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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Beyond Expeditions criticised for planning and safety lapses during Madagascar trip
Some participants have left online reviews of a charity expedition to Madagascar in June organised by local travel agency Beyond Expeditions, citing poor planning and safety lapses. SINGAPORE – Local travel agency Beyond Expeditions has drawn negative reviews for its handling of an 11-day charity expedition in Madagascar, with some participants criticising the 'safety gaps' and 'limited communication' online. The trip to the island nation off the south-eastern coast of Africa took place from Jun 2 to 12. It involved 15 Singapore participants and was led by both Beyond Expedition founders, Mr Scott Tay and Ms Kavita Kaur, as well as personal trainer Mr Nicholas Leong, who has worked with the company as an expedition leader on various occasions since 2017. Each participant paid $6,990 for the tour, which included accommodation, meals, ground transport, local guides and national park fees, and excluded airfare. Since returning from the trip, some participants who felt like their safety had been compromised have voiced their dissatisfaction. On Jun 24, Ms Cheryl Tay, 38, owner of a sports marketing agency, posted a one-star review of the trip on Beyond Expeditions' Google Maps profile relating what she calls 'safety gaps during treks, and limited communication or clarity around what to expect'. For example, she says pre-trip briefing materials, such as a set of slides and an expedition handbook seen by The Straits Times, did not inform the group of any caving activities. 'We were all just shuffling into the cave and came to a sudden stop because a fellow participant realised the dangers of the cave. That got us stuck and for around 10 minutes, the rest of us were waiting to move with no idea what was going on,' says Ms Tay. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Ms Cheryl Tay (pictured), owner of a sports marketing agency and one of the participants, says the group was not informed of caving activities prior to the trip. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHERYL TAY Another participant, local comedian Mr Jaikishan, 32, says Mr Tay surveyed the cave after some in the group voiced their concerns about unsafe obstacles. The activity was eventually canned. Mr Jaikishan says: 'I'm not an avid expeditioner or hiker and went into the cave even though I was quite afraid. To only hear from our overall expedition leader that the caves had certain risks after we all had entered and exited was not reassuring. It felt like the whole situation could have been avoided and a lot of communication was lacking.' One participant who says he is trained in land navigation, wilderness survival skills and basic first aid from his extensive experience in the outdoors told ST he was among the first in the group to enter the cave. Due to the nature of his job, he declined to reveal any identifying information. He says: 'We were not told that it was going to be so claustrophobic and so technical to navigate. After just a short while in the cave, I noticed people were already panicking and struggling. 'Among the most dangerous possibilities was that someone could've got seriously injured in the cave and because of how narrow it was, getting medical attention would have been an issue. Also, entering environments like these requires considerable mental preparation beforehand. If anyone had a nervous breakdown, it would have been hard to help them recover in that space,' he adds. In another instance, Ms Tay says while participants were informed that there would be 'at least three river crossings' via pre-trip briefing slides, the extent and duration of these river crossings were not well communicated. She says the group completed around 10 river crossings over four days, and that they did not expect one of the crossings to take around four hours. Ms Tay adds that she and other participants sustained blisters and cuts on their feet from prolonged water exposure in 'improper footwear' as they were instructed to change into sandals prior to the crossings. Ms Tay (pictured) says the cave passages were cramped and narrow. After some in the group voiced their concerns about unsafe obstacles, the activity was eventually canned. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHERYL TAY More on this topic Singaporean man injured in Hungary cave rescued in 2 hours More on this topic Injured Italian caver rescued, again, after four days underground Mr Jaikishan was brought on the trip by the organisers as an ambassador and the cost of his trip was fully sponsored, including airfare. As an ambassador, he led several marketing initiatives such as arranging slots on local radio stations 98.7FM and Kiss92, where he, Mr Tay and Ms Kaur spoke about the trek's mission to raise funds for a Madagascan charity working with underprivileged children. Ms Tay received around a 20 per cent discount off the tour price for providing 'pre-trip marketing services', and paid for her own airfare which cost around $2,400. 