Experiential Learning Trips - Update 1st October 2015 (M)

01 October 2015
Dear Secondary Parents,

Experiential Learning Trips Update on the haze situation
It has been a very challenging period over the last two weeks with the haze levels ranging from Unhealthy
(AQI 101 150) to Good (0 50). As you are aware, the school has been closely monitoring the situation
here in Penang as well as in Thailand and Indonesia. As I write this letter the air quality in Penang is rapidly
changing! I would like to use this letter to update everyone on the current situation in each of the locations
that we will be travelling to next week and the actions the school will be taking.
All the locations we are travelling to currently have better air quality than Penang! We have been
monitoring each of our destinations very closely. All the Malaysian and Thailand destinations have been
very easy to check as there are air quality monitoring stations nearby each location. Checking the situation
in Bintan and Sumatra has not been as simple but we have been fortunate to have people there in both
locations.
Although this letter is predominantly focused on the three international trips (Year 10, 11 & 12). It applies
equally to all the trips in Malaysia (Years 7, 8 & 9). As I mentioned above the Malaysian locations have
been easy to monitor electronically and by telephone.
I am pleased to be able to feedback from Dr. Marc van Loo, the CEO of Loola, who has provided these very
insightful comments and observations regarding the haze and the effects on all the trips.
With respect to the concerns about the haze, the following:
Living in Singapore myself, and suffering the effects of this years very bad haze, I understand the parental
concerns exactly.
However, local geography has dealt us some extremely lucky cards:
Bintan:
For some reason that has apparently mostly to do with the prevailing winds, which tend to blow over the
length of South and Central Sumatra and then cross the Malacca Straits from a South-Westerly direction,
Singapore, KL, and occasionally as far North as Georgetown gets hit by a good dose of haze.
But, apart from the occasionally here and there where you notice a bit haziness, the haze mostly simply
completely by-passes Bintan, especially its East coast.
To give an example: when, on 24 September the haze reached peak PSI levels here in Singapore above 300,
and visibility was less than 500 meters, at Loola we could easily see islands 15 km (!!) far.
Weve had guests throughout the whole month this September, and not a single guest has complained about
the haze, and all activities went on as per program. The document that I attach herewith (sorry for hastily
cobbling some of the maps together, but I figured youd rather have the information fast) features some of
the satellite maps that show the odd distribution of the haze that covers Singapore but leaves Bintan free.
Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778
Website: www.uplands.org Email: info@uplands.org
An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Edexcel International
The International Baccalaureate
Member of The Federation of British International Schools in Asia
Member of The Association of International Malaysian Schools
Member of The Boarding Schools Association
On top of this, the haze this year is different, politically speaking.

Whereas Indonesia has done nothing in all these years to stop the problem, this year there are 3 huge
differences:
1. The E.U came down hard on Indonesia a couple of weeks ago, and announced that it will ban
Indonesian palm oil from the European market if there would be no credible policies put into place
to combat the haze and bring palm oil plantations in Indonesia (the key cause of the haze) to heel.
2. There is a new type of President in Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo, the first common man Asian
President. Instead of beating national drums when criticised, he went to work and announced that
plantation owners who didnt control fires on their land would lose their licenses. Now THAT hurts
plantation owners where it counts
3. For the first time ever, we have a massive (and very popular) intervention of the army to help put out
the fires.
These efforts have focussed on Central Sumatra, as this area affects many people, including Singaporeans
and Malaysians.
Penang has been the beneficiary of actions 2 and 3; I believe the haze in Penang has been much reduced
from the time I went to visit Uplands.
In other words, despite what the media may be saying, the interventions are working, and Indonesian people
- being the main victims of the haze - are massively in favour of the interventions 2 and 3, and I suspect that
a good many Indonesians are thankful to the E.U too, because I havent seen any nationalist backlash on
account of 1.
In other words, to sum it all up, there may be a freak whiff of haze in Bintan, but, going on our experiences
of the last decade, the chances of having a bad haze at LooLa are close to nil; invariably, our guests
describe LooLa as a very welcome respite from the haze.
Moreover, another week of this massive intervention as in point 3 above should really have an additional
effect.
Sumatra:
Much the same story as above.
I believe in this case the main reason why the haze very rarely reaches Harau, let alone Maninjau lake, is
because the "ring of fire mountain ridge runs right along the length of Sumatra and channels the winds
along these mountains. Harau is well up the plateau, and Maninjau is over the hill, so they, too, have not
suffered any serious effects from the haze these last 2 months.
I asked my staff to arrange for some photos, just to make sure its not a matter of local perception, and we
then received a small picture from a mobile phone, but sure enough, it showed clear visibility.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

