LATest e-bulletin March '25

Mar 77 min read

Look at the endless innovative touring products developed by LAT. From slow tourism to tours aways from crowds, from an agile system of modular scheduled departures in different languages to arts, architecture, outdoor, experiential, culinary food and education packages, just to name a few!

All our offers are strictly carbon contribution @ LAT Climate Contribution, all emissions being calculated and offset by projects in cooperation with Climate Partners.

In this issue: ① Quote of the month ② SEA, 40 thou years of seafaring ③ Flores Island, Indonesia ④ So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT ⑤ SEA Digital Nomads ⑥ Indonesia, Trump Tourism Project Halted ⑦ SIA Flies High ⑧ Singapore Raffles at Sentosa ⑨ Bali Water Taxi

Where all think alike, no one thinks very much

Walter Lippmann

SEA, 40 thou years of seafaring

The ancient peoples of the Malay Archipelago (Indonesia and Malaysia) and the Philippines mastered seafaring and built sophisticated boats tens of thousands of years ago—millennia before Magellan, Zheng He, and even the Polynesians. This challenges the widely held belief that technological advancements during the Palaeolithic era emerged primarily in Europe and Africa.

Much of Island Southeast Asia was never connected to mainland Asia by land bridges or ice sheets, yet archaeological evidence confirms early human habitation. How these early peoples achieved such daring ocean crossings remains a mystery, as organic materials like wood and fibre, essential for boatbuilding, rarely survive in the archaeological record.

However, recent discoveries in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste provide strong evidence that ancient seafarers possessed technological sophistication comparable to much later civilizations. Microscopic analysis of stone tools from sites dating back as far as 40,000 years reveals clear traces of plant processing, particularly fibre extraction for making ropes, nets, and bindings—crucial for both boatbuilding and open-sea fishing.

Further evidence includes the remains of deep-sea fish such as tuna and sharks found in archaeological sites in Mindoro and Timor-Leste, along with fishing implements like hooks, gorges, and net weights. These discoveries suggest that prehistoric peoples in the region had both advanced seafaring skills and a deep understanding of ocean currents, seasonal fish migrations, and marine ecosystems.

This body of evidence indicates that early inhabitants of Island Southeast Asia built durable, composite-material boats held together with plant-based ropes, rather than relying on flimsy bamboo rafts. Their mastery of open-sea fishing and long-distance navigation suggests they were highly skilled sailors, not mere drifters.

Inspired by years of fieldwork on Ilin Island, Occidental Mindoro, researchers—working alongside naval architects from the University of Cebu—have launched the First Long-Distance Open-Sea Watercrafts (FLOW) Project. This initiative aims to test the raw materials likely used in prehistoric boatbuilding and to design and experiment with scaled-down seacraft models.

The presence of such advanced maritime technology in prehistoric Island Southeast Asia highlights the ingenuity of early peoples, who likely made the region a centre of technological innovation tens of thousands of years ago. Their boat-building expertise laid the foundations for the enduring maritime traditions that still thrive in the region today.

Flores Island, Indonesia

Unlike most islands in the Indonesian archipelago, the modern name Flores was given by the Portuguese. According to oral tradition from the Sika region, the island was originally called Nusa Nipa, meaning "Dragon or Snake Island." Today, Nusa Nipa is widely recognized as the indigenous name for the entire island. The eastern part of Flores, once known as Kopondai, was renamed Cabo das Flores (Cape of Flowers) by the Portuguese due to its vibrant flamboyant trees—a name that has endured.

Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, forming the largest landmass in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province. Including Komodo and Rinca Islands to the west (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east), it covers an area of 14,731.67 km² and has a population of 1,878,875. The island’s largest towns are Maumere and Ende.

Geographically, Flores lies east of Sumbawa and the Komodo Islands, west of the Solor Islands and the Alor Archipelago, and southeast of Timor. To the south, across the Sumba Strait, is Sumba Island, while Sulawesi lies to the north beyond the Flores Sea. Among Indonesia’s islands, Flores ranks as the 10th most populous and the 10th largest, following Java, Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, New Guinea, Bali, Madura, Lombok, and Timor.

Long before modern humans arrived, Flores was home to Homo floresiensis, a small archaic human species. The island is also famous for the Komodo dragon, which has roamed Flores and its surrounding islands for at least 1.4 million years.

Explore the breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and ancient wonders of Flores with one of our curated tours, or sail its turquoise waters in luxury aboard the Malaillo Phinisi yacht.