'We were charged a premium for this trip so I think it is reasonable for us to have expected basic risk management and communication. Instead, it felt like we were relying excessively on the local operators who mostly were unable to speak English,' says Ms Tay, who is also a content creator with around 81,800 followers on Instagram. At least two other participants left one-star reviews on the company's Google profile in early July, citing 'poor decision making', 'a lack of route planning' and dismissiveness from organisers when they gave feedback. Since posting a reel about her experience on Instagram on Jul 7, Ms Tay says she has received accounts from more than 40 individuals regarding negative experiences with Beyond Expeditions. Her three-minute video has garnered over 241,000 views . However, not all participants had brickbats for the company, which has 51 five-star reviews out of the 74 on its Google profile, as at Jul 16. One such review from a participant on the Madagascar tour applauds the expedition leaders and a local guide named Lanto for 'being great leaders during the journey and showing immense patience towards all the queries posted by the team'. Yoga teacher Lim Li Shan, 32, who has been on five expeditions with Beyond Expeditions since 2017 – four to Mongolia and one to Ladakh, a region in northern India – also spoke out positively about her experiences. While her trips were neither charity expeditions like the Madagascar trek nor as physically taxing, she says Mr Tay – who was present on three of her trips as a 'tour leader and coordinator' – had sufficiently communicated what to expect and adequately planned the itineraries with safety in mind. 'I felt like the organisers fulfilled their basic responsibilities to the travel group. For example, they always made sure that I could chat with them through WhatsApp and would check in regularly with the local guides when we were abroad,' she told The Straits Times. The Straits Times reached out to the company for comment on July 11. In a July 16 post on Beyond Expeditions' Instagram account, the company acknowledged recent feedback from participants and announced new safety measures. These include enhanced pre-trip briefings, terrain guidance and direct participant feedback channels during expeditions. Beyond Expeditions started in 2017 and has organised over 1,000 tours specialising in remote destinations such as Mongolia and Central Asia. A 10-day trip to Kazakhstan, for instance, costs $7,990 a person and includes flights, meals, an English-speaking local guide and ground transport. The Madagascar trip, which has raised $12,285 of its $80,000 target for Madagascan non-profit Mamiratra ho an'ny Ankizy Association (Shine for the Children Association) so far, was part of the company's Beyond Limits expedition series, where participants raise funds to support a charitable organisation. The June trip is the ninth Beyond Limits expedition since the series began in 2017, with previous editions featuring treks in destinations like Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. More on this topic Off-grid getaway: Go camping, learn survival skills and sleep in a Mongolian yurt
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Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
EaseMyTrip co-founder commits ₹1 crore to fight Bengaluru traffic
EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti has announced a Rs 1 crore commitment to tackle traffic congestion in Bengaluru using AI and satellite data, urging authorities and citizens to join hands in fixing the city's growing traffic problem. In a detailed post on X, Pitti shared that he was stuck in traffic for over two hours while covering just 11 km late at night in Bengaluru. He said the worst part was being stranded at a choke point on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) for 100 minutes, with no traffic light or police officer in sight. "I am committing INR 1 Cr to find Bangalore Choke-Points via Google Maps & AI. 11 km ??' 2.15 hours in Bangalore Traffic on Saturday late night! I was stuck at one choke-point at ORR, where I spent 100 minutes struggling to understand why there is no traffic-light or cop here," Pitti posted on X. However, he made it clear that he does not want to simply complain about the issue. "But I don't want one more 'Bengaluru Traffic Meme or Rant'. I WANT TO FIX IT," he said. Pitti said his project will use data from Google Maps, especially the new "Road Management Insight" feature launched in April 2025. This city-level data, available in Big Query format, can be used alongside satellite imagery to identify all choke points and their timings across Bengaluru. "Using Google Data and Satellite Imagery, we can list down all the choke-points & their exact timings in a month. For the traffic department to work on those areas specifically," Pitti added. He plans to fund the following with his ₹1 crore commitment: Hire one to two senior machine learning/AI engineers. Budget for using Google Maps API, satellite imagery, GPUs, and field trials, and make the entire project open-source so that other Indian cities can also benefit. Pitti said he is ready to start work as soon as the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) cooperate by opening raw data feeds or APIs and appoint a team committed to act on the insights. He urged citizens to help saying., "TAG anyone you know in the Bangalore Traffic Office, BBMP or the Traffic Commissioner's office, let this hit the right inbox." "ML/AI folks: comment "IN", if you can work along part-time to end this menace Every commuter who's sick of bleeding time: comment or share. More noise greater the faster response," he wrote. "Bangalore is India's tech future; and people making it happen deserve MUCH better," Pitti further wrote. This comes as the Karnataka government claims to be making efforts to improve the city's infrastructure. On June 22, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar posted on X that the Hebbal-Silk Board underground tunnel project will help commuters skip over 25 bottlenecks and save more than 45 minutes of travel time every day. Separately, Shivakumar also claimed that the state government is implementing the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act to better manage the city.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As Rivian embraces Google with Maps integration, it shuts out Apple CarPlay
