Il Lago Chagan, un gioiello nascosto nel cuore della Cina, è una meraviglia naturale che affascina visitatori di tutto il mondo. Situato nella regione autonoma del Xinjiang, questo lago ha una storia affascinante e un paesaggio mozzafiato che lo rendono un luogo imperdibile per gli amanti della natura e gli esploratori avventurosi. Una delle caratteristiche più uniche del Lago Chagan è la sua origine, legata a un evento straordinario noto come “esplosione nucleare pacifica”. Negli anni ’60, la Cina ha condotto test nucleari per scopi pacifici, e uno di questi test ha portato alla formazione del Lago Chagan. La detonazione ha creato un cratere impressionante, che si è successivamente riempito d’acqua, dando vita a questo spettacolare lago. Il colore dell’acqua del Lago Chagan è un’attrazione a sé stante. Con sfumature che variano dal turchese al blu profondo, l’acqua cristallina riflette il cielo sereno e le montagne circostanti, creando uno scenario da cartolina in ogni direzione. I visitatori si trovano spesso incantati dalla bellezza surreale di questo luogo, che sembra uscito da un sogno. La regione circostante al Lago Chagan offre opportunità uniche per gli amanti delle attività all’aria aperta. I sentieri escursionistici conducono attraverso paesaggi incontaminati, consentendo ai visitatori di immergersi nella bellezza naturale della zona. Gli appassionati di fotografia troveranno innumerevoli angoli suggestivi per catturare la magnificenza del lago e della sua cornice montuosa. Per coloro che desiderano vivere un’esperienza più avventurosa, il Lago Chagan offre anche attività come il kayak e la pesca. Navigare sulle acque serene del lago, circondati dalla tranquillità della natura, è un modo perfetto per allontanarsi dal trambusto quotidiano e godersi la pace che questo luogo unico offre. Da non perdere è il Festival della Pesca, un evento entusiasmante che celebra la ricchezza di fauna ittica del Lago Chagan. I pescatori locali e internazionali si riuniscono per partecipare a gare di pesca e condividere la loro passione per questo antico mestiere. Il festival aggiunge un elemento di festa e comunità all’esperienza complessiva, offrendo ai visitatori un’opportunità unica di immergersi nella cultura locale. Per ascoltare il nostro PODCAST 15 di Percorsi di Viaggio sul Festival della Pesca del Lago Chagan, cliccare QUI La ricca storia e la bellezza naturale del Lago Chagan attirano non solo turisti ma anche appassionati di storia, geologia e pesca. Gli esperti possono esplorare il sito del test nucleare pacifico, scoprendo i dettagli della sua formazione e il suo impatto sulla regione circostante. Questo connubio di storia, natura e tradizione peschereccia crea un’esperienza completa e avvincente per chiunque si avventuri a visitare questo luogo straordinario. In conclusione, il Lago Chagan in Cina è molto più di un semplice specchio d’acqua. È un monumento alla potenza della natura e all’ingegnosità umana, un luogo che fonde la storia con la bellezza paesaggistica e la tradizione con l’entusiasmo del Festival della Pesca. Chiunque abbia l’opportunità di esplorare questo paradiso nascosto scoprirà un tesoro di emozioni e meraviglie che rimarranno incise nella memoria per sempre.

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Clicca QUI per ascoltare il PODCAST in italiano sul Festival Invernale di Pesca del Lago Chagan. Il Lago Chagan è uno dei più grandi laghi d’acqua dolce della Cina; ogni anno, il Festival Invernale di Pesca del Lago Chagan si tiene nella città di Songyuan, nella provincia del Jilin, nel nordest della Cina, nel periodo che va dalla fine di dicembre all’inizio di gennaio. I metodi tradizionali di pesca della regione hanno cominciato ad attirare un numero crescente di turisti provenienti da tutte le parti della Cina, e questo festival è una vera manna per la gente del nord. Per leggere l’articolo sul Lago Chagan su Asian Itinerary, cliccare QUI! Seguici su PERCORSI DI VIAGGIO, i podcast di chi ama viaggiare!  

