Tour type
Tour Level: Moderate
Tour Comfort: Budget
Tour Period: 2 Days
tour highlights
- Explore a pepper farm and a local market in the town of Serian
- Ride a native longboat across Batang Ai Lake
- Meet the friendly people of the Iban tribe
- See a traditional war dance of the former headhunters
- Join in a blowpipe demonstration with the locals
tour details
The area of Batang Ai is located 290 km south-east of Kuching into the interior of Sarawak, close to the border to Kalimantan/ Indonesian Borneo. The name Batang Ai literally means “main waters” and refers back to the old days of tribal wars, when the Iban expanded into Sarawak, looking for fertile lands to grow their rice on. After crossing the nearby mountain range the Iban navigated along the many rivers and tributaries in this area to spread out and conquer land. Fierce battles and aggressive headhunting raids were going on in the area of Batang Ai, Skrang river and Lemanak river. Nowadays the area of Batang Ai is home to about 30 Iban longhouses, dotted along the Batang Ai river and its tributaries and surrounded with lush rainforest.
Pick-up from your hotel in Kuching for a 290 km journey with en-route stops at the local market in the town of Serian, a stop to observe wild orchids and pitcher plants at the roadside and also a visit of a pepper farm. Lunch will be provided in Lachau, a small upcountry Chinese village.
After lunch you will proceed to beautiful Batang Ai lake. Here, you will board native longboats for about 45 minutes on the lake. After arrival you will be taken up to the longhouse to meet the Ibans and their families and have a tea break.
In the evening, you may choose to join your guide when preparing the dinner. See how, with simple cooking utensils and local ingredients, a delicious meal can be prepared.
After dinner the Ibans will sound their gongs and perform their war dance in full ceremonial regalia.
Accommodation at the longhouse (very simple accommodation).
Note:
Basic accommodation in the communal hall of the longhouse with mosquito net, mattress, pillows and blanket provided.
Meals included:Lunch
Dinner
After lunch you will proceed to beautiful Batang Ai lake. Here, you will board native longboats for about 45 minutes on the lake. After arrival you will be taken up to the longhouse to meet the Ibans and their families and have a tea break.
In the evening, you may choose to join your guide when preparing the dinner. See how, with simple cooking utensils and local ingredients, a delicious meal can be prepared.
After dinner the Ibans will sound their gongs and perform their war dance in full ceremonial regalia.
Accommodation at the longhouse (very simple accommodation).
Note:
Basic accommodation in the communal hall of the longhouse with mosquito net, mattress, pillows and blanket provided.
Meals included:Lunch
Dinner
After breakfast join in a blowpipe demonstration with your guide. Longboat ride and transfer back to Kuching with lunch included en-route.
Meals included:Breakfast
Lunch
Meals included:Breakfast
Lunch
customise the tour
- Addon to visit Semenggoh Orang Utan Centre
- Extend vacation to Miri and Mulu
- Extend vacation to Sabah
- Extend vacation to Peninsular Malaysia
includes
- 1 night accommodation in the communal room of a longhouse with shared sanitary facilities
- Meals as stated in the programme B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= dinner
- Transfers and tours with local English-speaking driver guides in air-conditioned vehicles
- Entrance fees and/or boat fees as stated in the programme
- Drinking water available on the vehicles
excludes
- Domestic airfare and/or International airfare to/from Malaysia (quoted separately, if requested)
- Optional tours
- Surcharges for other language guides
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, camera fees, communications, postage, gratuities etc.
- Meals and services other than mentioned in the programme
- Drinks with meals
- Early check-in and late check-out at hotels, if not mentioned in the programme
- Gifts for the longhouse
notes
- This tour can be combined with a visit of Semenggoh Orang Utan Centre at an additional surcharge.
- Even if the package is booked on private basis, the boat transfers & activities in the longhouse may be on shared basis in order to minimise impacts on the natural environment or if other circumstances require so.
- Please travel light for the overnight at the longhouse. Suitcases can be stored at your hotel in Kuching.
- Due to primitive conditions in the longhouse, be prepared for some discomfort. You will be accommodated in the community area of the longhouse with no privacy. A mattress, mosquito net, pillow, blanket and clean linen will be provided. Simple sanitary facilities are available. Pets like cats and dogs might be encountered in the communal hall of the longhouse and livestock such as chicken or pigs are roaming freely within the longhouse compound.
- It is customary to bring some gifts for the Iban longhouse people, which can be divided by the number of families. Our guide can assist you during one of the stops en-route to buy some suitable presents. This custom is only applicable to Iban longhouse tours.
- Certain parts of the tours on offer are provided by independent third parties, such as airlines, hotels, transport operators and local tourist offices. Diethelm Travel is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage caused thereby to the tourists, including those occurring outside of the normal touring programmers. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accident, natural disaster, political actions and unrest shall be borne by the tourists.
- We advise that due to frequent flight changes, delays and cancellations by the various domestic airlines and trains we cannot fully guarantee that the proposed itinerary can be carried out as planned. Based on our experience, changes of departure times and/ or cancellations can occur at very short notice even after confirmation of a flight has been received. The same applies for train travel: Schedule changes occur frequently; often without prior notification. In case of schedule changes or flight cancellations we always try everything possible to arrange an alternate programme within the framework of the original quoted costs. However, we reserve the right to charge any cost exceeding the original budget to the tour operator/ travel agent or to the participant of a tour after consultation with the agent.
- Programmers, prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of proposal submission and are subject to change thereafter without advance notice until all services have been paid in full.
- For air ticket reservations, we require the guests' full names AS THEY APPEAR IN THEIR PASSPORTS including passport details. Airfares and reservations are always subject to change.
- Please be advised that prices may be adjusted periodically in case of fuel price increase by our suppliers and hotel room availability at time of booking
- This is a quotation only and reservation for services has not been made nor has availability been checked.
WHAT TO BRING: - Backpack
- Loose-fitting summer clothing
- Swimwear
- Sun hat/ cap
- Sun block
- Insect repellent
- Personal toiletries
- Flat walking shoes with good grip
- Raincoat
- Torch or flashlight
Tour code: PKKCBL2B
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