Regatta Lepa 13

Regatta Lepa 14

Regatta Lepa 15

Regatta Lepa 16
2006 2007 2008 2009

|  Sarawak Regatta  |  Bajau of Malaysia  |  Bajau Dancers  | Islands of Sabah  | 

PHOTO GALLERY LEPA 2009

The most beautiful lepa :  REGATTA LEPA is to choose the most dazzling  boat from the beautifully built, brightly adorned lepas lining up at the waterfront.

On the decks of the boat lepas are smiling dancers and musicians dressed in equally colourful traditional attires of the Sea Bajau.

This dramatic cultural event held every April Semporna town of Sabah. This isa festival to celebrates the Bajau tradition for their craftsmanship skilled in  ‘Lepa’  -- a ‘boat that hand-made crafted’ in Bajau Semporna language

During the Regatta festivals is  a competition of decorative Lepa boats, a time to show off which Lepa boats are the best.

The most beautiful traditional sailboat judged base on its decoration, local ethnic music and dances performed on board, sambulayang (sails) and tapis-tapis (small flags).

Indigenous wooden boats that brought the Sea Bajau increasingly to settle in Sabah's shores since the 1970s drawn by Malaysia's better economy and security. They speak their own dialect, and are fluent in the ways of the sea. This is their mobile home on the water.

It was a beautiful sight to see the silhouettes of sambulayang sails from various Lepa-lepa boats as they skimmed across the sea water.

A typical Lepa boat measuring 5 meters in length and 1.5 meters wide.

These boats were used in almost every aspect of Bajau life - their floating homes, their fishing boats and their transport vehicle.

Those you saw in  in competitions are vary in size, some were build for this annual  competition.

The body of the Lepa consists  4 main parts :

1)  the pointed bow (tujjah),

2)  its boat body  (lepa),

3) the walled-house structure (tapi) and

4) the sago palm leaves-made roofing (kajang).

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Sambulayang sails
 
Decoration
Music & Dances
Tapis-tapis flags
Traditional Festival Costume of Bajau Laut tribes (sea gypsy people) of Malaysia.

Not only good in costume, the Bajau Laut people also skilled at making large mats for use at home.

See more about Sea Bajau of Semporna...

Tawau Cultural Carnival 2007

Bajau Dancers in Tawau Cultural Festival 24-25 March 2007

See more photographs in our photo gallery...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajau

How to get to Semporna...

  1. Express Bus
    From Kota Kinabalu to Semporna   Fares: RM58 Duration: 9 hours
     
  2. Daily Flights
    MAS - from KK to Tawau  Fares: *check with the nearest travel agents  Duration: 45 mins
     
  3. Taxi
    From Tawau to Semporna  Fares: RM80 - RM100  Duration: 1hr 45mins
     
  4. Mini Bus
    From Tawau to Semporna  Fares: RM12 - RM20  Duration: 1hr 45mins
 

 

Bum-Bum Islands - Lepa origin :

Lepa is Bajau for single masted sailing boat  made of Ubar Suluk or Red Seraya Wood. Lepa boat serves as home of the gipsy people

LEPA boat is believed to be originated from the Pa'alau Bajau people who live in Bum Bum Island and used by fishermen along the coast of Semporna.  The unique lifestyle and festival is a cultural legacy inherited by many generations.
The Bajau community on the East Coast of Sabah have a very unique lifestyle – They live on Lepa and only come ashore for food, water supply and during this LEPA festival.

LEPA : In Sabah East Coast Bajau community dialect, lepa means "boat". The lepa boat is a cultural legacy inherited by Bajau  people from many generations ago. The existence of lepa is believed to originate from the fishing community who live in Bum Bum Island and used by the Pa'alau people along the coast of Semporna.

One can see the Sea Bajau (Bajau Laut) fish on the clear and shallow water of Semporna. The live in their boats on the sea most of their life. Present day, some groups have settled on tiny islands.

Regatta Lepa : The Regatta Lepa has been celebrated every year since 1994 to commemorate the Bajau tradition of building these splendid boats.


The lepa regatta was first held in 1994 as a district-level event before being upgraded into a state festival. Since 2003, Regatta LEPA became an national event in the Malaysia water festival.

This sleepy town comes to life as the colorful sails take to the sea to compete for the prize of the most beautiful lepa. This is judged based on its decoration, local ethnic music and dances performed on board, sambulayang (sails) and tapis-tapis (small flags).

The Bajau seafarers' proud maritime heritage came alive recently in this annual festival of Regatta LEPA, featuring their boats, the LEPA with participants dancing at the helm of their boats, decorated in full color. The event attracted thousands each year.

Highlight of LEPA : The high light of LEPA event is to choose the most dazzling Lepa from the beautifully, colorfully adorned boats which are lined up at the waterfront.
On the decks are smiling dancers and musicians dressed in equally colorful traditional attires.

Other attractions in Regatta LEPA : include sea sports such as rowboat, sailing and kelleh-kelleh (small dugout boat) competitions, lepa tug of war, and duck catching competition. Colorful cultural night performance.

Where to stay in Semporna ...
Seafest Hotel  Dragon Inn Resort

 

About Semporna : April 23, 2009 11:23:02 AM

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