So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT

Established in 1991

Independently owned and operated

Purely B2B with travel industry partners

Online booking engine with immediate

confirmation of hotels, tours and transfers

Skilful Contents Provider and Technology user

Knowledgeable and efficient reservations personnel

Long and proud association with the MICE industry in all Lotus destinations

Fully committed to Sustainability and CSR

Climate Contribution for all packages and services on offer Extensive selection of scheduled group departures and innovative product lines

Direct access to a vast pool of local professional contributors

Owns 5 small boutique island hotels strategically located and one luxury sailing yacht

LAT Indochina subsidiary operating in Thailand and Vietnam

Multilingual guides in all destinations

Operations offices throughout its destinations

Centralised bookings and payments for multi destination tours 24/7 assistance with interactive voice response available in four languages

LAT Application with UpToDate itineraries and info for guests. Downloadable from Apple and Play Stores

TATTLER

SEA Digital Nomads

With governments across Asia scrambling to accommodate the growing wave of digital nomads, it’s no surprise that the region’s rental real estate market is experiencing significant growth.

Over the past year, initiatives like Thailand’s Destination Thailand Visa, South Korea’s Workation Visa, and Malaysia’s DE Rantau Nomad Pass have helped redefine remote work while boosting local real estate sectors. Asia is rewriting the rulebook to attract a new kind of global citizen—digital nomads seeking flexible visas, affordable rentals, and community-driven spaces. The race is on to develop policies and infrastructure that cater to this lifestyle.

However, this influx has also made the rental market more competitive, and demand is only heating up. While the total number of digital nomads in Asia remains unclear, global estimates put their population at around 40 million, with 37% belonging to the millennial generation.

The surge in inbound digital nomads has driven up demand in key real estate markets, particularly in popular destinations like Bali, Phuket, and Boracay. Furnished rentals are becoming a staple in these communities, seen as safe havens for those seeking an escape from an increasingly chaotic world. To meet this growing demand, developers are expanding rental options while also promoting co-living and community-centric living spaces. However, the quality and availability of such amenities vary by country.

Yet, with this boom comes challenges. While increased demand is making rental pricing more competitive, it also risks pricing out local residents as “foreigner-friendly” rates surpass the budgets of many citizens. Additionally, a rising number of expatriates can lead to inflated costs for essentials like food and utilities, a trend already observed in areas affected by overtourism.

Governments face another conundrum: distinguishing legitimate remote workers from those engaging in unauthorized activities under the guise of digital nomadism. Furthermore, the added strain on infrastructure and the environment cannot be ignored.

Despite these concerns, experts predict that as digital nomadism continues to grow, many will shift towards less popular destinations and outlying areas, helping to balance demand and mitigate some of these pressures over time.

HIGHLIGHTS

Indonesia, Trump Tourism Project Halted

Indonesian authorities have halted a 3,000-hectare tourism development linked to U.S. President Donald Trump due to environmental concerns. Mismanagement of rainwater led to sedimentation in Lido Lake, threatening local ecosystems. Conservationists are particularly worried about the project's potential impact on one of Java's remaining tropical forests, home to species like the Javan slow loris and Javan leopard.

SIA Flies High

The SIA Group recorded a 3.3% growth in the third quarter, with an operating profit of USD 629 million. Net profit received a significant boost from a one-off USD 1.098 billion non-cash accounting gain, following the completion of the Air India-Vistara merger in November 2024.

Singapore Raffles at Sentosa

Raffles Sentosa Singapore, the country’s second Raffles-branded property and the only one exclusively featuring luxury villas, officially opened on March 1 with 60% of its rooms already booked. According to the Raffles Sentosa Singapore and Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, the launch has been highly anticipated, with room enquiries streaming in more than a year ago.

Bali Water Taxi

A new water taxi service, the Bali Marine Water Taxi, has officially launched in the popular beach resort of Benoa. Designed to improve connectivity for tourists, the service will operate between Tanjung Benoa, Serangan, and Pedungan. This marks just the beginning of Bali’s broader plan to develop multiple sea taxi routes in the coming months.

Our whole product for free and independent travellers, groups and MICE are based on a Climate Contribution programme. This means that part of the greenhouse gas emissions that will be generated are offset by projects in collaboration with Climate Partner, one of the leading climate protection solution providers for companies.

The arising emissions are being compensated by supporting a third-party certified geothermal energy project in Darajat, Java (Indonesia). The project helps to meet the growing demand for electricity in Indonesia. By increasing the share of renewable energy, the dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity decreases, and about 705,390 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved per year.

For over thirty years, Lotus Asia Tours Group has provided services and assistance to travellers the world over, specialising in the design and implementation of corporate events, activities, incentive tours and motivational travel, targeted at FIT, GIT and MICE markets, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indochina. The group also operates five boutique island hotels in Indonesia, in Lombok, Bali, Sulawesi, Papua and Maluku, as well as a seven-cabin luxury sailing yacht.

To learn more about our brand please head to our website, or contact us directly; we look forward to hearing how we could help make your next trip, tour or event memorable and successful.

Corporate Office D-5-4 Megan Avenue 1, 189 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia T: +60 (0)3 21617075 · F: +60 (0)3 21617084 · E: latgroup@lotusasiatours.com

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