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When I got a call from my friend asking me if I would like to go rafting in Phang Nga, I immediately thought back to the last and only other time I had partaken in such an activity. As I recalled it was a very enjoyable and relaxing day, gently cruising down a river standing on a raft fashioned from several lengths of very thick bamboo and using another piece to gently prod at the riverbed in order to manoeuvre the raft and get to go in the general desired direction, while taking in pleasant scenery and listening for the call of birds and monkeys. So, with this in mind I envisioned a similarly relaxing day albeit in a different location, and naturally, I jumped at the chance. My friend had organised the trip through The Traveller Thailand, a tour company who I later discovered are extremely adept at putting together rather exciting tours involving elephants, ATVs and rafts. But even at this point my idea of a ‘raft’ was still one of a long, flat, slow-moving one made from bamboo. We were picked-up at 8.30 and we headed into neighbouring Phang Nga and to the Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary. When the guide Matt, introduced himself, I knew there was going to be more to this trip than I had previously thought. With a mischievous glint in his eyes he told me it was going to be fun, lots of fun. Matt explained about the artificial dam up-river that makes it possible to raft all year round. He said that when the dam is opened the water will rise sufficiently for us to be able to travel the 8km down-river. OK, I thought, but why do we need more water? He then passed me a life-jacket and a helmet. Guiding us through safety procedures and instructions on how to handle and steer the boat, he cleverly found ways to involve everyone, finding excuses to demonstrate procedure and splashing water over everyone with his ore. He told us that because the guides’ English isn’t too good, they may get confused and tell us to paddle the wrong way. I soon learnt that this was simply a ploy, to pretend to go the wrong way in order to deliberately collide head-on with boulders! But there was definitely method to the madness. In order to navigate certain parts of the river Matt deliberately collided the raft with boulders and sometime rocks on the river bank to bounce it off in the other direction, effectively spinning it around and down the river. Of course there were times when we simply headed straight for a boulder lying directly in our path in an attempt to get over it. It sometimes worked, sometimes didn’t, but it was very funny either way. Matt told us the dam had been opened as we continued to concentrate on his instructions. A few minutes later I became aware of the river – it had risen by over a foot and was now flowing rapidly. In the distance we could hear screaming and laughing; I looked up-river and saw a number of rafts hurtling towards us from another camp. Spinning rafts zipped by in a flurry of splashes. We launched and we were off. Gently at first, the raft bobbed up and down as we picked up momentum, slowing gently as we moved over submerged boulders and then surging as we cleared them. We gradually picked up speed before the raft dipped sharply as we hit the first rapid, turning and hitting a boulder; we were told to paddle forward, we spun round to the right and we were successfully through. By the time we had finished my face had actually started to ache with all the smiling and laughing. Thoroughly wet, exhausted and literally crying with laughter, we were picked up and driven back to the camp to enjoy a superb set Thai meal for our lunch. It was indeed a fun and drenched day out rafting in Phang Nga, to be repeated!

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Situated in the foot of the mountains, less than 2 hours drive from Kuching City, Bengoh Resettlement Scheme – or BRS – was the location chosen for the Padawan International 4X4 Off Roaders Extreme Challenge 2015. The Bengoh Resettlement Scheme was at first set up in order to relocate villages hailing from four village affected by the Bengoh Dam Project, namely Kampung Taba Sait, Pain Bojong, Rejoi and Semban. For more information about some of these villagers, read my previous article on the Bidayuh Bangle’s user: http://asianitinerary.com/a-journey-in-search-of-the-bidayuh-bangles-users/ The Bengoh Resettlement Scheme has a lovely and perfectly preserved nature and a great challenging terrain, an ideal place for extreme sports such as four wheel-drive. Padawan International 4X4 Off Roaders Extreme Challenge 2015 was organized by the Padawan Municipal Council, creating interest in the area on those who made it to the event. 44 years old Agnes Timot from Kampung Sirak said the scheme area was amazing: “The scenery here is suited to hold activities. The atmosphere is quite beautiful”. According to event participant Dayang Majalifah Awang Mustafa, from Sarawak’s Ironlady team, the event achieves a good exposure both for people and for the state: “For me, this is the best place to promote tourism. They get see the wonderful area with such an original black earth like they have here; I am a local and I had never seen this in Borneo, this is apparently the only place in Borneo to have this”. Meanwhile, participant Atiqah Abdullah from the Brunei Team said: “The place itself is quite okay; looking at the terrain, it is so different in terms, so soft”. 