Rivian (RIVN) is tightening its relationship with Google (GOOG, GOOGL), leaving Apple (AAPL) and CarPlay out in the cold. Rivian said today that it is incorporating Google Maps natively into its infotainment system, meaning Google routing, time of arrival, traffic, and satellite imagery will be "seamlessly integrated" into Rivian's navigation system. Using Google's Automotive SDK for Maps, Rivian can build its own custom navigation system on top of Google Maps. This will give drivers the freshest mapping and traffic data, along with updated ETA info and "arrival range" at destination, a critical piece of information for users, directly within Rivian navigation. Charging information, such as where to stop, user preferences, and the location's overall score, will be included, as well as locations for the bespoke Rivian Charging Network. The addition of Google Maps is welcome news for Rivian owners, with one owner saying the prior system "always" suggested longer routes compared to Google Maps, for example. Rivian's embrace of Google Maps comes as other manufacturers like GM (GM) push ahead with deeper integration of Google products. GM's EVs, for example, no longer have Apple CarPlay compatibility, though its gas-powered vehicles do. This has been a huge issue for customers who have come to live with CarPlay as the de facto standard for car connectivity. Apple says more than 800 vehicles globally support CarPlay; Apple has also said in the past that 79% of new car buyers insist that the vehicle is CarPlay compliant. Read more: How to find the best luxury car insurance A third-party McKinsey study found that the percentage is closer to roughly a third of buyers insisting on CarPlay, but nonetheless, consumers are making their preferences heard. "Like most corporate decisions, this one is driven by revenue in the hyper-subscription world we now occupy," industry analyst Karl Brauer of told Yahoo Finance back when GM ditched CarPlay for its EVs. By keeping Apple out, GM can charge users for services offered through its native UI systems, like the automaker's SuperCruise semiautonomous software. Tesla has been offering subscription services for years now, with "enhanced connectivity" for some features and subscription pricing for its full self-driving (FSD). Read more: 6 steps to find cheap car insurance in 2025 GM would also prefer to keep all the data coming from its customers, which it can remarket in a number of ways (but not all), and not have to pay a license fee to Apple for CarPlay. Rivian is likely making the same bet. And as a tech-forward company that makes its own software, Rivian does not want to cede its entire design language and user experience to Apple. However, Rivian does point out that it does include Apple Music, and in the future Apple EnergyKit integration will be coming for home smart charging - but no CarPlay. Rivian owners have been clamoring for CarPlay in forums like Reddit, so a smaller move like Google Maps integration, following Rivian's prior Google inclusions of Search, Cast, and YouTube, for example, may give its owners some of the functionality they desire. Tesla famously does not allow Apple CarPlay or Google's Android projection software in its infotainment system, and never has. Thus far, the lack of CarPlay hasn't hurt Tesla EV sales over the past few years, or at least that hasn't been a cited reason for declining sales in recent quarters. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As Rivian embraces Google with Maps integration, it shuts out Apple CarPlay
Rivian (RIVN) is tightening its relationship with Google (GOOG, GOOGL), leaving Apple (AAPL) and CarPlay out in the cold. Rivian said today that it is incorporating Google Maps natively into its infotainment system, meaning Google routing, time of arrival, traffic, and satellite imagery will be "seamlessly integrated" into Rivian's navigation system. Using Google's Automotive SDK for Maps, Rivian can build its own custom navigation system on top of Google Maps. This will give drivers the freshest mapping and traffic data, along with updated ETA info and "arrival range" at destination, a critical piece of information for users, directly within Rivian navigation. Charging information, such as where to stop, user preferences, and the location's overall score, will be included, as well as locations for the bespoke Rivian Charging Network. The addition of Google Maps is welcome news for Rivian owners, with one owner saying the prior system "always" suggested longer routes compared to Google Maps, for example. Rivian's embrace of Google Maps comes as other manufacturers like GM (GM) push ahead with deeper integration of Google products. GM's EVs, for example, no longer have Apple CarPlay compatibility, though its gas-powered vehicles do. This has been a huge issue for customers who have come to live with CarPlay as the de facto standard for car