CULTURE I ADVENTURE I
CULTURE I ADVENTURE I NATURE I FOOD I FESTIVALS IPenghuluRobertson,village chiefof BarioBario – the land of a hundredhandshakesA little-known remote inland region that “ticks-offall the boxes”Penghulu Robertson, villagechief of Bario (pronouncedBariew), holds out his hand tostrangers at the tiny aerodromeas the passengers prepare toboard a MAS Wings Twin Otterback to the coast – one of twoflights a day. The airport is themain entry point for all travellers,unless they are keen on taking a12-14 hour slipping-and-slidingbone-shaking 4-wheel driveepic from Miri on the coast.“How have you enjoyed this place?”,the chief inquires, with a warm,genuine smile. And of course, thehandshake. If Bario is described bythose who have visited as the “landof a hundred handshakes”, it is notwithout reason. In a day, the visitor willshake dozens of hands, be greetedwith an equal number of smiles,and will be treated to a broad rangeof local “bush caught and grown”dishes. This place thus singularly“ticks off all the boxes” of SarawakTourism Board’s promotional themesof culture, adventure, nature, foodand festivals.In past years, a large number ofresearch projects around the worldhave pointed to the fact that savvytravellers more and more are lookingfor what could be termed “immersive”experiences, where they meld intoa local community, becoming asone with its people, rather than justbeing observers. Bario, through itsremoteness, and the fact there areno hotels – just longhouses – putsone fairly and squarely in the pictureas part of the local experience. Addedto this is the fact that the “official”welcome ceremony for visitors bythe Kelabit people involves the visitorparticipating, albeit awkwardly, withan occasional giggle, in dance andgames with the locals. It means oneis not an observer, but is accepted asa friend or “part of the family”.Lying at an altitude of over 1,100m, inthe north-eastern corner of Sarawak,Bario, once known as the “mostremote village in the British Empire”,is home to the Kelabit people, oneof the minority Orang Ulu tribes ofSarawak (formerly fierce headhunters),and its name means “wind”in their language.16 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com
I CULTURE I ADVENTURE I NATURE I FOOD I FESTIVALSIt is the starting point for anumber of treks throughout thearea (for virtually all fitnesslevels). One can also go kayakingor be immersed in the mysticaltales of the megaliths thatdot the area. For the reallyadventurous, Bario is eitherthe starting or the ending pointof the arduous 5 day /4 nightBario-Ba’kelalan jungle trekkingadventure.“What would you say makesBario different?”, I asked thechief.“Of course, there is the Bario rice,then there is the pineapple. Itgrows all over Borneo, but it’s notas sweet as in Bario. Maybe it’sbecause of the climate, or maybethe altitude. Another thing thatis different here is the weather,which is much cooler than on thecoast,” he replies.Batu RitangMegalithTHEMEGALITHSOF THE BARIOHIGHLANDSThe region is dotted with massiveman-made stone structuresknown as megaliths. Perhaps thebest known is the Ritong stone, orBatu Ritong, at Pa Lungan, a littleunder an hour by 4-wheel-drivefrom Bario town. It is thought tobe a burial ground for a Kelabitnobleman named Ritong datingfrom hundreds of years ago. Thesite was excavated in 1962 byBritish soldier Tom Harrison, andoriginally, the structure was standingstraight upright. However, over theyears, Batu Ritong has tilted, and isnow at a 45° angleIt’s hard to pin down a single“selling point” for this place.Perhaps the key differentiator isthe fact that there are so manypoints – all important.The homestays provide lodgingand full board, with meals quiteoften consisting of organicBario highland rice, wild boaror venison, and jungle plants,topped off with local pineapple.All organic of courseSunset over the BariocountrysidePESTA NUKENENAN ETHNIC “SLOW FOOD” FESTIVALUNLIKE ANY OTHERFounded in 2005, the Bario Food andCultural Festival, or “Pesta Nukenen” isone of the most exceptional ethnic foodfestivals in Malaysia.The three-day annual NukenenFestival, generally held in the monthof July, celebrates the unique food,farming, forest and cultural heritageof the Bario Highlands, with visitorsenjoying delicious organic food cooked bythe various longhouse communities of theKelabit Highlands.As space is very limited on flights to Bario,it is recommended to organise visits toBario well ahead of time via local DMCswho are able to coordinate transport andaccommodationPreparing “NubagLayag” during PestaNukenenLocal dishes include “Nubag Layag” –sticky Bario rice wrapped in a leaf calledan “Isit”. Even up until today, this is thestandard food local farmers carry withthem as snacks when working in the fields.Another “must have” is the “Pucuk Ubek”,a fine concoction of pounded tapiocaleaves. And don’t miss the “Urum Ubek”,or glutinous rice fritters.www.sarawaktourism.comSMART GUIDE 17
