Doing Something Different in Sarawak
IF YOU DON’T THINK PARTICIPATING IN A MINI FROG RACE, OR VISITING A LONG HOUSE, OR KAYAKING DOWN A RIVER IS DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN PERHAPS SARAWAK ISN’T THE PLACE FOR YOU, WRITES FLOYD COWAN. BUT IT IS CERTAINLY THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR OWN EXPERIENTIAL HOLIDAY.
Tourism Malaysia invited me on a Mega Fam trip with media from around the world to experience Sarawak. The Mega Fam trip was called “Let’s Do Something Different, SARAWAK” and as you will read, we did many things that were different. Everything that we did, you can do on your next trip to this charming and engaging state in Borneo.
THE RAINFOREST ENTERTAINS
Coming from Singapore my flight was delayed and so I landed behind schedule at Kuching. The driver who picked me up from the airport rushed me to the newly renovated Astana Wing of the Riverside Majestic Hotel, arriving after the shuttle bus to the Rainforest World Music Festival was supposed to have left. A small group of mostly jetlagged media still mingled outside the lobby. The shuttle bus hadn’t left, and they kindly agreed to wait for me as I checked in and did a quick change.
For five years I covered RWMF, an event that has a unique place in the music festival world. There are more famous events but what Rainforest delivers is a unique venue – in the rainforest, at the hem of Mount Santabong – and spotlights the history and culture of indigenous people. For six consecutive years Songlines named it one of the best 25 world music festivals.
IMPROVED FESTIVAL SITE
Mike Smith has been covering
the event for Asian Journeys (see page 26) for the past six years, so I was returning for the first time in many years. I was impressed with the improvements made in my absence. A wide concrete path connects the kiosks, many new since my last visit, the traditional houses, the food venues and the stages.
It is a great place to visit where you can enjoy local food, learn about the culture of Sarawak, take in traditional dance and of course, be entertained by the variety of performers from around the world.
With media still arriving we had most of
Monday to ourselves. I took pictures of the new lobby and restaurants of the Astana Wing that magnificently take in the views of the Sarawak
River. The new rooms are also a delight – and where I spent most of the day working. It is a great place to stay right in the centre of Kuching.
RIVER CRUISING
At 5:00pm we – at least 17 media and tourism officials – gathered in the lobby for the Sunset River Cruise, by Sarawak River Cruise. Strolling along the riverside walkway I noted several new additions that make the walkway even more vibrant, colourful and enjoyable.
The Sunset
River Cruise takes place aboard the MV Equatorial. It has two decks and we were directed to the upper Sky Deck where we could enjoy the panoramic views.
There was a free flow of orange juice and tiny layered cakes.
The MV Equatorial can accommodate 70 people, and most sat at the tables while others vied for the best vantage point of the passing scenery. Dancers in traditional costume performed as we slowly drifted toward the South China Sea – 60 nautical miles away.
NEW BRIDGE
I was particularly interested in getting photos of the new S – shaped Darul Hana Bridge. The RM35 million bridge was officially opened in November 2017 providing pedestrian access between the historic town centre on the south bank with the State Legislative Assembly Complex on the north. The S is to represent the wandering rivers of Sarawak.
We turned before we reached the sea, but not before we passed hotels, the commercial core, warehouses, and the industrial area. The new floating mosque, Masjid Terapung, adds form and colour. Colonial era mansions nestle in the rainforest. A dragon boat practicing for races caught everyone’s attention as they kept up the with the MV Equatorial and received applause for their effort. The sun put on a magnificent show as it travelled west and as our outing came to an end.
THE EXPERIENTIAL STATE
Dinner was thoughtfully scheduled at Restoran Budaya Sarawaka, a short walk from where we alighted. We were joined by Tourism Malaysia and Tourism Sarawak officials. Iskander from Tourism Malaysia and Ben Jimbau from the Sarawak Tourism Board gave informative and entertaining presentation about Sarawak.