36 years old Mario Vicardo from the Team Asia Perkasa, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, asserted that Padawan should be developed more towards this sport as it is beautiful, and also because he was fully satisfied with the challenging terrain. State Assemblyman Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil intervened to say that the sport will be a platform to promote the scheme towards tourism from outside and within the country. He added that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem also supports the efforts made by the various parties in the international class sports organization. This is because the sport can indirectly entertain and enlighten people in the scheme; the state government will assist them in turn, organizing a variety of activities that will also benefit the local population. “These resettlement schemes are part of the government program to promote the area, and it aims to make resettled people understand that there can be lots of things that can be installed for them”, stressed out Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil. Organizer Wilfred Yap told us that due to the competition being at a national level, the recognition is important so that participants who follow the sport can be recognized as well. “I mean, in the past only four wheel drivers to a club level could join the competition. Now, all participants have the chance to get a recognition “. The game includes 3 main categories: Category A – very rugged or hardcore, totally modified vehicles. Category B – rugged and semi-modified vehicles. Category C – medium-rugged vehicle that has never been modified. “We have 13 special stages and participants have to go through 13 challenges. One of the challenge is hill climbing the hill” said Wilfred Yap. He also added that this will be one of the annual events as it is part of Padawan Municipal Council goal. Therefore, he hopes, more participants will join next year. Participants and the public also welcomed the idea to make this into an annual event. Mario Vicardo told us that “off-road events like this are excellent and professionally managed: marshals, medics, master track, they all work really well”. Regulatory aspects need to be improved, according to participants, so let’s hope this can be achieved in next year event. The Sabah team has often been the winner of these events at various places like the Rainforest Challenge 2014 in Negeri Sembilan. They firmly believe that Padawan is an excellent place that can be expanded towards this sport.

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Last Saturday, 5th September, I had the opportunity to be face to face with world famous professional motorcycle stunt rider Aaron Twite at the Kuching International Bike Week (KIBW) City Parade 2015. Motorcycle stunt riding is often described as a motorcycle sport that involves a professional rider using the motorcycle to do some sort of acrobatic stuff. Usually, the stunt-riding includes wheelies, stoppies and burnouts. Motorcycle stunt riding performances started somewhere in the 70’’s and became more popular in the 80s, reaching a must-see level today. Riders who perform stunt shows use sport and super bikes that are light and powerful as this makes wheelies style easier to achieve. Back to Aaron Twite, as a first impression I found this 34 years old guy with a warm and welcoming smile to be hot and sexy. It was totally odd to me to chat with such a famous person, especially as he was preparing himself for the best show ever. Yet, I managed to grab his hand, literally, and dragged him for a short interview for the pleasure of Asian Itinerary readers. But before I share my interview with this spectacular sportsman, I see it best to briefly talk about his background. Aaron Twite is from Atlanta, Georgia, south United State of America. He has been involved in motorcycle stunt riding for 11 years now, and it shows: his performances are great and his skill have made him one of the internationally leading street-bike freestyle riders. Not to mentioned that he has won multiple XDL Championship Series and he has participated in multiple global competitions and motorcycle shows. And yes, he is still a bachelor… Back to my interview, I found the approach easy since he is such a humble and amicable person. Aaron told me he started his stunt career as a hobby. At first, he used to ride a motorcycle with his friend, doing motorcycle tricks for fun. As his passion deepened, he progressed and participated in several competitions until stunt riding became his main occupation. When I asked him whether he ever felt giving up on this passion during the 11 years period, he answered me: “I have never thought of giving up riding motorcycles; perhaps in the future I could possibly move on to another chapter, a career, but right now I’m very happy with travelling and riding”. He added up that those who want to succeed in this sport should never give up, and also try to do it as safely as possible. “My advice to people who want to start start riding is to go for it. It doesn’t matter what kind of motorcycle you have, or your background. Anybody can do this, and that’s the beauty of it. Just don’t do it in the street and make sure you wear your safety gear”. I then asked him how he felt about being in Kuching, Sarawak, he said he felt very honoured to be on the other side of the world to perform in Sarawak. For him it felt like a fantastic experience and he was truly grateful for it, since it was his first time in Kuching. “This is my first time in Kuching, and as far as I know this is the first International Bike Week Kuching has had, and it looks great so far. Kuching is a really great place, a big city with a relaxed attitude, and it feels the perfect venue for this kind of event. There is so much going on here, and so many different cultures and languages and food. The traveling is indeed one of the best part of my job, since it takes me to see different parts of the world”. Aaron had a great performance at Kuching International Bike Week, creating a great shows. If I was to grade him, I would likely give him a 10 out of 10. He was so mesmerizing and everybody in Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan (MBKS) ground, the venue of the show, was stunned at his show. His talent was astonishing to say the least, and I encourage you to watch him in Youtube if you are curious about what his stunts are all about: https://www.google.it/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Aaron+Twite+youtube As for the event itself, Kuching International Bike Week is a biennial event organized by Iron Tiger Bikers Club Kuching – Lot 9738, 2nd Floor, Jalan Mendu,93200 Kuching, Malaysia, gathering all the big bikers fans from many places in the world and convoying them together to witness and experience the beauty of Kuching. This year the event attracted over one thousand big bikers from different countries amongst which the USA, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Australia. Datin Elly Zalilah Haji Md Yusof, the organizing Chairman, revealed that she has many more activities in plan for biker fans, and that they are targeting over two thousand big bikers for the 2017 edition. Follow them on www.kibw.com.my/ and be ready for some great stunts in 2017!

