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Sarawak, Borneo

By Bill Lee

It was in 1839 that James Brooke sailed the ‘Royalist’ along the 35 miles of Sarawak River and came in sight of Kuching. His arrival was the start of a 100 year rule of the ‘White Rajahs’ a piece of history that reads like a Hollywood movie script. In 2005 my arrival was on a sparkling Malaysia Airlines jet – but the feeling of adventure is still very much in evidence here. It was a little confusing to have to clear customs and immigration again when arriving from Kuala Lumpur. ‘But isn’t this Malaysia?’ I ask – ‘Well it is and it isn’t’ answers the official. I never did quite work that out but who can argue with ‘officials’ at airports? The airport is only minutes from Kuching and we were soon installed in the superb Holiday Inn, looking out over the very same river that James Brooke had navigated almost 2 centuries earlier.

The Holiday Inn is truly 5 star and offers every possible amenity including a buffet breakfast to die for. Kuching itself is totally fascinating – cosmopolitan is too small a word to describe the cultural mix here. As with most cities the best way to find your feet is to take a half day city tour. Kuching means ‘cat’ in Malay and there are several versions of the story about how the city came to be called ‘cat’. Whatever – one outcome is the unique Cat Museum and the many cat statues that litter the city. But it is the stately Sarawak Museum which is the most important place to visit to get an insight into Sarawak’s complex history and it’s 30 different ethnic groups.

Shopping does not get any better than in Kuching. There are several ‘state of the art’ shopping centres where you can dress yourself in designer labels for an amazingly small amount of money and, if you’re interested in antiques, artifacts and local handicrafts that have style and not just gimmick, then you’ll go wild in the Main Bazaar along the water front. For antiques Nelsons Gallery is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of such things – and Nelson himself is pretty unique.

To be honest, the main reason for the visit to Sarawak was to visit the orang utans at the Semengok Rehabilitation Centre. If it’s possible to be an orang utan junkie then I confess to it. I’m fortunate enough to have been to the Sepilok Centre in Sabah which is amazing. Semengok is a smaller operation but the joy in watching these marvellous creatures is the same.

About an hours drive from Kuching is the Sarawak Boat Club where you can board cruises along the Santubong River. Mangrove swamps rise to jungle and the handsome Santubong Mountain. We took an evening cruise and managed to sight all three of the native monkeys before an amazing sunset plunged into tropical darkness and a million fireflies lit the river banks.

Also about an hour from Kuching is the beach resort of Damai. A typical tropical resort with palm fringed beaches, Damai has not one but two luxurious Holiday Inns and is home to the Sarawak Cultural Village, one of Sarawaks major tourist attractions and a ‘must see’. Here are fine examples of the various types of longhouses, a style of communal living unique to the region.

There’s so much here in Sarawak that it’s hard to understand why the place isn’t crawling with tourists but it isn’t. And it’s so easy to get to now. Malaysia Airlines now operate direct services from Sydney to Kuching or you can connect from major Australian cities via Kuala Lumpur. Packages are unbelievably good value and Sarawak is an amazingly cheap place to live it up in. For the more adventurous how about a jungle trek or a stay in a longhouse?

For a truly sensational bargain Malaysia Airlines offer free side trips from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching on many of their international fares to Europe, Africa, the Orient etc etc.

I must say that I was very impressed with the economy class service on Malaysia Airlines. Polite and interested cabin crew, comfortable seats, exceptional meals and fresh, bright cabin interiors on all sectors made the journey an experience rather than an ordeal. Check out our website for the latest Malaysia Airline’s deals or call one of our travel experts. And, for that fascinating history try Robert Payne’s ‘The White Rajahs of Sarawak’ – I couldn’t put it down.