This Trail begins in Kuching, the charming and historic capital of the
white Rajahs. Established by Sir James Brooke in 1841, Kuching still has
many grand colonial buildings, a corner of Victorian England set in a lush
and tropical background.
The State capital of Sarawak, one of the states within the Federation of
Malaysia, Kuching,is like no other city in Malaysia, displaying its charm
with an easy grace. The name "kuching" in Malay means cat. There are many
theories as to how the name came about but the most likely explanation is
that the name comes from Mata Kuching (the Cat's Eye Fruit), a close
relative to the lychee fruit that used to grow in abundance along the
riverbank here.
Kuching's city center is still well preserved and compact and most sights
worth seeing can be reached on foot or by water taxi There are ornate
Chinese temples, quaint Malay villages, many fine examples of architecture
dating from the Brooke Era and a number of interesting museums, including
the world famous Sarawak Museum.
Proceed to into the heartland of Borneo into Iban country, The Iban, the largest of the 22 tribal groups in Sarawak, are originally from Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). They began emigrating to present day Sarawak 3 to 4 centuries ago. The Ibans, whose name was synonymous with headhunting in the old days, were highly successful in their military prowess, dominating all the other tribes in Sarawak. Culturally, they are one of the most vibrant ethnic groups. Their superb woven textiles, which are intimately tied to their headhunting rituals, rank in artistry and technique with the finest Persian carpets. The rural communities still practise the ancient form of swidden or "slash and burn" agriculture and are intimately connected with the land.
We shall visit several rural Iban communities and partake of their hospitality between a challenging walk/trek through quite mountainous areas where the orang utan still occur n the wild. Apart from field observations, have an insightful look at how the modern day Iban community interact with the indigenous orang utan population. Learn about how conservation measures could work in these communities to ensure the survival of one of the world's great apes.
