Borneo at times of Covid 19 Part 2
Chronology of COVID-19 outbreak as experienced by Bike and Tours
(written by Itisha Ismail)
Part 2 of 2 Malaysia’s Movement Control Order
7 April 2020: Special note:
Simon and I would like to personally thank those who took the time to read Part 1 of 2 on the Chronology of COVID-19 outbreak as experienced by Bike and Tours. We were pleasantly surprised to receive emails from our recent and previous guests cum friends- those who gave us the opportunity to organize and conduct tours for them in Borneo. This dates back to guests we got the privilege to know since the year 2013. Thank you for your care, kindness and supportive words. Please know that your email helps intensify positivity during this trying time. Such gestures are gold and we thank you from the very bottom of our hearts. God bless all of you.
18 March 2020 - The day Movement Control Order took place.
We started to break into cold sweats. Panic, worries started to rule. I could not sleep well the night before and woke up early the next morning to face the horrible music, as dramatic as that sound. An outbreak and move with no historical precedent that has affected everyone across the globe. There were a lot of questions that went assumed or unanswered. We made some calls to our friends within the travel and tourism industry in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kuching for opinion and how they are dealing with the situation. Uncertainties. Full of uncertainties on what the future holds!
Meanwhile, below are what we witnessed from our end in Sabah but not limited to the following:
• Foreign tourists already in Sabah and would go on tour the next few days to the jungles/riverside/mount climbing. In our humble opinion, the jungles of Tabin Wildlife or Danum Valley or riverside like Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort are honestly the best place to be as it away from huge crowd. Definitely a better place to be compared to being among hoarders at the supermarket for example.
• Foreign travelers checking in to their hotel/accommodation on the 18th March 2020 before their onward travel to the jungles/riverside/mount climbing destination.
• Foreign travelers who are currently in the jungle/hotel. You can’t just simply ask them to leave immediately can you? Where do you expect them to go? They may not necessarily have friends or family they could stay with before they travel back home.
• Foreign travelers stranded at the airport/accommodation frantically forking out extra money to purchase new flight tickets as their current flights were cancelled.
Above are situation we witnessed with foreign travelers already in Sabah. Most were still in a daze and did not see any troubles as they received no notifications from the airlines on their flight being cancelled. Some on the other hand attempted to leave as soon as possible before a potential new order kicks in or the next border being lockdown.
Some were strangers we met during this period that became friends. We could only help by connecting them with the local front liners. As this is also new to us, we connected with the local police, doctors, hotels (some hotels in KK were still open but the guests are only allowed to stay in their room and not wander out). To travel out of Lahad Datu, foreign travelers need to go for medical check and get the documentations from the doctors stating that they are fit to travel. This are all to accommodate the travelers before they get the next possible flight/s out of Sabah.
Online, I finally gathered enough courage to check my emails. True indeed the tours that we were supposed to conduct between the 25th March 2020 onwards to mid-April 2020 were faced with cancellation requests. Most guests were empathetic, and we thank them from the very bottom of our hearts for choosing to postpone the tour to a later date instead of cancelling the tour altogether. This definitely keeps travel operators like us afloat during this difficult time. Some choose to cancel being fully aware of our cancellation policy (on refund) and claimed from their travel insurance.
We only had 1 unpleasant experience with Mrs Right (fictional name) who did not want to postpone her tour. She wanted to cancel and receive the full refund and for the funds to be transferred to her account by the 20th March 2020. Should the money not reach her on time, she threatened to damage our reputation by writing on Tripadvisor, Lonely Planet, etc.
Mrs Right said that by not fulfilling her request, we are financially gaining at her family’s expense. This is not the case at all. Situations like this really shows the uncalled-for behavior of a person. Sad. But the truth is, we were willing to bend the policy due to this unforeseen circumstance. However, our offer to postpone the tour to a later date was not accepted.
Truth is, the deposit payment made by guests to us are directly paid to third party service providers. Some providers even requests for:
• Notice of flight cancellations from Airlines to guests directly via email
• Official letter from Government (the country guest is travelling from) stating that it is Forbidden to travel out of the country statement.
• An official letter from Our Government (Sabah’s Government) stating that The Country (the country guest is travelling from) is forbidden to travel into Sabah.
When all above documentation are provided, then only CONSIDERATION will be given on making an appeal of the request. Having said that it is NOT a guarantee if you get your refund or otherwise. Normal cancellation policy will be subject to deposit payment being forfeited.
If we are unable to secure refund from these parties, customers must be bound by the policy of the third party in respect to cancellations and cannot insists on full refunds.
23rd March 2020 – The OLD and the NEW NORMAL.
It is not a lockdown just restricted movement, social distancing, stay at home to help flatten the curve of the corona outbreak spread. Yes, these are some words you get to hear /read these days on tv, radio, internet, conversations with friends/family.
I don’t keep track on which day we are on. At this stage we could still go out for groceries, banking and government matters. I managed to go out with Simon to bid farewell to our friends at the Lahad Datu airport who left for Switzerland just in time before Singapore closed their airspace. At this point we were still allowed to go out with more than 1 person in a private car.
Workwise – administratively we have always worked from home. Operationally we are used to work outdoor. With the Control Movement Order, we can still do the administrative, accounting, marketing from home. Our operational work on the other hand has ceased completely.
