Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
phone tower? Do you want to be the only traveller around, or would you prefer to share
the experience with others? Finding the right guide - and, through them, the right long-
house - can mean the difference between spending a sleepless night with other sweaty,
bored tourists, or having a spirited evening (double entendre intended) swapping smiles,
stories and shots of
tuak
with the locals.
Sarawak has plenty of tour operators and guides eager to take you (and your money) on
Borneo's ultimate cultural adventure. From Kuching, it's easy to arrange day trips and
overnights to Annah Rais Longhouse. For something off the beaten track, Kuching-based
tour agencies and guides can take you to the remote Sri Aman Division, to rivers such as
the Batang Skrang, Batang Lemanak and Batang Ai. The upper Batang Rejang has lots of
longhouses but we've been hearing tales of dubious guiding activity in Kapit (we've also
heard from travellers who've had a great time there and in Belaga). Trekkers interested in
walking from longhouse to longhouse in the Kelabit Highlands should head to Bario and
plan their adventure from there.
There are a number of reliable tour agencies available. The Sarawak Tourism Board
(
www.sarawaktourism.com
)
has an online listing of about 100 licensed 'travel service
providers'. Some of the best guides work for tour operators, which saves them from hav-
ing to go through the rigmarole of getting their own STB licence. Some freelance guides
are friendly and knowledgeable but, alas, some are not - ask your fellow travellers for re-
commendations. In any case, it can be hard to hold an unlicensed guide accountable if
something goes wrong.
What to Expect
When you arrive at a longhouse, don't be surprised to find that it wouldn't make a very
good film set for a period drama about headhunters. The Dayaks have moved - for the
most part willingly - into the 21st century and so have their dwellings. Remember,
though, that a longhouse, more than being a building, is a way of life embodying a com-
munal lifestyle and a very real sense of mutual reliance and responsibility. It is this spirit,
rather than the physical building, that makes a visit special.
Every longhouse is led by a headman.
Depending on the tribe, he (or in a handful of
cases she) may be appointed by his prede-
cessor or elected; either way, heredity often
plays a key role in selection. In many areas,
longhouses are known by the name of the
headman, so if you know the name of your
destination you'll already know the name of the chief.
The Borneo Project's documentary
Rumah Nor
,
about an Iban community's fight for its land, can be
viewed online at
www.borneoproject.org
(under
'Our Work').
