Saturday, June 23, 2007

Learning about life in a Dayak long-house


THE harvest festival of Gawai is always a good time to visit the mystical Land of the Hornbill, and a Gawai experience is never complete until you’ve visited a Dayak long-house.

Unless a local resident invites you, the only way to visit a long-house is via a tour operator who organises a homestay at a designated long-house.

I opted to visit a non-commercial Iban long-house in remote Kapit so as to experience an authentic Gawai spirit.

Kapit is the largest division in Sarawak, making up one-third of its total land area. It is 309km up the mighty Rejang River from Sibu and is only accessible via express boat.

Jessie Anak Mangka, Sarawak Tourism Board tour coordinator, revealed to us how some of the settlements, like Kanowit and Song, got their names.

Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Learning about life in a Dayak long-house

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