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

Sarawak Specials at MATTA Fair 2014 | Kayo- Kayo Packages

The interesting packages ranges from Sarawak Malay Heritage to Sibu Melanau Heritage tour. For the cyclists, there are the Heritage and Culture Ride and the Classic City Ride package. 

Sarawak is about adventure. Immerse in the unique Lost World Adventure experience in the Padawan Highlands or combine scuba diving with caving adventure. One package is called Oil Town Underwater World and Caving Adventure with Homestay Experience whilst another is simply called Caves, Caves and More Caves.You can purchase these and more at the Sarawak Tourism Booth from our nine (9) consortium partners. 

They are:

1. Borneo Exploration Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, 
2. Brighton Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, 
3. Ecogreen Holidays Sdn Bhd, 
4. Gotravel Holiday Sdn Bhd, 
5. Greatown Travel Sdn Bhd, 
6. Ibanika Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd, 
7. Kuching Holidays & Car Rental Sdn Bhd, 
8. Planet Borneo Tours & Travel Services Sdn Bhd and 
9. Journey Travel Agencies Sdn Bhd

To extend the value of your purchase, you will stand a chance to win tickets to Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo Jazz or Asia Music Festival. Naturally, this offer is only given during the fair.

Here are some samples of the Kayo-Kayo Sarawak packages.

2014 is Visit Malaysia Year campaign. Incidentally it is also Visit Sarawak Year, proclaimed to celebrate the state's 50th Anniversary of Independence with Malaysia. 'Kayo Kayo'  means 'wandering' in the Malay language. Sarawak wants to welcome you. But first wander over to see us at MATTA Fair March 2014, Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Booth No. 3014 - 3018 from the 14th to 16th March 10am - 9pm

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

Harvesting edible bird's nests at Niah National Park, Miri Sarawak

The Niah National Park's caves is important for the local communities, with edible bird's nest and guano collection providing valuable employment and income. Archaeologically, it was a major centre of human settlement as early as 40,000 years ago, and features one of the world’s largest cave entrances. Palaeolithic and Neolithic burial sites, and iron-age cave paintings.

The cavernous entrance of Niah Cave at Niah National Park

Recently, a Gala TV Taiwan crew with their well-known host, Lin Chia Pei visited 'Gua Perintah' a swiftlet breeding cave located within the Niah Cave system. The trip was part of Sarawak Tourism Board's visiting journalist programme (VJP).

Lin Chia Pei, the TV host pointing the way to 'Gua Perintah'

The trail to Gua Perintah

The steep step to Gua Perintah entrance  

The trekking leads to 'gua perintah' (takes about 20 mins – 30 mins) passes through beautiful primary rainforest before moving into at the foot of the hill. The step is steep but once you reach the top, it will be worth the effort for it offers a sweeping panorama of the rainforest canopy.

'Gua Perintah' is a project managed by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to showcase, create awareness and enhance knowledge on the importance of sustainable swiftlet conservation n Sarawak.

Edible bird's nest collecting is a skilled and dangerous work, done high up at the ceilings of the caves which abound in Niah National Park. The intrepid collector shins barefooted up bamboo scaffolding, often without harnesses, tapping his way up to make sure the bamboo is sound. He lights his way in the black caves with a torch light and uses a special bamboo tool to harvest the nests. 

How to climb a bamboo pole; explained and shown (below) - by the TV host

Wrapping a strap round both feet increases the foot grip

A unprocessed edible nest

The nests themselves are tiny translucent cups about the size of a small egg. They are made by the male swiftlet from glutinous threads of its own saliva, which it weaves into a cup that dries to become thin and translucent like fine porcelain.  Recent research has indeed shown that the nests, which taste rather like noodles, contain a water-soluble glycoprotein that may promote cell division in the immune system.

Edible bird's nest are prepared for consumption by just stewing the processed nest with water and rock sugar; preferably in a double-boiler

At the park one can also visit the Niah National Park museum where the replica of the oldest human skull in South East Asia (40,000 years old), found in the Great Cave, can be seen.

Getting To Niah National Park
Taxi
The most convenient way to get to Niah National Park is by taxi which takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach from Miri city. Cost of a one-way fare is about RM150.00

Bus
Take Bus No.33A from city centre  to Pujut Corner Bus Terminal. From here, one can take any bus that goes to either Bintulu, Sibu or Kuching. Get off at the Niah Rest Stop. Bus fare is RM15.00 per person. From the here, take private taxi (about RM30 one-way) to reach Niah National Park HQ.

Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo, 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