SARAWAK

Tours of Sarawak | Sarawak at a glance | Sarawak Location | Sarawak Weather | Sarawak Attractions

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SARAWAK AT A GLANCE:

The State of Sarawak is located in East Malaysia and, along with Sabah, is known as Borneo.  It offers ever-shrinking areas of untouched jungle, the chance to visit longhouse-dwelling Dayak tribes and a good system of national parks.  The area around the capital city, Kuching, has remote coastal villages, such as Pandan and Sematan, and unspoilt tropical rainforest, beaches and walking trails in the Bako National Park.  Longhouses are found along the Rejang River and its tributaries - central and southern Sarawak's 'highway'.  The areas downriver from Kanowit and Song are generally less frequented.  In the north-east, the Niah Caves, accessible only by longboat and a 3km (1.86mi) hike, are unforgettable for their rock paintings, forest wildlife, jungle trails and night walks to see the luminous mushrooms.  Visitors to Sarawak cannot fail to notice the extent to which logging is affecting the environment and the habitat of the Dayak tribes.  Acquainting yourself with the issues surrounding Malaysia's logging practices is recommended before visiting the province.  Like Sabah, Sarawak is known to international visitors primarily because of the extraordinary natural wonders.  Every town and marketplace in Sarawak offers curios of a unique Sarawak style, culture and craftsmanship.  Shoppers should spend their time browsing through the Kedai (marketplace) to search for genuine antiques and souvenirs.  Sarawak's natural beauty is legendary.  So are its arts and crafts - literally - for these unique designs are often based on age-old legends.  Inspired by the beauty and bounty of their homeland - be it the effortless flight of a hornbill, the graceful curvature of a jungle fern or the mysteries of a dream each ethnic group, in every longhouse, has a craftsman or woman who beautifies everyday utensils with the most intricate and refined of ancient decorative arts.  Sarawak has been described as Asia's Best Kept Secret.  It is the place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures.  The land of the fabled White Rajahs, the hornbill and the orangutan, Sarawak is the largest State in Malaysia and by far the most exotic.  Its rainforest, the size of Austria, houses the world's richest and most diverse ecosystem.  It is also home to the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, the size of a coffee table, squirrels and snakes that fly, deer the size of cats, plants that eat insects (and small mammals) and species of flora and insects still waiting to be discovered.  More importantly, this ancient virgin rain forest is home to 27 ethnic groups; people each with their own distinct language, culture and lifestyle.  Their ancient cultures may differ but they have one thing in common, their warmth and hospitality.  You can experience this by spending a night in one of their longhouses listening to legends that go back to the Stone Age.  Whether it's an lban, Bidayuh, Melanau or one of the many Orang Ulu groups you stay with, the welcome will be just as warm.  In the towns you can mingle with Malays or the many different Chinese communities that have made Sarawak their home.  Arrive in Sarawak and you step into adventure.  How much adventure is up to you.  You can stroll for a morning in a national park near your hotel, or you can trek for days through pristine jungle, sleeping each night in a different longhouse.  If walking is not your style try mountain biking the jungle trails.  Want to get out of the sun?  Spend days exploring the world's most extensive cave system, 310km of passages with more waiting to be found.  If history thrills you, visit caves that were inhabited 40,000 years ago, learn how Indian and Chinese merchants traded for Sarawak's exotic products centuries before the first Europeans came here.  Hear stories of princes and pirates, of headhunters and explorers.  But, if that is more excitement than you need, relax on the beaches by the South China Sea, scuba dive off reefs where you will be alone with the sea, or just enjoy a round of golf on one of our excellent courses.  Sarawak has something for everyone and a welcome for all.  Sarawak's endless rivers form the vast state's transportation backbone.  The most common crafts used along the rivers are called perahus; they are low-lying pencil thin canoes equipped with outboard motors, and they curl along with surprising speed and agility.  The experience of riding in one, while the impossibly dense jungle wall breezes past, is unforgettable.  Its population of 1.5 million people is as rich and varied as the land. Affectionately dubbed as the "Land of Natural Wonders and Friendly Hornbills", Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia spanning 124,000 sq. km.  A land of many rivers, rolling terrain, and majestic mountains, Sarawak has also been described as a "Land of Superlatives".  It has the country's longest river, the world's largest flower (the Rafflesia), the world's largest cave passage and natural chamber, and evidence of the earliest known existence of man in Southeast Asia.  Complemented by the rich cultural heritage of the diverse ethnic communities of Sarawak as well as the many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, this state offers an unfailing appeal and challenge to those seeking thrill and adventure amidst nature!

