CULTUREThe real thing:an
CULTUREThe real thing:an Iban longhouseat Batang AiUp close andpersonal withSarawak’sdiversecultural rootsThe Sarawak CulturalVillage, a stone’s throw fromKuching, is so authenticthat it was used as a set forthe upcoming Hollywoodblockbuster, the WhiteRajah. The village is a livingmuseum: ideal for a halfdayvisit. The diversity ofSarawak’s tribes is simplyextraordinary.“If you take the exampleof the Orang Ulu, they aredivided into 26 differentsub-groups, each of whichdoesn’t speak a differentdialect, but speaks awhole different language”,explains Gary Speldewinde– Director – EcogreenHolidays, Kuching, Sarawak.The Cultural Village’sbuildings represent everyPenanblowpipedemonstrationat the SarawakCultural Villagemajor ethnic group inSarawak; namely theBidayuh, Iban, Orang Ulu,Penan, Melanau, Malay &Chinese. Upon enteringeach building, afterwitnessing a traditionalwelcome ceremony, visitorsfind members of theethnic groups in traditionalcostume carrying outtraditional activities andtaking time to pose for aphoto or two. At the Penanhut, visitors also have theopportunity to witness theart of blowpipe making.They can also try their handat blowpipe shooting withthe Penans, the last of thehunters and gatherers –forest nomadsWhile the Sarawak culturalvillage is exceptional,nothing beats the realthing. A few hours’ driveoutside Kuching, onearrives at Batang Ai dam– the shores of which arehome to a number of Ibanpeople living in traditionallonghouses, leading simplelives.The biggest community –the Mengkak longhouse– has 38 families, totallingaround 200 people. Thecommunity is around 45minutes’ boat ride from thenearest resort or road.Visiting this place, oneinstantly understands thatthese people are, on theone hand, quite reserved,and on the other, are veryhospitable. Their traditionalrituals, dances, foods,and costumes continueto intrigue and fascinatevisitors and researchersfrom around the world.The longhouse is madeup of a large communalliving space, called theruai, flanked on the outsideby a terrace, and on theother by individual rooms– each housing a family.The ruai is the placewhere the longhouse folkgather for a chat or carryout their days’ activities.Here, one eats with theIban, seated on the floor,savouring local fare, aftertasting the home-maderice wine and (gulp) rice‘whisky’.These are the directdescendants of the Ibanhead-hunters, whoseimages from yesteryearfuelled the curiosity of somany in the past. Apartfrom the head-hunting,little else has changed.It is truly an immersiveexperienceA traditional dance inthe Mengkak longhouse10 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com
I ADVENTURE I NATUREPenan woman, sellinghandicrafts at BatuBungan village (Mulu)Tourismas a causefor goodAs often stated by theformer Secretary-Generalof the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai,tourism can and should bea force for good. In Sarawak,this is very much the case,as every person who visitsSarawak’s national parksand protected areas andpays fees contributes tothe upkeep of these fragileforests – much of thempristine primary growth –and protects the uniquewildlife that lives withinthem.Some local tour operatorsalso offer the chance forvisitors to become involved inreforestation initiatives. Parkbuffer zones are extremelyimportant in increasing theavailable habitat for wildlife,so by extending the forestcover this further helpsin protecting the wildlife.Huge steps are being madeacross the state to conserveand manage Sarawak’svaluable and uniqueforests. In addition to some800,000 hectares of TotallyProtected Areas (TPAs)that are off-limit to loggingcompanies, large areas ofland classed as “terrain4” (steep and hilly) areas,“High Conservation ValueForests”, buffer zones andverified “Native CustomaryRights” land remain pristine.The declared initiative bythe state government topursue responsible tourismunderpins the importanceof other moves that hadalready been initiated by thestate authorities to protectforests and wildlifeUpgradedinfrastructure forBako National ParkWith foreign tourist numbers toBako National Park growing byan average of around 15% everyyear for the past three years, theSarawak Forestry Corporationhas been working on addingto and refurbishing facilities forvisitors, including the openingof a new camping ground. TheBako Boat Terminal was alsotemporary closed for renovationand upgrade by the Sarawak RiverBoard from 15 April 2019 throughFebruary 2020.Bako is said by many to bethe best place in Sarawak forwildlife experiences. It is hometo approximately 150 rareproboscis monkeys, found onlyin Borneo. The park has beena protected area since 1957, soanimals are less wary of humans.Visitors, especially those whostay overnight, have countlessopportunities to observe andphotograph various types ofwildlife. Long-tailed macaques,silvered leaf-monkeys, commonwater monitors, plantain squirrels,wild boar and mouse deer are alsofound here.The largest mammal found atBako is the Bornean BeardedPig. As its name implies, it isdistinguished from other wildpigs by prominent bristles eitherside of its snout. Bearded pigs areoften found around the park HQscavenging for food or wallowingin mudProboscisMonkey inBako NationalParkwww.sarawaktourism.comSMART GUIDE 11
