Lawas is a small frontier town in the northern corner of Sarawak. Located in a strip of Sarawak territory, Lawas is sandwiched between the Temburong district of Brunei and Sabah state. The strategic location of Lawas makes it a tourist attraction especially to the Bruneians while its rich natural environment is ideal for agriculture purposes.
A border town in the northern region of Sarawak, Limbang is located between the two halves of Brunei. It is a melting pot of many cultures, including Malay, Kedayan, Chinese, Iban and various Orang Ulu ethnic groups such as Lun Bawang, Bisaya, Murut, Kelabit and Penan. It has one of the highest concentration of Orang Ulu tribe in Sarawak.
Long Lama town lies along Sarawak’s second longest river, Baram in the northern interior of the state. Located about 140km southeast of Miri city, the town is has a population of about 1,500 people. Founded by the Kayan community, the town got its namesake from the nearby Lama River that joins with the Baram River. ‘Long’ in Kayan means estuary while Lama means old. The main activities in the surrounding areas revolve around fishing and agriculture such as planting paddy and fruits, with farmers also rearing pigs, buffalos and cows.
The magic of Mulu National Park was recognised in 2000, when it was declared an iconic UNESCO World Heritage Area. The Park is known as the ‘Jewels in the Crown’ of Sarawak’s expanding network of national park. Being the largest national park, it covers 544 sq km of primary rainforest and is dominated by three mountains – Gunung Mulu (2,376 m), Gunung Api (1,750 m) and Gunung Benarat (1,858 m). Yet many of Mulu’s greatest attractions lie deep below the surface. Hidden underneath the forested slopes of these mountains is one of the largest limestone cave system in the world.
Nestled at an altitude of about 3,500 feet above sea level in the north-eastern corner of Sarawak is the famous Bario Highland, a Kelabit territory, one of the minority Orang Ulu tribes of Sarawak. It is affectionately known as the ‘land of a hundred handshakes’ as this is how friendly locals will greet you. Bario has incredible organic food such as the famous Bario rice and pineapple. One of their annual events is the internationally known Bario Food Festival or ‘Pesta Nukenen’, held in July every year.
Bukit Mabong is located in the Tunoh area, towards the northern part of Baleh. It is a tourist attaction in Sarawak, located within the mountain range called the Hose Mountains. Among the cultural landscape features found here are Bukit Batu which is the highest point in the district at 2,028m, Gunung Gelanggang, Bukit Batu Tiban which is located in the Malaysia-Indonesian border, Sungai Balleh and Sungai Balui.
Belaga is located on the upper reaches of the Rajang River, approximately under 100km from the coast near Bintulu. Belaga was established in the early 1900s when a few Chinese traders set up shops and began trading with the Orang ulu, supplying essentials. Today, Belaga is considered a good place to start exploring the interiors of Sarawak.
Kapit is located in the central part of Sarawak, a town at the Upper Rejang river. One of the places of attractions in Kapit town is Fort Sylvia, built in 1880 which has been turned into a museum now under the Tun Jugah Foundation. It is in this town that you can find an array of exotic produce that can only be found in Sarawak.
Kanowit is located on the mouth of Kanowit River at the bank of Rajang River, approximately 174km from the coast of South China Sea. It takes 45 minutes to reach the town by land and an hour by boat from Sibu. The main ethnic groups are Iban, Chinese, Malay and Melanau. Its location makes it an ideal spot for trade between the town of Sibu and the interior areas of Rajang River.
Song is situated by the banks of the Katibas River, a tributary of the Rajang River. The Ibans account for 80% of the population, followed by Chinese, Melanau, Malay and Bidayuh. Song serves as an important stop for river traffic going up the Rajang River.