Bario a place where eight people from four different countries bonded

Like a dream came true, the Asian Music Festival on last October in Miri has became a gateway to our visit to Bario. The little adventure has brought eight people from four different countries closer. It has also bonded us with the people in Bario.

After the AFM ended, the next day we were transported to Miri airport to catch the flight to our next destination. While we check in, we bumped into the musicians who performed at AFM, we exchanged smile and took several pictures before we went separate ways.  

Taking the MAS Twin Otter plane, our journey takes only 30 minutes. Sitting in such a small aircraft, nervous crawled into my vein but it quickly turns into an excitement the moment my eyes stares out of the window. 

The thickness of rainforest and the terrain serves my eyes with amazing view, according to our source, traveling to Bario through the land would definitely take more than 14 hours throughout the logging route.

Situated on the northest of Sarawak next to Indonesia Kalimantan, Bario at 3280 feet above thesea level also known as Bario Kelabit is a little green village populated by Kelabit etnic. 

We landed at a small old Airport safely, and as soon as we got off the plane balmy weather greeted our faces. Scot the owner of our homestay is patiently waiting for us. After a brief stop for coffee at the stall next to the airfield, we jumped into his four-wheel drive and headed to Ngimah Ayu homestay. 

There are plenty of Guest Houses or HomeStay with a wide range of prices. But with only 5 rooms, Ngimah Ayu provides a very comfortable and privacy surrounding either for a family or for a small group.In addition, there are 2 house keepers including owners who are ready to help us.

The shuttle charges from the airport to any guest houses normally around RM20 to RM30. There are also available attractive packages for a few nights with meals and the tour with the guide with minimum 6 people.

Approaching our homestay, we were awed by the beauty of the surrounding, like a living painting with fresh air filled our lungs.

After throwing our bags in the rooms, we marched straight to the kitchen as our tummy started to rumbling. We saw the helper’s busy preparing food, a warm smile curved on her face.

We lined up the plates full of venison and other local dishes on the table and enjoyed our lunch.

Donny who works for Indonesia radio station is full of humors and he kept making us laughing at his joke on the venison. Our laughter filled the air while we continued to enjoying our lunch.

After lunch, drizzling begins to fall but it didn't stop us from taking our little walk to explore the village. Scot took us to visit the Bario longhouse, walk up to Penan settlement, mingling around the village and greeted by the villagers. With only less than 5000 people, most of them involves in farming and hunting.  

Heading back to our homestay, we stop by at the nearby shop and bought the chicken for our dinner. Oil, our friend from Thai volunteered to cook the famous Thai soup. 

After dinner, hiding in our thick clothes from the cold night we gathered at the veranda facing the beautiful paddy field and shares funny stories as well as our best moments during traveling accompanied with laughter all night long.

The best part there was no distraction, no tv, not much telephone line and the home is all ours.

The next day after breakfast, Scot took us to our guide and like a kids in a candy store we reluctantly to sit in front but instead jumped behind the four-wheels. I spotted Scot smiling looking at us scrambled.

Arriving at the entrance which leading to the rock salt source, we walk leisurely for 45 minutes and reached at the hut where they process the salt. The guide explained to us the useful of the salt, after we bought a few packets, we then continue our walk inhaling the coolly air, passing by the wild mangoesteen, bumped into partridge until we reach at the large grassy field before crossing the bridge towards our next long house. The walk has unleashed the kids that trapped inside our adult body until we didn't realize that its almost 2pm.

We reach at the longhouse after more than an hour . We mingling around the house for a moment and then sat in a circle before we were serves with local the dishes for lunch.

Heading back to our homestay, we drop by to see the only two big boulders tucked behind of the village area. According to our guide the boulder carved a story about a headhunter.

Walking back to our way to, we saw an old lady working assiduously on her paddy field. Smiling at us probably We took pictures and wave at her.

Back at homestay, we were struggling with the cold shower. We can hear each other scream every time we enter the shower. I wander and laugh how they can stand the shower without heater, until it was my turn to scream.

