SARAWAK

This ancient land of headhunters, once ruled for 100 years by the “White Rajah’s” is today a peaceful and lush corner of Borneo, known for its abundant nature and fascinating tribal cultures.

Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and with Sabah is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, which is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. Sarawak is an eco-adventure destination famed for its stunning rainforests and national parks and its diversity of indigenous tribes. Sarawak's highlights include the caves of the UNESCO listed Mulu National Park, and the Orang Utan of Semengoh, and the longhouses and indigenous tribes in the interior of Sarawak.

In Sarawak there are 18 National Parks, 5 Nature Reserves, 4 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 27 different ethnic groups and 45 different languages and dialects! Steeped in tradition, the multi-ethnic communities in Sarawak celebrates a kaleidoscope of events and festivals all year round. The main festival is the Gawai Dayak, celebrated every summer by the Dayak community (which includes Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu) to mark the end of the harvest period.

With two main urban centers (Kuching to the west and Miri to the east) visitors can enjoy the beauty of the rainforests and tribal cultures without ever being too far from modern civilisation. Alternatively one can travel far up river, deep into the heart of Borneo and trek where few live and even fewer dare to go!

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Sarawak Highlights

Here are some of the best features of Sarawak:

Mulu National Park

The Mount Mulu National Park covers 544 square km in northern Sarawak, Borneo, and is known for its giant limestone caves and its pristine river and jungle scenery. Located near Miri, Mulu has the world’s largest cave chamber and the worlds most extensive network of caves.

Mulu is the adventure caving capital of Borneo. “Sarawak Chamber” is the worlds largest cave measuring 700 metres long by 400 metres wide and 70 metres high. “Clearwater Cave” is over 100 km long!

An adventure in the Mulu Park offers opportunities to explore inside the caves, as well as in the jungles, along the rivers, and up to waterfalls. One can trek extensively or just for short periods. Mount Mulu itself, 2366 metres high, can also be scaled, but it is a challenging 4 day/3 night climb to the top of Mount Mulu. Another ambitious but highly rewarding trek is the Headhunters Trail, which involves 4 days of trekking through the Mulu National Park and ends in Limbang.


The Rajang River

The Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia, flowing across Borneo from Sarawak into Indonesian Kalimantan. The Rajang is like a highway providing human inhabitants of the region transport and commerce since ancient times. Longhouses, villages and small towns dot it’s riverbanks. Near the mouth of the river is Sibu: the gateway city to Rajang and inland Sarawak.

Though well known to many from Redmon O'Hanlon's classic novel “Into the Heart of Borneo”, there is very little tourism here due to the river's remoteness and lack of facilities. Far up the river the scenery is magnificent - a total jungle experience with the rainforest tumbling into the fast flowing river.

The river is peopled with the Iban, headhunters till the 1940s, whose unique long house culture survives well to this day, blending animist tradition with modernity. Wildlife is in abundance and crocodiles, monitor lizards and the hornbill are common sights. By cruising up the Rajang river, either by public ferries or by the Pandaw Orient river cruise ship, there will be opportunities to visit traditional longhouses and to explore the architectural vestiges of the Brooke Raj. Jungle treks, for all levels, are a must as are long boat trips up through the Pelagus rapids and deep into the heart of Borneo.


Kuching

Kuching is easily one of Southeast Asia’s most pleasant cities. Kuching is a modern, clean city, located along the banks of the Kuching river and whose centre is cloaked with romantic colonial charm. This is a heritage of the Brooke Raj – the “White Rajah’s” of Sarawak whose rule here lasted 100 years from 1850’s to the 1950’s.

In Kuching one can enjoy the hotels, the dining, and shopping and take leisurely sightseeing walks along the waterfront or cruises on the river, and explore the vestiges of the Brooke era, including tours to the Sarawak Museum, the Astana, Courthouse and Fort Margherita.

Within a short driving distance there are many interesting day tours: the Bako National Park and Semengoh Orang Utan Sanctuary are highlights. In addition Kuching plays host to Malaysia's biggest and best music festival in the form of the Rainforest World Music Festival held annually (in July) in the inspiring setting of the Sarawak Cultural Village.