Crossing Bridges IV

[digitalartist]

PhotoMalaysia is the host for this year's Crossing Bridges Trip. We haven't fixed the dates yet, or the program, but there will be a meeting at my house at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 7th March to do initial brainstorming for the details of the trip. I've invited a few people, comprising mainly the Malaysian participants of CB III to be the core planning group. I'd be grateful if PMers from Sabah, who are in KL on that day, can also attend the meeting so that we can pick your brains. SMS me at 019-3108187 if you can come, so that I can give you my house address. Any other PMers who would like to seriously help in the organization of this event are also invited to come. Those in the organizing committee will be given preference for the limited places. SMS me for my address.

The preliminary plan for CB IV is to do a 7 to 10 days trip to Sabah, limited to about 40 people from PhotoMalaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia, possibly over the Merdeka holidays around August 31st. The number is deliberately restricted to 40 so that we can all fit into a single large bus. We'll peg this trip as PhotoMalaysia's contribution to Visit Malaysia 2007, and try to get some sponsorship from the powers that be. If we cant (which is likely) everyone will have to fork out their own costs. I dont know yet how much that would be.

My initial thought is to fly everybody out to Tawau or there-abouts, and we work our way by bus over 5 days towards the base of Mount Kinabalu. Not sure if Sempoerna or those magnificent islands that Naz and Chien and Kwanfm and etc have visited can accomodate such a large group. We can visit and shoot other interesting places and subjects along the route. When we reach the foot of Mount Kinabalu, the 40 people will break into 2 groups. One group (including me) will climb up Gunung Kinabalu on the 6th day, sleep on the 6th night at the base camp half way up, and at 3 am make the final assault to the summit. From the summit, we will then trek all the way down and spend the 7th night in Kota Kinabalu. On the 8th night we will have a grand Farewell dinner and exchange souvenirs and do slide shows, cultural exchanges etc.

Steven has kindly initiated a fact finding thread for suggestions of where to go in Sabah HERE and I thank all those who have contributed. Please feel free to add more suggestions in this thread. I'd like especially input from PM members from Sabah whom I shall also be calling upon to help with the logistics arrangements.

Although I'm having to limit the total number of participants for the official CB IV trip in Aug-Sep to 40 in total, or about 10 from Malaysia, any places not taken up by the foreign participants will be given out to Malaysians. If there are a lot of Malaysians who want to go, we will consider doing a Pre CB IV trip specially for PMers which can double as a sampler to check out the best places that we will take our foreign friends to. In addition, I am planning to organise a small group of maybe 4 or 6 committee members (including Sabahans) to do a Recce trip, possibly end of March to flesh out plans, check routes and negotiate accomodation rates, and personally pre-sample the delights that we are going to offer our guests. We'll hire cars and with the help of our Sabahan friends we will drive from Tawau to KK, AND if possible, even climb that danged mountain just to prove that it can be done.

Long PT from Vietnam and Eddie from Singapore did a fantastic job with arrangements for CB III in Singapore and Vietnam. We have to work hard to at least equal the fantastic treatment and efficient organization that we were presented with during CB III. Therefore I am hoping as many PMers as possible will come forward to lend a helping hand.

[pummkin]

I'm interested in the sea-segment of the trip & can't climb mountains. Please let me know the cost involved.

[silentshutter]

i'm very interested.

[Freaky]

Originally Posted by pummkin I'm interested in the sea-segment of the trip & can't climb mountains. Please let me know the cost involved.

cool... let me know if i can help...

Would be interested in going also

[ShaolinTiger]

Yah I'd be interested too, let me know if there's anything we can do to help.

[richard L]

Dont forget to Visit Sempoerna and its surrounding islands. Its one of the best places for photography.

[richard L]

Another word of caution, dont go during the haze period.

[Caveman]

I am interested too, let me know if anything I can do to help.

[mamakap]

I too interested to join.

[magnolia]

interesting!!!

[maxby]

Don't you think 7 to 10 days is a bit too long for those working members in Spore and other participating countries? I am not talking about myself.....

