Up the Rejang River

Asia » Malaysia » Sarawak
June 27th 2008

Published: June 27th 2008

A trip up the Rejang River is just another journey … or is it? Rivers are still the highways of Sarawak’s heartlands. The river banks are rich in foliage and longhouses are spaced along them. The wooden forts, built by the White Rajas when they ‘pacified’ the inland tribes, have been turned into museums. Tall durian trees and painted burial boxes look down on the passing speed boats. ... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 56, Displayed: 21

Belaga

A large hornbill carving in the middle of the public park on the edge of the river.

Above Belaga

Beyond Belaga the river narrows more and travel is in longboats. Passengers can almost put both hands in the water at once, on either side.

Above Belaga

We visited another longhouse, a Christian one this time. They did not have any heads on display.

Above Belaga

This longhouse seemed almost deserted. Many of the young people have gone out to find jobs. It is also quite newly constructed. People working out bring money back to their communities.

Above Belaga

The kitchen in one of the homes in this longhouse.

Above Belaga

The lady of the house, at work.

Above Belaga

Her husband.

Above Belaga

The older generation ... the younger generation.

Above Belaga

Generations past: this burial box, on a post behind the longhouse, contains the remains of past leaders.

Above Belaga

The government provides schools to these remote communities. Even the primary schools have boarding facilities for kids from the further longhouses.

Above Belaga

The children learn Malay and English in addition to their own language.

Above Belaga

This is a fisheman's camp. The men catch fish and sell it to the dam construction workers.

Above Belaga

Now the end of the navigable river. Just in site is the controvertial Bakun Dam. We had to turn back.

Miri

This is not the standard of accommodation encountered along the Renjang River! Which is exactly what makes the Miri Marriott the ideal staging post on the way back to Brunei.

19th April 2009

sarawakiana
non-member comment

Kapit
Dear Gillian Thank you for your remarkable writeup on the Rejang (You have spelt it Renjang) . I am looking forward to my own group trip to the longhouses of Kapit this Friday. My friend Daniel Yiek told me about your blog. It is indeed heartwarming to know that you have written about it and I am about to write about it too. You have a different perspective as a traveller and I will see what I am going to write. My previous 5 trips were made more than 40 years ago. So I am going back an an "elder". But Kapit may still be just the same giving me all the pleasures of someone going back to the forest!! Perhaps only the river is brown. But I may be totally wrong. Hoping to hear from you too.

Tot: 0.083s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 13; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0366s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb

Do not copy images or text from this page without requesting and receiving permission. All rights are reserved by the author and photographer.

Contact Gillian Perrett (An Erratic Traveller) - a lack of a response does not mean that you have permission to use material from this page.

Up the Rejang River

Copyright Notice: All Rights Reserved