Still shivering from the icy shower, we proceed to another longhouse for our dinner. Arrived at the longhouse we lined up and greeted by the Kelabit ladies completes in their traditional outfits and warm smile. They handed us the pineapple juice as a welcome gesture and later serves us with variety local dishes.

There were also other guests around, after a little while, they handed us the dress and invited us to join the dance. Our last night was filled with laughter and joy accompanied with traditional music and the dance captivated us.

We went back to our homestay before the midnight and reluctantly to call off the night. We sat at the veranda and joined by the Sarawak Tourism Officer and scot, sharing our thoughts and imaginations before we finally excused our self to bed.

The reality kick in the next day when we wake up  and had to get ready to go back to Miri, we exchanged contacts and promised to keep in touch and plans to travel together. 

Road to Longhouse Batang Ai

   Kenangan bulan lepas ketika berada di #Sarawak masih segar bugar dalam ingatanku. Sebaik sahaja Rainforest Music World Festival berakhir, STB (Sarawak Tourism Board) telah pun mengaturkan post tour untuk kami yang seramai 12 orang.
Enam orang ditemani seorang wakil STB akan membuat perjalanan menyusuri Batang Ai ke perkampungan rumah panjang suku kaum Iban, manakala selebihnya akan bercanda bersama penyu-penyu di pulau Talang-Talang. Apa lagi! Aku pun meemilih rumah panjang lah.. tergiang giang di telingaku alunan music dari Sape.

Keesokkanya, walaupun masih keletihan, pagi pagi lagi kami seramai tujuh orang telah pun bersedia untuk perjalanan seterusnya. Selesai bersarapan di Damai resort dan mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada kenalan kenalan baru disana, lebih kurang pukul 10 pagi kami pun bertolak meneruskan adventure yang seterusnya....



Perjalanan mengambil masa lebih kurang dua jam sebelum sampai ke daerah Serian. Disana kami berhenti untuk minum menghilangkan dahaga selepas singgah di pasar berdekatan untuk mengambil gambar.

sempat aku menjengguk seorang peniaga yang sedang tekun menganyam bakul

Pelbagai barang makanan ada dijual disini termasuk berjenis kuih muih tempatan

kami kemudian meneruskan perjalanan semula dan singgah di ladang lada hitam.



Terdapat juga tanaman lain seperti koko dan limau.

Selesai menjelajah kebun lada hitam, perjalanan di teruskan selama lebih kurang sejam lagi sebelum berhenti untuk makan tengahari. Kebetulan, perut kami sudah mula berbunyi. Cuaca yang agak terik juga membuat kami semakin keletihan.  

 Setelah makan tengahari, kami meneruskan perjalanan selama hampir dua jam, sebelum tiba di jeti kecil untuk menaiki bot kecil ke kawasan Batang Ai.

 Perjalanan menaiki bot selama 40 minit itu, menghidangkan kami suatu pemandangan indah dan begitu damai sekali. Di sepanjang pesisir tasik terlihat beberapa buah rumah panjang milik orang asli Bidayu.

 Akhirnya, setelah hampir pukul 5 petang kami tiba di kawasan rumah panjang orang asli Iban. Kami disambut mesra, oleh keluarga Iban seramai 37 buah keluarga... ramainya

Setelah berehat menghilangkan penat, kami menjamu perut yang kelaparan dengan makan malam yang disediakan sendiri oleh Pak guide.

Kepenatan dan cuaca yang terik membuat aku terus tersungkur duduk di tepi jar

 Kemudian, kami di persembahkan dengan tarian traditional sebagai menyambut kedatangan kami.

 Beberapa ahli keluarga yang ada, memainkan peralatan traditional sambil diiringi tarian Iban

 Suku kaum yang dahulunya terkenal dengan keberanian dan dikaitkan dengan "memenggal kepala lawan" ini, sebenarnya agak pemalu dan sentiasa tersenyum mesra. Sempat saya menyuruh mereka untuk membuat pose "peace" hehehehe

 Selepas itu, saya mewakili rombongan, menyampaikan buah tangan yang kami beli bersama.. amboi, Tok ketua ni dah biasa bergambar rupanya..

