Borneo Skrang Lodge Village homestay Betong division

Homestay in a longhouse? Well, almost. Now you can stay in a lodge next to the native Iban Mejong longhouse in the Betong district in Sarawak, Borneo Island. Borneo Skrang Lodge, a village-style lodging house in situated on the banks of the Skrang River which is not accessible by road, only by a 45 minute longboat ride which include passing by the Jeram Kura Kura waterfall.

Photo of Sarawak native dance belong to teanitiki

As guest at the Borneo Skrang Lodge, you will be invited to the Iban Mejong longhouse to witness the native Iban cultural performances which include the ngajat dance

Photo of Sarawak native dance belong to teanitiki

Guest at Borneo Skrang Lodge can also opt for a visit to the Wong Tengkura waterfall by a 20 minute longboat ride, or go jungle trekking or fishing. The Borneo Skrang Lodge business manager is Nixton Tuton who said they intend to also offer kayaking on the river and camping along the river in the future.

Price and contact details

Dormitory with breakfast: RM25 per person(RM is Ringgit Malaysia)
Dormitory with full board: RM55 per person
Double room with breakfast: RM60
Twin-sharing room with full board: RM95
Family room (accommodate 5 adults) with breakfast: RM100
Family room with full board: RM150

For more information and reservation, call
Nixton Tuton: 014-680 0983
John Roslan: 013-825 6967

Kuching, the cat city

Note: In the musical photo presentation above, the first time you play it, the music may be sporodic, but the replay will be smooth.

Kuching, which is cat in the Malay language, is situated beside the meandering Sarawak River and is the capital city of Sarawak on the Borneo Island. It is not clear how the city got its name, but one of the tale says that when the Englishman Sir James Brooke helped the Sultan of Brunei quell a local rebellion in 1841, he was given the right to rule Sarawak. When he was in Kuching, and was unsure of what to call the town, he pointed to the riverside, and his local guide thinking that he was pointing to a scavenging cat, mentioned the name "kuching", the Malay name for a cat, and that was how the city was named Kuching. But one thing for sure is, the city is not named Kuching because there are many cats in Kuching. The ones you see prominently are concrete ones - sculptures of cats like those you see in the photo presentation above.

Kuching has a few famous delicacies, which you see featured in the photo presentation above, among them kolo mee, which unlike its counterpart in West Malaysia, derive its taste not in the soya sauce added to it, but the taste of the mee is incorporated into the mee itself. There is also the famous Sarawak laksa which has a different taste from its West Malaysian counterpart. The tomato kueh teow (keow teow soaked in tomato sauce) is well liked too.

Kuching has a cat museum too, where all sorts of cats are displayed from the tiger through to cats made of wood, stone, porcelain, pewter or fabric and posters, greetings cards and stamps. The history of man’s relationship with cats is traced from Egyptian cat-worship though Middle Ages persecution. The art and literature section include reproductions of Old Masters which depicted cats right through to Louis Wain (1860-1939) and modern artists such as Zoe Stokes. Also depicted are stories and illustrations of famous cat lovers and their cats from Charles Dickens, Sir Winston Churchill and President Theodore Roosevelt. There are also exhibits on Cats and Children which range from classic books and toys through to modern cartoons.

Kuching is divided into 2 parts by the river. In the main section of the town, the only way to cross over to the other side (the side with the castle and the Astana with small Malay villages behind them) is by sampan, or little boats. When I was there 30 years ago, it only cost 10 cents to take the boat ride. It is still inexpensive. In the newer section of Kuching, the two side is connected by the Satok bridge.

Traditional Bidayuh longhouse accessible by road

The native population of Sarawak consists of various tribes among which are the Bidayuh. Some of them still live in traditional longhouses, often deep in the jungles accessible only by long boat trips along rivers and/or trekking through the jungle.

At the foothills of the Penrissen Range, in the Padawan district there is a Bidayuh village (the Annah Rais Bidayuh village) in which is an authentic well-preserved Bidayuh longhouse which is open to visitors. The village is accessible by a 1 and a half to 2 hour drive by road from Kuching (literal translation: Cat City), the capital of Sarawak. The journey to Annah Rais village is a scenic, winding drive. You may even choose to visit a pepper plantation if you like. The journey also takes you pass by the Semenggoh Wildlife Rahabilitation centre , where you get to see huge Orang utan coming out from the forest during their feeding time at 9 am. To visit, a permit must be obtained from The National Park Booking Office (Kuching) Sarawak Tourist Information Centre, Jalan Masjid, 93400 Kuching. Tel: 082 248088 Fax: 082 256031. At the moment, entrance is free. Visiting hours are from 0830 - 12.00 Noon and 1400 - 1600 hours daily.

If you are pressed for time, a day trip to the Annah Rais longhouse is possible. There will be an admission charge of RM5 (USD1.37) per person. The collections go to the village community.

The traditional longhouse there is made of wood and bamboo and is home to about 120 families. Along the length of the longhouse is a verandah made of bamboo floor. The verandah is often used to dry rice, pepper and rubber sheets spread on mats, and also to conduct various activities like Sunday school for children.

Inside the longhouse is a baruk (headhouse) which in the bad old days are used to store the skulls of their victims and also as a community hall for meetings and also for settling disputes. You need not fear for your head because their head hunting days are over, and the baruk is no longer in use but there is still a display of skulls there from the olden days.

An enterprising Edward Gunuii has set up a small bar-cum-souvenir shop guests are entertained and where you can buy handicrafts make by village folks and traditional Bidayuh musical instruments. Jungle trekking, river rafting, picnics and visits to hot spring and waterfall can also be arranged. Guests can also get a taste of traditional delicacies such as chicken cooked in bamboo and learn traditional dances.
They have a homestay program if a short day trip does not satisfy you. A 2-day 1-night stay will cost RM180 (USD49.28). A longer stay of 5-days and 4-nights will set you back RM460 (USD125.94).

The best time to visit is during the Gawai in June, when they celebrate thanksgiving for a successful harvest.

you can visit The semenggoh Wildlife Rahabilitation centre , where you get to see huge Orang utan coming out from the forest during their feeding time at 9 am.

The best time to visit longhouse is during the Gawai ie in June, when they celebrate Thanks Giving for a successful harvest. Normal time you just get to see the longhouse and not much cultural activities like Traditional Dance and so forth. Be prepared to swim in the Clearwater river in this areas and there is a hot spring here too.