Travelholic: July 2017

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Sarawak Cultural Village : An Open Air Living Musuem

Land of The Hornbills.

Where Adventure Lives.

More Than Paradise.

These are names given to Sarawak. All of which I wholeheartedly agree.

I always believe that the cultural village of any country is good; it is impossible for us to venture throughout every single country and learn their history, culture and customs.

After visiting plenty cultural villages - both local and abroad - I realized that our very own cultural villages is at par with those I’ve seen. And I am truly impressed and in love with Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), located at the foot of Gunung Santubung. Rich in history, culture and heritage, rewarded with beautiful natural wonders, blessed with charming heartfelt warmness, Sarawak boasts a complete package that every traveller can only call paradise.

Sarawak Cultural Village is an open air living museum portraying the cultural and heritage of Sarawak’s main ethnicities, showcasing handicrafts, food, weapon, fashion as well as dances. The houses that one can experience here are the Orang Ulu Longhouse, the Melanau Tall House, the Bidayuh Longhouse, the Iban Longhouse, the Malay Kampung House and the Chinese Farm House. Every house has its unique characteristic and ethnic showcase, hence no two houses are the same hence I advise that you allocate few hours if you plan to visit this enchanting place. Another thing you should check out is the local food being served at the cafeteria, from ayam pansuh to umai to uban goreng belacan; the food here will surely excite your palate.

My first experience of the Sarawak Cultural Village was awe-inspiring. The first thing that came to mind was the museum I visited in Romania. I tend to travel with minimal planning, letting my feet carve my path. That's what happened in Romania, taking me to a living museum. And since then, my benchmark for cultural villages is Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum in Bucharest, Romania. The one in Stockholm couldn't really compete. These are my thoughts on a living museum of which Sarawak Cultural Village met the mark.

The SCV team were friendly & knowledgeable, which is key as visitors will have a lot of questions to ask and they have to be fed with accurate information.
The longhouses and tall houses in SVC were modeled as close to an original authentic home, as how it should be; the closest best.
Having the locals to represent their ethnic homes, heritage and culture nailed it.
SCV keeping it to 5 main ethnicity was a good move : Iban, Bidayuh, Ulu, Melanau, Penan, as well as Malay and Chinese home.

Bidayuh Longhouse

SCV educates visitors on Bidayuh's custom & culture.

Iban Longhouse

The art of weaving beads that enthrall us.

Penan Hut
SCV taught us on Sarawak's jungle nomad: Orang Penan.

Orang Ulu Longhouse

We learnt from SCV on Orang Ulu's sword craftsmanship.

Melanau Tall House

It's Melanau Tall House not longhouse, we found out at SCV.

Malay Kampung House

It portrays the simplicity of Malay kampung house with local delicacies.

Chinese Farm House

It is a farmer’s house with the usual oriental décor and the only home here that is floored by the earth.

And at Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), your visit will end with performance which will blow your mind away. The SCV mini concert should not be missed!

So, my verdict on #Sarawak Cultural Village?