Bario: Her Food Festival 2014 and more...

We found our way to this wondrous highland of Bario (3,200m ASL). Windy, cool and pleasant temperature with friendly people to match. This trip was all about the celebration of Kelabit food, farming, culture and forest heritage - The Bario Food Festival (Pesta Nukenen)

The passion of the Kelabits in preserving their heritage is exemplified by the fact that this was the ninth year it has been held and is looked forward to by, most importantly, those living in the Bario Highlands itself, a forested highland watersheds in Sarawak and East Malaysia.

The ingredients come straight from the grounds and more often than not, wildly grown. The sweetness and freshness of the cooking makes every morsel savouring.

The very versatile bamboo plant used as serving dishes

The 'kelantang' has a fragrant after-taste to it. And porridge cooked over wood fire using Bario rice no less makes this dish a real delicacy!

Yam, smoked river fish, ginger flower and dried buffalo meat shreds

THE Elders of Bario

Beaded head gear is the fashion 'de rigeur' of the ladies.

Still suave looking, isn't he? One of Bario's first batch of school teachers

Dance reflecting work life

Kelabit warrior dance

 The long dance is accompanied by a rhythmic traditional chant. Very soothing indeed

But there's more to Bario than just awesome organic food... like the sights that make the destination an eye candy... in all sense of the words

What you see... the highest mountain in Sarawak - Mt.Murud (7,946 ft) and the twin peak of Batu Lawi (6,712 ft). Mt. Murud is the fourth highest peak in Malaysia.

First, step on the brakes, then throttle hard, build up the kinectic energy, release brake and wheeeeeee... well, the last part up was made up. The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 19-passenger utility aircraft is suited for operating condition such as Bario STOL* airport.

*Short Take Off and Landing

Landing is never more engaged for a passenger in a Twin Otter.

The sun can be harsh on the skin due to the thinner air. It, however, offers memorable gorgeous sunset.

In the distance, shaped like a cut-out, like a gap in the ridge, is the 'Kawang'. It is a practice to signify a significant occasion in the Kelabit community

Million dollar piece of real estate we say!

Remember your childhood art lessons of drawing interlocking mountains? Bario is alive with them. One can sing to their heart's content.

Megaliths: objects carved into the stone, used in deference to the celestial beings in the old days. This one in Pa'Umor.

The Milky Way contains 200-300 billion stars, so dim that the naked eyes cannot distinguish individual stars but a band of arching over the night sky. At the right time, Bario with its low level of light pollution, with the right camera setting, you can capture this.

The highlands of Sarawak is a photographer's haven if trekking is not your preference. We recommend at least four days during the dry season from June - September. The Milky Way can easily be seen also. However, the golden hue of ripening rice field only takes place December. And if you want to capture a completely different Bario landscape this will be a good excuse to return to the highland.

The 10th Bario Food and Cultural Festival (Pesta Nukenen) will be held from the 23th - 25th July 2015.

MASWings flies three times daily from Miri to Bario. The destination has a number of lodges, whose operators can tailor a programme during your stay with them. For more info logon to http://www.ebario.com/

Miri has direct flights from Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur. The airlines operating are Malaysian Airlines, Malindo Air, MASWings and Air Asia.

Sarawak... where adventure lives

New for Rainforest World Music Festival 2014

Three new elements have been added to inject freshness into the festival. The Malay House will be used for the first time, giving the workshop there an intimate feel. It is limited, however, to fifty persons for health and safety reasons. In the comfort of the Theatre, two daily chamber-styled concerts will be presented instead. To keep the festival mood going by another hour, there will be the RWMF COMMUNITY DRUM CIRCLE conducted by 1DRUM.ORG. Beat your socks off from 5.00 – 6.00 pm daily in front of the Jungle stage. (see pic)

The other two workshop venues remain at Dewan Lagenda and Iban Longhouse respectively.

And of course, there will be another exciting lineup of performers for 2014. Here are the twenty two of them.

	BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY  (England) English folk song is usually about loneliness, death and misery. However, this young group of six young, brash and innovative musicians have taken the traditional songs of England and layered it with tongue-in-cheek rock-based energy and dance grooves. The lyrics are, in true British tradition, dead-pan witty and shameless. They were voted best live band in the UK at the 2011 FATEA Awards and will be Friday night’s closing act at the festival.
	CANZONIERE GRECANICO SALENTINO (Italy) Tarantella music from Southern Italy is compelling, irresistible and passionate. This band brings the frenzy of pizzica tarantata with their heart vibrating tamburello or frame drums, beautiful songs like only the Italians can do, and a beautiful fiery dancer. They were voted best Italian World Music band at Babel Med Music 2011, GlobalFEST 2012, Womex 2012, SXSW 2013 and WOMAD 2013.
	DAKHA BRAKHA   (Ukraine) This stunningly visual quartet of brings the soundscape of mysterious Ukrainian folk melodies, witchy voices, compelling percussion and a mix of old and new sounds. Their laments are dark and trance like, and then they explode with hypnotic rhythms. Their music has been described as ethno-chaos – wild and primitive. They are the winners of the prestigious Kuriokhin Grand Prix prize in the sphere of contemporary art in 2010.
	DEBADEMBA   (Mali / Burkina Faso) An amazing golden-voiced singer from Mali and a virtuostic blues guitarist from Burkina Faso – this partnership between Mohamed Diaby and Abdoulaye Traore became Debademba – a knock out, spine-tingling band. This is urbanized African music but saturated with the dust and secrets of the deserts of Africa and the dances of its people. Debademba is down as the last act for Saturday night.
	DING YI MUSIC COMPANY  (Singapore) Traditional Chinese music with all its refined elegance, spiritual context and skilled musicianship. This ensemble plays a wide range of repertoire taken from different regions of China, layered with the mixed cultural heritage of Singapore and coloured with contemporary touches. They were the winners of the 2008 Singapore National Arts Council Chinese Music Competition, the 2009 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Wales and the Silver Award winner in the 28th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
	GEMA SLDN-SCV   (Sarawak, Malaysia) A group of very young musicians with a vivacious performance using movements, drums and percussion instruments of Borneo.
	GENG WAK LONG  (Kelantan, Malaysia) The state of Kelantan in Peninsular Malaysia is rich with musical traditions like the Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit, Silat, Dikir Barat, Tari Inai and more. Mohammad Kamrulbahri bin Hussin has spent much of his life immersed in this culture and now fiercely nurtures and protects the music and arts he has inherited. Winner of many awards, either solo or with an ensemble - among them the Boh Cameronian Art Awards 2004 & 2005, 2009; and the 2011 Selangor Young Talent Award for Performing Arts. He brings to the Rainforest World Music Festival a wonderfully crafted insight to music of the North-Eastern regions of Malaysia.
	GORDIE MACKEEMAN & HIS RHYTHM BOYS  (Canada) Foot tapping old-time roots dance music from Prince Edward Island. They won the Galaxie Supernova Award at the Ottawa Folk Festival 2012 and voted the 2011 Music PEI Showcase Artist of the year. Their music is fresh air, wholesome sunshine and happy smiley dance tunes.
	HOROMONA HORO   (New Zealand) Taonga pūoro are the traditional instruments of the Maori people of New Zealand. They are precious and intrinsic to the community – they tell stories, echo the sounds of the natural world and serves as the soul of communication, rituals and daily happenings that could be the rising dawn or the planting of crops. Horomona brings echos of Mother Earth and stories from his ancestors.
	JAGWA MUSIC   (Tanzania) Mchiriku came from the poor suburbs of Dar es Salaam. It is street wise, cynical, hard-edged – telling stories of urban survival, misfortunes of daily life and voodoo. The vocals tell the tale, but the strength of the music is in the hands of the master drummers, inciting all into an accelerating frenzy of dance and excitement. Jagwa Music will be the closing band for the festival.