Though I initially thought that we would have lots of “free time”, that was not really the case. We normally send our children to school 5 days a week from 8am to 5pm, but now we need to juggle time between finding them activities, homeschooling, feeding, cleaning, entertaining and keeping them occupied. At the same time, we have to attend to the emails (obviously not new sales lead as the world has other priorities at the moment) but more so inquiries from clients who has an upcoming tour with us. Also, at the same time our team members are at their own home abiding by the rules. So, between screenwork and reinventing our business and spending time as a family, our NEW NORMAL kept us occupied with housework - laundry, cleaning, gardening, cooking, pool cleaning, etc. I personally feel that we have been busier now compared to pre-movement control due to the above-mentioned circumstances.
I would say our two girls – Olivia and Emelyn have been our true little heroines. Spending the last few days with them 24/7 made me realize that with their OLD NORMAL, they don’t get to do as much with their folks. They have no issues with staying at home. They are asked to wash their hands many times. They know that they are not allowed to go out due to the virus named Corona. Above all, they are simply surprised that they now get to have sit down lunches and dinners not just with us but also with their Odang (my dad).
Most of the time they enjoy their NEW NORMAL - late nights and late mornings, paintings, swimming, cycling (all within our compound), watching movies, playing educational games online, having mummy and daddy as their new teachers (ok perhaps this is their least favorite next to not being able to go out). Homeschooling requires lots of patience and can be rather challenging -so thank you teachers, principals and educators all around the world for educating our children!
31 March 2020 – Last day of Movement Control Order (or so we thought!)
Movement Control Order Extended to 14 April 2020
Over the next few weeks, months travel operators have salary to pay employees on top of other bills. Some jobs could be done from home office but some are not possible. The travel and hospitality industry do not fall within the essential services. As such we are to remain closed till 14 April 2020. There will be no money coming in during this time. There will be cancellations and travelers without travel insurance insisting on being fully refunded instead of postponing their trip. Cash flow problem among companies are pretty obvious. How will we survive? Can we survive? The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) provided us tour operators with MATTA COVID-19 FAQ and one glance at this file already indicated that some travel companies are considering shutting down.
I honestly do not know what to do should situation gets worst and if we are forced to close Bike and Tours. As challenging and as fragile as this travel industry can be, it is a business we believe in and are passionate about. It was NOT a business that gave us quick money. It took years of endurance till we are at the stage where we could live comfortably, pay the bills, bring food to the table, send our kids to school and once in a while treat ourselves for holidays.
In 2013, Simon and I invested all our savings not just for our new life in Lahad Datu but also to build Bike and Tours. I was never a risk taker and as such I never believed in taking business loans from any financial institutions. The idea of monthly payback would kill me. Instead we sought help from both sides of our families. On top of our own savings, our families helped with the capital to purchase the bicycles, car, inventories, etc. In our case, Bike and Tours grew slowly and organically.
When we received our tourism license, we were so happy and motivated to conduct our tours. Just as we were about to kick off, we were challenged by the Lahad Datu standoff. A military conflict that began on 11 Feb 2013 and ended on 24 March 2013.
The Lahad Datu standoff has badly tarnished the tourism industry image in Sabah – Lahad Datu in particular. Throughout the years, we worked closely with Sabah Tourism, travel writers Marco Ferrarese from Rough Guides & Anna Kaminski from Lonely Planet and local & overseas travel agencies to boost tourism activities in Lahad Datu. We looked out for new locations, new tours to offer off the beaten path spots for travelers. I can proudly say our hard work paid off. Travelers wrote in directly to us for a particular tour. Also, now when you google “Lahad Datu” it comes out with a healthy tourism page rather than the outdated military photos!
A friend once asked “Why do you guys take the tough route? First of all, the unstable tourism industry and off all the places - Lahad Datu? You guys are not even from there!”. I had to stare long into the deep blue sky for concrete answers. We had to start somewhere. It took a while for us to adjust. Whilst people are friendly here, due to our daily commitments, we do not necessarily have the luxury to socialize. As such most of our dear good friends are still in Kuala Lumpur and Switzerland.
However, Lahad Datu was a place that provided the luxury and easy access to the jungles, riverside and seaside. Locations we could easily go to over the weekends. A great place to bring up our two girls in a humble environment that is still rich with nature. Makes them and us appreciate the city life even more when we get a chance to be back in KL. In addition to that, besides being a part of the tourism industry stakeholders, we get the opportunity to work with the local community and Sabah Forestry Department. We get to contribute/giveback to nature via our tree planting projects and support to the locals. Above all, Lahad Datu is simply where the heart is for us.
Happy days arrived and now we are faced with this pandemic challenge. To those whose travel plans are impacted by the Corona Virus, we ask for your kindness to consider to postpone your tour to a later date instead of cancelling it. Your support on this matter will definitely help us keep our business afloat during this difficult time.
In the words of my previous boss Kathy Lam from Louis Vuitton Kuala Lumpur would say “The party is over!” How long and how huge are the hurdles for us to take a leap? As devastating as it already is, we do realize that we all need to be mentally and physically strong in this fragile world. To have faith and hope the world heals soon and that we as human beings don't go down the path of the next Great Depression.
Till then, as we all continue to witness history and being part of it in the making, a milestone that at this stage is still unimaginable, lets extend the power of prayers to everyone to remain healthy and safe. Wish us luck as we surely need it along the way.