Sounds great! We are working to open the region more to casual travelers and this November will be hosting the "Siang River Festival". We'll make our camp land available for free to well-intentioned vistors who would can camp on their own, offer our lodgings at a discount, and give free information and advice on visiting the river.
Thanks for your comment! I certainly haven't saved the Siang River (yet!), and can't take credit for all the work we're doing. We have a great, international team including Josh Neff, Florian Stecher, Nino Dai, Kundan Lama, and NB Chattri who are all very committed to our goals on the Siang, or upper Brahmaputra River.
The great thing about the Siang is that it has everything from Class I to Class V, so we run trips that range from mild to wild, suitable for everything from beginners to experts. If you're interested in coming out, feel free to email us through our website (www.riverindia.com) or connect on Facebook and we'd be happy to get you on something that suits your comfort level!
This project looks great.Someplace I would love to go to as a tourist (if I had the money) or as a worker to help develop local accommodations for eco-tourists.
As your comments imply, our goal in north-east India is to build a thriving locally-based tourism industry that depends on a healthy river for its survival. Our low-impact and locally-sourced bamboo camp materials model eco-friendly construction through sustainable local involvement.
The innovation to develop tourism on the Siang rather than hydropower creates income that filters throughout a broader social base. It encourages entrepreneurship and competition on local scales and builds a community that profits from healthy rivers while protecting them. A similar progression can be seen on Chile's Futaleufu River and many of the Wild&Scenic protected rivers in the United States. Promoting the Siang as a destination through profitable, locally-based eco-tourism allows us to create "friends of the river" both locally and internationally that will lend their voices to conservation.
This model can indeed be copied and translated to the rest of the world: Burma's Salween river, Pakistan's Indus and Gilgit Rivers, and the Mekong in China and Vietnam are all potential benefactors.
The Siang is unique because it is one of the world's only major unobstructed waterways, and has only recently been opened to foreigners. Our continuing success in promoting rafting through RiverIndia.com's operations is creating jobs and countless positive interactions with the river. This year we will host the first Free Siang River Festival (www.riverindia.com/siangfest) at our bamboo eco-lodge near the river in Pasighat. Through the festival we will interact with local and international participants to distribute literature on conservation. The emphasis on bamboo construction not only promotes local materials, but also creates a great environment to build friendships within!
----------
Dr Andreas Walmsley
Course Leader MSc Responsible Hospitality
International Centre for Responsible Tourism
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Our first expeditions were some of our favorite: the sense of exploration and remoteness were unparalleled, and the guests on our trips knew just as much about what was around the next corner as the guides did! Since every expedition is a new journey down an always changing river, the sense of adventure we feel creates bonds within every group.
Ultimately, an expedition is a reflection of the people who conduct it- and RiverIndia has attracted some pretty amazing personalities who have made our trips a success. Thank you!
I am truly amazed at how Roland Stevenson was able to start up RiverIndia and save the Siang River! I think that this goes beyond many entrepreneurial businesses I've heard of because it genuinely involves much more than just making a profit. The fact that he is employing and teaching locals make me want to go on the trip just for a tour of the facilities, let alone the actual river. While I'm sure that Roland is more than certified to lead the River trips, I was wondering what grade level the river was?
For independent kayakers and budget travelers wishing to do a self-organized trip on the Siang River this November, RiverIndia.com is sponsoring its first ever Siang River Festival.
Designed to increase the exposure of the Siang River Corridor as a travel destination, the Siang River Festival 2009 is a celebration of one of the world's greatest free-flowing rivers. RiverIndia.com will assist paddlers with permits and logistics as well as offer free camping at its Siang River bamboo Eco-lodge. The Siang Fest 2009 goals are:
- to provide the most economical way possible for whitewater enthusiasts to experience the magnificent Siang River
- promote intercultural exchange
- raise awareness of an endangered biodiversity hot-spot
- build an international community around the Siang River with conservation at its heart
As a potential target for hydropower production in the coming years, now is the time float down the Siang and take meaningful conservation-minded memories to share with family, friends, and the rest of the world. Join the Siang Fest 2009 and build the river community that will support this free flowing gem into the future.
We're doing a Bollywood Video trip! This fall we'll be shooting two videos that draw attention to the personalities and communities in which we offer our sustainable rafting trips. We'll focus on 2 characters: guides who are working for RiverIndia and learning sustainable environmental practices and paddlers who have come out to connect with local cultures.
We'll shoot the Bollywood Video over the course of our trips, and edit it all together for a Slumdog Millionaire Style music video that draws attention to the geotourism issues that affect the Siang River Corridor and its people!
I had the privilege of being on the very first River India Siang River trip and it still remains my most favorite trip of all time. The landscape was breathtaking and the guides were absolutely top notch. The river provided a serene environment and the group of people on the river expedition remain, to day, some of my best friends. Thank you Roland for organizing such an impressive trip.
