Ian et al, It seems that there are a couple of National Parks in M’sia that have recently started to to charge a fee for cameras. What I have found from my emailings is as follows. Mainland Malaysia Taman Negara charge MYR 5.00 (approx AUD 2.00), which is valid for one month. All other main birding spots, such as Bukit Fraser, Bukit Larut, Panti, Belum-Temengor and Genting Highlands, no fee. Sabah Mount Kinabalu and Poring are supposed to charge camera fees, but it seems that if you keep your gear out of sight, no one asks. When I was a Mt. Kinabalu in 2011, I did not even pay the entrance fee, let alone a camera fee. I was staying across the road and just wandered in. There are no fees at the Sayap sub-station on the north side of Kinablu. Rainforest Discovery Centre and Sepilok Kabili Forest Reserve, Sepilok No camera fee. Danum Valley There is supposed to be a MYR 10 camera fee, but when I was there in June last year, no one asked. The staff did admire the images of the Orang I had taken just outside the room though:-) You are also supposed to only go into the forest with a ranger, but there was no mention of it at the Field Centre and no one stopped either of us from wandering where we liked. Crocker Range NP No entry or camera fees Sarawak No camera fees Other countries in SE Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam do not appear to charge camera fees and I have never had to pay any in those countries. Some NPs in the Phillipines do charge a camera fee, but I have no personal experience there. One respondent did tell me that in one park, he was asked to pay a fee for his ‘scope, but I think that was just a “local” fee. Even if you avoid those places that charge fees, there are plenty of other places with good birding in M’sia, so don’t just wipe the country just because some of the main tourist traps want to charge you a small fee, which is nothing compared to the AUD 12.00 per day per camera, including mobile phones you will be hit up for in India. Hope this clarifies things a bit, Carl Clifford _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Danum valley charge a camera fee for every visitor, professional, general naturalist tourist and student that uses a camera. Its not because of your gear or website. Considering the gear you use and cost of your trips a one off fee of about $15AU isn’t something to get to upset about. Sent from Samsung Mobile ——– Original message ——– Good Evening everyone. I have been reading with interest the thread about charges for using your camera in National Parks and I have come across 2 experiences in Australia, One at Lawn Hill were I was walking along a path beside the river carrying my 500 lens & camera and was asked by the ranger if I was a professional photographer which I answered no and moved on. The other time was down here in my home patch at Pound Bend Reserve Warrandyte. When a couple of rangers asked me was I a professional Photographer because of the size of the lens that I was using, and again I said no. In both cases it was assumed that because I was using a large lens I must be a professional photographer. What is the reason for this? I believe that it goes back to a time when some commercial filmmakers rope off certain areas in Nat Parks to shoot wildlife docs and so it was for that reason the need for a permit is needed, but it should not be for someone walking along a track and not interfering with animals or people walking along the track. So there is always a presumption that because you own a large lens and have a website you must be a professional, a fine example of this is an email that was sent to my Travel Agent from Borneo Rainforest Lodge last week, below is the email We understand that Mr Geoffrey Jones is a professional wildlife photographer and wants to photograph birds at Borneo Rainforest Lodge/ Danum Valley. He also has his own website with photographs that he has taken throughout his travels. Please inform him that as a professional photographer he has to pay a photography fee of RM500 per camera to do photography in the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA). This fee is not imposed by us, but by the Danum Valley Management Committee (DVMC) under Yayasan Sabah. It will go towards the conservation fund of the DVCA. He can pay this fee directly at our Lahad Datu office, or the Danum Valley Field Centre office in Lahad Datu town (just next door to BNT LDU office). Please inform Mr Jones of this fee. Once again I have contacted them to let them know that I would love to make money out of my photographs but the cold hard reality is I would be owed about $300,000 dolllars for the trips that I have done to secure my library of photos that are on my website. So if you are heading overseas beware! So I am off to Bali next week for a wedding and I have a couple of days to spare for birding and would appreciate some advice from my fellow brethren and then too Borneo for 3 weeks chasing the Pittas of Danum Valley and the Hornbills at Sukau Lodge Kindest Regards Geoff Jones Barraimaging Your Non Professional Photographer — This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