LOCATION
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, an outback of sheer beauty rich in resources such as pepper, cocoa, palm oil, timber and oil.  With an area of 124,450 sq. km, it is a region of endless fascination, possessing the largest cave chamber in the world, verdant jungles, unique fauna and flora, white beaches, and remote islands.  Malaysia Airlines flies regularly to Kuching International Airport as well as to Miri from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Singapore, and Kota Kinabalu.  Boats are a common mode of transport in Sarawak, as its the dense vegetation of its interior is criss-crossed with rivers.  Travel in areas not reachable by boat is often by light aircrafts and helicopters.  Major towns are serviced by buses.

WEATHER:

The table below shows the average monthly weather indicators during 8 last years. Temperature in Centigrade:

HISTORY:
Sarawak's history is one of heroic adventure and romance, piracy and rebellion.  It is a story of brave tribal warriors intensely protective of their respective territories, engaging in fierce battles to protect their domains.  It is the story of a young British, James Brooke, who had set off for the Far East in search of adventure.  And as fate would have it, he ended up establishing a despotic, though benevolent rule over Sarawak for more than a century, and was known fondly by locals as the "White Raja".  It is a story of a nation that saw itself make a sudden leap from being a small British colony for a brief period to being one of the more dynamic, progressive, and bustling business and tourist destinations in Asia Pacific.  Yet despite all the changes that it had undergone through the centuries, it has retained the qualities that never fail to charm and enchant those who chance a visit here.  Its charming rustic riverine towns, historical sites and buildings speaks of its colorful and enchanted past while its charming people, who may have adopted modern lifestyles in the midst of modern amenities and conveniences, retain the much cherished qualities of warmth, hospitality and friendliness. 

ATTRACTIONS:

Sarawak's cultural treasures are also fascinating, reflecting the influence not only of the state's many ethnic peoples, but also the odd western influence of Sarawak's "White Rajahs."  Sarawak has a bewildering diversity of culture.  Every tribe still has talented exponents of traditional decorative arts, from weaving, to woodcarving to tattooing.  A visit to a longhouse is highly recommended.  A longhouse is more than a traditional form of shelter or a distinctly unique Bornean form of communal living; it is a museum, displaying the vibrant culture and the vital creative impulse and aesthetic artistic skills of 27 different and distinct indigenous ethnic groups.  Their cultural ingenuity is their identity.  A visit to a longhouse is a visit to a gallery with exhibits ranging from antique brass work, exquisite woven fabrics, carving of tropical hardwoods, beadwork, ceramics, rattan weaving and basketry.  The longhouse is the very center of communal life in Sarawak.  To visit a longhouse is to look deep into the State's soul.  As most traditional longhouses are riverside dwellings, the real longhouse experience begins with the journey upriver.  River travel in a perahu - a shallow draught canoe - affords you the pleasure of seeing Sarawak at its best; your boatman will take you along idyllic waterways with white pebble beaches, under the over-arching branches of tropical hardwoods, whose dense emerald foliage allows through only a dappling of sunlight.  As you meander upstream, and your boatman punts through the river's shallows, kingfishers glide past, hornbills fly overhead, and local children dive from the riverbank into the cooling waters.  As you arrive at the longhouse, it is customary to be greeted by the longhouse maidens and young men performing traditional dances and playing ceremonial gongs.  From the moment you step inside the longhouse you will be treated as an honored guest.  Visitors will be offered a glass of tuak - the very palatable local rice wine.  Or more often than not, several glasses of tuak will be offered to wash down a banquet of local delicacies.  Then your hosts will start beating the gongs.  This is the cue for the traditional dance, usually the Ngajat.  The inspiration for the graceful movements of the dancers comes from the effortless flight of the hornbill, Sarawak's emblem.  Then your newfound friends will enthrall you with stories of Sarawak's legendary past.  Usually a longhouse party lasts all night.  As the sun is eclipsed by the moon, weary from your day's travel, and a night of dancing and feasting, retire to the ruai- a covered verandah - for a good night's sleep.