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Longhouses
- Visit at Home with The People of Sarawak
One of the most memorable
experiences Sarawak has to offer is a visit
to a longhouse, where you can observe a
unique way of life and enjoy legendary Dayak
hospitality. These thriving communities,
whole villages under one roof, are not relics
from the days of tribal warfare - they are
the preferred way of life for a large percentage
of Sarawak's rural people, particularly
the Iban, the Bidayuh and the Orang Ulu.
Nowadays most longhouse dwellers are hard
working farmers, and wear practical modern
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clothing for work and leisure.
However, if you visit as part of an organized
tour group, they will take great pride in
wearing their traditional costumes and regalia
and performing elaborate dances and welcoming
rituals for their visitors.
The long covered gallery that runs the length
of an Iban longhouse is called the ruai, and
this is where you will be greeted. A miring
ceremony is frequently conducted to welcome
visitors, where offerings of food and drink
are presented to the local deities to ensure
their good will. After the miring, guests
will be invited to sample a glass of tuak,
a potent local rice wine, and drink to everybody's
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Sarawak
Museum
This Kuching landmark is the finest museum
in Southeast Asia. For over a century, a succession
of conscientious curators have collected and
catalogued the single most extensive archive
and exhibit of Bornean history, art and ethnography
anywhere in the world.
As the most prominent repository of Bornean
culture, the Sarawak Museum is also an active
patron of wide-ranging academic research.
The excavations at Niah Caves, which unearthed
the oldest known evidence of human settlement
in Borneo, were conducted under the auspices
of the Sarawak
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Museum. A reconstruction of the prehistoric
settlement at Niah Cave is on permanent
display. Other notable exhibits include
the history of Sarawak, a reconstruction
of native longhouses, tribal art, Malay
and Chinese artifacts, and local flora and
fauna. Behind the Sarawak Museum there is
an aquarium, and a picturesque landscaped
garden.
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Sibu
and The Rejang
The trip along Rejang River is arguably one
of Southest Asia's most rewarding travel experiences.
A lifeline to the people of the vast hinterland,
the river is alive with boats, people and
cargo. From the thriving port of Sibu to deep
into Sarawak's vast interior, the Rejang offers
visitors the chance to experience life on
Malaysia's mightiest river. The best way to
get to know the Rejang is to embark on one
of the World's last great river journey.
Malaysia's longest river, the Rejang is formed
by the confluence of the Balui and Baleh Rivers,
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over 400 miles (640km)
from the coast. At this point it is already
200m across, and by the time it reach Sibu,
which is still 80 miles (130km) from the
sea, it is nearly a mile (1.6km) wide. The
Rejang is the main highway for a host of
different ethnic groups and societies, from
the cosmopolitan citizens of prosperous
Sibu to remote bands of hunter-gatherers
living deep in the vast rainforest.
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