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SARAWAK
Accommodations
Packages
Cities & Towns
Attractions
Getting There & Around

Land of the Hornbills

Situated on the northwest part of the island of Borneo is Sarawak. Traditionally known as Bumi Kenyalang (Land of the Hornbills) is the largest State according to area in Malaysia. It adjoins with Sabah and together is geographically referred to as East Malaysia.

Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19 th century. In 1841, Sir James Brooke an English adventurer was granted the cession of territory between Tanjung Datu and Samarahan River in return for his services in helping Raja Muda Hassim of Brunei quell a rebellion in the area which saw the beginning of Sarawak’s emergence as a separate political entity. In the years which followed, James Brooke added to his domains further acquisitions of territory at the expense of Brunei to establish a firm government and hence he assumes the title of “Rajah”. The Brooke dynasty or the ‘White Rajahs’ ruled Sarawak for a hundred years and that time, greatly expanded the territory. Sarawak became a British Crown Colony in 1946 and subsequently in 1963 an autonomous state of Malaysia.

Like Sabah, Sarawak also contains large tracts of tropical rain forest which is home to an abundance of plant and animal species. Culturally, it boasts over 30 ethnic native groups and with its colorful history under the rule of the ‘White Rajahs’, Sarawak’s rich tapestry of cultures and superb natural attractions make it an all time exciting holiday destination not to be missed.


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DISTRICT, CITY, TOWN & AREA
LIST OF DISTRICT
Northern Region Limbang Division
Miri Division
Central Region Bintulu Division
Kapit Division
Mukah Division
Sibu Division
Southern Region Betong Division
Kuching Division
Samarahan Division
Sarikei Division
Sri Aman Division

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LOCATION & WEATHER

Sarawak is located on the island of Borneo, the third largest largest island in the world at 1 - 4 degree north of the Equator. The State enjoys a tropical climate with average daytime temperatures of 23 to 32 degrees celsius. The rainy season from November to February brings heavier rain and cool evenings.

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WHERE TO STAY

The State has a wide range of accomodation to suit all budgets and preferences. There are international-standard beach resorts, jungle resorts, star-rated hotels as well as longhouse-style resorts. Budget accommodation is available too.

Accommodations
Hotel CITY / TOWN / AREA Type
     
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Packages
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ATTRACTIONS
  DISTRICT PLACES
Islands / Beaches Miri Division Beraya Beach
  Miri Division Hawaii Beach 
  Bintulu Division Temasya Beach  
     
Rainforest
(Lakes / Rivers / Wetlands / Caves)
Miri Division Crocodile Farm
  Sibu Division Bukit Aup Jubilee Park 
  Kuching Division Kuching Waterfront 
  Kuching Division Fort Margherita 
  Bintulu Division Sarawak Agricultural Park 
  Bintulu Division Batang Kemena Safari 
     

Sports & Recreation

Miri Division Miri City Fan
  Miri Division Miri Public Park
  Miri Division Tamu Muhibbah
  Miri Division Luak Bay Esplanade 
  Miri Division Flower Garden 
  Sibu Division Rejang Esplanade 
  Sibu Division Forestry Recreation Park 
  Kuching Division Santubong Fishing Village 
  Bintulu Division Kampung Jepak 
  Bintulu Division Taman Tumbina 
  Bintulu Division Oasis 
     
Monuments / Buildings Miri Division The Grand Old Lady
  Miri Division Miri Heritage Centre 
  Sibu Division Lembangan Market 
  Sibu Division Seven-Storey Pagoda 
  Sibu Division Golden Triangle 
  Kuching Division The Astana 
  Bintulu Division Council Negeri Monument  
  Bintulu Division Kidurong Tower 
     
Museums / Arts & Culture / Historical Miri Division Petroleum Museum 
  Sibu Division Sibu Civic Centre Museum 
  Sibu Division Iban Longhouse 
  Kuching Division The Sarawak Museum  
  Kuching Division The Islamic Museum 
  Kuching Division The Chinese History Museum 
  Kuching Division The Cat Museum 
  Kuching Division Sarawak Cultural Village 
  Kuching Division Main Bazaar 
  Kuching Division Satok Market 
  Kuching Division Tua Pek Kong Temple 
     
Shopping    

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GETTING THERE

Air Transport
Sarawak is linked with other major cities in Malaysia, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei by air. Airports are located in major towns and cities - Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu. The modern and state-of-the-art Kuching Airport is the crucial hub and entry point for Sarawak.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which operates daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching has direct links with the major cities in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. Air Asia also operates daily flights from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. Kuching is also accessible to the rest of the world through connections from Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah).

Rural airstrips also serves the remote settlements. Regular scheduled air services using DHC6 Twin Otters-Flights to these airstrips are usually constrained by limited time available due to visibility problem. Helicopter services also communicate between various towns and more inaccessible areas in the Sarawak interior.

Water Transport
There are two categories of water transport systems in Sarawak:

International and Coastal Shipping
The main ports in Sarawak are in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. The latest addition, Senari Port, a new deep-water port at Kampung Senari complements the existing facilities at the Kuching Port Authority. All Sarawak's ports are well equipped to handle general and bulk cargo dry, liquid and gaseous. With the exception of Bintulu Port (a deep sea-port) which is a Federal Port, the other ports are managed as State Port Authorities. As the State relies heavily on external trade for its economic growth, the development of port facilities is important.

Riverine Transport System
The riverine transport system has a great significance to a large section of the population living in the interior and along the coast. This system is an important means of transportation to passengers and goods to large proportions of the population of the State.

Sarawak has a total of 55 navigable rivers with a combined length of 3,300 km. Of all the rivers in Sarawak, the Rejang is the most important with a total length of 567 km; it is the longest river in Malaysia. Between 300-500 boats and vessels ply the river daily.
About 50% of the traffic is engaged in passenger transportation, and the rest are mainly for transportation of goods including logs.

Sarawak boasts an economical yet efficient express boat service which connects the various coastal towns. Express boat services also utilize the many waterways inland to get to more rural areas inaccessible by road.

Road Transport
The Trans-Borneo Highway connects Kuching to all major cities in Sarawak, and carries on through to the neighbouring state of Sabah through Brunei. Travelling from Kuching to Sibu takes about 5 hours by car while Kuching to Miri will take approximately 10 hours. The road system within the State is being constantly upgraded and public transport system improved to cater to increasing traffic volume.

Most major towns and cities offer a variety of public transport services including buses, taxis and limousine services. Bus services are also available for those wishing to travel within the state from town to town, or even internationally to Indonesia (Pontianak) and Brunei.

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GETTING AROUND

Taxis are available in all major towns; however they are not metered and fare should be negotiated at the start of the journey. Other best means of transportation to get around between towns are by express buses and boats which ply regularly on fixed routes.

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Sabak Bernam Kuala Selangor Hulu Selangor Klang Kuala Langat Sepang Gombak Hulu Langat Petaling
Limbang Division Miri Division Kapit Division Bintulu Division Mukah Division Sibu Division Sarikei Division Betong Division Sri Aman Division Samarahan Division Kuching Division