International Dragon Boat regatta part of Sarawak Regatta 2014

The Sarawak Regatta is back ; 4th - 7th September 2014. The route will stretch from the start point  west of the Sarawak river to the finishing point, up river at the Kuching Waterfront, 2,000 meters away.

Intense - at certain stretches of the route when the boats are closest to the river bank, one can feel the emotive efforts of the participants. A highly charged atmosphere. 

Making its début is, the 1st International Dragon Boat Regatta 2014. This internationally rated event will take place on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Fifteen teams from eleven countries will battle it out in four categories for prize money. This inaugural challenge is an affiliate event of the International Dragon Boat Federation.

Not forgetting the raison d'etre for the Sarawak regatta are the longboat races with the 30-paddlers category vying for the coveted 'Raja Sungai' (King of the River) title. Longboats locally known as 'perahu' carries from seven to thirty paddlers according to the category contested in.

Depending on category, each boat can sit 7 to 30 paddlers

This iconic water sports event of Sarawak draws tens of thousands of people to the north and south bank of the Sarawak river every year to witness a regatta organised to harmonise feuding tribes in the old days. It first started in 1872. The legacy lives on till today to bond community; a global one at that, through the spirit of competition. 

Mingle with the locals in the north bank of the Sarawak river. Its a lively affair! Drums, colours, cheers and fireworks!

There are plenty of view points along the Kuching Waterfront; either side of the river bank. While the south side has a city atmosphere, the north side of the river bank comes with a 'kampung' (village) feel. Crossing the river takes only a few minutes in one of the many traditional 'penambang' shuttles that ply their trade at all time of the year.

History in the modern era viewed from Kampung Panglima Seman Lama. There is a homestay in this village.

As with event of such flavour, side events such as stage show, food fair and exhibitions will held.

Kuching is easily accessible from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur via scheduled airlines and low cost carriers. They are Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Malindo Air and Silk Air (Singapore - Kuching only)

Sarawak... where adventure lives

Watching the tidal bores in Sri Aman | Sarawak | Malaysia

We often hear of comments that the benak (tidal bore) phenomenon in Sri Aman can only be viewed at certain times of the year. It is not true. In fact, it can be viewed twice a day throughout the year. Just that the tidal bores are bigger and more spectacular during king tide combined with dry season. But we won't bore you with science here. However, here is an interesting fact; the Batang Lupar Tidal Bore is ranked in the list of *Top 10 Tidal Bores... in the world

* Tidal Bore Research Society

Whilst tidal bores can be watched at other times of the year, they are not as big. And here is a tip should you want to see what this is all about. Get yourself a copy of the Sarawak Government Almanac and read the 'Kuching High Water' column, add another ten minutes to the listed time to determine when to be at the waterfront. Alternatively visit the Sri Aman Resident Office webpage to get the latest. Always allow yourself an extra ten to fifteen minutes to get into position.

Sri Aman has a tidal bore observatory called 'Taman Panorama Benak' where it gives you a vantage point to watch the surging waves as they travel up the Batang Lupar river - the third longest river in Sarawak at 200 km in length. 

The tidal bore seen as a thin line across the surface of the river in the distance. 

Above and below: Taman Panaroma Benak. Beneath the platform is a 'Tidal Bore Gallery'.

Sri Aman hosts the annual Tidal Bore festival known as 'Pesta Benak', normally held in the month of May.

Besides the stand up paddle surfing (SUP) and board surfing spectacle, the festival has plenty of side-events such as speedboat and longboat race, exhibitions, stage shows and of course food! Pesta Benak attracts thousands each year and so it is advisable to book your room early. It is recommended to stay overnight as the tidal bore occurs early morning and late afternoon. At this point of publishing, the historical Fort Alice is undergoing restoration work. When completed, it will serve as a community heritage museum. The fort is located next to the Tidal Bore Observatory.

Left: Anthony Colas (France) Right: Kyron Rathbone (Australia) Pesta Benak 2013

The town of Sri Aman is a 3-hour drive from the Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. To get there, you have to catch a bus from Kuching Sentral. Of course hiring a car will give you much flexible stops along the way, such as at LaChau bazaar.

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.

Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure 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

The Natural History of Sarawak and Alfred Russel Wallace

The picture of Alfred Russel Wallace may not be instantly recognisable to many Sarawakians but he is a 19th century British naturalist who had put Sarawak on the map with his book 'The Malay Archipelago' AND his monumental paper 'Sarawak Law'. This paper prompted Charles Darwin to publish his ideas on 'The Origin of Species'.

Two mountains outside Kuching are synonymous with Wallace's work; Mt. Santubong, Damai Peninsular and Mt. Serambu at Siniawan, Bau. Both these mountains and the areas surrounding them are now a part of our natural history attractions. 

  

Mt.Serambu is also where the remnants of James Brooke's summer cottage can still be seen. Located at Bukit Peninjau at 424 ft above sea level, it was built by the first white rajah of Sarawak to escape from the heat of Kuching. Bung Muan, the former site of three ancestral villages of the Serambu ethnic Bidayuhs in the Bau Distric of Sarawak is located halfway of Bukit Peninjau.

The 2nd International Conference on ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE will take place in Kuching from 7-8 November 2013. If you wanna be part of an exciting conference/tour/scientific expedition, here's how.  

Top 5 things to do in Kuching, Sarawak with your family

RaisingExplorers.net gives you the run down of the top 5 things to do in Kuching city itself.

These are all within the city itself. 

1. Relax by the riverside - Shady pedestrian pathways, overhung by trees, and decorated with flowerbeds, become fairyland at night, the colourful lights reflected in the river below.