	JAMIE SMITH’S MABON (Wales) The first Welsh band to play at the Rainforest World Music Festival - this is happy, full of joie de vivre music. Jamie Smith with his amazing dexterity on the accordion, leads the band through gentle melodies, exuberant reels, elegant dances and mad jigs – all the ingredients of Celtic music at its best. They have just been awarded “Best Group” in the Spiral Awards Nominations 2014.
	KALAKAN (Spain) A heady mix of entrancing male voices, beautiful polyphonic harmonies, lyrics in the mysterious Basque language, thudding drums, enticing pipes and the wonderful texture of the txalarparta conjuring up images of the old country. Spine tingling stuff. They have also performed with the most unlikely of stars – the Labèque sisters, and in 2012, they toured with Madonna.
	KARINTHALAKOOTTAM (India) They bring songs, dances, rituals and drums from the region of Kerala in South India. The songs have been passed down by oral tradition. The dialect they sing in comes from an archaic past.  They sing of raw emotions – earthy, human and real.  Propelling trance rhythms take the show from the spiritual to accelerating and pulsating hypnotic energy.
	LO COR DE LA PLANA (France) Occitan was the language of the troubadours in 10th century Provence area who spoke of love, war, political satire, everyday life. Lo Cor de la Plana, led by Manu Theron, bring their gorgeous voices and percussion, be it on their frame drums or body percussion. Listening to them is like being seduced into a schizophrenic mix of medieval church choristers and bawdy pagan revelers. In 2003, their first album “Es lo Titre” was awarded the Grand Priz de l’Academie Charles Cros, and in 2005, the Prix SACEM des Musiques du Monde”.
	NADING RHAPSODY (Sarawak, Malaysia) Winner of the Rainforest World Music Festival Talent Award in 2012, these young musicians have gathered old folk tunes from the different indigenous communities in Sarawak and put a fresh contemporary stamp on it without losing the mystique and simple beauty of the way of life in Borneo. They chant from verses learnt from their elders, sing in Bidayuh, Iban and in the words of the Orang Ulu.
	RYUZ (Japan) Japanese art of music and singing is in a completely different pulse from usual Western art forms – it is often governed by the nature of human breaths rather than a metrical pulse.  Min'yō   , the traditional folk music reflected everyday life – working songs, religious songs, children songs, songs of birth, death, weddings. Ryuz gives a powerful performance from the unique voice and taiko drumming of Shigeri Kitsu, the virtuostic manipulation of the tsusgaru-shamisen by Nobuto Yamanaka and the compositions of Kazuki Kunihiro.
	SON YAMBU (Cuba / UK) Fiesta dance time with the band playing Son Cubano which gave rise to all salsa music. The mix of latina vocals, sweet sweet brass and African rhythms makes sitting down impossible as they bring to Borneo the groove right off the streets of Santiago de Cuba. Feel good music.
	STEPHAN MICUS (Germany) Multi-instrumentalist and explorer in traditional instruments of many countries, musical techniques and spiritual soundscapes. He combines styles from different countries, breaks down the barriers of what is expected, and produces new dimensions of meditative music, full of mysticism.
	TALAGO BUNI (Indonesia) The Minangkabau people live along the coasts of Sumatra and have their own code of life, culture and music. This band merges the mystical Highland music with their Islamic religion and the more contemporary leanings of the coastal regions.
	YAYASAN WARISAN JOHORE (Johor Darul Tazim, Malaysia) The zapin travelled to the Malay archipelago hundreds of years ago, brought by Arab traders. It was based on a specific dance style accompanied by the gambus, oud, violin and traditional drums. Yayasan Warisan Johore was set up to protect the state’s cultural heritage and it has one of the best professional zapin musicians and dancers in SE Asia. A musical and visual show.
	LAN E TUYANG (Sarawak) The entrancing music of the Orang Ulu straight out from the village of Long Semiyang. Mathew Ngau, master musician and maker of the sape, the boat shaped lute of Sarawak performs with musicians on lutongs, jatong utangs and the haunting nose flute.
	BISAYAH GONG ORCHESTRA (Sarawak) They come from the town of Limbang in northern Sarawak, performing on the highly valued gongs of the community. This is the sound of the longhouses from the rainforests – ceremonial, reverent and sometimes festive. They are led by Peter Sawal who champions the preservation of the old traditions in Sarawak.

