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In 2010 with the help of World Expeditions we put together a 4 week trip to Borneo, which included the ascent of Kinabalu, trekking the headhunters trail and shooting rapids in a longboat.
However one of the highlights was the Rejang River Tour. The combination of the superbly opulent teak and brass appointments of the boat together with food and service of the highest quality and the exposure to the real Borneo was really remarkable.
Our ship’s guide, Louis Jap, through daily excursions into the hinterland, introduced us to the history and tribal culture of this part of Borneo. We trekked in the jungle. We visited longhouses, participated in a wonderful village Muslim wedding, where we appeared to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the guests. We transferred to smaller boats to sail small tributaries to see the early morning wildlife. We visited a remote jungle boarding school and medical centre, and had regular evening entertainment from local school children and dancers as we moored up for the night.
The ships crew welcomed us back to the boat after each excursion with hot towels and drinks – and took our footwear to clean before we could soil the deck. When we were cruising we could just relax with our 20 fellow passengers and have all our needs attended to.
This is only a taste of a trip, which certainly exceeded our expectations by a country mile!!
Responsible Travel
World Expeditions is committed to responsible travel and true sustainability. It was a commitment formed when the company was established, and today, in the face of a multitude of threats to the environment, our commitment is stronger than ever.
Our Responsible Tourism Policy commits us to the following principles:
Genuine sustainability in all aspects of our business planning and operations
Specifically World Expeditions tour operations should be managed in a way where the natural and cultural values of the host region are undiminished in the long term. Where possible, World Expeditions engages in partnerships with local environmental groups and/or land managers to actively campaign for conservation or to promote environmental protection and/or rehabilitation.
Genuine Responsibility in Travel
World Expeditions believes that travel should be as rewarding for the host community as it is for you the traveller. We aim to maximise the benefits of tourism for host communities. This includes training and employment of local staff, using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses.
We actively minimise the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources. World Expeditions provide opportunities for cultural exchange, where locals and visitors alike can share and learn from each other in an environment of mutual respect.
We contribute to the welfare of the host community. This is epitomised in our COMMUNITY PROJECT TRAVEL program where we organise for our travellers to spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access. World Expeditions strives to educate our travellers about the destination and its local cultures as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise impact.
Our Responsible Travel Guidebook
We aim to ensure that our destinations retain their natural character and cultural diversity for future generations. This can only be achieved with the support of all of our travellers and business partners. Our RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL GUIDEBOOK has been written as an educational tool to ensure that our travellers and partners are aware if the role they play in our Responsible Travel efforts. The booklet sets out our environmental objectives and practices and outlines how travellers can play a part in reducing the impact on environments and cultures around the world. Every World Expeditions traveller receives his or her own copy of this guidebook. View our award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook
Protecting our Porters
Porters are an integral part of the World Expeditions philosophy and style of travel. We strive to take our travellers off-the-beaten track, avoiding the congested trails, to experience our remote tent-based adventures … this style of trekking is enabled by porters. Porters are as important to us as our travellers. Without them, we would not be able to run our quality programs. When we trek, the entire group - travellers, guides and porters alike - are a team who share the same needs for safety in the mountain environment. For this reason, all World Expeditions porters are provided with the following:
- A good working wage
- All food for porters while on trek
- Accommodation while on trek
- Work related clothing and equipment *
- Income protection insurance
- We also provide emergency helicopter evacuation if required
* The most visible sign of this porter protection is the equipment we provide: wind and waterproof jacket and over-trousers, 2 pairs of woollen socks, 2 pair of leather shoes on long treks and 2 pairs of canvas shoes while on short treks, woollen gloves, warm cap, sunglasses, mattress and sleeping bag and tent as well as cooking utensils, stove and kerosene fuel.
World Expeditions will stand by its commitments and abide by its porter protection policies because it is the responsible thing to do. We will continue to campaign to ensure that all trekking companies adopt similar policies because we strongly believe the welfare of the entire trek crew, from porters to the most senior guide, is the responsibility of the company that sends them out there.
World Expeditions supports the good work of two international organisations that operate to ensure the health and well being of porters, they are: International Porter Protection Group and the International Mountain Explorers Connection