connectivity. Apple says more than 800 vehicles globally support CarPlay; Apple has also said in the past that 79% of new car buyers insist that the vehicle is CarPlay compliant. Read more: How to find the best luxury car insurance A third-party McKinsey study found that the percentage is closer to roughly a third of buyers insisting on CarPlay, but nonetheless, consumers are making their preferences heard. "Like most corporate decisions, this one is driven by revenue in the hyper-subscription world we now occupy," industry analyst Karl Brauer of told Yahoo Finance back when GM ditched CarPlay for its EVs. By keeping Apple out, GM can charge users for services offered through its native UI systems, like the automaker's SuperCruise semiautonomous software. Tesla has been offering subscription services for years now, with "enhanced connectivity" for some features and subscription pricing for its full self-driving (FSD). Read more: 6 steps to find cheap car insurance in 2025 GM would also prefer to keep all the data coming from its customers, which it can remarket in a number of ways (but not all), and not have to pay a license fee to Apple for CarPlay. Rivian is likely making the same bet. And as a tech-forward company that makes its own software, Rivian does not want to cede its entire design language and user experience to Apple. However, Rivian does point out that it does include Apple Music, and in the future Apple EnergyKit integration will be coming for home smart charging - but no CarPlay. Rivian owners have been clamoring for CarPlay in forums like Reddit, so a smaller move like Google Maps integration, following Rivian's prior Google inclusions of Search, Cast, and YouTube, for example, may give its owners some of the functionality they desire. Tesla famously does not allow Apple CarPlay or Google's Android projection software in its infotainment system, and never has. Thus far, the lack of CarPlay hasn't hurt Tesla EV sales over the past few years, or at least that hasn't been a cited reason for declining sales in recent quarters. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As Rivian embraces Google with Maps integration, it shuts out Apple and CarPlay
Rivian (RIVN) is tightening its relationship with Google (GOOG, GOOGL), leaving Apple (AAPL) and CarPlay out in the cold. Rivian said today that it is incorporating Google Maps natively into its infotainment system, meaning Google routing, time of arrival, traffic, and satellite imagery will be "seamlessly integrated" into Rivian's navigation system. Using Google's Automotive SDK for Maps, Rivian can build its own custom navigation system on top of Google Maps. This will give drivers the freshest mapping and traffic data, along with updated ETA info and "arrival range" at destination, a critical piece of information for users, directly within Rivian navigation. Charging information, such as where to stop, user preferences, and the location's overall score, will be included, as well as locations for the bespoke Rivian Charging Network. The addition of Google Maps is welcome news for Rivian owners, with one owner saying the prior system "always" suggested longer routes compared to Google Maps, for example. Rivian's embrace of Google Maps comes as other manufacturers like GM (GM) push ahead with deeper integration of Google products. GM's EVs, for example, no longer have Apple CarPlay compatibility, though its gas-powered vehicles do. This has been a huge issue for customers who have come to live with CarPlay as the de facto standard for car connectivity. Apple says more than 800 vehicles globally support CarPlay; Apple has also said in the past that 79% of new car buyers insist that the vehicle is CarPlay compliant. Read more: How to find the best luxury car insurance A third-party McKinsey study found that the percentage is closer to roughly a third of buyers insisting on CarPlay, but nonetheless, consumers are making their preferences heard. "Like most corporate decisions, this one is driven by revenue in the hyper-subscription world we now occupy," industry analyst Karl Brauer of told Yahoo Finance back when GM ditched CarPlay for its EVs. By keeping Apple out, GM can charge users for services offered through its native UI systems, like the automaker's SuperCruise semiautonomous software. Tesla has been offering subscription services for years now, with "enhanced connectivity" for some features and subscription pricing for its full self-driving (FSD). Read more: 6 steps to find cheap car insurance in 2025 GM would also prefer to keep all the data coming from its customers, which it can remarket in a number of ways (but not all), and not have to pay a license fee to Apple for CarPlay. Rivian is likely making the same bet. And as a tech-forward company that makes its own software, Rivian does not want to cede its entire design language and user experience to Apple. Rivian owners have been clamoring for CarPlay in forums like Reddit, so a smaller move like Google Maps integration, following Rivian's prior Google inclusions of Search, Cast, and YouTube, for example, may give its owners some of the functionality they desire. Tesla famously does not allow Apple CarPlay or Google's Android projection software in its infotainment system, and never has. Thus far, the lack of CarPlay hasn't hurt Tesla EV sales over the past few years, or at least that hasn't been a cited reason for declining sales in recent quarters. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
