Kuching Local Customs

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Our next home to enter, was an upmarket Malay home, which was furnished for somebody who lived there and had plenty of money. Once again, it is built above the ground to stop crawling creatures (snakes, centipedes, etc).

On entering (shoes off) we were asked if we would like to play the traditional game of congkak, we had to say no because of limited time.

This home had some nice furniture, and we also watched a lady baking some kind of biscuit. We were allowed to try a sample and thought it was quite nice.

Admission is included in the entry price to the Sarawak cultural village.

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The ethnic Melanau makes up about 6% of the population of Sarawak, and mainly live around the central coastal region of the Rajang River delta. T

There is a difference between these and the other ethnic groups, as they like to eat Sago more than the staple of Rice.
The sago comes from the sago palm trees which are often found in the coastal swamps and marshland in the river delta.

Their home is built some 40 feet above ground and is really impressive when you first catch sight of it! We found out that it is built like this because the coastal areas where the Melanau lived were prone to frequent pirate attacks from the sea, hence the tall house is some sort of protection against the Pirates.
Also, the area they live in, might be flooded occasionaly.

We climbed the staircase to the 1st floor where there is a display of tools and utensils belonging to the Melanau. There is another staircase made of tree trunks to the second floor where the bedrooms are, be careful climbing this staircase!

Behind the tall house is a sago-making outlet where you can see the process of making a local sweet delicacy called kuih tebaloi. You can also purchase this at the shop before you leave.

Once again, when enough people had arrived at the house, we were able to watch a dance performance put on by the Melanau.

Admission is included in the entry price to the Sarawak Cultural Village.

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The Orang Ulu live in a raised longhouse, with a big open verandah. It was on the open air verandah that we sat and enjoyed a musical performance and dance.

The unusual musical instrument they use, is called a Sape and a traditional wooden xylophone called Jatung Lutang. On entering inside, you will find quite a few of these on display, and they are made for sale as well.

Afterwards, the Orang Ulu young man, who spoke pretty good English, showed us through his home. He was only too happy to show and explain their customs to us and in return, he was interested in learning about Australia from us!

Their home was different, as they had bags and ornaments made out of beads or shells, and they used the wood shavings instead of wasting them. Gongs were also prominent once again.

Admission is included in the entry fee to the Sarawak cultural village.

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The ethnic Iban longhouse is very similar to the Bidayuh.

The Iban mostly live along the coastal areas, some are inland and further up-rivers. Quite a number live in urban areas such as Kuching, Miri and Bintulu.
We actually had an Iban tour guide on one of our tours. He was very nice, and we learnt from him a lot about their customs.

The Iban have communal living, sharing the longhouse with each other. The longhouse is built of local timbers and often has a raised floor to ensure it won't be flooded if located by the sea or river.

Inside, there were more gongs and musical instruments weaving and more.

In the front yard of the longhouse is an open-air communal area where you can meet Iban ladies and the elders of the longhouse.

Entry is included in the admission price to the Sarawak Cultural Village.

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Visiting the Cultural centre is a good way to see the homes and people of the different ethnic tribes, as well as learning about their different cultures.

The 1st Longhouse we came to, was the Bidayuh, these people account for 8% of the Sarawak population. They live mostly along the water catchments, with their main activities being rice farming, fishing and arts crafting. Their longhouses are very similar to the Iban ethnic group.

We had a look inside and watched the ladies weaving, and the man carving Bamboo, then moved onto the home, a round house (Baruk) made out of Bamboo, as in here was a Dance performance about to begin.

The Baruk is the congregation place for the Bidayuh warriors, and is filled with weapons, gongs, wooden masks and other personal effects. There is a raised platform right in the middle of the Baruk. If you look straight up from the platform, you will see human skulls hung from the roof top, these were once the enemies killed by Bidayuh warriors.

Plenty of loud music and entertaining dancing, we had learnt a little more about the Bidayuh!

Included in the entrance ticket to the SARAWAK CULTURAL VILLAGE

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The local people and brave tourists use the small sampans to cross from one side of the river to the other. The sampans are covered, an essential for the rainy season, and I was amazed to see how many people got off at the wharf. I counted 9 persons one time and I do not know if that was a full load.

The Skipper kept trying to get me on board for a river crossing, I was in doubt and confirmed when my wife said she would never get into a sampan.

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Of all the buildings I saw in Kuching this golden mosque was the most outstanding. You only have to walk along the riverside promenade and you will obtain a good view across the Sarawak River.

I cannot find the name of this mosque. Our time in Kuching was limited to 2 days and we could not find time to take a sampan boat ride across the Sarawak River to visit the mosque.

Should you cross the river you can also visit the grounds of the Astana Palace which is located near the mosque.

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The Sarawak Cultural Village is the place to visit if you wish to be entertained by local performers.

The entertainers make a colourful sight dressed in their respective traditional clothes. The 45 minute performance includes dancing, traditional music and a storyline including a traditional warrior with his blowpipe.

Various dances are performed by the respective ethnic groups which make up the Sarawak community. There are 2 shows daily.

The shows are included in your Admission Charge to the Sarawak Cultural Village RM 60 per Adult.