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Ideally situated in the central zone of<br />
Sarawak, Sarikei is a natural feeder<br />
town <strong>for</strong> many surrounding towns<br />
and destinations in the vast hinterland<br />
of the mighty Rejang River. The<br />
largest town here, Sibu is just to the<br />
north while Betong is on the south<br />
end of Sarikei and much closer is<br />
the new fishing port of Tanjong<br />
Manis with its own airport and port<br />
facilities. Other smaller towns include<br />
Julau and Pekan while Bintangor<br />
is also easily within reach. With so<br />
many destinations within easy reach<br />
from Sarikei, it is clear that the town<br />
is poised to become the natural<br />
launching point <strong>for</strong> visitors in the<br />
future.<br />
Sarikei shares many of the characteristics<br />
of Sibu in terms of location and food<br />
choices, both being served by the<br />
Rejang River and populated mainly<br />
by Chinese in the town area where<br />
the main business activities occur.<br />
Not surprising too then are the types<br />
of food found here like the favourite<br />
kampua mee and foochow mee<br />
sua made of fine silky noodles with<br />
generous serving of chicken in a big<br />
bowl with herbal broth. Bintangor too<br />
is quite similar in its food choices and<br />
also an important fruit producing area.<br />
Julau is most noted <strong>for</strong> the Brooke Fort,<br />
built during the reign of the White<br />
Rajahs as the lookout point <strong>for</strong> pirates<br />
coming down the Rejang in the early<br />
years. It is a heritage building <strong>for</strong> the<br />
division and is destined to be a tour<br />
destination when the place is restored<br />
to its <strong>for</strong>mer glory. Pekan remains<br />
a small town in the division and its<br />
population is mainly made up of the<br />
indigenous Ibans. Longhouses are still<br />
a feature in the area as many of the<br />
urban Ibans keep their ties with their<br />
ancestral heritage by maintaining these<br />
bilik or rooms even when they are<br />
living in other towns or cities.<br />
DestinationTalk<br />
TourismTalk<br />
Sarikei and its surrounding<br />
destinations<br />
Sarikei received its status as a Division<br />
in 1973 but the existence of the<br />
town goes way back even further<br />
than its first entry in the history text,<br />
in 1845, with the visit by the First<br />
Rajah, James Brooke. In fact, the<br />
town was razed in 1856 and rebuilt<br />
later and has served as a hotspot <strong>for</strong><br />
insurgency by pirates and locals in<br />
its colourful history. It had also been<br />
acknowledged that the creation of<br />
the Sarikei division was mainly to<br />
check the threats from communist<br />
rebels who were active there during<br />
the height of the confrontation.<br />
Today, Sarikei is an emerging town of<br />
the central region and poised to benefit<br />
from the numerous developments<br />
planned <strong>for</strong> the region. The small and<br />
friendly community still maintains its<br />
ever smiling tradition whenever visitors<br />
drop by and offer assistance where<br />
necessary. Remember to sample some<br />
of the local delicacies and especially its<br />
array of fruits as this is the state’s food<br />
producing area!<br />
Oct-Dec2008BorneoTalk | 45
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