Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 481

INFORMATION
Tourist information The helpful Sibu Visitors'
Information Centre (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; T 084
340980, W sarawaktourism.com) at 32 Jln Tukang Besi
has plenty of information on how to get upriver and
to access the Rajang longhouses, along with a list
of recommended local guides which is by no means
definitive.

EATING AND DRINKING
Jln Maju, by the waterfront, is lined with cheap Chinese
kopitiams .
★

Café Café 10 Jln Chew Geok Lyn. Trendy spot serving
wonderful fusion dishes (mains from RM18), oodles of
noodles and the likes of tiramisu and black sesame ice
cream for dessert. Tues-Sun noon-4pm & 6-11.30pm.
Emas Corner Jln Morshidi Sidek. Located underneath
the Plaza Inn , this is a popular local spot. It has the usual
nasi goreng dishes as well as kam pua mee , a Foochow
speciality of thin noodles tossed in pork lard and served
with roast pork (mains from RM5). Daily 10am-9pm.
★

6

ACCOMMODATION
Eden Inn 1 Jln Lanang, next to the Sacred Heart Church
T 084 337277. The large en-suite rooms at this Catholic
associat ion-ru n guesthouse come with a/c and TVs.
Double RM70
★

Night market Jln Market. Night-time stalls selling
everything from Chinese pork and rice to satay, BBQ
chicken, grilled fish balls, curry, steam buns and a variety
of wonderful unidentifiable fried things (from RM4).
Extremely popular with locals. Daily 6-10pm.
Sibu Central Market Pasar Sentral Sibu. Hawker stalls at
the Lembangan produce market are the busiest place in
the morning, serving mostly Chinese specialities, such as
kam pua mee and chicken porridge (mains from RM3).
Daily from 5am to midnight; different stalls open at
different times.

Li Hua Hotel 2 Jln Lanang T 084 324000, W lihua
.com.my. Close to the bus and ferry terminals to the
west of town, rooms in this friendly hotel are spotless,
spaciou s and come with river or city views. Free wi-fi.
Double RM65
River Park Hotel 51-53 Jln Maju T 084 316688.
Comfortable riverfront hotel with friendly staff and river
views from some of the a/c room s (the cheapest are
windowless). Wi-fi available. Double RM60

LONGHOUSE VISITS
The interior of Sarawak is home to many tribal groups who still live in their longhouse
communities , and a visit to one of these longhouses is a true highlight of any trip to this
region. With the exception of the more remote communities in the Kelabit Highlands and by
the Indonesian border, these longhouse communities no longer live a picturesquely “primitive”
lifestyle: many longhouses have electricity, radios and TVs. Modern ones are built of brick
rather than wood.
There are many tour operators in Kuching who arrange either day- or overnight trips, but
some can be very touristy, with “traditional” dances put on for the visitors, while others are
traditional farming and hunting communities which let you absorb the atmosphere and enjoy
the hosts' hospitality. Before you book any tour, make sure you establish exactly what the
longhouse visit entails and whether the rates cover transport, meals and activities. A good
longhouse visit should provide a mix of cultural interaction, traditional food and activities such
as jungle trekking. During the Gawai harvest festival in June, all longhouses welcome
visitors and non-stop revelry continues for several days, fuelled by copious amounts of fairly
lethal tuak (rice wine). If you don't want any, touching your lips with your fingers and then the
rim of the glass will su ce.
A stay with the gregarious Iban and Bidayuh will make a trip at any time of year an enjoyable
one, and you may even be offered some local delicacies to try - just watch out for that boiled
monkey. Taking presents for the community is the norm - things that they can use, such as
schoolbooks and pencils for the children, are best. Try to find out how many families live in the
longhouse, as gifts will get divided equally. When walking through the communal areas, be
careful not to walk across any of the mats that are laid out on the floor. It's considered rude to
turn up at a longhouse without an invitation, so you either have to go with a tour company or
find a local guide with a particular longhouse connection.
The reviewed tour companies in Kuching (see box, p.482) are recommended for a
longhouse visit. If you can only spare a day, many companies run day-trips to the splendid
nineteenth-century Annah Rais Longhouse near Tebedu, where you'll notice some
shrunken heads in the rafters, left over from the head-hunting days. Here you can stay
overnight at the community-run homestay project ( W longhouseadventure.com).