Overseas photography trip - Semporna, Sabah (Malaysia)


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yrh0413

Senior Member
Oct 21, 2004
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www.danielyee.net
Hi all,

Just an interest check to see if anyone is keen to go for a photography outing to Semporna, Sabah.

Semporna is located north-east of Borneo island (or south-east of Sabah), those who visit Semporna are mainly divers going to Sipadan island. The main ethnics there are the Bajaus who live in small huts above the sea or at the seaside.

Some of the best landscape photographs were taken at this very location.

semporna_05_by_melvynyeo-d2xikrd.jpg

Credits to Melvyn Yeo (Semporna 05 by ~melvynyeo on deviantART

Travel dates:
Looking at travel dates 30 AUG to 3 SEPT (5D4N), Thursday to Monday. For those who are working this means you will have to apply for 3 days leave.
First and last day will be reserved for air travel thus we are left with 3 days for photography. Note that the dates might change subjected to our plans.
For ease of planning I'm looking at a manageable group of 4-8 pax max.

Flight details:
There are no direct flights from Singapore to Tawau thus we have to make a stop at LCCT, KL. Journey will be Singapore -> KL -> Tawau via Airasia.

If we stick with 30/08 to 03/09, I am looking at:
30/08:
11:40am flight from Singapore to KL. Reach KL at 12:40pm
3:45pm flight from KL to Tawau. Reach Tawau at 6:35pm
Land transfer to Semporna upon touchdown

03/09:
Early morning land transfer from Semporna to Tawau
10:15am flight from Tawau to KL. Reach KL at 1:00pm
5:30pm flight from KL to Singapore. Reach Singapore at 6:30pm


Accommodation:
4 nights at Semporna. . Take note that we are not going for 3 - 4 star hotels; think: BUDGET.

Local travel:
Travel from Tawau to Semporna by van/ cab
We will be hopping from island to islands in search for photography opportunities thus the only mean of transport is fishing boats.

Meals:
There is a KFC outlet at Semporna if you fancy fast-food. Prepare more ringgit if you wish to try seafood... heard that seafood is cheap there.

I will try to keep the total expenses a very doable figure :)

(Mod: please PM the ts for cost discussion)
 

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Cost breakdown as follow:

I am not able to confirm all cost incurred for the time being. Boats and taxi fare are pretty much subjected to bargain on the spot.

(Mod: please discuss privately with TS )
 

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Confirmed list:
1. yrh0413 (organizer)
2. yrh0413 (my wife)
3. colben1032
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.


Interest list:
1. Krish85
2. stevepow
3.


Registration deadline: 15 April 2012. We shall proceed to book our air tickets with Airasia after the deadline.
 

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is this a non-profit personal outing on a cost share basis ?
all above mention of $$$ removed
 

FAQ:

Q: Can I join? I am a beginner in photography.
Ans: Yes you may join this trip, but take note that this is a photography expedition and not a workshop. Most of us will be busy creating the photographs we long desired and we might not have time to act as your mentor. Still, we will share our experience and techniques when we put down our equipments, especially when we are filling up our stomach after a long day!

Q: What gears should I bring?
Ans: With blue skies and clear water as background, I guess you cannot go wrong with wide-angle lens. Bring along a portrait lens as well if you wish to capture human subjects. Polarizer, fisheye... your creativity is your limit. Other than your photography gears, please do not forget to include sunblock in your baggage.
 

is this a non-profit personal outing on a cost share basis ?
all above mention of $$$ removed

Hi mod, yes this is a non-profit outing on cost-sharing basis. I have 2 pax confirmed but prefer to travel in a larger group to share the cost of renting boat and cab. :)
 

:) best wishes for a successful photo hunt

as discussed via PM discuss the costing and sharing outside of the thread unless you are an advertising trip organizer or IF the trip is officially sanction by CS (eg the annual Crossing Bridges )

to those who are interested, this is CS policy and not TS's decision/fault ... to keep $$$ matters OUTSIDE of the thread
 

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Thanks mod for the clarifications. Kindly PM me if you are interested.

I have to emphasize again: this trip is on cost-sharing basis and I am not a commercial trip organizer, I am merely a hobbyist and I do not earn a single cent from this trip.

Please PM me if you wish to have a detailed cost breakdown.
 

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Hi

Can give us the estimated cost for the whole trip. Thanks.
 

Hi I am keen to join you guys for the Sabah trip. My wife is coming along. Please sign us in. I can be reached at burtloh@gmail.com
 

Hi I am keen to join you guys for the Sabah trip. My wife is coming along. Please sign us in. I can be reached at burtloh@gmail.com

hi, i am interested to join but is it possible to PM the cost? i am a beginner here and i uses SLR so not sure is ok for you guys?

thanks!
 

Hi,

I've indicated (posted on this thread) and also PM you my interest to join your Sabah outing. I did not receive any reply or confirmation from you. Not sure if I did it correctly. If you see this post, kindly feedback to me.

Thank you

BurtLoh
 

hi guys, thanks for your interest. I got some bad news... this trip will have to be postponed to Jan/ Feb 2013 because August is peak season for the divers... boat rental and accomodation is on the high side costing close to $900 per pax (inc air fare).

I'll lock this thread for now, will open a new thread by end of this year. Sorry guys.
 

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