A few years ago, during our trip to Malaysia, we visited Borneo to see the orangutans, we stayed two nights in a beautiful place called “PAGANAKAN DII“.
Yesterday I received an email from the staff with which they asked for our help.
In this “black” period without tourists, local business struggle to work and pay their employees. Let’s help them survive to save the forest of Borneo and not allow multinationals to take over the land and transform the forests, habitat of the orangutans, to oil palm palntations.
I post the email, if you can help them please do not hesitate.
PAGANAKAN APPEAL FROM THE BORNEO RAINFOREST
Dear former Guests of Paganakan Dii.
The Paganakan Dii family hopes you and your loved ones are all keeping healthy and well amidst this global crisis. The COVID pandemic’s impact has been swift and widespread, and it is no doubt affecting everyone.
This is probably our 2nd only ever email to you and it is due to extraordinary circumstances that we are reaching out. This is not a request for donations, but a sincere call from a small Bornean business for a helping hand this 2020.
At the end of February, as we started observing the stories of growing infections in China and other countries, existing bookings began to express concern about travel in Asia, while future guest bookings began to decline till things went silent.
Even then, we would never have thought that we would be confronted with such an earth-changing situation.
As we come to almost 2 months of restricted movement here, we have became aware that the future looks very bleak in our tourism sector. Sandakan is reliant on the Nature tourism industry as a counter measure to the predominant, monoculture palm oil industry. We foresee travelers will be confined to their homes and countries because of health, economic and other factors, leading to a global standstill in travel, and its effects may well drag on.
With government relief measures in place as well as Paganakan Dii drawing on our own limited reserves to take care of our staff and their families, utilities and other commitments, we foresee the funds will dry up within 4-5 months.
It is with much humility and anticipated urgency that we are forced to reach out to all of you, to seek support in this difficult time.
To tide over the rest of 2020, we are creating Paganakan Gift Vouchers for all former and future guests and friends. These digital cash vouchers, with no expiry date, are redeemable against accommodation and food & beverages at Paganakan Dii tropical retreat (and you get some freebies thrown in!). Which means they are valid forever!
You may wish to offer them as gifts to friends to encourage them to discover Borneo in the near future, or even buy them for a 2nd visit one day.
Voucher denominations:
- RM50 (a Paganakan pin)
- RM100 ( a free beer! or a tropical juice if you prefer)
- RM200 (we will plant a rainforest tree sapling, on our property, in your name)
- RM500 (a rainforest tree sapling in your name + 1 special edition T-shirt or bag)
Any support we can get up front now will allow us to keep our heads up and the trees swaying in happiness over the Bornean rainforests! We are determined, against all odds, to keep our doors open!
Thank you for taking the time to read this humble pitch. Please email us for voucher details if you are interested.(payments via PayPal or International Bank transfers).
Liora, Adira, Linn, Anton & our 13 PAGANAKAN DII family.
Owners
t: +6 0128681005 (Reception)
