Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Depending on the various goings-on at the longhouse you're visiting, you may or may
not spend time with the headman, although he will usually 'show face' as it is impolite for
him not to do so. Your guide will usually be the one showing you where to sleep, which is
likely to be on the longhouse verandah, in a resident's living room, or in a specially built
hut next door to the longhouse.
Do your best to engage with the inhabitants of any community you are allowed to enter,
rather than just wandering around snapping photographs. A good guide can act as a trans-
lator when you strike up conversations, and he or she will keep you abreast of any cultural
norms - like when and where to take off your shoes - so you won't have to worry too
much about saying or doing the wrong thing.
GAWAI DAYAK
In Sarawak and Brunei, the main pan-Dayak event of the year is Gawai Dayak (literally, 'Dayak festival'). Coin-
ciding with the rice harvest of some groups, it brings Dayak singles and families who live in the city back to their
ancestral longhouses for round after round of socialising, eating, singing, dancing and the consumption of tuak
(rice wine). As one ebullient host recently scolded, proffering tuak in bamboo cups, 'too much talking, no drink-
ing, cannot!'
Many Dayak communities also hold community events, such as dance performances, sports competitions and
beauty contests, to which many revellers (especially women) wear brightly coloured traditional costumes, includ-
ing headdresses, bangles and beads.
Ceremonies marking the rice harvest are age old, but Gawai Dayak, as a festival celebrated simultaneously by
once-rival Dayak tribes all across Sarawak, was introduced by the state government and only dates from the late
1950s. The festival officially begins on the night of 31 May and lasts for two days (1 and 2 June are public holi-
days in Sarawak), but in some areas (eg around Bau), kid-friendly village-level events take place on other dates
between mid-May and the end of June.
Gawai Dayak festivities in longhouses and villages are invitation only, but thanks to Dayak traditions of hospit-
ality, Western visitors are often welcome to join in the fun.
Eat, Drink & Be Merry
If you are travelling with your own guide, he or she will be in charge of organising your
meals - whether it's a separately prepared repast or a feast with some of the longhouse
residents.
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