The Sarwak cultural village is located just 45 minutes away from Kuching. But what greets you there is vastly different from what you left behind. A place that essentially takes you back in time, the Sarawak cultural village is in all sense a living museum. Watch the lives of the Iban, Melanau and Bidayuh tribes unfold before your eyes, untouched by modern inventions in most ways.
What has changed though is the role of the Ibans. Back in those days, they were fierce head hunters. If you were from the Iban tribe then asking for the hand of your girl required you to have at least one shrunken head of an enemy that you had bravely fought. The many skulls that decorate the houses of the tribe people to date are evidence of this. According to researchers, some skulls even go back to the time of World War II.
Sprawling on the foot of Mount Satubong, it stretches across for 35kms. Original replicas of the various tribe houses surround the man-made lake that is right in the centre. Each decorated with wooden and bamboo carvings, woven material, bead work and other artefacts made by its dwellers.
A good time to visit the place is during the Rainforest World Music Festival. Taking place since 1997, it continues to attract a growing number of tourists every year. Having you enthralled with melodies for 3 days, it attracts some of the best musicians from around the world.
If you are in for the festival then you have to be lightning fast in booking your accommodation. You can find Serviced Apartments Kuching that are walking distance from the festival or even the Iban longhouse. The latter is a basic place and offers only one longhouse for visitors. If not you can stay in Kuching and take a shuttle.
Travellers seeking to stay at Serviced Apartments Kuching will be thirlled to find Citadines Uplands Kuching, an ideally located Apartment Hotel in Kuching, ensuring a morable stay.
Umanga Kahandawaarachchi is a passionate travel writer who writes under the pen name, Maggie Tulliver. Her field of writing covers a wide array of content and articles related to travel and hospitality industry.