Much More Than Borneo’s Leading Cycling Holiday Specialists
We started small, in 2013, with just one half-day cycling tour and a 2-person operation. From the heart of Kuching, Paradesa Borneo has since grown steadily to become the leading cycling holiday specialist in Borneo. Along this fantastic journey, we have won several achievements and awards. More important are our customers’ feedbacks. The reviews are mostly good and excellent, but the bad ones have also helped us develop and grow.
Renowned for offering a wide range of cycling day tours and multi-day cycling holidays, Paradesa Borneo also offers it’s associated non-cycling ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES and CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. These are are key components to its Borneo experiences.
Our dedicated core team are the backbone to delivering these services. We partner with local communities to ensure sustainability in the industry.
About Us
We are a team of proud Sarawakians, passionate about sharing our stories with visitors. Young, dynamic, and fun-loving, our multi-ethnic team takes great pride in delivering the best and most authentic experiences in Borneo.
We have grown steadily by recruiting like-minded and committed individuals, people who share our passion and value; a good mix of fantastic service attitude, and in-depth local knowledge that is enhanced by continuous professional training. We hate typical tours that have been run the same way for years, so we put a lot of thought and planning into creating every tour, from what route to take, to what content to include, and how it should be delivered to make it as interesting and memorable as possible, and offer the best local experience.
This core team is competently assisted by our selection of local partners that have a track record of delivering great customer service, including community homestays, boatmen, local hotels and restaurants, professional guides, national park guides, community guides, and local suppliers, etc. Great emphasis is put on establishing long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships so each side knows the other’s expectations.
Our Team
We are a team of proud Sarawakians, passionate about sharing our stories with visitors. Young, dynamic, and fun-loving, our multi-ethnic team takes great pride in delivering the best and most authentic experiences in Borneo.
We have grown steadily by recruiting like-minded and committed individuals, people who share our passion and value; a good mix of fantastic service attitude, and in-depth local knowledge that is enhanced by continuous professional training. We hate typical tours that have been run the same way for years, so we put a lot of thought and planning into creating every tour, from what route to take, to what content to include, and how it should be delivered to make it as interesting and memorable as possible, and offer the best local experience.
This core team is competently assisted by our selection of local partners that have a track record of delivering great customer service, including community homestays, boatmen, local hotels and restaurants, professional guides, national park guides, community guides, and local suppliers, etc. Great emphasis is put on establishing long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships so each side knows the other’s expectations.
Team Members
JC Chua – Founder & Director
For me, everything started far away from home, 10,164 km away from home in fact! I had just returned home after more than 30 years studying overseas in the UK, backpacking and exploring in Europe, the US, and Asia, soaking up different, mostly good, experiences, and meeting travelers from all walks of life. Before coming back home, I spent 15 years working in the tourist hotbed, Yangshuo, China. In Yangshuo, most sightseeing and adventurous activities such as mountain biking, hiking, climbing, caving, and kayaking were on the doorstep of the resort I was managing (Paradesa Yangshuo Resort)! Participating in these outdoor activities and drinking obscene amounts of rice wine was how I managed to remain sane in China for so many years!
After the Chinese resort was “harmonized” (ie. we were kicked out) by the local government officials, I returned to Borneo. I often found myself amazed by the exciting and diverse range of outdoor activities in Borneo, and how many of us locals take it for granted! These outdoor activities became my passion and regular weekend excursion (or sometimes even weekday). As a way of getting my wife off my back, I decided to mix pleasure with work. That’s why I decided to mortgage my children’s education fund to start this humble tour business and I hope to share the discovery of Borneo with all!
These days, my passion for discovering Borneo continues unabated. I have since cycled the full length of Malaysian Borneo and Brunei, as well as trekking into different parts of the interior of Sarawak whenever opportunities arise. We continue to pioneer more unique tour experiences inspired by these personal adventures. My ultimate dream is a Borneo island cycling tour of Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
“Home is where the heart is.” – Pliny the Elder
SK Law - Operation
Often, the only adult in the room, He makes sure that operations and tours run smoothly. As a non-cyclist and someone who hates the sun, he can be a pain at times when announcing new operation rules. An experienced tour operator and professional guide for over 15 years, he also gets the boring but necessary things done while we’re out having fun!
Farhah - Cycling and Sales
Our local, cycling day tours ride past her house almost every day, so she was persuaded to write a blog post about her “Malay Village”(opens in a new tab). With valuable experience from her hospitality background, she joined us because of her passion for telling a good story and sharing her knowledge of Sarawak. Recently, she has been given a more back-office role of sales and marketing, but she still insists on having time to assist tours and to interact with guests.
Estee - Multi-Tasker
The project leader for long tours, she is experienced in coordinating guides, community homestays, and always looks after her guests with a positive attitude. In the office, she helps update the website and the booking system, and she also manages to get out to assist tours now and again. From a nearby Bidayuh village not far from Kuching, she came back after her tourism college in Sabah because, obviously, Sarawak is better. A trouble maker who regularly instigates office parties and karaoke.
Del - Multi-Tasker
An interesting mix of both Iban and Bidayuh culture in her blood, but luckily, she retained the best of both cultural traits. Attending the tour desk duty and assisting on cycling day tours, she has a great rapport with customers who are often won over by her open and fun personality. Del joined us as a tourism student intern, and stayed after graduation because we sometimes offer free beer!
Lister - Bike Mech
How many people does it take to change a bike tire? Ask Lister, he has tried hard to train us all. A trained cycling mechanic who keeps our fleet of bikes in good working condition. A valuable team player on our support vehicle on our long tours who helps solve all kinds of guest requests. Our jungle tour starts from his village and he also assists on some of the off-road adventure cycling tours. Another team member who joined us as a tourism student intern and stayed!