Detailed Itinerary 
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Included meals are indicated by the legend B = Breakfast, L = Lunch and D = Dinner Day 01 - Arrive Kuching Overnight - Kuching Hilton Hotel. Day 02 - City Orientation And Malay Bomoh (Shaman Meeting) (B,
D) In the morning discover the charms of Kuching, established by Sir James Brooke the first White Rajah of Sarawak. During your guided discovery you will see colonial buildings dating back to the days of the White Rajahs, ancient Chinese temples and colourful markets displaying the produce that first brought traders to Borneo. A visit to Kuching will not be complete without making a stop at the Sarawak Museum. Completed in 1891, the museum has an excellent collection of ethnological and archaeological artefacts and is reputed to be the best in South East Asia. Lunch at leisure (not included). After lunch a visit to the Sarawak Cultural Village will provide a good overview to the major tribes and people of Sarawak, some of which you will be meeting over the ensuing days. Later in the afternoon you will be introduced to a Malay Bomoh (shaman) who is actively practising his craft in the seaside village of Buntal. The Malays have long since adopted the Islamic faith but it is not considered in any way paradoxical that many still choose to consult a Bomoh or traditional healer. Normally quite indistinguishable from other Malays, the Bomoh still commands a sense of reverence within their community. They may be consulted on almost any issue, including fortune telling and healing, but more often than not it is on the matter of unrequited love that they are most often asked to perform their magic. Buntal is also justifiably famous for the quality of its seafood and after visiting the Bomoh a seafood dinner will be served in a village restaurant prior to returning to Kuching. Overnight - Kuching Hilton Hotel. Day 03 - Semenggoh - Bidayuh Healer (Shaman Meeting) After visiting Semenggoh the journey continues by mini bus further into the interior of Sarawak en route to Batang Ai Reservoir. On the way you will pass through rural Sarawak with its pepper gardens, cocoa and rubber plantations. Stops will be made along the way and places of interest such as the colourful native market in the town of Serian. Here a variety of jungle produce such as edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruit are displayed for sale in this vibrant local market. A visit will also be made to a pepper garden and to see wild orchids and several species of pitcher plants, the famous carnivorous plants of Sarawak. The predominant people inhabiting the region passed through are from the Bidayuh. Also former head-hunters they are predominantly hill rice farmers and also grow the cash crops of pepper, cocoa, rubber as well as fruit and vegetables. Now mainly Christian the Bidayuh traditional religion is highly animistic but now days practised only by a small minority of elderly people and perhaps under threat of completely disappearing within this generation. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with one of the traditional healers from the Bidayuh tribe. Lunch will be taken en-route at a local restaurant. Upon arrival at the Batang Ai Reservoir you will leave the road behind and transfer to a ferry for a short 15 minute crossing to the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. Dinner this evening is at your leisure (not included). Overnight - Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort Day 04 - Iban Manang Sarawak is blessed with an excellent river system and using this we travel by longboat to the Iban longhouse of Nanga Sumpa and can enjoy the sites and sounds along the river. Upon arrival and settling into the adjacent lodge we will set off along riverbank jungle trails for the beautiful Enseluai Waterfall. Our guide will point out different plants and features along the way and everybody will join in the collection of palm heart, bamboo shoot, ferns, tapioca leaves and other plants for use in seasoning our Iban style picnic lunch. At the falls there will be time to relax and take a refreshing swim before returning to the lodge. Dinner this evening will be served in the lodge and will include a range of local delicacies for you to try if you wish. After dinner we will visit the longhouse and spend time with the longhouse denizens. The traditional Iban religion is a fusion of animistic and Hindu - Buddhist beliefs and they worship a triumvirate of gods under the authority of Singalong Burung, the bird-god of war. This evening you will have the opportunity to meet up with the Manang in the longhouse and be introduced to various aspects of the spirituality of the Iban. The Iban women are superb weavers and the men skilled silversmiths and this evening woven blankets and handicrafts are available for display upon request and may be purchased directly from the longhouse people. The Iban have a strong tradition of hospitality and a longhouse visit is an unforgettable experience. Overnight - Borneo Adventure Jungle Lodge. Day 05 - Batang Ai - Mukah (B, L, D) Lunch will be taken en-route at a local restaurant. Mukah is in the heart of Melanau country and remains one of the most picturesque towns in Sarawak. Traditionally fishermen and sago growers, the Melanau are very enterprising and play a substantial role in government and business. Originally river dwellers, living in longhouses, the Melanau abandoned their longhouses in favour of their "tall houses" when the more numerous Iban took over the Rejang basin. There is a fine beach at Mukah and upon arrival the remainder of the day is at leisure for exploring and relaxing. This evening is a very special opportunity to dine with a local family on Melanau cuisine. Featuring the bounty of their harvests from land and sea, two of the traditional dishes you will be able to try are Umai (a type of ceviche made with very fresh seafood) and Sago Worms from the Sago Palm. Of course there will be a variety of other dishes that have less exotic ingredients with which you will have more familiarity. Overnight - Mukah Hotel. Day 06 - Mukah - Melanau Healer (Shaman Meeting) (B, L)