They emphasized that Sarawak offered ‘experiential tourism at it’s best’, which was to be confirmed for us over the coming days. Especially with the Malaysian Ringette being so anaemic a visit here is good value for money, Ben pointed out. Having one of the world’s oldest rainforests makes it a pristine and serine place to visit.
MORNING MARKET
I was up at 7:00am so I could shower and have breakfast before we departed for Batang Ai, 279ks away. We boarded the bus at 8:00am and our guide, Mr Zahari, introduced himself. “We will stop at Serian,” he stated. “There is an excellent farmers’ market there with all manner of fruit, vegetables and forest produce. The throbbing thriving fish market is pictures just waiting to be captured.”
We arrived at 9:30 and indulged ourselves in photography and purchases. I bought honey – a great price at RM60.00 for a large bottle, two oranges for RM3.00 and popcorn for RM2.00. As our bus lumbers west, I ate my popcorn and one orange. The honey I saved for later. As I doze there is suddenly a loud bang that jolts us all awake. The flat tire delays us for an hour which means we have to shorten our programme when we get to Batang Ai.
LINKING BORNEO
As we drive along the narrow two lane before we get to our next stop at Lachau, a small border town, Mr Zahari tells me that the road is being made into a freeway which will not only make the trip to Miri much faster, but will also connect with Kota Kinabalu in Saba. “There are plans to build a road that goes all the way around Borneo,” he adds.
Lachau is not big but has interesting offers. I buy a luffa that is very rough – and an excellent price – but not as good a price as I might have got from the store called the “100% Discount Shop”. After poking about many of us end up at the same café having tea terak.
SARAWAK POWER
At Batam Ai dam the lake is not particularly wide where we catch the ferry to the hotel, but it is long, and as we are to find out tomorrow, has many extenuated arms. It was created to provide power to Kuching and the district. It creates great views for the hotel that is designed like a long house with wings stretching in both directions from the lobby along the ridge. I love the lobby, restaurant, bar and games area. The dark wood and rustic décor give it a feel like a set from a 1920s novel.
The pool is perfect and a great place to lounge.
Our canopy walk was shortened and hurried because of the lateness of our arrival and the soon to be setting sun. We climbed to the top of the hill the hotel is halfway up. Along the way monkey cups and pitcher plants are pointed out. Edible plants were identified. “This one you apply on your cuts,” we were told.
PROTECTING SPIRIT
At the very top of the hill is the grave of a thirdgeneration headhunter who died in the 1960s. He was a popular person whose spirit looks after the community. To almost finish the excursion –
there are a few steep places to climb – we crossed the swinging bridge. It is a 130m long walkway, suspended 50m over the jungle floor.
Dinner was poolside with a variety of grilled meats and grilled corn and fresh and cooked veggies. Afterwards I enjoyed a beer in the Wong Irup Bar while some had a noisy game of pool.
A WARM WELCOME
While I’d been to Batang Ai before this was my first visit to Mengakak, a long house, 45 minutes by motorboat up one of the arms of the lake.
Low green hills contained the water in fjord like formation. There were a few longhouses on the shore and in places cultivation had been done. I was told it was pepper – which Sarawak is known for.
We were given a warm greeting by the residents. Our itinerary was as follows: “Meet and Greet by Tuai Rumah (The head of the longhouse). Welcome remarks. Gift Presentation to Tuai Rumah. Toast (with tuak the locally made rice wine). Iban Cultural Performance (dancing) and then a Special Project for Participants: Mini Library/ Reading Corner Project begins.”
BOOK MY PLACE
Prior to joining the trip, we were asked to bring one book to donate to the longhouse. Tourism donated the bookcase which members of the group assembled. I donated three books including my book Bull Riding, Rodeo’s Most Dangerous 8 Seconds. Zero Visibility about Douglas Yeo’s life and his role in rescuing the Wild Boars football team from the cave in Thailand, was not yet published or I would have given a copy of it as well.
