Page 27 - Sarawak-Visitors-Guide-2014v1
P. 27
VISITING VILLAGES & LONGHOUSES
Bidayuh villages and longhouses can be found within
easy reach of Kuching and can usually be visited as
a day trip, although there are a few that also ofer
accommodaion (see lisings). Iban Longhouses are
usually found in the Skrang, Lemanak and Batang Ai
areas and in the Rejang and Baram river basins. Orang
Ulu longhouses are also located in the Rejang and
Baram river systems and in the northern highlands, and costumes and head-dresses are usually only worn for
are accessed via Sibu and Miri special fesivals like gawai dayak (the Iban harvest
Bidayuh Villages & Longhouses fesival, 1st June), gawai antu (the ancestor fesival,
very rare) and weddings. If you want to see tradiional
Kampung Annah Rais, rituals, customs and dances, then it is best to go with an
Jalan Borneo Heights, organised tour group.
40km from Kuching. Tour groups are usually greeted with a glass of tuak
A tradiional bamboo (rice wine) and a welcome dance. They are then shown
longhouse enclosed by around and treated to various cultural performances,
a modern village. Don’t including dancing and drumming. You will usually
miss the the barok (skull house) with its ancient brass be invited to atempt the ngajat dance. Do not try
cannon and smoked human skulls. Natural hot springs to refuse as guests are expected to contribute to the
nearby. Homestay available. Open daily, 8 am - 6 pm, entertainment. If you know any dances, folk songs or
entrance RM 5. Taxi or bas sewa. Local tour operators poems from your own country, you will make some
also run trips. lifelong friends, no mater how badly you perform.
Kampung Benuk, Jalan Borneo Heights, 34km from Normally you will be able to stay in the longhouse
Kuching. A Bidayuh village with an old bamboo overnight, but if you prefer some privacy, many tour
longhouse complete with barok (skull house) and a operators have their own guest houses near the
mini-museum. Homestay available. Open daily 9.30 am longhouse.
5 pm. Taxi or bas sewa. Local tour operators also run
trips. Most Iban longhouses that accept guests are on the
Kampung Semban, Jalan Bengoh, 40 km from Kuching. Lemanak and Batang Ai river systems. Visits usually
A 4-5 hr trek uphill past delighful waterfalls brings you involve at least one overnight stop and a longboat
to Sarawak’s famous ‘village in the clouds’. this remote trip on the river, but some longhouse safaris can last
kampung is noted for its tradiional unspoilt lifestyle for a week or more. The Visitors’ Informaion Centre
the as well as the elderly ladies who sill wear their in Kuching has a list of approved tour operators. If you
tradiional brass arm and leg rings. Borneo Experiences want to arrange a personal invitaion, your best bet is
run 3-day 2-night treks to the village, Tel : 429239, to spend a couple of days in one of the busier market
borneoexperiences.com. towns such as Sri Aman or Betong and make friends in
the local cofee shops.
Iban Longhouses Borneo Adventure work together with the local Iban
It is almost a crime community to operate an
award-winning lodge at
to come to Sarawak Nanga Sumpa and a jungle camp at Lubok Kasai in Ulu
without visiing an Ai, upriver from the Batang Ai Hydro Lake. These logdes
Iban longhouse. Iban allow visitors to experience both the tradiional iban
hospitality is legendary, culture and the rainforest ecosystem. They are also
and visitors are the jumping of points for Borneo Adventure’s treks in
guaranteed a good ime. A longhouse is basically a search of wild orangutans (see Batang Ai Naional Park).
terraced street of separate dwellings covered by one Tel: 245175, www.borneoadventure.com.
roof, under the authority of a headman, or tuai rumah.
Each family lives in its separate apartment, or bilik, and Suntravel take community paricipaion a step further
communal aciviies take place outside on the covered by arranging authenic Iban weddings and baby-
verandah, or ruai. naming ceremonies, conducted by tribal elders. These
are not simply costume photo shoots with the locals
but full rituals according to local adat (customary law)
Most longhouses are busy, modern farming
communiies, and people wear pracical clothes like and concluding with a feast for the enire longhouse.
jeans and T-shirts when they are at work. Tradiional Tel: 422023, www.suntravelborneo.com.
