Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) Jane Lian Labang said the royal couple of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was interested in the conservation of culture and heritage at the award-winning living museum.
While in Sarawak as part of the royal couple’s seven-day visit to Malaysia at the beginning of November, they visited an Iban longhouse, a Melanau tall house and a Penan hut, where Charles tried his hand at shooting a blowpipe. The Prince also spoke with Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau community leaders while Camilla browsed a craft exhibition featuring items made by SCV women artisans. Camilla selected two beaded necklaces and a purse woven from pandan leaves from the crafts on display.
Besides SCV, Prince Charles also visited the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, while Camilla met representatives of women’s empowerment group Purple Lily at the Old Courthouse.
Intrepid travellers can follow in Prince Charles and Camilla’s footsteps with curated day trips in Sarawak:
Tour Code: KCHDSSCV
Located at the scenic foothill of Mount Santubong, a 45-minutes drive from Kuching’s city centre, lies the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living museum of Sarawak. It is a summary of the different cultures of Sarawak’s ethnic tribes and provides you the opportunity to witness the seven major ethnic groups that stay in typical traditional houses and demonstrate parts of their daily work. Your guide will explain about the different tribes and their background to give you a deeper insight. The experience will end with a colourful cultural show complete with traditional costumes.
Tour Code: KCHDSORA
Twenty-two kilometres south of the city of Kuching lies the Semenggoh Nature Reserve of Sarawak. The entire facility occupies an area of 740 acres and acts as a sanctuary for orangutans (Malay for “man of the forest”) that either have been rescued from captivity or young orphaned primates. These animals are trained or re-trained to survive in their natural habitat, learning how to forage for natural food and build nests in the trees. Many have been returned into the surrounding area of the nature reserve, but there are few that will never completely re-learn their natural skills due to long association with and dependence on humans.
During the daily scheduled feeding times, you have the unique chance to observe these great animals moving up in the trees or enjoying their meals of fruits. One of the most heart-warming sights is when you witness an orangutan mother with young baby return to the feeding area. However, please note that sightings of orangutans are not guaranteed due to the fact that they are roaming freely within the nature reserve.
Orang Utan Centre – Meet the ‘Man of the Forest’: group journey