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Extreme sports are usually regarded as dangerous and carry a high-risk which can lead to accident or even death. All over the world, extreme sports are usually dominated by males. This year, at Padawan International 4X4 Off Roaders Extreme Challenge, held in Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS) in Padawan, Sarawak, two women joined the games, making the difference and creating a precedent. The two extraordinary women present were Dayangku Majalifah Awang Mustafa, a Sarawakian, and Atiqah Abdullah from Brunei Darussalam; these two ‘heroes’ managed to indirectly breaking old traditions and mindset. Driver Dayang Majalifah started participating in the games 5 years ago; with the security of her golden age of 52, she openly thinks that gender should not be an issue at all: “Don’t always think this is for man only, we ladies can do too”, she stated. Through my conversation with her, I found out she is an amazing and extreme lady, who cannot be separated from extreme sports, to the point that she has created her own trademark name: Ironlady. Dayangku, the youngest among three siblings, has ‘conquered’ Borneo by traveling solo across the island from Sarawak to Brunei, Sabah and West Kalimantan. She told me that her most vivid memory is of when she went to Long Lelang in Miri, a place considered as a dead end for the local people. “We traveled along a dead road that nobody dares to travel through, the trip to reach the camp site lasted from 6.45 am to 11.45pm. It was very tough” said Dayangku. This active lady, who is also a grandmother, believes that people, especially women, should never underestimate their skills and capabilities. Stating so, she is ready to give her full support to the cause and hopes the gender matter in extreme sports won’t be questioned in the future. Meanwhile, 28 years old Atiqah from Brunei Darussalam says that it was an active influence by friend and a deep interest towards Land Rovers that shaped her life of today. She has been involved in this kind of games since 2008: “Initially, I started this as a hobby as I like Land Rovers. Then this hobby became more serious, the feeling got deeper, and eventually I got into all kind of competitions, which get more extreme year after year. And here I am!” It is her great passion in these sports that makes her willingly sacrifice her money and travel miles and miles away from her home to participate in international events. The trip to Kuching alone was a one-day one-night journey! Atiqah admits this year’s games were tougher than previous editions, as the soil was very wet and slippery. “The target for these kinds of events is to play the games in a fair way, emphasizing on safety. Rules must be observed closely in order to avoid being penalized”. Last December, Atiqah became the champion at the Rainforest Challenge in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is unbelievable that someone of such a small size like Atiqah can win such tough and extreme games that need extreme preparation and concentration. You won’t believe me if I told you that she drives like a man… At Padawan International 4X4 Off Roaders Extreme Challenge I learned a lot about females involved in extreme sports. These ladies surely have a strong spirit and their energy incite all daring women. The message is: Don’t be scared to participate in such games if you feel like it, or if you have an interest in the discipline. Dayangku and Atiqah have some advice for women out there: Go and grab your dream, crash any obstacle in front of you before you go ahead, prepare your body and your budget. Physical preparation is important but financial planning too, since these games will definitely cost you thousands. Padawan International 4×4 Off-Roaders Extreme Challenge May 22, 2015 – May 24, 2015 Sixty teams including those from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia and the Royal Brunei 4X4 team participated in the Padawan International 4X4 Off-Roaders Extreme Challenge 2015. The event was held at a temporary track at the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS), Borneo Highlands Road, about 45 kilometres from Kuching. Some of the activities included river wading, winching, hill climbing, mud slide driving, downhill maneuvering and rock climbing as well as testing the true skills of driving. See more on http://sarawaktourism.com/event/padawan-international-4×4-off-roaders-extreme-challenge/