On July 1, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place Sustaining the Future of Destinations” competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. If possible, please take the time to respond to some of the provocative questions and issues that were raised by the judges. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team.
“I am always interested by communities that are able to take charge of the space around them and be resourceful. Any community can do this, it is not expensive so anyone can duplicate and could impact on other communities. It is when a community uses and appreciates their resources that they are more likely to protect them and improve that space.”
“I thought this project shows real promise as it was very good for the forest while benefitting local people. I liked that there is strong social impact, but the true innovation is in how they use and demonstrate the value of the standing resource. Although the innovation is only local level now, it can be copied and translated to the rest of the world. As for the concept of river rafting in north-east India, this project is good because there hasn't been much development here yet. I am specifically attracted to the use of bamboo within the project.”
- Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place Sustaining the Future of Destinations” Judges: National Geographic Society, United Nations Foundation, Tribe Wanted, The Green Belt Movement, Lonely Planet, Southwest Forestry University.
Greetings to all interested and the creative
I have many ideas useful for all people derived from nature and help the nature .I want of economic decision-makers and owners of capital to manufacture and marketing and advertising
the water
ideas to maintain the water
ideas to bring drinking water from nature
ideas to take the advantage from the user water
Energy
The exploitation of wind energy in the home and farm
The exploitation of solar energy in the home and farm
Exploitation of human energy
I have ideas in the invention and manufacture of machine
That make the owner will be free and happy and reduce costs in everyday life
This machine helps the owner in the availability of money
And for this machine many features and functions needed for every home and every human being seeks to liberate the needs
Parts of this machine is available in the market by 80 percent
I want to sell these ideas after the translation from Arabic into English
I want every one needs to be free own, especially energy and water and rationalization to maintain them and he learn how to preserve them Forever
i am Teacher has more than 20 years
I am a tourist guide i am speaking a little English and I work guide in the desert and I can walk in the desert and the help of this GPS
I want to make the tourism the title of the world peace
and This is the travel and tourism company www.Smraaljanoob.com
Comments
Sounds great! We are working to open the region more to casual travelers and this November will be hosting the "Siang River Festival". We'll make our camp land available for free to well-intentioned vistors who would can camp on their own, offer our lodgings at a discount, and give free information and advice on visiting the river.
Stay tuned to our website:
RiverIndia.com
As well as to our newly started facebook page. Become a fan!
Thanks for your comment! I certainly haven't saved the Siang River (yet!), and can't take credit for all the work we're doing. We have a great, international team including Josh Neff, Florian Stecher, Nino Dai, Kundan Lama, and NB Chattri who are all very committed to our goals on the Siang, or upper Brahmaputra River.
The great thing about the Siang is that it has everything from Class I to Class V, so we run trips that range from mild to wild, suitable for everything from beginners to experts. If you're interested in coming out, feel free to email us through our website (www.riverindia.com) or connect on Facebook and we'd be happy to get you on something that suits your comfort level!
Best wishes,
Roland Stevenson
This project looks great.Someplace I would love to go to as a tourist (if I had the money) or as a worker to help develop local accommodations for eco-tourists.
Thank you! Your votes, support, and positive encouragement means so much to us!
As your comments imply, our goal in north-east India is to build a thriving locally-based tourism industry that depends on a healthy river for its survival. Our low-impact and locally-sourced bamboo camp materials model eco-friendly construction through sustainable local involvement.
The innovation to develop tourism on the Siang rather than hydropower creates income that filters throughout a broader social base. It encourages entrepreneurship and competition on local scales and builds a community that profits from healthy rivers while protecting them. A similar progression can be seen on Chile's Futaleufu River and many of the Wild&Scenic protected rivers in the United States. Promoting the Siang as a destination through profitable, locally-based eco-tourism allows us to create "friends of the river" both locally and internationally that will lend their voices to conservation.
This model can indeed be copied and translated to the rest of the world: Burma's Salween river, Pakistan's Indus and Gilgit Rivers, and the Mekong in China and Vietnam are all potential benefactors.
The Siang is unique because it is one of the world's only major unobstructed waterways, and has only recently been opened to foreigners. Our continuing success in promoting rafting through RiverIndia.com's operations is creating jobs and countless positive interactions with the river. This year we will host the first Free Siang River Festival (www.riverindia.com/siangfest) at our bamboo eco-lodge near the river in Pasighat. Through the festival we will interact with local and international participants to distribute literature on conservation. The emphasis on bamboo construction not only promotes local materials, but also creates a great environment to build friendships within!
----------
Dr Andreas Walmsley
Course Leader MSc Responsible Hospitality
International Centre for Responsible Tourism
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Our first expeditions were some of our favorite: the sense of exploration and remoteness were unparalleled, and the guests on our trips knew just as much about what was around the next corner as the guides did! Since every expedition is a new journey down an always changing river, the sense of adventure we feel creates bonds within every group.
