Sarawak Cultural Village & Top Spot Seafood Galore!
Nothing much happened yesterday - we took a taxi to USPD car dealership to collect my cousin Mimi's brand new Kelisa. Mimi is studying at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, so Aunt Buang decided to buy her a car so she can get around easier.
We managed to collect the car by noon, but sending to the workshop to install anti-theft device and tinting takes much of the day. I only managed to shop at a nearby sleepy mall, and kept dozing off at the workshop. What a waste!
But today, I am determined to make it a very interesting day.
After Sarawak Laksa Breakfast at Aunt Mary's Kitchen, were soon well on our way to the Santubong Peninsula to the Sarawak Cultural Village which is just a 45-minutes drive from Kuching.
The Santubong Peninsula is located at the West Mouth of the Sarawak River. At its northern tip, Mount Santubong (810 m) rises majestically from the sea. I was told that the area has been settled since ancient times, and was once a major trading centre. Nowadays the Peninsula, particularly Damai, is a popular beach resort area and a good base for discovering the charms of Southwest Sarawak. All manner of attractions are here; sleepy fishing villages, primary rainforest, superb seafood restaurants, an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, a "living museum" - Sarawak Cultural Village - and luxury beach resorts.
I was also told that on a clear day, the Santubong area offers spectacular sunsets, as the sun sinks slowly into the sea framed by Sarawakâs rolling hills on one side and scattered islands on the other.
"See Sarawak in Half a Day" is the claim made by Sarawak Cultural Village, a unique award-winning living museum offering an excellent introduction to local cultures and lifestyles. On a sprawling 17-acre site just a short walk from the nearby resort hotels, there are replica buildings representing every major ethnic group in Sarawak; Bidayuh, Iban and Orang Ulu longhouses, a Penan jungle settlement, a Melanau tall-house, a Malay town house with adjacent top-spinning court, a Chinese farm House and a Chinese pagoda. All the buildings are staffed with members of the various ethnic groups, in traditional costume, carrying out traditional activities. Each building has a "storyteller" who is expert in describing and interpreting traditional cultures and lifestyles. Staff happily posed with us for photos, and my brother, Hafidz was happily taking pictures with all the pretty native girls for souvenirs. Well, boys will be boys!
We also visited Rumah Melanau and made friends with Ding Dong, a Melanau native who happily played the traditional guitar for us, while we danced to the tune. Stopped by Rumah Melayu and bought some "makjun", a traditional herb remedy. Really powerful stuff - good for wind, blood circulation and aphrodisiac.
What I enjoyed most during my Sarawak Cultural Village visit was the Iban traditional dance performance - the dancer with the blowpipe is really cute :)
That night, we went to Top Spot for some seafood galore. We tried Umei, a spicy salad of raw marinated fish, limes and shallots, is the traditional dish of the Melanau people. We also tried local vegetables - crispy jungle fern, midin and paku. We were told by Hatta that one dish that you are unlikely to find elsewhere is ambal (bamboo clam), which is usually cooked as a mild dry curry or steamed. We tried that too - unusual appearance (looks like a worm in a bamboo shell!) - but tastes superb.
After an unproductive yesterday, I really enjoyed myself today - it was an unforgettable experience!
We managed to collect the car by noon, but sending to the workshop to install anti-theft device and tinting takes much of the day. I only managed to shop at a nearby sleepy mall, and kept dozing off at the workshop. What a waste!
But today, I am determined to make it a very interesting day.
After Sarawak Laksa Breakfast at Aunt Mary's Kitchen, were soon well on our way to the Santubong Peninsula to the Sarawak Cultural Village which is just a 45-minutes drive from Kuching.
The Santubong Peninsula is located at the West Mouth of the Sarawak River. At its northern tip, Mount Santubong (810 m) rises majestically from the sea. I was told that the area has been settled since ancient times, and was once a major trading centre. Nowadays the Peninsula, particularly Damai, is a popular beach resort area and a good base for discovering the charms of Southwest Sarawak. All manner of attractions are here; sleepy fishing villages, primary rainforest, superb seafood restaurants, an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, a "living museum" - Sarawak Cultural Village - and luxury beach resorts.
I was also told that on a clear day, the Santubong area offers spectacular sunsets, as the sun sinks slowly into the sea framed by Sarawakâs rolling hills on one side and scattered islands on the other.
"See Sarawak in Half a Day" is the claim made by Sarawak Cultural Village, a unique award-winning living museum offering an excellent introduction to local cultures and lifestyles. On a sprawling 17-acre site just a short walk from the nearby resort hotels, there are replica buildings representing every major ethnic group in Sarawak; Bidayuh, Iban and Orang Ulu longhouses, a Penan jungle settlement, a Melanau tall-house, a Malay town house with adjacent top-spinning court, a Chinese farm House and a Chinese pagoda. All the buildings are staffed with members of the various ethnic groups, in traditional costume, carrying out traditional activities. Each building has a "storyteller" who is expert in describing and interpreting traditional cultures and lifestyles. Staff happily posed with us for photos, and my brother, Hafidz was happily taking pictures with all the pretty native girls for souvenirs. Well, boys will be boys!
We also visited Rumah Melanau and made friends with Ding Dong, a Melanau native who happily played the traditional guitar for us, while we danced to the tune. Stopped by Rumah Melayu and bought some "makjun", a traditional herb remedy. Really powerful stuff - good for wind, blood circulation and aphrodisiac.
What I enjoyed most during my Sarawak Cultural Village visit was the Iban traditional dance performance - the dancer with the blowpipe is really cute :)
That night, we went to Top Spot for some seafood galore. We tried Umei, a spicy salad of raw marinated fish, limes and shallots, is the traditional dish of the Melanau people. We also tried local vegetables - crispy jungle fern, midin and paku. We were told by Hatta that one dish that you are unlikely to find elsewhere is ambal (bamboo clam), which is usually cooked as a mild dry curry or steamed. We tried that too - unusual appearance (looks like a worm in a bamboo shell!) - but tastes superb.
After an unproductive yesterday, I really enjoyed myself today - it was an unforgettable experience!
posted by Penglipur Lara at
11:48 PM
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