In the very unlikely case that, for the first time during this haze season, the haze would cross over to Harau,
we have a back-up plan, which is to go to Maninjau for the entire trip.
Krabi.
They are even further up North than Penang, and hence benefit even more of the interventions 2 and 3.
I called Elke, and she said that people noticed a bit of haziness a week back when the haze hit 300 in
Singapore, but theres no effect on the activities or peoples behaviour. I, for one, cant wait for my annual
holiday to Krabi on 12 October.
Regards
Dr Marc van Loo
And additional comment from Dr. Loo was :
We have just got in a photo from Harau canyon in Sumatra this morning - nice and sunny and clear ;-)

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

On 30 Sep 2015, at 9:13 am, LooLa CEO Desk <info@loola.net> wrote:

Ive done some more research and thinking as to how one can explain that Singapore and KL are so often
exposed to the haze, while LooLa and West Sumatra are so little affected, but, looking at the wind directions
on the maps I supplied yesterday, I believe I may have the answer:
The satellite photo above, together with all the other maps, offers another explanation for why LooLa and
West Sumatra are spared the haze:
As we know also from long experience, the wind in Bintan at this time of the year is consistently coming
from the East, blowing in clean air from the sea all weather maps above show this very consistent wind
pattern clearly.
Closer to Singapore, however, the winds frequently turn and take a Northerly direction (see all 3 charts in
the documents I sent you yesterday to see this), and it is the same for the winds near Padang in West
Sumatra: they blow in a North-east direction as well, pushing the haze back to central Sumatra.
This explains why Singapore and KL are so often affected by the Sumatran haze but Bintan and the West
Sumatran highlands are not.
Naturally, our reputation here is at stake as well, and I do not want to send students on trips where I know
the haze will be a problem.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

In that case I would host Uplands once but never again, and I risk untold damage to our reputation.
We thrive on long-term partnerships with schools, as our long list of clients show, and our 11 international
awards (ref www.loola.net/Eco) demonstrate that we have an international reputation for honesty and
sustainability, and well do everything we can to keep deserving these accolades and trust.
At the moment, and on the basis of similar events in the last decade, I can honestly say that none of our sites
have ever experienced haze to levels that would make outdoor activities unadvisable.
On the basis of this history, and on the basis of geography, Im confident that things will be no different this
year.
However, we are constantly monitoring things here on a daily basis. We expect the massive interventions by
the Indonesian army to bear fruit soon, so we expect things to get even better, but should things take an
unexpected turn for the worse, I will let the school know immediately, and then we re-evaluate.
Because, as I said, it is not in my interest, nor anyone else interest, to send students to a site that is not
suitable.
But I do hope that parents understand that there is strong historical and geographical evidence to say that
the risk for dangerous haze at any of these sites is extremely low, and that it is for this reason that we feel
that it is safe to assume that the trip will go ahead and that it will be a success as planned.
Hope this helps,
Regards
Dr Marc van Loo

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

Uplands School Action

The school has paid for the insurance for the trips, the fees to each service provider and the transport costs
(coach and airfares).
Please see the end of this letter for a copy of the insurance policy (we have taken out the Premiere Policy).
We are committed to attending the trips unless there is a major change in circumstances.
As demonstrated in this letter there is no reason, due to the current climatic conditions at each of the trip
sites, for not attending, the conditions are currently better than we are experiencing in Penang.
The school will continue to monitor the conditions at all the trip locations, before and during the coming
week. Should the air quality change at each of the locations the school staff will take the appropriate action
in line with the schools published policy on air quality. Decisions will be made based on the prevailing
circumstances and conditions. The safety of the students and staff is of the utmost importance.
I have been asked three direct questions by several parents over the last few days
Can the trips be postponed to another time later in the year?
No. The curriculum at Uplands is so tight that there will be no other opportunity to repeat the Experiential
Trip Programmes this academic year.
Will my child be academically penalised if they withdraw from the trip?
Another very short answer, No. Non-attendance will not have any reflection on their academic studies or
results. We do think however, that they will be missing out on a fantastic educational / social / development
opportunity.
Can I get a refund if my child does not attend?
As I explained earlier, the school has made all necessary payments for the organisation of the trips. Any
refund would be due to a claim against the purchased insurance policy. Please refer to the insurance
documentation at the end of this letter. A refund claim for not attending the trips would probably have to be
made for medical reasons.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

