We are on board a half-cabin cruiser, in the midst of the water border that Singapore shares with Malaysia, skimming past kelongs, mangrove swamps and wild boars scavenging for food on deserted beaches. Overhead, we spot a white-bellied sea eagle gliding through the air every now and then, and a low-flying Emirates aircraft – a rare sight these days – cruising past the skyline. This is home, truly… like nothing that we’ve seen before.
Bringing us on this joyride exploring kelongs, or floating fish farms, in the north-eastern banks of Singapore is Robin Loh, founder of Let’s Go Tour Singapore. Priced at S$450 (US$330) for a maximum of five persons, the two-hour Let’s Go Kelong Tour was a breeze to put together for Loh, who has spent over 20 years fishing for leisure in this coastal area.
On this balmy Friday afternoon, our tour starts with a few Covid safety measures. We are given a contact tracing form to fill out. According to Loh, the names are compiled and sent to the Singapore Tourism Board on a weekly basis. Masks have to be kept on throughout the tour – for both the guide and guests.
Temperature checks are also part of the drill. We cleared a temperature check at the entrance of the Marina Country Club, where Loh’s boat is parked, and checked in via SafeEntry. As part of further safety measures, Loh said boat seats are wiped down using disinfectant at the end of each day.
The boat tour is part of the agency’s This Is Home series, a collection of educational and interactive tours made for locals. Loh turned to domestic tourism to keep his tour business afloat amid the travel slump. Now, it seems the tides are turning for Loh, with the kelong tour reaping a harvest, netting about 30 bookings within less than two months of its launch.
In this Covid era, privately-hosted boat tours that promise ultimate safety have proven an attractive lure, especially with family groups, as people are “very scared” of contracting the virus. When international tourists start to trickle back, Loh said, this new collection of products could be marketed to them as “whatever is suitable for locals would be a hit with foreign tourists”.
Today’s tour brings us on a journey to see sights beyond the picture postcard image of the island city. Notable sightings along the way include the Singapore offshore islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong, cluster of kelongs, a high-tech fish farm, and the now-infamous S11 dormitories, aka Singapore’s largest Covid-19 cluster. From our vantage point, we espy the cramped conditions of the dorms, fringed by double barbed wire fences, not unlike that of a prison or detention camp. Just across, blocks of government-commissioned flats stand tall, unfenced. I’m guessing this is what inequality looks like.
Along the tour, we learn fascinating nuggets about kelongs and why traditional fish farming is a “risky” business. Loh regales us with riveting anecdotes of his sightings at sea from two decades ago, involving smuggling and high-speed boat chases. Unlike bigger group tours, where dialogue is usually a one-way street, we get to fire away our burning questions at the chatty and affable Loh, who expertly fields all our queries.
Our trip concludes with a stopover at what Loh called the “last full kelong in Singapore”. Unlike other kelongs, this one has two long rows of wooden stilts built in a V-shaped structure to herd fish into the lift net hoisted at the centre where the kelong stands. These small fishes are then fed to farm fishes, which are harvested for sale. When we floated the idea of incorporating a land visit to one of the kelongs for a more immersive experience, as opposed to just viewing from afar, Loh said the concept is not feasible now as there is no dock on the site, but added that they are exploring the idea.
For those craving to return to the days of yore, or those curious about what Singapore circa 1960s looked like, the tour harkens back to the city-state’s humble beginnings as a Malay fishing village. As engaging as it is educational, the boat tour makes a nice change of scenery from the usual land tours, while spotlighting a slice of Singapore’s history forgotten amid the march of rapid urbanisation.
When we finally return to shore, the whole vibe around the jetty, not to mention the old-school, non-airconditioned F&B venues within the compound, makes us feel like we are still stuck in a time warp. But as we make our way out of the premises, we are stopped at the entrance by the security guard who gestured towards the designated exit, prompting us to check out via SafeEntry, and reminding us once again that this is 2020.
Avani Hotels & Resorts has welcomed six new general managers to its team, who will head up properties in Asia and the Middle East.