Selepas berbual bual, seawal pukul 10 malam, kami yang keletihan masing masing masuk kelambu untuk tidur, pagi pagi lagi kami dikejutkan oleh bunyi kokokan ayam yang banyak berkeliaran di luar rumah.

 Dua orang kanak kanak Iban, duduk memerhatikan kami

 Keesokkannya, selepas bersarapan, kami bersiap sedia untuk meninggalkan rumah panjang meneruskan adventure yang seterusnya. Sebelum mengucapkan selamat tinggal, kami bergambar dengan ketua rumah dan keluarganya.

 Seperti biasa, posing is a must! hehehehe

Sempat kami mencuba senjata berburu, tak disangka, tiupan aku mengena tepat ditengah tengah , diorang ni tak puas hati.. nak cuba lagi hehehehe

Pemandangan rumah panjang dari bahagian tepi..

The Rainforest World Music Festival

                        Every year thousands of strangers gather in the rainforest of Borneo dance in the mud and tropical rain to music play by musicians from all over the world. Taking place at the Sarawak Cultural Village, the event serves the audience with traditional, folk, and fusion music from both local and international performers bringing the hardly heard music.

It has been described as Asia’s best kept secret, the land of famous white Rajahs, hornbills and orang utans, it’s a place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures. 

The Rainforest Music Festival is one of the largest music festivals in Southeast Asia, is an exciting culmination of culture, workshops, and live entertainment held every year just at Santubong in Kuching, Malaysia. People coming from every part of the world attended the three days festival to experience music and traditional instruments from nearly every continent.

The RMWF is also one of the biggest musical events in Malaysia, crowd puller contributing to tourism draw to Sarawak. The festival has been voted for the 5th consecutive year in 2014, as one of the 25 best International Festivals by renowned world music magazine, Songlines and stands among other renowned festivals like WOMAD Australia and New Zealand, Ulsan World Music Festival, South Korea and Kriol Jazz Festival, Cape Verde among others. 

Me and Tourism Malaysia with Kiwi musician

Main stage

This year, the opening night was held on the 19th of June and marks the beginning of the three days festival. The dinner for the opening night was serves at the beach, started at 7.30pm and attended by all the performers and media as well as the Sarawak Tourism Board members. 

It’s a good idea and thankfully the weather was on our side, the place looks magnificent at night with the stars decorating the night sky.

Performers and Media together with Sarawak Tourism Board as well as Tourism Malaysia gathered at welcome dinner 

 

a talented local born

The event is set wonderfully between a white sandy beach and a rain-forest mountain peak in Sarawak,  In the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village, the two stages are nested among trees at the foot of the legendary Mount Santubong, and throughout the village screens are up so everyone has great views no matter where they are.

Zapin by Johor

For three nights, musicians performs and play beautiful music, mostly using the traditional instruments, while the audience listened intently, move and clapped to the beats. On the second night (Saturday) the event received bigger crowd, fans flooding in front of the 2 stages, the surrounding showered with rhythm, laughter and joy, people are dancing and some event jumping around celebrating. 

Fans listened intently

Three new elements have been injected to add the freshness into the festival. The Malay House was used for the first time, giving the workshop there an intimate feel. It was limited, however, to fifty persons for health and safety reasons. In the comfort of the Theatre, two daily chamber-styled concerts were presented instead. 

To keep the festival mood going by another hour, there was the RWMF community drum circle  conducted by 1DRUM.ORG. It was a time for the audience to beat their beat their socks off for one hour from 5.00 – 6.00 pm daily as they took turns trying their hand on the traditional drums in front of the Jungle stage.

 The best part of this event, the musicians allows to mingled with the fans especially during workshops. Every morning and during supper, performers, media and tourism members sit and enjoy the meal together. The last night of the event, most of stay late after supper, taking pictures chit chat and wishing each other best journey a head.