In conclusion
The school will be departing on the Experiential Learning Trips this Sunday / Monday. The school will
continue to monitor the situation closely as it has done for the last few weeks. If there is a change in air
quality during the period of the trips the staff on the trip will make the appropriate decisions.
The school is fully aware of the concerns over haze and is getting the best information it can from its sources
at each location.
We look forward to sending you updates from each of the trips as we celebrate the successes and challenges
overcome by the students on their adventures.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Bristow
Principal

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

LooLa school trips parents briefing Safety FAQ

Some words of reassurance
1. Is the resort safe?
Answer: the resort has won the 2012 award of best Eco resort in Asia, it is one of the world's best three community tourism
operators in 2013, just won two of the 10 Sustainable Business Awards Singapore (2014) and it is a Tripadvisor winner for three
years running from 2013 to 2015!
In other words, Loola resort is the most highly decorated resort in all of Asia.
Moreover, it is the leading destination in Indonesia for Singapore based school's overseas trips, and it gets audited every year, so
yes, the resort is as safe as it gets!
2. Are there any problems with Dengue or Malaria?
Answer: nowhere in Asia is there zero risk with regards to insect-borne diseases, but, to put it in perspective, the risk of
contracting Dengue is higher in Singapore than in Bintan.
Malaria, in the neighborhood of where Loola operates, is as much under control as it is in Singapore.
3. Are there problems with mosquitos or sand flies?
Answer: LooLa employs a highly sophisticated chemical-free insect control program. As a result, on most of the days, there are
hardly any biting insects. Sand flies have been absent for many years now. Occasionally the wind brings some insects in, so, just
to be sure, bring in some insect repellent.
For questions 4 7, please refer to the maps on the next page.
4. Will there be problems with haze?
The location of (the east coast of) Bintan with respect to the Sumatran bushfires is MUCH better than that of Singapore or KL,
which is why Bintan is so much less affected than SG by the haze: typically you dont notice the haze in LooLa even when there is
bad haze in Singapore.
For instance, when the haze in Singapore reached over 300 PSI on 24 Sep 2015, with less than 500 m visibility, LooLa had more
than 15 km the distance between Singapore and Batam! visibility, meaning more than 30 times better than SG!
We had guests all throughout the very bad Singapore haze of September 2015, but only on one day there was a mild effect on
visibility at LooLa. No guest has EVER complained of haze in LooLa, and weve never had to cancel any activity on account of it;
its simply a non-issue on account of a lucky fluke of geography, please refer to the maps below.
So, in other words, if you want to escape the Singapore haze, theres no better nearby location: come to LooLa!
Note for the future: there has been profound pressure by the E.U on Indonesia: they announced in Sep 2015 that they would
ban Indonesian palm oil from the European market if there would be no credible policies to bring the fires under control.
Combine this with a visionary new President in Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo, who announced that plantation owners who dont
control the fires on their land would lose their land title, and the result is wide-spread expectation in Indonesia that the fires will
come to an end in October 2015, and wont ever return again in the manner that has plagued parts of Asia for so long.
Expectations run especially high in Indonesia since the Indonesian military has been very publicly mobilized (for the first time in
such an all-out fashion!) to help with a massive fire-fighting exercise, an exercise that enjoys huge popular support: the
Indonesian people, understandably, bearing the brunt of the haze, are even more upset with the haze.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

