recently
extended to help protect the eastern South China Sea,
including the west coast of Borneo.
The self-sufficient
nature of cruising yachts - with their own accommodation
facilities and transport -
will enable participants can enjoy venues, local
communities,
attractions and tours which are beyond established visitor
experiences. This self-sufficiency will also give participating crews
the opportunity to
become pioneer visitors to the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council's Community-Based Sustainable Ecotourism
programmes.
In some areas, crews
will have the opportunity to contribute to service projects
that help further the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council's goals
of environmental and cultural heritage preservation.
It is expected that some
aspects of the route, venues visited and local attractions
will vary each year to allow local tourism organisations to
highlight new developments, new member facilities, special
celebrations, and local events.
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
fleets will be limited to approximately 15 yachts and
50 crew. This will minimise the groups' impact on local
resources, help streamline CIQ procedures, and facilitate access to smaller venues,
or environmentally sensitive locations. If additional yachts wish to participate, there may be
two or more
fleets, travelling approximately two weeks apart.
EQUATOR
ASIA
is the tourism brand name chosen by the
BIMP-EAGA
Tourism Council for
the BIMP-EAGA region following an exhaustive market research
and branding exercise conducted by GTZ and the Asian
Development Bank, in support of the
BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council. It was officially announced in
January 2010 at the ASEAN Travel Forum in Brunei. The
launching ceremony was officiated by Tourism Ministers from each of
the four BIMP-EAGA nations - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and
the Philippines.
Sail
BIMP-EAGA
incorporates a
number of themes in tune with the nature of the cruise
routes, and the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council's goals for
tourism in
EQUATOR
ASIA;
-
An
educational theme. The aim is to help Sail
BIMP-EAGA
participants
understand the importance of the amazing cultural and
environmental heritage within
BIMP-EAGA,
and to learn how their own activities can contribute to the
protection and preservation of these important resources.
Cruise programmes aim to incorporate opportunities to
visit/learn/experience environmental
projects, community tourism initiatives, plus contact with scientists and local people contributing to this
effort.
-
An adventurous theme.
By definition, an adventure is a step into the unknown,
away from normal comfortable surrounds and
predictability. An opportunity to test the limits of
understanding, to challenge mental and physical
capabilities, in circumstances that are new, different
and undefined. Experiencing an adventure is
increasingly difficult in a modern, organised,
structured world.
As with any adventure, it will not be possible to
precisely schedule all eventualities or to insulate
participating crews from local circumstances. If it was,
we would lose the adventure, the excitement of
unexpected experiences and the personal rewards that
come only from interacting with new places, different
values and unique environments. Apart from the cruise schedule and participants,
variables such as weather, boat maintenance, local
characters and local culture will all play a role in
creating the overall experience. Sail
BIMP-EAGA
does not aim to be a sterilised, pasteurised and
homogenised travel experience normally available from
the couch at home; by watching TV.
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A journey of discovery.
For most people, the diverse cultures and environment of
BIMP-EAGA - and the way people have adapted to their
circumstances - will
be dramatically different to normal life back home. This
journey will immerse participating crews in the
challenges and occasional frustration of exploring,
meeting, engaging, enjoying and learning. Not quite the
challenges presented to Alfred Russell Wallace during
his 19th Century explorations of the region, but
definitely not a weekend cruise, party and return to the
comfortable predictability and stability of a normal Monday!
If you would like to add
your contact details to our database to be updated with
rally information, please click on the For inquiries ....
link below.
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