SARAWAK
the land of the hornbill
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Sarawak has been described as Asia's "
Best Kept Secret". Now the secret is out. Sarawak is the place for
history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures. The land of the fabled
White Rajahs, the hornbill and the orang utan, Sarawak is the largest
State in Malaysia and by far the most exotic.
Sarawak is situated in the north-west of
Borneo. East and borders Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
It
is the largest state of Malaysia covering an area of 124,450 square
kilometres (48,342 square miles) with a coastline 720 kilometres in length
which accounts for about 37.5% of area of Malaysia.
Its
highest point is Gunung Mured, 2,438 metres, and has the longest river in
Malaysia, Batang Rajang, which stretches over 640 kilometres.
Sarawak,
with an average rainfall of over 200 inches per year, is an expansive
network of rivers, rainforests, mangroves, swamp forests, mountains and
has the world`s oldest limestone caves.
Sarawak is a tropical country with an equatorial climate. It is hot and
humid throughout the year with mean daily temperature ranging from 23° C
during the early hours of the morning to 32° C during the day. It
experiences two monsoonal changes.
The West Coast East Monsoon, which usually occurs between November to February,
brings with it heavy rainfall.
The South West Monsoon is usually less wet. Except for monsoonal changes,
the climate remains fairly stable throughout the year.
Annual
rainfall varies between 330 cm to 460 cm for the greater part of the
country.
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, an outback of sheer beauty rich in resources such as pepper, cocoa, palm oil, timber and oil. With an area of 124,450 sq. km, it is a
region of endless fascination, possessing the largest cave chamber in the world, verdant jungles, unique fauna and flora, white beaches, and remote islands. Its population of 1.5 million people is as rich and varied as the land.
Sarawak's endless rivers form the vast state's transportation backbone. The most common crafts used along the rivers are called perahus; they are low-lying pencil thin canoes equipped with outboard motors, and they curl along with surprising speed and agility. The experience of riding in one, while the impossibly dense jungle wall breezes past, is unforgettable.
The capital of Sarawak is Kuching. Malaysia Airlines flies regularly to Kuching International Airport as well as to
Miri from Kuala Lumpur,
Johor Bahru, Singapore, and
Kota Kinabalu. Boats are a common mode of transport in Sarawak, as its the dense vegetation of its interior is crisscrossed with rivers. Travel in areas not reachable by boat is often by light aircrafts and helicopters. Major towns are serviced by buses.
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The Rafflesia flower grows
up to a meter across and is among the strangest plants around.
Today
it grows extremely rare in the world.
Despite having such a huge
flower the plant has no roots since it is parasitic.
It steals its
nutrients from plants to which it attaches itself.
The flower also
has a unique scent - of rotting meat. This attracts insects that
pollinate this strange bloom.
There is no way of telling when a
Rafflesia will pop up. But one of the best places to see them is the Gunung Gading National Park near Lundu, about two hours drive from
Kuching.
The park rangers keep careful watch on sprouting Rafflesia
and if you call the park beforehand, they will tell you the chances
of seeing one in bloom. |