The Chief said, “I welcome all of you with an open heart. Thank you to all of you who have come from so many different countries to join with us here in a spirit of friendship and sharing. Please bring us more tourists. We are proud to share our culture with them. I am very happy concerning your visit. Please come back and bring more people with you.” If you wish to visit the longhouse perhaps the best way is to stay at Batang Ai and they can arrange the visit.
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
There are 39 doors in the long house and 25 families and 290 people who live there. A slightly diminished population as the children were off at boarding school. A small population of scruffy dogs. We were welcome to go into the kitchen where ladies were preparing lunch. Lunch consisted of rice, chicken cooked in bamboo, grilled fish (from a fish farm on the lake) and greens.
In the communal area, that stretches the length of the building, crafts and products produced by these people were on sale. I bought pepper.
BACK TO KUCHING
At 2:45 we were back on the bus for the five- hour plus return trip to Kuching where we had dinner at
Lepau Restaurant, a Sarawakian ethnic restaurant. It is a winner of the Malaysian Tourism Awards in the Innovative Restaurant (Ethnic Restaurant) category.
Then we checked into the elegant Kuching Waterfront Hotel with its impressive views of the river, the bridge and the State Legislative Assembly Complex.
CYCLING TOUR
Our bike ride, that started at 9:00am, took us an easy 4ks through Kampung Melayu stopping at Darul Mardziah (Malay Old House), Tun Openg Resource Centre, and Kampung Bintagor kampongs. We cycled down Jalan Datuk Aji Bah Abol and similar streets with well-cared for and sometimes colourful homes. We stopped along the river, in scenic places for photos, and at the mosques for pictures. The place that interested me most was a traditional house that had been home to the anti-successionist movement when Sarawak was trying to decide its future.
The anti-successionist were Sarawakians who
didn’t want to join with the British when the Brooks dynasty said they no longer wanted to rule. They didn’t want to join with Malaysia either but Sarawak eventually relented and joined the Federation when Singapore did – only to see Singapore quickly kicked out.
Our bike ride ended at the Kuching City Mosque where Mr Zahari continued to provide extensive and detailed information. From the mosque we walked past the Brooks Dry Dock that was opened June 1, 1917. We continued on foot through some of the older parts of Kuching. There were shops selling coffee beans, hardware stories, fishing gear and sewing machines. But the most colourful area is around the India Mosque where the spices and vegetables are sold. From Gambier Street we took a narrow alley that brought us to India Street, a covered walkway and shopping street. Our bikewalking tour ended at the Old Court House where we had lunch in its very modern restaurant.
MINI FROG RACE
After lunch we had free time and I used it to be several kilos of coffee and a new pair of sunglasses to replace the pair I’d lost somewhere around Batang Ai. During our walk I’d kept an eye out for sunglasses and so quickly returned to a shop where I found a suitable pair. I wanted to make sure I had them before we went kayaking but wasn’t going to need them for our next excursion.
At 4:00pm we departed for Kubah National Park for the Mini Frog Race. It was us who were racing, not the frogs, but the frogs were mini – very small and not so easy to spot. Despite my many visits to Sarawak I’d never been to this park. It was a half hour drive to this small park (2,230 ha.) that boasts crystal clear streams, waterfalls and pools. Kubah’s varied wildlife includes bearded pig, mouse deer, black hornbill and many species of amphibians and reptiles.
HERPING
Dr Indraneil Das, University of Malaysia Sarawak and wildlife photographer Chien C Lee gave us presentations about the origins of the race, photographic tips, and frogs and their importance in the ecosystem. The objectives of the Race are to draw public attention to the region’s rich amphibian fauna, while targeting children for special educational programmes on nature conservation and amphibian protection. The Race has been held on the last weekend of April since 2012. The event coincides with the annual global ‘Save the Frogs Day’ (www.savethefrogs.com/day), celebrated through 270 events in over 30 countries.
