Batu Batu Updates: Summer 2021

Batu Batu Updates

Notes from a Small Island: Summer 2021

Dear Friends,

We hope this message finds you safe well wherever you are in the world. The world has certainly been a strange place since 2021 and as we closed our doors for the first time almost 18 months ago, we were not expecting that Malaysia (and indeed many parts of the world) would still be largely locked down and Batu Batu closed today.

We have had a bumpy ride with our share of ups and downs. We rejoiced last July when post lockdown or "Movement Control Order" (MCO) 1.0 Malaysia seemed to have Covid under control and we happily welcomed guests to the island travelling to us from within Malaysia. Unfortunately, since October 2020, the country has seen various waves of Covid, endured more lockdowns and is sadly now seeing the highest case numbers since the start of the pandemic. With tourism serving as an integral part of the local economy, livelihoods in our area have been badly impacted and we are hoping and advocating for a safe and speedy recovery.

On the brighter side, as a country we are fortunate to have a good supply of vaccines and have now reached 57% of the country with one dose. At home, our friends at Mersing Tourism Association did a wonderful job of campaigning for and bringing vaccines to Mersing's tourism sector and our entire team at Batu Batu will be given their second shots at neighbouring Pulau Besar later this week. The national administration has mapped out a way forward for re-opening and we are hopeful that we will be able to safely welcome guests back soon.

At Batu Batu over the past 18 months we have closed, opened and closed again but have kept ourselves busy. Bright spots in these challenging times? Undoubtedly top of the list is our wonderful staff team who have stuck with us through all the uncertainty and the array of guests who have travelled to us from across Malaysia. In this article, catch a glimpse of what life has been like in these two interviews with Shima and Simun, two of our team members whom I am sure many of you will recognise.

In 2020 we opened our little sister KakakTua Guesthouse, Coffee & Community Space in Mersing Town and completed a Cultural and Bio-Asset Mapping study of Mersing Town Centre in partnership with Think City Malaysia and Majlis Daerah Mersing. Read more about the study here and how we aim for KakakTua to play her part in growing a local tourism ecosystem that supports local communities.

We are also proud to report that we have been able to continue providing a portion of funding to Tengah Island Conservation throughout the pandemic which has allowed the team of five scientists and conservationists to continue their important environmental work in the Mersing islands. Their good work would of course not have been possible without your support through the Give Asia funding campaign and for this we are incredibly grateful. Please follow Tengah Island Conservation (TIC Instagram) to meet the team and learn more about their ongoing projects. If you feel inclined to support, please click here. Every little helps.

Last but not least, Batu Batu (together with Tengah Island Conservation) is also a proud founding member of the Sustainable Travel Mersing steering committee - a multi-stakeholder initiative working towards having Mersing District certified as a Sustainable Tourism Destination. A key criteria of a sustainable destination is that tourism should support local communities and minimise economic leakage from the local area. As part of this commitment, we have started working with local makers to create a small (and hopefully growing range of handmade products) which will be available to purchase at our online shop. Please check this out and support where you can. Purchasing from our site provides revenues to local makers and gives work to our Batu Batu team who manage the site and logistics.

Whilst the past 18 months have not been easy, we are hopeful that the pandemic, the enforced slow down and for many, the break in travel will result in a more conscious tourism when we emerge. It is hard to ignore the loud signals of discontent coming from our overspent planet, one of the drivers for us to do more. As Paul Hawken, the environmentalist said in a recent interview, "We are being homeschooled by planet Earth. The changes in climate are feedback. Any system that ignores feedback perishes.". Read the interview and be inspired to make change.

Here's to a mindful emergence and we really look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Stay safe, stay well, stay sane.

Cher Chua-Lassalvy

Co-Founder, Batu Batu - Pulau Tengahonline shop