Slated to open early 2021, Avani Doc Let Resort in Vietnam has welcomed Dennis Gordienko to the role of general manager.
Gordienko first joined the Minor group in 2015 as cluster resident manager at Anantara Maldives. Prior to that, he was executive assistant manager leading the pre-opening of Amari Dhaka in Bangladesh. In 2019, he took the pre-opening helm at FCC Angkor by Avani prior to being reassigned to Avani Doc Let Resort.
The Ukrainian started his hospitality career as an F&B intern in Antalya, Turkey, with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in 2003. Since then, he has worked in London and also his native country within F&B and rooms departments with international brands such as Radisson, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
He then moved to YTL Hotels – Small Luxury Hotels, where he was general manager of Gaya Island Resort, before moving to Vistana Penang Bukit Jambul in the same capacity.
In another Vietnam appointment, Beatrice Ellis has taken the helm at Avani Hai Phong Harbour View Hotel.
Ellis joins the hotel in a newly-promoted role from Anantara Hoi An Resort, where she has been based since 2017, starting as executive assistant manager and, for the last year, as the resort manager.
The South African brings more than 18 years of international experience in the hospitality industry, spending the previous six years with Minor Hotels in both the Maldives and Vietnam.
Over in Cambodia, Michael Robinson has been named the new general manager of FCC Angkor by Avani.
Robinson’s decade-long career in hospitality has seen him work across the US, Middle East and Asia, starting with a trainee role with Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego. In 2009, he moved to the Middle East as pre-opening assistant manager – front office with Grand Hyatt Doha in Qatar.
In 2011, Robinson joined Park Hyatt Dubai as assistant front office manager, followed by a promotion to the role of front office manager a couple of years later. The New Zealand national then relocated to Vietnam in 2016 to work as director of rooms for Caravelle Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. Later in the year, he was promoted to his first general manager role for the same property – his last assignment prior to joining Minor Hotels.
Moving onto Malaysia, Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort has welcomed Yogeswaran Veerasamy as its new general manager.
A Malaysian national, Veerasamy brings over two decades of hospitality experience across Asia and the Middle East. A seasoned hotelier with a strong background in F&B, he began his hospitality career in 1996 at the Raffles Hotel Singapore. Between 1999 and 2008, he held various F&B leadership roles at hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; The Fullerton Hotel Singapore; and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Cambodia.
Veerasamy was subsequently promoted to executive assistant manager of F&B at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace in India in 2008. Between 2012 and 2017, he held hotel manager roles at W Singapore Sentosa Cove and The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore, before taking on a general manager role in 2017 at The Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast.
Before joining Minor Hotels, Veerasamy was general manager for M Social Hotel Singapore.
Next up in South Korea, Avani Central Busan Hotel has appointed BK Kwon as the property’s general manager.
The South Korean has worked across Europe, Asia and Australia over a career spanning 15 years. Starting as a trainee with Conrad Hotel Bangkok in Thailand, he was promoted to assistant F&B manager in 2006. Between 2008 and 2011, he was based at Parmelia Hilton Perth Hotel in Australia serving as conference & banqueting operations manager, before being promoted to executive housekeeper, and finally, hotel operations manager.
In 2011, Kwon relocated back to South Korea to join Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort as director of operations, followed by a stint at Haevichi Hotel and Resort Jeju as general manager from 2014. Prior to joining Minor Hotels, he was executive director – hotel business division for Haevichi Hotel & Resort Corporation.
Lastly, in the UAE, Georges Farhat has been appointed as general manager for the Avani Palm View Dubai Hotel & Suites, slated to open in 4Q2020.
With more than 25 years of hospitality experience and a strong background in operations, Farhat brings a wealth of knowledge to this role from his previous positions with InterContinental Hotel Group.
Farhat’s first foray into hospitality was in 1994 with the Crown Plaza Dubai Hotel as a management trainee, and he rose through the ranks in both commercial and rooms division. In 2007, he was appointed the property’s hotel manager, followed by his first general manager assignment in 2014. Most recently, Farhat was the opening general manager for the Crown Plaza Dubai Marina.