Ultimately, an expedition is a reflection of the people who conduct it- and RiverIndia has attracted some pretty amazing personalities who have made our trips a success. Thank you!
I am truly amazed at how Roland Stevenson was able to start up RiverIndia and save the Siang River! I think that this goes beyond many entrepreneurial businesses I've heard of because it genuinely involves much more than just making a profit. The fact that he is employing and teaching locals make me want to go on the trip just for a tour of the facilities, let alone the actual river. While I'm sure that Roland is more than certified to lead the River trips, I was wondering what grade level the river was?
Namaste!
For independent kayakers and budget travelers wishing to do a self-organized trip on the Siang River this November, RiverIndia.com is sponsoring its first ever Siang River Festival.
Designed to increase the exposure of the Siang River Corridor as a travel destination, the Siang River Festival 2009 is a celebration of one of the world's greatest free-flowing rivers. RiverIndia.com will assist paddlers with permits and logistics as well as offer free camping at its Siang River bamboo Eco-lodge. The Siang Fest 2009 goals are:
- to provide the most economical way possible for whitewater enthusiasts to experience the magnificent Siang River
- promote intercultural exchange
- raise awareness of an endangered biodiversity hot-spot
- build an international community around the Siang River with conservation at its heart
As a potential target for hydropower production in the coming years, now is the time float down the Siang and take meaningful conservation-minded memories to share with family, friends, and the rest of the world. Join the Siang Fest 2009 and build the river community that will support this free flowing gem into the future.
Visit the Siang Fest 2009 Websiteto learn more!
We're doing a Bollywood Video trip! This fall we'll be shooting two videos that draw attention to the personalities and communities in which we offer our sustainable rafting trips. We'll focus on 2 characters: guides who are working for RiverIndia and learning sustainable environmental practices and paddlers who have come out to connect with local cultures.
We'll shoot the Bollywood Video over the course of our trips, and edit it all together for a Slumdog Millionaire Style music video that draws attention to the geotourism issues that affect the Siang River Corridor and its people!
I had the privilege of being on the very first River India Siang River trip and it still remains my most favorite trip of all time. The landscape was breathtaking and the guides were absolutely top notch. The river provided a serene environment and the group of people on the river expedition remain, to day, some of my best friends. Thank you Roland for organizing such an impressive trip.
Amanda
great work!
Praise seems inadequate. What you have done & continue to do are absolutely inspirational.
Hacemos llegar nuestros votos de un feliz logro de éste proyecto.
Felicitaciones!!
Lady Rodriguez
www.biourugay.org
http://bio-uruguay.blogspot.com
On July 1, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place Sustaining the Future of Destinations” competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. If possible, please take the time to respond to some of the provocative questions and issues that were raised by the judges. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team.
“I am always interested by communities that are able to take charge of the space around them and be resourceful. Any community can do this, it is not expensive so anyone can duplicate and could impact on other communities. It is when a community uses and appreciates their resources that they are more likely to protect them and improve that space.”
“I thought this project shows real promise as it was very good for the forest while benefitting local people. I liked that there is strong social impact, but the true innovation is in how they use and demonstrate the value of the standing resource. Although the innovation is only local level now, it can be copied and translated to the rest of the world. As for the concept of river rafting in north-east India, this project is good because there hasn't been much development here yet. I am specifically attracted to the use of bamboo within the project.”
- Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place Sustaining the Future of Destinations” Judges: National Geographic Society, United Nations Foundation, Tribe Wanted, The Green Belt Movement, Lonely Planet, Southwest Forestry University.
hello dear /Mr. Roland Stevenson
You are agree with me in many things, thank you
----------
i am mohamed from libya
hfilk@yahoo.com
www.Smraaljanoob.com
Greetings to all interested and the creative
I have many ideas useful for all people derived from nature and help the nature .I want of economic decision-makers and owners of capital to manufacture and marketing and advertising
the water
ideas to maintain the water
ideas to bring drinking water from nature
ideas to take the advantage from the user water
Energy
The exploitation of wind energy in the home and farm
The exploitation of solar energy in the home and farm
Exploitation of human energy
I have ideas in the invention and manufacture of machine
That make the owner will be free and happy and reduce costs in everyday life
This machine helps the owner in the availability of money
And for this machine many features and functions needed for every home and every human being seeks to liberate the needs
Parts of this machine is available in the market by 80 percent
I want to sell these ideas after the translation from Arabic into English
I want every one needs to be free own, especially energy and water and rationalization to maintain them and he learn how to preserve them Forever
i am Teacher has more than 20 years
I am a tourist guide i am speaking a little English and I work guide in the desert and I can walk in the desert and the help of this GPS
I want to make the tourism the title of the world peace
and This is the travel and tourism company
www.Smraaljanoob.com
----------
i am mohamed from libya
hfilk@yahoo.com
www.Smraaljanoob.com
i intend to travell here.thanks for your post.
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