Peakniq Getaway Destination

Join me for a chance to provide better opportunities for the rural community in Indonesia.

About Peakniq

I have started the build of Peakniq getaway destination in North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia last year. It is around 6 hours drive from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, where Sam Ratulangi International Airport and Bunaken National Park are located. The nearest airport is Djalaluddin of Gorontalo Province, around 3 hours drive from Peakniq. Similar to Manado, Gorontalo is also known as a diving destination.

Situated on the peak of a hill, Peakniq occupies 3 acres of land. It is surrounded by 360 panoramic views of mountains, coconut farms, and the Celebes Sea. There are beautiful flowers and organic produces planted on the garden. The nearest village is around two kilometers away, connects by a dirt road.

Peakniq has opened its door for the public, offering a magnificent view, privacy, and authentic experiences. Guests usually visit for both sightseeing and overnight stay. They can do some activities such as visiting the local market and coconut production site or learn traditional farming techniques and how to cook traditional cuisine.

Although some facilities such as a dirt road, a cottage, and clean water supply already in place, improvement still needed. There is no electricity on site and the dirt-road starting to collapse due to the wet season, making Peakniq almost inaccessible.

As a small social enterprise, Peakniq is limited in funding. The existing fund must be allocated for road construction this June. In the other hand, the growing market demand evidenced by the increasing number of visitor requires better facility. Therefore your support is needed for the next stage of development.

Peakniq designed as a pilot project of a community-based tourism initiative. All the activities offered by Peakniq involve the local community as a trekking guide, cooking class mentor, boat vendor, herbal medicine expert, farmer, and so on. Peakniq mission is to empower the community and support local economic development. Tourism development creates job opportunity and additional income for the local, they can share their local wisdom while at the same time learn something from the visitor. At the early stage of Peakniq development, 30 workers and 4 small merchants are involved, from the raw material supply to the construction and maintenance. For five months, the workers don’t have to go to Manado or other cities to find a job.

Since this initiative is the first in the regency, the impact will be beyond just one village. At the moment I can only employ one security and 2 freelancers but if the project goes well, I can employ more people. It will also attract other parties such as an investor, businessman, and government to put serious attention in tourism development. Additional tourism sites and attractions will provide more job opportunities in the regency. Hopefully, this project can improve livelihoods in rural communities and encourage more people to do similar initiatives.

Project Location

The project location is in Mokoditek, a village in North Bolaang Mongondow Regency. It is part of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. Mokoditek has 697 residents, of which the majority are farmers and fishermen. There are 67 underprivileged out of 201 families. There is no library and only 75 people have access to health support facilities. Capacity building and NGO support are almost non-existent.

Limited access to education, job, technology, and health facilities are just a few of its problem. Luckily, Mokoditek located near Jalan Trans Sulawesi, the main road that connects all provinces in Sulawesi Island. Its beautiful view and cooperative community are a good starting point of the project. A sustainable development and capacity building will help us to reach our vision to become a world-class getaway destination.

The cause

A community based-tourism is a way to empower the rural community while fulfilling global market demands. The initial focus of the project is to develop Peakniq getaway destination as the anchor and formulating the activity in the destination.

Supporting this project means you are participating in sustainable development. Since 2017, the tourism sector is the second largest foreign exchange contributor in Indonesia. It creates job opportunity since there will always manpower needed to support the operation. The farmer can sell their produce to the visitor, means they can get a better price from direct sales to the end customer. The home industry will grow, the women can start their own business such as food stall and small shop or become a snack supplier. These will help the improvement of local economic and the income tax of Peakniq will contribute to the original income of the village.

You will also support eco-friendly initiatives since we are starting to apply it whenever possible. Along with the development of Peakniq, the village has started its commitment to protecting the environment by planting 3,000 of wood and fruit trees. It will become a community forest and the location is on the hill behind Peakniq. Soon we will start to make our own compost as organic fertilizer for our plants and reducing the use of plastic.

About me

My name is Weny Kohongia, a tourism enthusiast from North Sulawesi. I have lived in 6 cities, which stretches from east to west part of Indonesia. This experience has enriched my life and growth my interest in cultural exchange.

I had 15+ years of experiences in various industries, from hospitality to media and event organizer. I was working for an International NGO in the tourism development project. As a result, I discovered that community-based tourism could benefit local populations. Sometimes I write travel features for nation-wide media.

After years of wandering, I decided to move back to my hometown and became a social entrepreneur. To be able to provide these benefits to our community, I’ve started Peakni getaway destination and initiate the first community-based tourism in the Regency. My passion and experiences are dedicated to introduce our community to the world and create a better opportunity for us.

Cost Estimation

Considering the amount needed, I will raise the fund in three phases for a more realistic target. The cost estimation for this phase is around USD37,000. The project is scheduled to start in September 2019 and finish in February 2020 at the latest. Other than the engineers, all the work will be done by local builders. We will need around 20 workers at this stage.

We will use the funds for:

• The legality of the business entity
• Consultation (architecture, landscape, renewable energy)
• Site plan
• Construction of a one-bedroom villa unit
• Construction of the entrance road and pathways
• Installation of solar panels
• Landscaping
• Purchase of furniture and amenities
• Marketing and promotion cost
• Operational expense during the first six months (employee salary, site maintenance, communications, etc)

You can start your support from any amount. There are some rewards,

such as entrance ticket, overnight stay, and trip package to visit Peakniq (T&C applies, i.e excluding return flight and not valid in high and peak season).

That would be great if you can also share this campaign with your friends and family. Thanks in advance!

If the fund meet or exceed the target?

I will use the fund for the next phase of development, such as website development, capacity building, construction and green initiative.

Let's start small, start now.