18
Bidayuh villages and longhouses can be found within
easy reach of Kuching and can usually be visited as
a day trip, although there are a few that also ofer
accommodaion (see lisings). Iban Longhouses are
usually found in the Skrang, Lemanak and Batang Ai
areas and in the Rejang and Baram river basins. Orang
Ulu longhouses are also located in the Rejang and
Baram river systems and in the northern highlands, and costumes and head-dresses are usually only worn for
are accessed via Sibu and Miri special fesivals like gawai dayak (the Iban harvest
Bidayuh Villages & Longhouses fesival, 1st June), gawai antu (the ancestor fesival,
very rare) and weddings. If you want to see tradiional
Kampung Annah Rais, rituals, customs and dances, then it is best to go with an
Jalan Borneo Heights, organised tour group.
40km from Kuching. Tour groups are usually greeted with a glass of tuak
A tradiional bamboo (rice wine) and a welcome dance. They are then shown
longhouse enclosed by around and treated to various cultural performances,
a modern village. Don’t including dancing and drumming. You will usually
miss the the barok (skull house) with its ancient brass be invited to atempt the ngajat dance. Do not try
cannon and smoked human skulls. Natural hot springs to refuse as guests are expected to contribute to the
nearby. Homestay available. Open daily, 8 am - 6 pm, entertainment. If you know any dances, folk songs or
entrance RM 5. Taxi or bas sewa. Local tour operators poems from your own country, you will make some
also run trips. lifelong friends, no mater how badly you perform.
Kampung Benuk, Jalan Borneo Heights, 34km from Normally you will be able to stay in the longhouse
Kuching. A Bidayuh village with an old bamboo overnight, but if you prefer some privacy, many tour
longhouse complete with barok (skull house) and a operators have their own guest houses near the
mini-museum. Homestay available. Open daily 9.30 am longhouse.
5 pm. Taxi or bas sewa. Local tour operators also run
trips. Most Iban longhouses that accept guests are on the
Kampung Semban, Jalan Bengoh, 40 km from Kuching. Lemanak and Batang Ai river systems. Visits usually
A 4-5 hr trek uphill past delighful waterfalls brings you involve at least one overnight stop and a longboat
to Sarawak’s famous ‘village in the clouds’. this remote trip on the river, but some longhouse safaris can last
kampung is noted for its tradiional unspoilt lifestyle for a week or more. The Visitors’ Informaion Centre
the as well as the elderly ladies who sill wear their in Kuching has a list of approved tour operators. If you
tradiional brass arm and leg rings. Borneo Experiences want to arrange a personal invitaion, your best bet is
run 3-day 2-night treks to the village, Tel : 429239, to spend a couple of days in one of the busier market
borneoexperiences.com. towns such as Sri Aman or Betong and make friends in
the local cofee shops.
Iban Longhouses Borneo Adventure work together with the local Iban
It is almost a crime community to operate an
award-winning lodge at
to come to Sarawak Nanga Sumpa and a jungle camp at Lubok Kasai in Ulu
without visiing an Ai, upriver from the Batang Ai Hydro Lake. These logdes
Iban longhouse. Iban allow visitors to experience both the tradiional iban
hospitality is legendary, culture and the rainforest ecosystem. They are also
and visitors are the jumping of points for Borneo Adventure’s treks in
guaranteed a good ime. A longhouse is basically a search of wild orangutans (see Batang Ai Naional Park).
terraced street of separate dwellings covered by one Tel: 245175, www.borneoadventure.com.
roof, under the authority of a headman, or tuai rumah.
Each family lives in its separate apartment, or bilik, and Suntravel take community paricipaion a step further
communal aciviies take place outside on the covered by arranging authenic Iban weddings and baby-
verandah, or ruai. naming ceremonies, conducted by tribal elders. These
are not simply costume photo shoots with the locals
but full rituals according to local adat (customary law)
Most longhouses are busy, modern farming
communiies, and people wear pracical clothes like and concluding with a feast for the enire longhouse.
jeans and T-shirts when they are at work. Tradiional Tel: 422023, www.suntravelborneo.com.
18