To be held at Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching from the 20th to 22nd June 2014, the festival will celebrate its 17^th edition. It has been recognised, for the fifth consecutive time, by SONGLines magazine as One of Top 25 International Music Festival 2014. The Rainforest World Music Festival is organized by the Sarawak Tourism Board.

For more of the festival, logon to www.rwmf.net
 

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo… where adventure lives

Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Pesta Benak 2013 | Visit Malaysia 2014

These are three excellent videos of stand up paddle surfing (SUP) of the tidal bore known locally as 'benak'. The surfing took place along the Batang Lupar river, Sri Aman in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

Produced by CéGar, the scenes were shot during the 2013 Pesta (festival) Benak that took place from October 18th-20th. CéGar also captured amazing aerial shots of the tidal bores from his paramotor. We believe this is a first! 

We have sequenced the videos firstly, on how the tidal bore looked like from the sky, followed by the SUP surfers in action and waxing lyrical about their experiences and then finally zeroing in on international SUP surfer, Kyron Rahthbone as he described about the noise of his experience. And Kyron had set a 'Benak' record with a 28-minutes ride on 'Cadbury Rights' - a playful reference to the colour of the water - chocolatey brown. We offer our congratulations!

Enjoy the videos!

Tidal bore occurs twice daily, the height of the waves depend on the tide conditions. It is also known that the drier season of the year (April - Oct) tend to generate bigger waves. There is a view point for visitors to watch the spectacle of the surging waves as they travel up this second longest river in Sarawak.

Besides the surfing spectacle, the festival has plenty of side-events such as speedboat and longboat race, exhibitions, stage shows and of course food! The festival attracts thousands each year and so it is advisable to book your rooms early. It is recommended to stay overnight as the tidal bore occurs early morning and late afternoon.

The town of Sri Aman is a two and a half hour drive from the Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. To get there, catch a bus from Kuching Sentral 

Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Malindo Air flies daily to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur. Air Asia and Silkair (also code share with Malaysian Airlines) flies daily from Singapore. Do check their website for latest.

Please click here for the 2014 edition 

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure lives

Popular local food outlets in downtown Kuching | Padungan Road

You will read about the 'famous' Kuching street foods as well as modern ones, all within walking distance of the inner city where most visitors would be staying.

Thanis Lim, a well-known food blogger from Brunei has produced this comprehensive guide, useful for even locals who are fresh out of ideas of where to eat. And he has even inserted a location map for each outlet. Howzat for the flash-packer in you!? Very friendly!

The iconic Sarawak Laksa

The iconic Sarawak 'kolok mee' - available halal and non-halal version

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventures lives

Santubong Nature Festival 2013 Programme

The festival will consist of talks, walks, workshops, outdoor activities and entertainment to keep nature lovers occupied and children captive. Held from 9th to 10 November 2013, each activity will either be led or presented by an authority of the subject matter.

So, if you are into natural and historical heritage of significant regional and global value, this activity-packed festival has something for you. Admission is free for all except the firefly night tour which costs RM50 per person. Registration is required for some of the activities.

Here are the programmes for the two days. You may want to zoom your page display for better clarity.

Saturday, 9th November 2013

Sunday 10th November 2013

source: MNS Kuching Branch

The Santubong Nature Festival, an annual event, takes place in the scenic peninsula of historical Santubong. The skyline is dominated by the legendary Mt. Santubong with the South China sea washing its shoreline. The festival will be centered in the Permai Rainforest Resort It is organised by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNSKB) Kuching Branch.

