Sarawak, Borneo - The Place To Be

Are you the kind of person that likes things at both ends of the spectrum? Are you looking for diversity in your travels? Then Sarawak is the place to be. From tropical rainforest to city shopping, wildlife reserves to modern civilization, and from tribal headhunters living in longhouses to 5 star hotels, Sarawak has it all.

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Entertainment: Arriving in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, you may check into any of the variety of hotels that are available, including prominent names such as The Hilton and the Holiday Inn. All the major shopping malls are located around the same general area where the Holiday Inn is located, where you will find products no less in variety from Kuala Lumpur. You will also find the banks of the magnificent Sarawak River, where you can enjoy the gentle breeze and the beautiful sights on the other side of the river. During your stroll through the city you are bound to pass restaurants, cafés, or food courts, where you can enjoy typical Malaysian food as well as food from around the world. Besides eating, shopping and sightseeing, you can always pass your leftover time watching a movie at the Star Cineplex, one of the two cineplexes located around that same area, or go for karaoke, either in the hotel or at any of the various karaoke bars located close by.

Wildlife: Tired of the city, already? Well, just about 30 minutes outside the city center, you will find the Semengoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, where Orangutans, an endangered species, are taken care of, and later on introduced back to wilderness, which enable them to adapt to the environment of their real homes in the vast forests of Borneo. A specialty of this center is its Orangutan feeding program, where visitors are allowed to have breakfast with these fun loving creatures as well as feed them at the following times: 0830 - 0900 hr (Milk and fruits), 1145 - 1200 hr (Milk with mixed boiled beans /sugar cane/sunflower seeds/fresh young coconuts), 1500 - 1515 hr (Milk and fruits). more info available at the Forest Department of Sarawa website.

Adventure: Getting tempted to be part of the wilderness? Well you can do that too in Sarawak. Leaving Kuching right after breakfast, around 8 a.m. by road, you will get to the boat jetty, located next to a damn, around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. This will depend on the number and length of breaks you take in between for lunch, some necessary shopping for a few days in the jungle, or perhaps just a bathroom break. From the jetty, you will have the chance to experience a thrilling ride on “longboats”. These dugout motorized canoes are unique to Sarawak. You will start off traveling on a reservoir