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Paradesa Borneo Discovery 1 Wayang Street, 93000 Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia Tel +60 82238801 Email info@paradesaborneo.com www.paradesaborneo.com Facebook, Youtube, Google+ :  paradesa borneo   The meeting point was at the Para Desa Borneo Discovery main office, which is right in the center of town, at 7,45. After explaining the formalities and safe measures and agreeing on signals to be used once on the road, our local tour guide Alfonso assigned each one of us with a bicycle and we were soon on the way for the half-day Kampong bicycle tour in Kuching outskirts to visit traditional Kampongs and the local market. Cycling at 8am is nice in Kuching since traffic is still not too bad at that time. Kuching roads are wide and cyclists can feel safe, in fact we felt quite comfortable straight away. Before long we were passing central market, China street, India street and finally reached the jetty where Alfonso hailed a taxi boat; we loaded the bikes and off we went for the 5 minutes boat journey to reach the opposite bank of the Sarawak River. These small local taxi boats run from 6am to 10pm and have a nominal price range of 6 to 10 Ringgit. The key of this tour are the Kampongs (Malay for ‘villages’): they were and in some cases still are home to Sarawakians; small clusters of houses built from wood and thatch and raised on stilts to avoid floods and creeping animals, nestled against a backdrops of idyllic greeneries surrounded by banana and coconut groves and marshes. Once we reached the first Kampong, we cycled along narrow lanes surrounded by a quiet environment; some of the village wooden houses on stilts are more than 100 years old and have a flavor of times past. Houses’ courtyards have hens roaming in them and kids playing, on the inside women were cooking and there was a permeating smell of boiled bamboo in the air. Kampong houses were built along the river shore and are painted in bright colours; some are derelict and uninhabited and others nicely refurbished. On these small roads, traffic is practically inexistent and we were given time to cycle at our own pace, while Alfonso showed off his knowledge of the local area. We crossed a wooden bridge and were soon within sight of a huge market, the Kubah Ria, hosted inside a modern roofed area inside which merchants proposed the usual exotic items you would expect in a local market: fruit, veggies, meat, a huge variety of fish and souvenirs, as well as unique jungle produce like wild ferns, exotic veggies, curative seeds, roots and orchid plants, all for sale at affordable prices. We were blessed to be there on a harvest celebration day and even watched a dance by local people in tribal attires. At the nearby food court, Alfonso treated the group to laksa, the local specialty: a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, a merger of Malay and Chinese elements. I had eaten laksa before, but this was particularly delicious, not so spicy and with a lovely pungent flavor; we washed it down with an icy cold Teh Tarik – tea with milk and sugar. A chat with Alfonso revealed his passion for this profession and his being at ease with people, and this was indeed reflected in the level of entertainment and in the wealth of information and wisdom he transmitted to the group of cyclists during the whole 3 ½ hours tour. Next destination, after crossing another series of wooden bridges and narrow passages where friendly local people waved at us and kids said infinite hallo, we found ourselves in a maze of lanes hosting a lovely residential area, where we stopped in a local house to purchase coconut water and a freshly squeezed sugar cane drink, and to socialize with the owners. The temperature started to soar and it was soon time to head back to town. In the last 10 minutes we negotiated our way in the city traffic, which was not that bad after all. Back at the office, we congratulated Alfonso, made acquaintance with operational manager Mr. Law and were offered a freshly brewed coffee that we enjoyed in the lush courtyard of the Para Desa building, which also has a chill-out lounge and a guest house on the upper floors. I felt privileged to be part of the Kampong bicycle tour in Kuching, to have been able to explore the other side of Kuching, one that very few outsiders visit, and to have seen the way the local folks live in traditional houses on stilts along the banks of the great Sarawak River. The bikes were great, 27 gears and all the necessary gear including helmets, and we were glad to be provided with a bottle of water! Alfonso is a local and an excellent guide with an impressive knowledge of the town sites and its surroundings areas. Paradesa Borneo is a small and friendly business, very much efficiently run, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to any visitor to Kuching in search of a bit of safe and healthy adventure, be it an heritage tour or a bike/hike/kayak expedition. Kampong bicycle tour in Kuching always ride, rain or shine: Duration: 3 to 3 ½ hours Tour package includes: bicycle, helmet, guide, drinks, refreshments. READ HERE ABOUT PARADESA SERVICES Asian Itinerary also went out with Paradesa on a kayak tour, READ ABOUT IT HERE !  

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