Our race was a special event just for this Fam
trip as we were there in July. The Mini Frog Race is a photographic race, whereby participants go along a pre-designated forest trail to try to photograph the greatest number of frog species, the rarest frog, or photographically capture the most aesthetic image. In Borneo there are 186 species which include the Borneo Horned Frog and Wallace’s Flying Frog. Photographing frogs is called ‘herping’ and is becoming increasingly popular worldwide.
We were given two hours to photograph the frogs, but the first half hour was spent climbing a long steep hill to the frog pond. It was an effort, but after the event everyone agreed it was well worth it. Nor was it a good time to be racing after frogs as it had been dry and so water levels were low. Some of my fellow media members did an excellent job of finding and photographing the tiny creatures. I did get one or two good shots but not as good as Illya Shtaev’s winning shot.
ORANGUTAN DELIGHT
We left the hotel at 8:00am so that we could get to Semenggoh Nature Reserve at Feeding Time which takes place between 9:00 – 10:00am. For over 20 years, the wardens at Semenggoh have been training young orangutans, who had been orphaned or rescued from captivity, how to survive in the wild. The success of this programme has resulted in the surrounding forest reserve having a thriving population of healthy adolescent and young adult orangutans, who are now breeding in the wild, bringing them back from the brink of extinction.
The programme has been transferred to Matang Wildlife Centre, but Semenggoh is still home to its successful graduates, semi-wild orangutans and their babies. They spend most of their time roaming the forest but frequently come back to the Centre for a free meal.
Only a mother and her baby showed up for feeding time this day, but they put on a good show. The wardens take it as a good sign that most of the population doesn’t rely on the free food offered as it shows they have taken another step on the way to full rehabilitation. It is a bit of feeding frenzy for the tourists as they arrive in numbers overcrowding the viewing area and jostling for position to get the best photograph.
FISH FEEDING
While the lack of rain didn’t create the best conditions for racing after frogs I thought it was perfect for kayaking down the Semadang River. The first time I came down this river it was with three other foreigners and we were on a raft in a race where we were disqualified right from the start. Rains had made the river very high and it bullied and pushed and drenched us through the long afternoon. Though there was a feeling of accomplishment when we finished, we were exhausted. The second time was in the same kayaks as we’d be using this day. But again, the river was strong and aggressive, and it was a battle in a gentle rain that left us soaked at the end.
Our group was normally quite talkative but not a sound was made when Martin gave us the safety briefing. He also told us about River Fish Feeding – TAGANG.
The programme was created to maintain the freshwater fish population to ensure they grow to mature size and maintain a stable supply of indigenous fish in the river.
CARROT LIGHT
Today the weather was perfect, and the river was low. It still had challenging place and low spots where we got stuck on gravel banks in the river. And the river hurled us at the rock cliffs that you needed skill and energy to avoid. I deliberately looked for one of the thin young people to go with me. Pham Thuy Huyen from Vietnam took the front seat and I the back. She told me her nickname is ‘Carrot.’ As she wasn’t very heavy our kayak was buoyant and relatively easy to maneuverer, and most often could glide over the shallow place.
Right near the start Ms Carrot had a moment of panic as we were being rushed under tree branches. She thought it would be a good idea to grab a branch. It wasn’t a good idea as it yanked her out of the kayak – that of course kept moving when she stopped. She nearly tipped us, but I managed to keep the kayak upright and then helped the drenched young lady back in. I suggested that she try to refrain from grabbing things passing by.
It was a great trip down the river. We stopped in a few places and soaked in the cool waters.
FAREWELL DINNER
That evening our Farewell Dinner was held at Kuching Waterfront Hotel and a speech was given by Director General, Tourism Malaysia Datuk Musa Hj Yusof who emphasized the experiential, active holiday one can have when visiting Sarawak.
Sarawak is the place to experience nature, history, culture, and a unique cuisine. The shopping is excellent and there are spas that are far less expensive than those in Singapore. And it is all just a short flight away.