The Mukah area is the predominant area of sago production. This morning we visit the picturesque village of Kampung Telian to see the felling of the Sago Palms, rasping of pith, obtaining starch, and the final process of toasting sago balls. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we visit a Melanau Shaman. Due to the proximity of the coastal Malays the majority of the Melanau have converted to Islam with the remainder being mainly Christian and a small minority, from which the shaman comes, still practise traditional animistic beliefs. The Melanaus are famous for their magical prowess and we shall meet with some of the practitioners of the magical arts. They are famous for their exquisitely carved wooden "sickness figures", an obvious link to the Orang Ulu to which they are related, which are used in their traditional healing rituals. Dinner at leisure (not included). Overnight - Mukah Hotel. Day 07 - Mukah - Bintulu - Niah (B, L, D) After breakfast we depart Mukah by mini bus overland for Bintulu with a stop en-route at the old Tatau (old regional town) bazaar which is still an interesting marketplace but no longer plays as an important role as it once did. Bintulu, which is an historic town now transformed into the centre of modern industrialised Sarawak is our lunch location and the town now hosts one of the largest industrial petrochemical complexes in the country as well as an associated impressive deep-sea port. After lunch we visit the Bird Park where most of the birds of Borneo are on display as well as other animals such as tigers, sambur deer and different types of monkey before continuing our journey to Niah National Park. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight - Niah Park Chalets. Day 08 - Niah Caves National Park - Miri (B, L) There is plenty of time to enjoy a picnic lunch and explore the cave and surroundings before continuing to Miri in the late afternoon. Time permitting a stop will be made at Lambir Waterfalls for a cooling swim in Lambir National Park that ecologists now believe to be the most ecologically diverse area. In the late afternoon we will check into the luxurious Rihga Royal Hotel on the oceanfront and facing the South China Sea. Dinner this evening is at leisure (not included). Overnight - Rihga Royal Hotel. Day 09 Miri - Mulu (B) Amazing is the only way to describe Sarawak's largest national park. For the visitor seeking adventure it has everything, the world's most extensive cave system, rock climbing, jungle trekking, kayaking, mountain biking, river rapids, and fascinating people, including Sarawak's last nomadic tribe. And, all of this accessible from a luxury home in the jungle, the Royal Mulu Resort. Lunch is at leisure (not included). This afternoon we take the opportunity to take in some of the spectacular caves that the park is famous for - formed over millions of years from the time of the last ice age,. From the Park Headquarters, a short 5-minute walk away from the resort, we will take a scenic 3-km plank walk through primary rainforest to the entrance of Deer Cave. Deer Cave has the world's largest cave entrance and is the largest single cave passage in the world - about 120 - 150 m in diameter and it could fit St. Paul's Cathedral (London, England) under its massive archway. The cave has a moon-like landscape and from one vantage-point a perfect profile of President Lincoln can be observed. Most evenings at sundown, a spectacular exodus of about 2 million of bats can be observed as they leave the cave in search of food. Next to it is Lang's Cave. This cave has impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations that are representative of the very best limestone formations that are known to exist in the park. In the early evening we will return to the Royal Mulu Resort. Dinner this evening is at leisure (not included). Overnight - Royal Mulu Resort. Day 10 Mulu - Orang Ulu Shamans (Shaman Meeting) (B, L, D)
Here at Long Terewan we will meet with the elderly healers from the Berewan and learn about the traditions and practices of one of the Orang Ulu tribes. The main role of the Orang Ulu shaman is that of healing and the basis of any healing procedure is the removal of evil spirit that is believed to cause the sickness. The healers' methods vary from a form of message with a stone, a bathing ritual or use of a knife to spear holes in the walls of the sick persons house in the belief that knife will have penetrated the evil spirit's heart and soul. In some instances they may even use a human like doll (exquisitely crafted) known as an "Uhtoun" to which sacrifices may be made. Lunch will be taken with the elders at the longhouse before returning to Royal Mulu Resort mid afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure to laze by the pool or try one of the numerous activities available at the resort. A farewell dinner will be served this evening at the resort. Overnight - Royal Mulu Resort. Day 11 Mulu - Miri - Depart or Extend Stay (B) The program ends at Miri this morning. Extensions may be pre-arranged for stay at Miri, further exploration, a return to Kuching with extended stay or a connection to flights to your onward destination. Inner Journeys can assist you with all arrangements. Program ends. |