[shim]

i'm interested to join..but need to consider the sche n the cost..if there's anything i can help..please let me know..

[digitalartist]

Thank You all for registering your interest to participate in CB4 but for the moment, the task is to identify places in Sabah photographers will enjoy visiting and shooting, to plan a suitable program and timing and to make bookings and travel arrangements for a group of about 40 people. List for participation will be opened later.

It would be helpful if you can post instead, suggestions of places to include in the program and describing the places either based on personal knowledge or experience so that the recce team can go and check them out. Really looking forward to input especially from Sabahans. Personally, I'm not too famaliar with the photographic attractions of Sabah.

[digitalartist]

Just finished organizing committee meeting at my house. Thanks to Steven, Azrul, CKC, Michael, Pete, Mamakap and Fuzz for your attendance and inputs. Besides Sabah, other possible locations like Langkawi, Kelantan and Sarawak were considered. Sabah was picked as the place with the widest and most interesting photographic opportunities. Timing will be either May August or September, most likely May. Two "nodes" will be recce-ed, ie Kota Kinabalu and Tawau. The Recce team will fly out to Tawau from 7th-15th April to check out possible places to go with Tawau as the base. And in addition they will also try to check out KK and environs.
Grateful if Kwanfm, Rabani, PeterKan and TSWong including Naz, and other Sabah PM members, can suggest places of interest for photographers to visit if they have 4 to 5 days with Tawau as the base. The Recce team will go out there from 7th to 15 April to check out these places, negotiate bookings, transport, and make preliminary arrangements, etc, etc, for the CB4 main group to arrive either in May , Aug or Sep. If possible the team will also cover KK over the last 3 days to do the same. An option is to check out and if possible to also climb Mount Kinabalu so that this side trip can be offered to those who are interested.
We desperately need the assistance of Sabah PMers to help out in getting the best deals, getting sponsorships, and acting as local guides. Please PM me if you can assist, and can meet the recce team when we go to Sabah between 7th to 15th April to flesh out the program.
Will update here as and when there is any new information.

[david.tan]

sounds like getting very interesting... will keep track on this

[stockie]

Definately giving special attention to this thread!

[digitalartist]

We are now in the detailed planning stage for the annual Crossing Bridges project. Probably the Sabah PMers haven't seen this thread, but I'll be grateful for some input from them in terms of suggestions of where to go, what to do, where can we get the most cost effective deals, etc. We have two alternatives in mind for the main Crossing Bridges group who will be coming to Sabah either in May, August or September. First alternative is to spend the entire 5 to 7 days in and around the Tawau area. Second alternative and probably more costly is to spend about 3 days in Tawau area, 3 days travelling by road to KK and stopping along the way to shoot pictures, and probably another 2 days climbing Mt Kinabalu or shooting around KK, before the CB participants fly back. We desperately need input and help from Sabah PMers. A small recce team comprising myself, Lord Fuzz, Steven, and Azrul,will be flying out to Tawau to be there between 12th April to 17th April to check things out and flesh out a suitable program. We hope Tawau PMers can meet us in Tawau on those dates and give us some guidance.

[noordin]

The 2nd alternative seem to be more adventerous and exciting. Maybe not climbing Mount KK though!

[digitalartist]

Originally Posted by noordin The 2nd alternative seem to be more adventerous and exciting. Maybe not climbing Mount KK though!

Noords,

Start training from today. Since 2 months ago, I've been doing 8km on the treadmill with max incline every other day. Planning to raise the distance to at least 12 km gradually. Lets show them youngsters that us old farts can climb mountains, shoot and fart, as well as, or probably even better, than they can.

[noordin]

Originally Posted by digitalartist Noords, Start training from today. Since 2 months ago, I've been doing 8km on the treadmill with max incline every other day. Planning to raise the distance to at least 12 km gradually. Lets show them youngsters that us old farts can climb mountains, shoot and fart, as well as, or probably even better, than they can.

Yaeeeeeee.............. for DA. Don't bluff, you are training for your Serengeti trip aren't you?