2. Check out Kuching’s Cat Statues - It’s coincidence that in Malay ‘kucing’ means ‘cat’, there are three main cat statues around town.

3. Take a stroll through Chinatown - Kuching has an old Chinatown, centred around Jalan Carpenter, and a new Chinatown, which is a busy commercial area, along Jalan Padungan, which is worth a visit for its markets.

4. Take a river cruise - Whether you get on board the tiny, putting sampans that ferry people to and fro across the river, take a fast boat out to the mangroves downriver, or do one of the many touristy sunset cruises on offer, it’s worthwhile to get out on the water.

5. Kuching’s museums - covering all things natural, historical, artistic, anthropological and ethnological.

The Kuching Waterfront with Mt.Serapi in the distance.
photo credit: raisingexplorers.net

 
Read and view the complete interesting article and photos at Raising Explorers.

Sarawak... where adventure lives

A Bidayuh Jungle Survival experience

The theme for the trip was "Bidayuh Jungle Survival" but after the trip I was convinced that it was more than just a jungle survival experience. The outing took us to the foothills of the Padawan Highlands; at a place called Kampung (village) Peraya - a 50-minute drive from Kuching city.

What we did during the trip:

• Visited the first settlement of "Pinyewa Bidayuh" - a sub-group in the Bidayuh community)
• Visited the ancient head house or known as "Panggah" in Bidayuh dialect, where they keep old human skulls.
• Went jungle trekking, visited the waterfall & learned about the jungle from our local guide.
• Learned the cooking process with bamboo - Bidayuh style .
• Had picnic lunch on the riverbank.
• Experienced the wooden canoeing activity in Peraya Village, Padawan.
• Dined with our host family at Peraya Village.
• Did bamboo rafting to our jungle camp at night.
• Observed wildlife such as few species of insects, frogs and birds during the night rafting.  However, we were not able to do fishing because the river water were not clear due to the heavy rain that evening.
• Visited a modern village & traditional longhouse of the Bidayuh community.

Here are some of our photos of the trip. Enjoy! :-)

You still need a guide regardless :-) 'Bung (mountain) Gayu' was the original settlement of the "Pinyewa Bidayuh" before the 'Old Settlement' came about.

Entrance to the past - this leads to the 'Old Settlement of the 'Pinyewa Bidayuh' before it split off to thirteen villages that are scattered in the vicinity of the area.

What footwear to use? Rubber shoes or affectionally known locally as "Adidas Paya" - 'Swamp Adidas'. Many swear by it because it is studded, doesn't absorb water, cheap... real cheap and performs as good as pair of branded hiking shoes.

We were actually walking underneath the ancient longhouse of "Pinyewa Bidayuh" which, according to our guide, there were more than a  hundred-door families living in that longhouse at that time.

'Panggah' (head house) at the old settlement area.

Another view of the head-house

Lifting the zinc sheet without being told earlier gave us mild shock!

These are enemy skulls.

In the olden days..this pool was used to soak the enemy skulls so that all the skin, flesh and hair would peel off by itself.

Fresh and clean water supply from the mountain.  Bidayuh called their aqueduct; 'Ayak' and made from bamboo no less.

 Village and farm tour - Pepper garden with our guide - Val Ritong

"Terung Pipit" (Wild Brinjal)

Wild berries - rule of the jungle, if they are pretty and untouched, they are NOT edible.

"Daun Lirik" is use to wrap rice with.

 Stingless bee known as "Kelulut" locally. 

The team from Sarawak Tourism Board - Hisyamuddin (left), Sarah Berdugo (French intern)  and Deckson (author)

Wild ingredients - 'Terung Pipit' (Wild brinjal) was one of them.

Cooking utensils and equipment from the jungle

Chicken cooked in the bamboo (Manok/siok Pansuh)

Fresh water fish cooked in the bamboo (Ikan Pansuh)

Rice cooked in the bamboo, wrapped in 'Lirik' leave

Flame-roasted chicken wings

Lunch served in 'plates' fashioned out sago tree bark... and it can't get any healthier and fulfilling (the beer?:-)... Yummylicious!

Ready for the wooden canoeing...

This is the reason why it's called 'wooden canoeing'... wooden canoe was used instead of the modern fibreglass version

From canoeing to white-water thrills... even the rafts came freshly-made

Let the adventure begins... the locals having their fun...

... and a milder one for city dwellers

No TV nor lights for reading. The jungle beckons

It's not what one can see but what one can hear also... and ironically, there's a lot of noise in the jungle at night.

Spot Mr. Froggy

Bedfellows with jungle critters for the night

Checking out...

Making a side-trip to the nearby Annah Rais longhouse on the way home. Popular destination for a longhouse experience. Entrance fee is RM8 for adult and RM5 for children.

The walkway of the longhouse

Winnowing rice - hand-picked and wind-assisted

Spreading out Sarawak black peppercorns for drying

Basket weaving a la Bidayuh style

To get the most out of this experience, we recommend that you go for a 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-day tour programme.

For further enquiry, please contact Mr Valentine Ritong at:
Mobile: 019 8785013
Email: valritong@yahoo.com
Website: www.perayahomestay.com

Valentine Ritong is a licensed tourist guide and a member of "Pinyewa Bidayuh" sub-group.


Sarawak Malaysia Borneo... where adventure lives

By: Deckson Bundak - Tourist Coordinator Visitor Information Center Kuching.
Photos: Deckson Bundak and Mohd. Hisyamuddin 

Edited by: Michael Lu and Erivina Jihel