Sarawak
Sarawak, also named 'Land of the Hornbills', is the biggest state in Malaysia and has over 2 million inhabitants. Sarawak has an abundance of natural resources. The state is a huge provider of natural gas and crude oil. Sarawak is also one of the world's largest exporters of tropical hardwood timber. The main tourist attractions are the city of Kuching, Bako National Park, Niah National Park, Mulu National Park, Bario Highlands, Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary, the Rainforest World Music Festival and the Borneo Jazz Festival. Starting point of most is Kuching, which is a very place to your adventures in Sarawak. Especially a stroll along the Heritage Walk and its sights is definitely worth a visit. Furthermore you could stop by the Sarawak Cultural Village. North of Kuching you will find some beach resorts at Damai beach; for those who love sun, sea and the beach.
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Dayaks are the indigenous people of Borneo
The original Dayaks (Orang Dayak; people from the inland) didn't suffer as much from the several dominations as other groups of population in Malaysia. Especially the English always cared for the indigenous and original populations. Therefore the Dayaks were able to maintain their authentic lifestyle for a long time. Dayaks build big elongated houses in which a whole clan, consisting of multiple families, lives together. The Dayaks have become known for their decapitation practices, but the Dutch colonial administration and the Indonesian authorities put an end to this. A visit to these villages is a fun activity, although you will only find the indigenous people when you enter deeper into the jungle.
Sarawak has countless attractions
Inside the federal state Sarawak you will find several national parks; the highlight of their trip to Malaysia for many tourists. As a part of your daytrip you could visit Bako National Park, which is a beautiful park north of Kuching. Staying several days makes sure you will fully appreciate the parks. You will see more, experience more and because there's no hurry you can truly relax in the mighty jungle. Another park that's perfect for a daytrip is the Kubah National Park, located 21 km from Kuching, in the southern part of Sarawak. Visiting this park is also easy to combine with a visit to one of the orangutan reserves nearby; Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and the Matang Wildlife Centre.
For the adventurous travelers
West of Kuching you will find the Gunung Gading National Park (close to Lundu). During the right season you can admire the Rafflesia; this plant has the biggest solitary flower of all plant species. In this park you can also enjoy several marvelous falls. A short flight or daytrip from Kuching to Sri Aman will take you to the entry of two other wonderful reserves; the Batang Ai National Park and the Lanjak Entiman Wildlife Reserve. They are in the south of Sarawak. This is really back to basic as there is little to no accommodation present. In return you will have an amazing jungle experience as there are orangutans, gibbons, proboscis monkeys and several extraordinary bird species.
How to get to Sarawak
Sarawak can be reached from Peninsular Malaysia as multiple domestic airlines fly daily from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. Kuching is often the start of an adventurous trip through Sarawak. There are also daily flights from Kota Kinabalu.
Things to do on Sarawak
Things to do on Sabah
- Danum Valley
- Kinabatangan River
- Kota Kinabalu
- Langkayan
- Layang Layang
- Mount Kinabalu
- Rafting
- Sandakan
- Sepilok
- Sipadan
- Gomantong Caves
- Turtle Island
