Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and lies south west of Sabah - the only other Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. Like its counterpart Sarawak also shares the island with Kalimantan in Indonesia and the kingdom of Brunei.
Sarawak is a land of cultural diversity with a mixed population of the Bidayuh, Melanau, Kelabit, Lun Bawang and the Iban people, a strong and successful warring tribe of Borneo. Like Sabah, the state also has a large Chinese and Malay population.
Sarawak’s traditional cultural treasures are intermingled with unique western influence from its "White Rajahs.” Its first white explorer was English adventurer James Brooke who was made king in the year 1841 by the Sultan of Brunei. After 100 years and 3 generations of “White Rajahs”, Sarawak joined together with Singapore, the Federation of Malaya and North Borneo to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
Geographically Sarawak can be divided into three natural regions. The coastal region is predominantly low lying and flat. This area is filled with swamps and wetlands. The hill region houses the cities and towns of modern day Sarawak and is the most inhabited part of the state. Thirdly there's the mountain region along the border with the Kelabit and Murut highlands in the north.
The capital of Sarawak is Kuching - one of the most vibrant cities in the region and the fourth largest city in Malaysia. Kuching international airport connects the rest of Malaysia and Singapore to Sarawak. Since the coastal region is predominantly swamplands, the ports of Kuching and Sibu have been built some distance from the coast on rivers.
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Breezing along dense walls of jungle in motorized canoes called perahus is not a tourist attraction - but it is the backbone of transportation in most parts of Sarawak. Light aircrafts and helicopters are other common means of transport in dense regions inaccessible by boats.
Major towns like Bintulu and Miri also have some road transportation. Sarawak’s coastline is notoriously swampy so accessing the towns via the coastal ports can be tricky as their only proximity to the coast is at the point where the Sarawak hills stretch right to the China Sea.
Miri is a charming little city, with an international and domestic airport that connects most parts of Malaysia and Singapore to Sarawak through the national carrier MAS, and a low-cost airline called Air Asia. The petroleum capital of Sarawak, Miri is a quaint little city steeped with culture and tradition unique to Sarawak. It is also the gateway to Sarawak’s fascinating world of dense jungles and breath taking cave chambers.
Gunung Mulu National Park near Miri has some of the most expansive cave networks and karsts formations that can be found in any mountainous equatorial rainforest. The park is named after Mount Mulu, standing 2376 metres above sea level. The mountain face is a sheet of shale and sandstone dating back to the cretaceous period 40 to 90 million years ago!
Mulu national Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site tucked away inside the lush tropical rain forests of Borneo. Getting to the park is an adventure in itself but it is well worth the fascinating jungle adventures that await you. The park has modest and comfortable accommodations as well as camping facilities. The park offers many different tour packages like camping packages, trek packages and others that will take you around some enormous caves, limestone pinnacles, cliffs and gorges. Deer Cave, for example, is one of the largest single cave passages in the world.
Other notable caves in this area are Benarat Cavern, Wind Cave, and Clearwater Cave, containing parts of one of the largest underground river systems in the world. Clear water is also believed to be the largest cave in the world by volume, a whopping 30,347,540 cubic metres.
Sarawak is truly a journey through prehistoric times with most of its natural settings dating back many millions of years, like the Niah Caves, part of Niah National Park in Miri, on the Sungai Niah River. These caves are important prehistoric sites where records and evidence of prehistoric man dating back 40,000 years have been found. The Niah Great Cave is made up of several voluminous, high-ceiling chambers and lies in a large limestone block that has the oldest recorded human settlement in East Malaysia. The journey to the caves is through a raised plank walk inside a vibrant jungle.
Bako National Park, established in 1957, is the oldest and smallest national park in Sarawak, yet one of the most interesting, with its rainforest, abundant wildlife, jungle streams, waterfalls, interesting plant life, secluded beaches and trekking trails. The park is a 20-minute boat ride from Kampung Bako and is often visited as a day-trip from Kuching. The forest reserve also offers lodging and camping facilities at very reasonable prices for visitors wanting to experience its extensive trail system made up of 16 colour-coded jungle trails abundant with natural beauty.
Sarawak’s 700 km coastline that runs along the northwestern side of Borneo is also home to some beautiful white beaches, and remote islands like the Damai Beach, in Santubong. This fabulous beach resort is accessible from Kuching and has the best of the South China Sea with the majestic jungle-clad Mount Santubong as its backdrop.
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For those who want to enjoy nature and its true beauty, there’s the isolated Kelabit plateau, in the region bordering Kalimantan. The plateau is a haven for jungle trekking and for those hoping to get away from it all.
Sarawak is a land with a rich tapestry of culture, traditions, spectacular natural attractions and fascinating wildlife. It is a land of riveting sights and adventures for every kind of holiday maker! Double click the map for a closer look!
