Asia Beauty Spot – Asia Scenery

1. Longhouse Tours

A holiday in Sarawak is not complete without a visit to the longhouses that are the traditional dwellings of many of the natives here such as the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu. A longhouse is a terraced street of separate dwellings covered by one roof. A tuai rumah (headman) is the head of the longhouse. Every family has their own separate bilik (room). Communal activities are carried out on the ruai (verandah). Male visitors will spend a night on the verandah whereas female visitors are invited to stay in the bilik or room.

Longhouse communities normally wear practical clothes like jeans and T-shirts. They only wear their traditional costumes during festivals like Gawai Dayak or the Iban harvest festival and also during weddings. Tour groups are normally greeted with a glass of tuak or rice wine and a welcome dance. After that, they will tour the longhouses and will be entertained by various cultural performances. You are usually invited to join in the dancing. Visitors can spend a night at the longhouses or in a nearby guesthouse.

2. Matang Wildlife Centre

The Matang Wildlife Centre is about 35km from Kuching. Located in Kubah National Park, this large enclosed area of rainforest is home to endangered wildlife. There is a training programme here that teaches Orang Utans, who have been orphaned or rescued from captivity, how to survive in the wild. Visitors will be able to see lots of Orang Utans here, especially during feeding time. Besides these adorable primates, there are also Sun Bears, Sambar Deer, Civet cats as well as three large aviaries that house Sea Eagles, Hornbills and other birds in Sarawak.

Jungle trekking is also possible as there are four jungle trails here, the Pitcher Trail (takes about 2 hours), the Sungai Rayu Trail ( about 3 – 4 hours), the Sungai Senduk trail (about 1 hour) and Sungai Buluh trail (about 2 hours). Picnic spots, an information centre, accommodation facilities, a car park and a small canteen are available at the park HQ.

3. Niah National Park

Over 400km up the coast from Kuching, hidden in the forests of Miri, are the Niah Caves. The park covers a vast swathe of 3,140 hectares of peat swamp, dipterocarp forests, as well as the massive limestone outcroppings within which the giant Niah caves are concealed. The caves consist of one big cave (The Great Cave) and some smaller caves.

In 1958, archeologists discovered evidence of human occupation of the caves dating back some 40,000 years. Rock paintings were found in what has become known as the Painted Cave, and the discovery of several small canoe-like coffins (death ships) indicate that this site was once used as a burial ground.

4. Sarawak Cultural Village

Known as the ‘Living Museum’, the Cultural Village was set up to preserve and showcase Sarawak’s cultural heritage. Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from the state capital, Kuching, it is the perfect place to get introduced to local culture and lifestyle.

Sprawled across 17 acres, there are about 150 people living in the village, demonstrating traditional daily activities from Sarawak’s diverse tribes like the processing of sago and the making of handicrafts. They wear traditional costumes and also put on dances for visitors.

The village residents provide information on their various traditional cultures and lifestyles. You can see replicas of buildings that represent every major ethnic group in Sarawak; longhouses of the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and a Chinese farm house among others.

The village also has a theatre, where you can enjoy multicultural dance performances. Besides this, there is a restaurant and handicraft shop. You can even get married at the Sarawak Cultural Village, in traditional Iban, Malay, Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.

The Iban longhouse has separate rooms placed side by side, all of which open to a long communal hall, used for leisurely activities like wood carving and basket weaving.

Guests are often invited to attend nightly ceremonies and drink a potent rice wine, tuak, which the Iban make themselves. Comfortable guesthouses are also available for visitors.

5. Similajau National Park

Similajau National Park, just 45 minutes from Bintulu, provides a great weekend getaway for the people within the central region of Sarawak. It has one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Malaysia with miles of unspoiled white and golden sand and rocky beaches facing the South China Sea.

Gazetted in 1978, it covers 7,064 hectares of virgin coastal forest, starting from Sungai Likau in the south to Similajau River in the north. Spanning 30km, it is abundant in flora and fauna and offers you a wonderful experience exploring miles and miles of empty beach.

The terrestrial fauna of the park boasts 24 recorded species of mammals, such as gibbons, banded langurs and long-tailed macaques. A very noteworthy reptile found here is the Saltwater Crocodile.

The Park has also recorded 230 species of birds, which include hornbills and migratory water birds like Storms Stork. If you’re lucky, you might be able to see dolphins out amongst the waves. Occasionally, green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

6. The Grand Old Lady

One of Sarawaks most important historical monuments. MIRI WELL No. 1 – The Grand Old Lady – struck oil on 22 December 1910. Grand Old Lady is not a frail figure of an old woman but Miri’s Number 1 oil well, the first cable-tool oil well in the country, a ‘mother’ who milked a poor country to a prosperous nation.

This landmark is about 30 meters high, Located on top of Canada Hill overlooking Miri, it attracts locals to enjoy the scenery or jog on the well-designed path.

The discovery of oil in 1910 on Canada Hill has a significant place in the history of modern Miri. Canada Hill is where the oil industry in the Sarawak started, with the successful drilling of well Miri-1 in December 1910.

The growth of the oil industry has helped to transform Miri from a small fishing village at the turn of the 20th century into a modern and prosperous town in the 21st Century.

The first derrick constructed was affectionately called ‘The Grand Old Lady’ and produced oil for 62 years. Next to the Grand Old Lady, the Petroleum Museum exhibits photographs and information on the petroleum industry.

In joint venture with Shell Malaysia and Petronas, has built a museum-cum-information centre. At the rear of the museum, the parking lot serves as a vantage point overlooking Miri town below.

The view from Bukit Telaga Minyak is rewarding because the panorama not only include the whole town comes but also the Miri-Brunei border, the offshore oilrigs and the refineries in nearby Lutong township.

Courtesy of Malaysia Tourism Board