And the Sepilok-Kabilli reserve is very un-birded and seldom visited. It has great birding potential. Access is not the easiest, either a 8km or so walk or by hiring a Forestry Dept launch and you will have to self cater, but you will have several thousand hectares of mainly primary forest pretty much, if not totally, to yourself. Carl Clifford _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
I visited Sepilok as a speaker at the Borneo Bird Festival a few years ago, and can heartily recommend the place. The wildlife, the scenery and the people were all terrific. Nowhere was I made to feel as I have in Bali and other places, like a tourist and therefore a “milch cow” as Carl mentioned. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate Vice-chair Wildlife Tourism Australia goodfellow@bigpond.com.au On 22 May 2014, at 7:42 pm, Carl Clifford < carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Geoff, Unfortunately, Yayasan Sabah is a private company, whose main activities are timber and palm oil production. They control massive swathes of Sabah. They have strong links to the Sabah Chief Minister and his family and basically can do what they like. Good luck with with trying to get that demand for the fee rescinded. There are plenty of other places in Sabah where you can get excellent bird photographs without being viewed as a milch cow. I would suggest spending a week at the Rainforest Discovery Centre and the Sepilok-Kabilli Reserve at Sepilok. Same species as Danum and much cheaper accom etc. also at the RDC and Kabilli, you have a good chance of seeing wild Orangs as they go to and from the Orang Sanctuary for a free feed. If you want any info on the RDC, Sepilok-Kabilli contact me off line. Carl Clifford _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Easy mistake to make though when there’s a “Buy” button on every page, don’t you think, Geoff? Not that it necessarily justifies the charge, that’s quite a lot of money if I did the conversion right – $168? Maybe they figure that a big camera means a big wallet. Peter Shute Sent from my iPad _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi all, Not sure why there are complaints about paying small amounts that go towards much needed conservation efforts in these Malaysian (and other) National Parks. If you are concerned about paying (in addition to below) I’d suggest flying to Kuala Terengganu and driving around the jungle surrounding Tasik Kenyir which offers superb and relatively easy birding…..and there is no fee. For me, this is one of the best places in Malaysia to bird watch….. PS: For those who like a cold beer after a hard days birding, you can’t buy grog in the state of Terengganu…..it’s a very, very strict Muslim state. Cheers, Charles Hunter Bronte, Sydney _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Yes, as Michael and I discovered when we visited the sanctuary. But it’s the same with Kakadu. As a local I don’t have to pay an entry fee. Denise Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate Vice-chair Wildlife Tourism Australia goodfellow@bigpond.com.au On 21 May 2014, at 11:54 am, Carl Clifford < carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
In South Australia you need a photography permit in national parks onlt if you are aiming to sell your photos commercially, which I think is fair. — Original Message — Sent: 21 May 2014 11:57 AM Cc: “< birding-aus@birding-aus.org>” < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> It is not so much punishment, Ian. Rather, it is milking the tourist cow for all they can. Wait till you see the difference between various costs for locals and tourists at attractions such as the Orang Utan “Sanctuary” at Sepilok, Sabah. Carl Clifford _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
It is not so much punishment, Ian. Rather, it is milking the tourist cow for all they can. Wait till you see the difference between various costs for locals and tourists at attractions such as the Orang Utan “Sanctuary” at Sepilok, Sabah. Carl Clifford _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
You have put a lot of work into this Carl. Thanks very much. From my point of view, its not the cost of entry but the principle of charging a fee for carrying a camera into a nature reserve that makes me want to cringe away from such places. Its as though there is an element of punishment aimed at tourist visitors behind the spawning of such policies. Overall Australia too is awful for bushwhaking the unsuspecting traveler with frightful fees and charges for entering many Parks. As you would know, Uluru is not shy about hitting up the battler but somehow, an entry fee seems more acceptable than a camera charge that just seems so parasitic. But I take your points there are many great birding places in Malaysia where there are no camera fees and that India hits up $12 per camera. Thanks again Carl Clifford wrote: porr old _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org