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3-Day Melanau Heartland Mukah Discovery
Explore the Fascinating Mukah Region
Discover the Culture of the Melanau Tribe
Visit Sibu, known as the Swan City
Take a deep dive into the culture and natural beauty of the Sarawak island’s less visited Mukah region! Explore the scenic rivers and coasts of the heartland, get to know the local village life and visit a sago factory. You will also have the chance to meet the indigenous people of the island and learn about their fascinating culture and lifestyle.
Tour Highlights
Explore Sarawak Borneo’s rarely visited Central Region of Mukah to experience the unique indigenous group in Sarawak, the Melanau tribe.
Visit Sibu, the "Swan City", the major gateway to the mighty Rajang River.
Travel by boat to Mukah, the main sago producing area of Sarawak Borneo.
The Melanaus are known for their gentle, loving nature and seafaring skills and on this 3 days 2 nights trip, you get to discover the by boat and overland the fascinating Melanau villages to observe the locals' daily activities in this exotic but little explored part of Borneo interior.
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Itinerary
Trip Details
Price
- Adult (13+): MYR 3,800.00
- Children (3-12): MYR 3,031.00
- Young children (0-2): MYR 1,212.00
- Single Supplement: RM 190 / Pax
Departure Time
8:00 am
Meeting Point
Sibu hotel or Sibu Airport
Tour Ending Point
Mukah Airport
Availability
Monday to Sunday, year-round
Duration
3 days, 2 nights
Group Size
Min 2 people, max 8
Included
- Sit-in-Coach tour escorted by English speaking guide;
- Transfers;
- All fees & entrances;
- Accommodation as stated;
- Meals as stated;
- Pick-up from Sibu town on Day 1 and drop-off Mukah Airport on Day 3.
Not Included
- Airfare or overland to Sibu and from Mukah;
- Juices and alcoholic beverages;
- Tourism Tax RM10 / Bed / Room will applicable for foreigners or non-Malaysian payable upon check in;
- Medical / Travel Insurance;
- Tipping / Gratuity is at your discretion.
What to Bring
- Multiple sets of spare casual clothing, including long trousers and shorts, hat / cap, swimming costumes, sandal and extra walking shoe;
- Personal care: small towel, toiletries, personal medication, sunscreen, mosquito repellent;
- Camera and chargers, dry bag, torch light, sunglasses;
- On day trips, bring snacks and extra mineral water even though we do provide mineral water;
- Passport with 6 months validity and spare pages (additional immigration check at Sarawak’s entry points) and travel insurance details.
Tour Staff
At different locations on this long trip, we use a combination of local guide, park guide and community guide who are most willing to share their knowledge of local culture and the remarkable diversity of local fauna and flora so that you will have plenty of information about your journey, and at the sametime ensure safety and Great FUN in this beautiful island! One passionate local English Speaking guide will serve up to a maximum of 8 guests.
Good to Know
- Reservation required 3 days in advance
- Suitable for families and visitors of all ages.
- This tour is available with a minimum of 2 pax to go. Should you be only 1 person, we will wait for at least one other to join the tour to guarantee the departure.
- Options for departing Mukah are MASWings with daily flights to Kuching and Miri.
- This tour is available with mininum of 2 pax to go. Should you be only 1 person, we will wait for at least one other to join the tour to gurantee the departure.
What You'll Do
The Melanaus are one of the most celebrated ethnic tribes in Sarawak, known for their gentle, loving nature and seafaring skills. From Sibu, jump onto a speed boat and head towards Dalat Town. This 90 minutes boat journey will bring you through the meandering river, passing Malay villages, shipyards, timber & sago processing factories, Iban longhouses and Melanau villages.
Mid-way through your journey, jump off the boat for a stop at the Sungai (River) Kut Melanau Village and take a glimpse into the peaceful, undemanding and amazingly serene village life. Then back into the boat for the final 15 minutes boat journey which will snake its way between a Rainforest & Mangrove swamp before arriving in Dalat Town. In the event that the water level is too low, the Sg Kut – Dalat sector will be transferred using the local van. At Dalat, proceed to visit the iconic Church by the River & The Jerunei Garden to find out what’s so fascinating about these two icons of Dalat.
After Dalat, continue your journey overland from Mukah, a 45 km journey following the scenic coastal route to Lamin Dana. This Authentic Melanau Village, which houses the Melanau Cultural Centre. Spend the night at this cultural heritage and let your host spin your yarns from days of old.
Overnight at Lamin Dana with dinner. Lamin Dana is an Authentic Melanau Style Tallhouse Replica and as such there are no private washroom or attached bathrooms. Lunch is at your own expense either in Sibu or Dalat or packed lunch depending on water level.
On Sundays, the sago factory will be closed. Advisable to schedule tours that end on Saturdays to see the Sago Factory and processing of sago cookies.
Meals: Dinner.
After breakfast, take a leisure boat cruise along the dark mysterious brackish waters of Tellian River & Misan River. Visit the local sago processing centre, a cottage industry that produces Sago Pearl the traditional way. Sago pearls are exported all over the world for various uses in food and beverages such as “Chendol” or “ABC”, a local delicacy being the most prolific.
Proceed to the Mukah market where you experience locals trading and carrying on with daily activities. Go “Bizarre Food” and sample Siet (Sago Worm) and Umai (Fresh Raw Fish). This will earn you bragging rights when you go home with the prized photos of you savouring these two famous dishes.
After a late lunch in Lamin Dana, visit Lamin Dana Handicraft Centre, to learn and understand about Melanau handicraft and how important Sago Palm is to the Melanau People. Sunset rendezvous at the Pesta Kaul sites near the beach. Dinner & enjoy watching fireflies among the trees in Lamin Dana if the weather condition is good. The sago tour may not exactly follow the sequence depending on the water level.
No sago activities on Sundays due to traditional and religious practices.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Breakfast at Lamin Dana. Enjoy a walk in the nearby village and witness the mystical hollow burial pole, the Jerunei up close and personal. Free & Easy until transfer to Mukah Airport for Kuching or Miri or overland trip to the other part of Sarawak Borneo.
Meals: Breakfast.
Good To Know
- We recommend guests bring your own refillable water bottles and avoid using one-off plastic water bottles.
- During our tours, we recycle wherever possible, and try to keep our waste as low as possible. We discourage the use of plastic bags, and suggest that you bring your own dry bag or small waterproof backpack.
- Check out OUR RESPONSIBLE TOURISM COMMITMENT.(opens in a new tab)
See What Our Guests Are Saying
Well, we have done the Wetlands wildlife morning cruise, the Bako one day tour and the Anah Rais+kayaking daytrip. Very nice places and not hard exercise (european people must be a bit careful with hard trekkings in Borneo, we are not used to so high humidity).
Very well organised activities. Good guides and drivers. They are always on time, kind and skilled. Absolutely not-crowded activities, this was fantastic (maximum 4 people).
Premises of Paradesa are well located, easy to find. Very professional people there too. You can arrange little questions with no problem, so you can make good use of each one of your days in Kuching. We have really enjoyed this place. Visit Sarawak!!