5. What about a volcano erupting?

All volcanoes are too far to have any direct impact on either SG or Bintan.
And if ashes were to blow all the way our way, we're all equally affected.
Conclusion: the risk in the Riau islands is identical to that of Singapore, which is to say, a fully negligible risk.
6. What about earthquakes?
The so-called "ring of fire" (with volcanoes and earth quakes) runs around the southern and eastern rim of Indonesia, so both
Singapore and Bintan are equally shielded by land-masses in between from tremors. Occasionally such tremors reach SG, but as
we know, it's never severe, and in LooLa our buildings are only single storey with wooden flexible roofs, so even in the superunlikely case of a super-severe earthquake close-by, you'd be better off in LooLa than in a multi-storey building (such as most
schools) in Singapore!
7. What about tsunamis?
Please refer to the map below and the above point on earthquakes.
Since both Bintan and SG are completely shielded by land masses in between, tsunamis have never in history affected our
shores, and never will.
Good luck with your parents evening!
Best regards
Dr Marc van Loo
Haze map (arbitrary screenshot, 28 Sep 2015, a period when the haze was bad in Singapore)
This map is typical: The Kalimantan haze VERY rarely reaches Singapore/Bintan on account of the distance.
Padang
The Sumatran fires are typically in central or South Sumatra and they often affect Singapore and KL quite badly because of the
prevailing winds from the South West, but Bintan, especially the East coast of Bintan is typically almost completely spared. For
instance, when the haze reached a peak in Singapore of over 300 PSI and less than 500 meter visibility, LooLa had more than 15

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

km visibility (which is the distance from Singapore to Batam, i.e more than 30 times better than SG!!)
Padang
The map of 22 September, below, simply is a random example which we happened to keep after we looked it up at that day, but
the map below, of 29 September, shows that even throughout a period of very bad haze in Singapore, Bintan remains out of the
serious haze zone.
Padang

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

Description of Coverage
A1. Medical expenses
Reimbursement for medical expenses incurred during trip.
A2. Medical expenses in Malaysia
Reimbursement for follow-up medical expenses incurred in Malaysia, within 30 days upon arrival.
A3. Daily hospital income
Compensation for every day of overseas hospital admission.
A4. Alternative medicine
Reimbursement for alternative treatment expenses incurred during trip.
A5. Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of mortal remains
Transporting you to a medical facility or Malaysia for medical treatment; Repatriation of mortal remains
to Malaysia and reimbursement for expenses incurred.
A6. Compassionate visit
Reimbursement for covered expenses incurred by 1 person if you are hospitalized (more than 5 days)
or suffer death.
A7. Child Guard
Reimbursement for covered expenses incurred to accompany your child/children back to Malaysia if
you are hospitalized and there is no one to look after your child/children.
B1. Accidental death and permanent disablement
Pays for accidental death or permanent disablement.
C1. Travel Cancellation/Curtailment
Reimbursement for expenses not recoverable if you cancel your trip prior to departure from Malaysia
or curtail your trip and return directly to Malaysia due to covered reasons.
C2. Travel Delay
Pays for common carrier or chartered flight delay, as stated in the schedule of benefits.
C3. Travel Reroute/Overbooked/Misconnection/Missed Departure
Pays for every 6 consecutive hours of delay due to covered reasons.
C4. Baggage Delay
Pays for delay of your accompanying checked-in baggage.
C5. Damage or loss of baggage and/or personal effects
Reimbursement for damage or loss of baggage or personal effects due to theft or common carrier
negligence.
C6. Loss of travel document
Reimbursement for replacement cost of passport/visa due to theft, and additional covered expenses incurred.
C7. Loss of money
Pays for loss of currency note or travelers cheques due to theft.
C8. Personal Liability
Reimbursement for expenses incurred on defense of claim, if you are held legally liable to a third party
for death/accidental bodily injury or loss/damage to property.
C9. Home Inconvenience Allowance
Reimbursement for loss or damage of household contents due to theft while your place of residence is
left vacant.
Please refer to policy wordings for the full terms & conditions.
No Maximum
Age Limit
Up To RM10 Million
Medical Expenses
(Premier Plan)
24 Hours
Worldwide
Travel Assistance
24/7 Emergency Assistance anytime, anywhere

24/7 Doctor On Call
Up to RM10 million coverage of medical expenses
Low premiums that everyone can afford
Per trip or annual plans customized for individual, spouse, family
No maximum age limit
Business or leisure? No difference, part business/part leisure too.
Acts of terrorism, hijacking and natural disaster? Covered!
Feel just like home with 24/7 multi-lingual interpreter service
Trip Cancellation benefit begins even before you travel
Natural
Disaster

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01 October 2015

Dear Secondary Parents,

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

On top of this, the haze this year is different, politically speaking.

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

On 30 Sep 2015, at 9:13 am, LooLa CEO Desk <info@loola.net> wrote:

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Uplands School Action

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

LooLa school trips parents briefing Safety FAQ

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

5. What about a volcano erupting?

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

An examination centre for Cambridge International Examinations

24/7 Emergency Assistance anytime, anywhere

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