Radawan Pitcher Plant and Orchid Garden
showcases lowland pitcher plants and orchids from around Borneo. Open from 9 am
to 4pm, Tuesdays to Sundays. Entrance fee: foreign visitors RM 2 (adult or
child), Malaysians RM 1 (adults) and RM 0.50 Children, Located on the way to
Semenggoh at Kota Padawan, 10th Mile Penrissen Road. When you reach the Bazaar
follow the signposts. Tel: 615566 for further details.
Serian: A small market town about 1 hour
from Kuching. Tour groups heading for the Skrang, Lemanak and Batang Ai areas
often stop here. The main attraction is an excellent farmers' market selling all
manner of fruit, vegetables and forest produce and a thriving fish market. If
you are lucky you will also see sago worms, a favorite local delicacy, offered
for sale. The Serian District Council has a number of chalets at nearby Ranchan
Pools, a local beauty spot. Chalets RM 50-100, Dormitory RM 100 10 beds). Tel:
876681 Fax: 874799.
Bau: A 19th century gold rush put Bau on the
map. Small-scale mining continues, but nowadays Bau is a market town and
administrative centre, about 60 km from Kuching. There are some interesting
caves around Bau. The Wind Cave - a collection of small passageways - is a
popular local picnic spot. The Fairy Cave is larger and more impressive - there
is a small Chinese shrine in the main chamber and varied vegetation at the
entrance. A flashlight is essential to explore the rock formations within.
Travel agents can arrange trips, or there are frequent buses to Bau. From the
town, take a taxi or hitch-hike (usually quite easy).
If you are in Sarawak during June, it is well worth
traveling to the Bau
area to witness Gawai Padi, the culmination of a remarkable shamanistic ritual
when the Bidayuh community give thanks to the Rice Goddess for an abundant
haivest. Each village has its own ritual, complete with shamen, priestesses,
trance dancers, musicians, and of course an all-night street party. Contact
community insider Mr. Diweng Bakir at the Sarawak Craft Council, Tel:
019-8565498, E-mail: diweng_bakir@yahoo.com, for further details.
More about
Bau...
Borneo Highlands Resort & Hornbill Golf & Jungle Club:
Located 70km from Kuching, this hill resort is situated at the
Sarawak-Kalimantan border, at an altitude of 600 to 1,000 meters. The
challenging 18-hole golf course winds its way around the natural features of the
highland plateau whilst the Jungle Spa offers herbal treatments and traditional
massages. The resort's Clubhouse offers 62 rooms and suites. Phone 234266, fax
258166 or visit www.hornbillgolf.com for further details of golf and spa
packages.
Matang Family Park: A popular recreation and
picnic spot situated at the foothills of Mount Serapi about 25 km from Kuching
(Matang Transport Bus No. 11). There are picnic areas, a children's playground,
jungle tracks and a crystal clear mountain stream which is ideal for swimming.
Entrance fee RM 3.
Malesiana Tropicals specialises in the
artificial propagation of rare tropical plants such as pitcher plants and
orchids. Their nursery is located 45 minutes from Kuching and includes a pitcher
plant display garden. The nursery is open to visitors but only by prior
arrangement. Phone 082-419290 to arrange a visit. Further information can be
found at www.malesiana.com
LONGHOUSE TOURS
Iban hospitality is legendary, and visitors are guaranteed a good time. A
longhouse is basically a terraced street of separate dwellings covered by one
roof, under the authority of a headman, or tuai rumah. Each family lives in its
separate apartment, or bilik, and communal activities take place outside on the
verandah, or ruai. This is also where male visitors spend the night. Female
visitors will be invited to stay inside the bilik with the family.
Most longhouses are busy, modern farming communities, and people wear
practical clothes like jeans and T-shirts when they are at work. Traditional
costumes and head-dresses are usually only worn for special festivals like Gawai
Dayak (the Iban harvest festival, 1st June), gawai antu (the ancestor festival,
very rare) and weddings. If you want to see traditional rituals, customs and
dances, then unless you are very lucky it is best to go with an organized tour
group.
Tour groups are usually greeted with a glass of tuak (rice wine) and a welcome
dance. They are then shown around and treated to various cultural performances,
including dancing and drumming. You will usually be invited to attempt the
ngajat dance. Do not try to refuse as guests are expected to contribute to the
entertainment just like the hosts. If you know any dances, folk songs or poems
from your own country, you will make some lifelong friends, no matter how badly
you perform. Normally you will be able to stay in the longhouse overnight, but
if you prefer some privacy, many tour operators have their own guest houses near
the longhouse.
The majority of longhouses that accept guests are in the Skrang, Lemanak,
Batang Ai and Rejang River areas. These all involve at least one overnight stop
and a longboat trip on the river, but some longhouse safaris can last for a week
or more. The Visitors' Information Centre in Kuching has a list of approved tour
operators. If you are short of time, there are also a number of Bidayuh
longhouses near Kuching that can be visited as a day trip.
Note: Visitors are very welcome at most longhouses, but only if they are
expected. If you receive an invitation to a longhouse (quite common when
traveling upriver), take up the offer - you are sure to have an interesting and
enjoyable trip. If you do not have an invitation it is best to go with a tour
group, as you will not only be expected but warmly welcomed.
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