Welcome to the land of the hornbills....  SARAWAK, the paradise of Borneo

Sarawak is located in East Malaysia, north of Kalimantan Indonesia. Malaysia Airways, Air Asia and other international Asian airlines flies to Kuching Sarawak daily. Domestic flights from KLIA takes you to Kuching, Bintulu, Sibu, etc. Enjoy the virgin tropical forest, tropical beaches and rich culture of Sarawak, Malaysia.

     Sarawak is the place for nature and adventure lovers. Located on the vast forested continent of Borneo, most of Sarawak is a forest reserve.

Sarawak is nature's paradise - There are 10 nature parks scattered all over Sarawak, Malaysia. Get an experienced guide and a permit to explore the wonders of natural rainforest of Borneo. Sarawak is the place to experience a natural rainforest unchanged by the passage of time. Travel by river to discover the forest's wondrous diversity of life and see the complex interactions of Sarawak's rainforest, alive with dazzling birds, spectacular and rare plants and intriguing animals. Under the canopy of immense trees you can see the many wildlife that lurks in the jungle.

More on Sarawak:

People and Culture

Where to go

Kuching the Capital

National Parks

What to Eat and buy

How to get to Sarawak

Where to Stay

 The People

Be overwhelmed by the cultural diversity of the state  There are more than 30 ethnic communities in Sarawak, each retaining their cultural identity -  Malay, Chinese, Iban, Bidayu, Melanau, Orang Ulu, Penan, Kayan, Kelabit, Kenyah, etc. There are 27 distinct indigenous ethnic groups in Sarawak and collectively they speak 45 different languages and dialects. (Dayak is a collective name for the natives races in Sarawak i.e. the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and others)

    Iban is Sarawak's most known ethnic group, who were once the legendary head hunters of Borneo. Today they have adopted a peaceful lifestyle and travellers can plan a visit to an Iban longhouse. The Penan of Sarawak is traditionally a nomadic tribe who survive by hunting and gathering. Today, only a small number continue to practice the old lifestyle. Most Penan now settle by the riversides and make long journeys into the forest to collect food, medicinal plants or other jungle products. Sarawak is the best place to shop for traditional handicrafts. Each ethnic community here produces some unique and beautiful crafts, mainly available in the state.

 Festivals and Celebrations

Gawai Dayak - If you are preparing to come to Sarawak in June, come over during the Gawai Dayak. This celebration for the Dayaks mark the end of the rice harvest and ushers in another year of bountiful goodness. Locals dresses in traditional costumes while the elders perform traditional rites. This party and continous celebrations is throughout the month of June. It provides an exciting and excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about life at the longhouse.

more on this festival at wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawai_Dayak

Other festivals and celebrations in Malaysia

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Kueh Lapis selling at five-foot-way, Kuching

Cultural dance of Sarawak

Towns and cities of Sarawak

Kuching - the capital of the state of Sarawak, lies on the banks of the Sarawak River. Kuching in the Malay language means cat and you will find a cat museum with displays of anything on cats. There are museums, pasar malam (night markets) all within walking distances of the city centre.

The city centre is small enough to walk around. Take a stroll along the river front and across it is a streets lined with many small shops selling an assortment of beautiful handicrafts - wood, ceramic or weaved crafts. Its the best place in Malaysia to get traditional crafts of the natives.

The Kuching waterfront is a place to stroll or to take a boat ride to see the Astana (palace) and enjoy the sunset. Visitors can take the 40sen boat ride across the river to buy 'kueh lapis' (layered cake) at the small factory/backery across the river.  

 National Parks

There are over 10 national forest parks that you can visit in the state. Over 120,000 visitors visits these parks yearly. However much of the forested areas in Sarawak are still unexplored. Some of these parks include:

 Gunung Mulu National Park and World heritage site  is considered the 'jewel in the crown' of Sarawak's network of national parks. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site

Kubah National Park

Bako National Bark

Niah National Park

Tanjung Datu National Park

Lambir Hills National Park

Similajau National Park

Loagan Bunut National Park

Talang-Satang National Park

Rajang Mangroves National Park 

Maludam National Park

Gunung Buda National Park

Details at Nature Park Sarawak

What to Eat in Sarawak

Sarawak is famed for pepper and handicrafts

Sarawak pepper - a must buy item from Sarawak. Malaysias often consider pepper from Sarawak the best.

Sarawak Laksa - rice noodles served with hot peppery sauce. Very unlike Penang Laksa

Sarawak Kolo Mee - A must try in Kuching. Dry Yellow noodles with light gravy - noodles are very good too taste and a good buy for those who love noodles.

Kueh Lapis - layered cake popularly sold in Kuching which has a factory.

Local Fruits - check out some exotic local fruits at the markets

More about food at:

Malaysian Food

What to buy in Sarawak

Sarawak Pepper - pepper is a major export of Sarawak

Sarawak vases - unique local designs

Sarawak batik - of unique local designs

Beaded Products - unique beadworks are available at craft and souvenir shops

Wooded craft - Unique craft from the various cultural communities made from wood taken from the forest of Sarawak

Weaved product - Bags , mats, etc

Bird's Nest - valued by the Chinese, this product is from the many caves in Sarawak

ONLINE SHOPPING IN MALAYSIA

myMalaysia Store - books, gifts, electronic products, bags, etc

More on Sarawak:

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By roads

The Trans-Borneo Highway runs from Kuching to all major cities in Sarawak and into the state of Sabah through Brunei Darussalam. The journey by bus between towns are usually long and tiring because Sarawak is big. There are fewer roads here but roads takes you pass major towns such as Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Sarikei and Bintulu. It take about 5 hours by car from Kuching to Sibu and another 5 hrs to Miri.

     Major towns in Sarawak have public transport services including buses, taxis and limousine services. Intercity bus services are available for travel from town to town within the state and to Indonesia (Pontianak) and Brunei. Where roads don't go, you can travel by boat or by small planes or helicopter.

Main bus companies that travel the Borneo highways are:

1) Biaramas serving Kuching, Sarikei, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Kuala Belait, Bandar Seri Begawan, Pontianak

2) VFT transport serving Kuching, Serian, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Sibu, Bintulu, Simpang Batu, Niah, Miri, Dalat, Mukah, Pontianak

Book your hotel accommodation early especially during the Malaysian and Singapore school holidays or public holidays in Malaysia and Singapore. Sarawak especially Kuching is a popular tourist destination.

Homestay Directory (external) - http://right.sarawak.gov.my/homestay