The peninsular has plenty of wildlife, rustic villages, resorts and the award-winning Sarawak Cultural Village. Historically, the peninsula is where the famous 19th century British naturalist, Sir Alfred Russel Wallace wrote 'Sarawak Law' paper, the precursor to the theory of evolution.

To register for some of the events, this is the email contact.

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure lives

Food and rafting and adventure in Padawan, Kuching

The Padawan sub-region is fast becoming a new destination in Kuching for its varied tourism experiences. The clean rivers found there are popular with day-trippers for kayaking and rafting. This video gives a good insight of the unique dining and river experiences one can have. Heard of a floating buffet? Watch the video!

The longhouse at Annah Rais has long been a popular tourism attraction. There are a few village-stays and home-stays that give visitors a close-up experience with the Bidayuh community found in this region. 

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure lives 

Asia Music Festival 2013 Line-Up | Sarawak Malaysia Borneo

Here is a musical genre brief of the thirteen (13) bands and artistes who will perform at Asia Music Festival.

The style of music is essentially fusion; combining elements of tradition into main stream.

	Anthony Dassan  Chennai, India Contemporary Tamil Folk songs and dances
	Bob Yusof Malaysia Malay Pop
	Boy Thai Band  Bangkok, Thailand  Classical Thai with modern sounds
	Fakhrul Razi Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam Indie
	Foxy Girls Jakarta Indonesia R & B Malay Pop
	Hevance Sarawak Malaysia Iban Rock
	Melissa Francis Sarawak Malaysia Iban Pop and Ballad
	Soesah Tidoer Yogyakarta Indonesia Fusion of dangdut – keroncong – rock
	The Starlets Band Sarawak Malaysia Modern, Pop, Rock and Ballad
	The Mountain Wind Band  Sarawak Malaysia Country music with Sarawak Highland roots
	Tritha Kolkata, India Hindustan trip-hop, mixing traditional and contemporary sounds
	V. Star featuring Kamal Musallam Seoul, Korea Traditional-Fusion with a K-POP twist

Here are the festival key details:

PROGRAM

Day 1 – 4 October 2013 (Friday)

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm                 -           Starlets Band (Malaysia)

5.15 pm to 6.15 pm                 -           Hevance (Malaysia)

6.15 pm to 7.15 pm                 -           Bob Yusof (Malaysia)

7.30 pm to 8.30 p.m                -           Soesah Tidoer (Indonesia)

8.45 pm to 9.45 pm                 -           Tritha (India)

10.00 pm to 11.00 pm             -           Bembol Rocker (Philippines)

11.15 p.m. to 12.15 pm          -           V. Star Band (Korea)

Day 2 – 5 October 2013 (Saturday)

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm                 -           The Mountain Wind Band (Malaysia)

5.15 pm to 6.15 pm                 -           Melissa Francis (Malaysia)

6.15 pm to 7.15 pm                 -           Starlets Band (Malaysia) 

7.30 pm to 8.30 p.m                -           Fakhrul Razi featuring the Camouflage (Brunei Darussalam)

8.45 pm to 9.45 pm                 -           Boy Thai Band (Thailand)

10.00 pm to 11.00 pm             -           Antoney Dassan Yen Party (India)

11.15 p.m. to 12.15 pm          -           Foxy Girls (Indonesia)


TICKETS
RM30 (Adults)
RM15 (Child or Student (aged 3 to 18))

Tickets are available for sale at:

Sarawak

• Sarawak Tourism Board, 5th Floor, Bangunan Yayasan,  Kuching, Sarawak
• Visitors’ Information Centre Kuching
• Visitors’ Information Centre Sibu
• Visitors’ Information Centre Miri
• Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club

Brunei (Period of sale valid until 26^th September 2013)

• Anthony Tours & Travel Agency
• Continental Tours & Travel

Want to know more? Please visit Asia Music Festival website.

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure lives