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Cultural, Adventure & Cycling Tours in Borneo

Journey Through Sarawak’s Rajang Basin: Sibu, Tanjung Manis, Belawai, Kanowit and Song | Part 1 of 4

Following the global pause of the pandemic, we were drawn back to a question haunting Borneo’s tourism trails: what was left of the Rajang Basin? This region, once an emblem of raw adventure with its authentic Iban longhouses and untamed upriver journeys, seemed to have faded. Its wild spirit was now obscured by development, logging, and mining. But a deeper truth lay beneath the surface: its stories and rich culture were not gone—they were simply waiting for us.

Places Map Guide of the Rajang Basin Travel Log. Red Pins denote places covered in Part 1 of 4

Who’s who

Our journey began in 2021, a mission supported by the Sarawak Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak, and organized by The Association of Sarawak Inbound Agencies (ASIA). A team from Paradesa Borneo joined me and other travel professionals on an eight-day expedition into Sarawak’s heart. We were there to rediscover its pulse and lay the groundwork for a new kind of tourism—one that would offer an authentic, meaningful experience for a world seeking a different kind of adventure.

Participants of Journey Through Sarawak's Rajang Basin posing for a group photo against the backdrop of the Rajang River.
Participants of the Journey Through Sarawak’s Rajang Basin tour led by ASIA

Sibu – Your Gateway to the Rajang Basin

Our adventure began in Sibu, the gateway to the Rajang. The first day was a round trip, a chance to ease into the journey and understand the region’s economic pulse. We ventured to Tanjung Manis, a modern port and industrial park that represents Sarawak’s ambition for economic diversification. Located at the mouth of the Rajang River, this bustling hub stood in stark contrast to the traditional life we would find upriver.

Tanjung Manis – the start of the Rajang Basin

Next, we visited the Rajang Songket Centre, an impressive display of local Malay craftsmanship. Here, high-end songket is meticulously produced using a “hidden thread” technique, a unique method that allows the finished cloth to be worn on both sides. These beautiful, intricate textiles, which can take months to create, are sold for important weddings and special occasions across Sarawak and West Malaysia, with designs often inspired by Borneo’s unique culture.

Two Malay ladies weaving kain songket on a manual loom
The much sought-after Rajang Kain songket weaving in progress.

Belawai – a Quaint Fishing Village

The day concluded with a visit to Belawai, a sleepy fishing village also located at the mouth of the Rajang. Here, we saw fishing boats lining the river, still practicing traditional fishing methods. Returning to Sibu, the town’s lively night food street market felt more familiar after our initial exploration, preparing us for the deeper journey ahead into the heart of Borneo.

Malay fishing boats sit on river bed during low tide. Insert picture shows Belawai dried prawns
Belawai Fishing Boat Jetty. The area is famous for outsized dried prawn production.

The Charming Riverine Towns of Kanowit and Song

Leaving the bustle of Sibu, our journey took us along a mixture of old and new road following the right bank of the Rajang, offering a scenic drive past charming, century-old Chinese farmhouses. As we progressed, we passed through smaller towns like Kanowit and Song, and even smaller settlements that consisted of little more than a single stretch of timber shophouses and old river petrol stations. It was here that we began to witness the profound impact of progress. Many of these towns, once vibrant and essential service points for upriver communities, now seemed to be struggling.

A typical riverine shoplot frontage of a riverine bazaar along the rajang river.
A typical ‘main street’ shops of a riverine bazaar along the Rajang river. @Pasar Nanga Ngemah, Kanowit

View of barge transporting logs down the rajang riverRajang River is the lifeline of the timber industry to the port of Tanjung Manis at the coast of Sarawak

Old forts, silent sentinels of a bygone era, stood along the way, hinting at the region’s rich colonial and tribal history. It was clear that the new road to Kapit had fundamentally altered the flow of life, bypassing these communities and allowing people to travel directly between Sibu and Kapit. An abandoned craft center in Kanowit stood as a poignant reminder of past tourism efforts, its empty windows a symbol of the decline in river-based travel.

Looking inside one of riverine shop in the Rajang basinOld world charm: No specialisation but a multi-purpose set up. A grocery shop that doubles up as a coffee shop.

The absence of other tourists was striking—a sharp contrast to the Rajang’s once vibrant “heyday.” As the sun began to set, we arrived in Kapit, a bustling hub further upriver that still maintained a strong sense of its own identity. We checked into a local motel by the boat terminal, which, despite being centrally located, felt remarkably quiet, a testament to how the new road has shifted the rhythm of life in the Rajang Basin.

Customising Your Rajang Basin Itinerary

Your Rajang Basin exploration can be done in parts. Let us know in the form here.

Next: Journey Through Sarawak’s Rajang Basin – Part 2 of 4. Exploring Kapit and the Punan settlement of Punan Ba