How it started
In 2007 Nicklas was spending his Christmas vacation by trying to kayak with Orca’s in Tysfjord, Norway. But the Norwegians didn’t tell him that all the Orca’s had stopped gathering there! Nicklas went instead to the nearby Lofoten for kayaking. This place is one of the most beautiful places on Earth to do kayaking, but not in the winter season with no sun over the horizon! The cold and the dark made him think of a kayaking paradise where the air is warm and the water is not freezing, and the sun brings out all the colors of nature.
Thus began his search for the ultimate sea kayak paradise in the tropical countries, one Christmas vacation after another. First, he went to Maldives. Then, he went to Belize. Next, he started to explore the South East Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines. They were very nice places but not the ultimate tropical kayaking paradise.
Then, Nicklas started to read about biodiversity in the coral reefs, and that the tropical islands that has the richest biodiversity in the world is Raja Ampat in Indonesia. So, he started to kayak in the North Raja Ampat at the end of 2012 and found the place to be up to his expectations. The lively corals, the karst landscape, and the formation of islands that are perfect for kayaking made him come back two times after that.
On the third visit, Nicklas decided to visit the furthest Raja Ampat Islands in the South, the Island called Misool, and the rest is history. He was hooked by the place he and many others regard as the perfect tropical kayak destination. And he thought this place must inspire as many nature lovers as possible, so he started a kayak tour operator, Millekul Adventures and made first two trial trips at the start of 2017. In case you are wondering, Millekul is a made up word from Mille (thousand, as in Millennium) and Kul (fun in Swedish) as we hope we can bring thousands of fun!
Millekul 1.0
Nicklas did one season by himself 2017/2018, guiding and facilitating kayakers from Scandinavian countries to explore Misool. Very soon, he realized that he can’t do the job alone! He tried to get help from local people in Misool but as that place was not yet prioritizing tourism, finding someone who could communicate in English was hard.
In October 2018, Nicklas were joined by two Indonesians, Gilang and Priyo. Gilang is a white water kayaker, graduated majoring in Sports from a university in East Java. Gilang found Nicklas on Facebook and after seeing his posts on Raja Ampat, Gilang asked whether he needed a guide. Right on time! Gilang has good English and has a happy-go-lucky attitude that’s perfect for a guide job! So Millekul team then gained a guide.
Nicklas then asked the agent of his kayak importer, Priyo, if he knows anyone else who can speak English and can kayak to become a guide in Misool. Priyo, who owns a small kayak trip business himself, knows how hard it is to find an English speaking kayak guide in Indonesia. So, after consulting his family (he has two young sons), he himself signed up for the job!
Gilang and Priyo quickly became friends with Nicklas and the local Misoolians. They also found out that guiding in Paradise for adventurous people from all around the world who appreciate sea kayaking, camping, and hanging out in the jungle turns out to be an excellent job! Thus began the Millekul Trio of Nicklas, Gilang and Priyo.
For two seasons, they guided people from Europe, US, Australia, and Indonesia, and there was increasing demand for the trips. But then the global pandemic of Covid 19 happened.
Improvement Ideas during the pandemic : Millekul 2.0
Like many people in the tourism industry, the Covid 19 pandemic was a big challenge as business was completely stopped. With all the resources we had, and also with the help of some of our generous guests, we still tried to support our local partners and employees in Misool as best as we could. But the pandemic did not only have negative effects. Gilang and Priyo started the Indonesian tourism company PT Millekul in Raja Ampat. It also gave us time to reflect about how we can improve the quality and values of the trips that Millekul can offer.
One boring night during Covid restrictions Nicklas also realized how to make activities after sundown in the Millekul trips. Just like how night diving offers a great experience of observing marine life at night, Nicklas thought night kayaking above coral edges among the walls and cliffs of limestones will also be a fun and meaningful experience. So, he prepared the night lights that can be strapped to the hull of the kayak by strapping a line to the deck. The strong light at the bottom will illuminate everything underneath the kayak.
To make the night excursion more enjoyable and photo-able, he had an idea to put string lights around the deck of each kayak. Another idea he had while he was playing with his children and using floating pool lamps in the bathtub. He figured that using those lights around the karst labyrinth will give us an unforgettable karst light art show that can make us more inspired by the beautiful limestones!
Another Covid inspiration that came up was our standard of hygiene during our trips. Nicklas was thinking that our camp toilets used to be a dug out pit. The problem is we use the same camping spots for every trip so digging the pit will not be sustainable in the long run. So, we decided to use two kinds of toilets (one big with a fan and one smaller portable). This allows us to separate the waste and then we can use the waste as fertilizer in the plantations on our base, Panun Island. See the pic of big toilet here.
Yet another inspiration that came during the times when socializing was discouraged was the quality time that we can enjoy in between or after kayaking. Before the pandemic, hanging around and conversing between guests and also guides happens while sitting on low logs and rocks, which is not very comfortable for a long sit. So, we came up with the idea to set up comfortable tables and chairs on the beaches where we camp. Also, a portable oven to bake breads and cakes on the basecamps and at lunch beaches!
So, when the Covid restrictions finally lifted up, we implemented these ideas and also hired and trained awesome new guides to make what we call Millekul Experience 2.0!
