Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 482

RIDING THE “FLYING COFFINS”
The long, swift, closed-top boats that ply the Batang Rejang's waters are a unique experience.
Choose between riding in the (mostly) air-conditioned interior, or riding on the roof (hold on
tight) to watch nimble-footed boat attendants and passengers disembark at various
longhouses carrying anything from roofing material to live chickens in cages. The boats have
a reinforced steel walkway along the sides, so you can hang on to the rails and loiter outside.
Boating from Kapit to Belaga used to be a hair-raising experience during the river stretch
encompassing the Pelagus Rapids, as it involved expert manoeuvring in a strong current in
between large rocks. Many of those rocks have since been dynamited and the journey is a lot
smoother. During dry season, the low water levels sometimes make the Pelagus Rapids section
impassible for weeks.

6

THE BATANG RAJANG
he mighty 560km-long BATANG RAJANG
RIVER lies at the very heart of Sarawak and
a trip into the interior along its
cappuccino-coloured waters is still
Borneo's great river journey. his is a
semi-isolated world where the jungle
encroaches on both sides, and where
people still live in traditional longhouses,
though the area has changed greatly since
Redmond O'Hanlon's trip, described in
Into the Heart of Borneo . he communities
here are used to visitors, and travel along
the river is fairly straightforward. Express
“flying co n” speedboats from Sibu head
to Kapit , a busy indigenous market town,
while further upriver lies little Belaga ;
both of these can be used as springboards
for local longhouse visits as well as trips
further inland.

market and ATMs. It's also the main
place to organize trips to local Iban
communities with one of the tour
operators based in town. Close to the
jetty is Kapit's main landmark, Fort
Sylvia , which houses a small museum
(Tues-Sun 10am-noon & 2-5pm; free)
of tribal artefacts and rice wine jars. It
was built in 1880 in an attempt to
prevent the warring Iban attacking
smaller groups such as the upriver Ukit
and Bukitan. he walk west along Jalan
Temenggong, which forms the northern
edge of Kapit's main square, leads to the
daily market (around 7am-5pm), which
sells some tribal artefacts.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BY BOAT
Express boats from Sibu dock at the eastern wharf while
those Belaga-bound dock 100m away at the western
wharf, just off the Kapit town square; both flank the tiny
town centre.
Permits Theoretically, you need a (free) permit from the
Resident's O ce, 9th Floor, Jln Bleteh ( T 084 796230) to
travel beyond Kapit up the Batang Rajang to Belaga and
beyond. However, since permits are never checked and
since you don't need one to access Belaga from Bintulu,
most travellers don't bother getting one.
Destinations Belaga (daily at around 9.30am; 5-6hr; RM45);
Sibu (hourly from 6.40am-3.15pm; 3hr; RM20-25).

Kapit
KAPIT is a busy little trading town with a
frontier atmosphere and streets flooded
with brand-new SUVs, hinting at the
extent of illegal logging in the area,
lots of cheap cafés, an excellent night

LONGHOUSES AROUND KAPIT
These longhouses can be visited from Kapit:
Rumah Bundong Traditional Iban
longhouse on the Sumgai Kapit; 45min
by minibus.
Rumah Jandok Another traditional Iban
longhouse downriver along the Batang
Rejang; some English-speakers live here.
Rumah Lulut Tisa Longhouses with
o cial homestays; first take the road to
Rumah Masam and then a boat for 1hr
30min or so.

ACCOMMODATION
Ark Hill Inn Jln Penghulu Gerinang T 084 796168.
Located near the square, with twenty clean en-sui te rooms
(the singles are tiny) and free wi-fi. Double RM85
Greenland Inn Lot 463-464 Jln Teo Chow Beng T 084
796388. A block from the waterfront, this 19-room hotel
offers clean lodgings with a/c and wi-fi, though you may
have to open a window to let the stale smoke smell out.
Double RM120