ONE VISION – THREE ECO-RESORTS
Divers Lodge Lembeh, Weda Reef & Rainforest Resort and Magic Bay Rao, near Morotai, North Moluccas
Eco-tourism is not just putting a solar panel on your roof and applying other environment friendly techniques. It is a continuous process of learning, with trial and error. Over the last 23 years we tried to develop a way of working that directly benefits the local people around us in the short and long term.
More and more, we have been able to offer education, training on the job and career-planning. By purchasing as many local materials and local labor as possible, we contributed directly to the local economy. We have always been very aware not to disturb the local traditions and way of living, while trying to improve the daily living conditions of the people at the same time.
Whenever possible, we work together with other stakeholders such as the media, the Local and National Government, private companies and NGO ‘s to actively protect the environment and conserve the nature.
In 2011 we started our Sawai Eco Tourism Foundation to have a legal body for our education and nature conservation projects. Our foundation is still continuing its educational initiatives and kindergarten programs!
Though, unfortunately we lost the domain and website for the Sawai-Ecotourism Foundation. Fortunately, however! The website for Sawai-Ecotourism was partially preserved by the Internet Archive, and you can still view it on this link: web.archive.org/web/20130703020430/http://www.sawai-ecotourism.com/
Education foundation & Kindergartens
The Sawai foundation was founded by Rob & Linda in 2012 at Halmahera with our first school opening at the village of Sawai Itepo. Rob & Linda started the foundation at Sawai since the village had no education and most of the adults and their children were unable to read and write.
Later on Linda opened another school in Posi-Posi Rao at 2015 since there were no kindergartens there, and it was also the village where Linda came from. Then in 2016 TK Adindah at Bitung was founded as Indah was born, and we wanted a Kindergarten where Indah could go to, and also for the children of our staff and neighbors.
Thanks to our Sawai Eco Tourism foundation we run 3 Kindergartens! With Linda being the head of the education foundations and constantly maintaining & organizing our kindergartens!
- Paud Sawai-Eko Wisata Central Halmahera Weda-Bay.
- Paud Rao Indah in North Halmahera, Morotai, Rao Island.
- TK Adinda, Kelompok Bermain Halona Indah and an English course in Bitung.
Moorings for dive boats and local fishing boats
We actively install moorings in Lembeh Strait since 2003. Starting 2007, Rob invented a better way to make a stronger buoy with low cost. Rob then start making some buoy and installed them at several dive sites. This project was very successful and dive boats and local traditional fishing boat used the moorings often. Rob then started promoting it to resort/divecenters around Bitung/Manado – to participate in building more moorings (1 mooring per resort). There are also some guests donating. Now, there are at least 30 moorings installed all along Lembeh Strait and all are well used and maintained.
Garbage cleaning
Divers Lodge Lembeh is always on the “green side” participating in the Cleaning up Lembeh Strait program held by the city council of Bitung, and quickly reports to the responsible officials if there is any industrial pollution in the area. Thanks to the government of Bitung for their successful program of “Healthy Life & Environmentally friendly”, everyone can now see that the city has become much cleaner than before and there is considerably less trash in the water.
Stopping illegal fishing/fish trading
This illegal fish trading case occurred in 2007. On the way back home, in the harbour, our staff noticed a car fully loaded with plastic bags. Our dive guides then realized that those plastic bags were actually filled with fish ready to transfer somewhere else. Andris, one of our dive guides, immediately contacted Rob, whom then contacted the local authorities. The local police managed to arrive just in time and get all the fish onto the boat of Divers Lodge Lembeh. We released them back to the sea together. Since then we haven’t heard of a similar case.
Conservation forests at Weda-Bay
In Weda-Bay, Central Halmahera, we conserve 800 hectares of forests! Originally areas designated for farming, we bought these forests with the income of Weda Resort because of it’s density in endemic bird-life, ancient karst formations, dense rainforests, lizards, insects, and most importantly to prevent logging at these forests.
We attempt to ensure that the forests remain undisturbed, however, until 2026 we’ve gotten into a lot of difficulties in doing this due to illegal logging, poaching, land claims, and also the plans for the industry to expand within our protected forests. We’re very actively dealing with these matter with the proper authorities. You can follow recent developments on our website for Weda Resort! At wedaresort.com
Recognition
The Kalpataru Award
Pahlawan Untuk Indonesia (Hero for Indonesia)
Rob was honored to receive the “Pahlawan untuk Indonesia Award” out of the hands of the Minister of Environment at 2013, for our conservation efforts at Halmahera.
Featuring on Kick Andy
Rob was featured on Kick Andy to talk about his experiences with Indonesia, Sulawesi, Halmahera and why he became Indonesian citizen. Kick Andy is an inspirational talk show on MetroTV hosted by Andy F. Noya, focusing on highlighting inspiring human stories, life struggles, and the rarely revealed side of humanity
Inaugurated as Kepala Lingkungan
Rob was officially inaugurated by the Mayor of Bitung as “Pala” – Kepala Lingkungan after receiving the Kalpataru. The Pala or Head of the Environment is a partner of the sub-district government who acts as an extension of the city government in maintaining, preserving community values, and managing the administration of residents. Rob was given a broader task to look after the environment of the whole Lembeh Strait/Island.
Supporting tourism in North Halmahera, at the island of Rao
We also host a website made by Adrian to promote the local homestays and villages of Rao! Linda is original from Rao at the village of Posi-posi, where we also have one of our kindergartens, and also our other resort Magic Bay Rao! At the moment Magic Bay Rao is temporarily closed.
In our opinion it’s one of the most beautiful hidden places In Indonesia, having separate seasons for surfing and scuba-diving. Undisturbed dense forests, white sandy beaches that stretches across several kilometers, large waves of surfing, and pretty amazing corals. Rao is still very unknown and exceptionally underrated. If you’d like to learn more, our website is rao-island.com! By visiting you’re sure to support the local villages.
