Sarawak is also a land of sprawling rainforests, thriving wildlife, cultural diversity and mouth-watering delicacies in every nook and corner.
Particularly memorable is the Sarawak Cultural Village, an award-winning living museum spanning 6.8 hectares and located about an hour from Sarawak’s capital of Kuching.
This cultural village is a favourite stopover of native Sarawakian Nancy Shukri, the country’s tourism, arts and culture minister.
According to Nancy, the cultural village can best be described as a “mini-Sarawak”.
She says a stop at this traditional village is a must while on holiday here as one is able to see replicas of traditional homes that Malay, Melanau, Chinese, Bidayuh and Iban families used to live in.
It also gives the curious tourist a once-in-a-lifetime peek into the everyday lives of the people as well as their rich, unique culture and heritage.
“It’s also the setting for the biennial Rainforest World Music Festival, one of the most popular events for locals and tourists alike.”
She said yet another must-visit destination is the larger-than-life Mulu Caves that have been declared a Unesco heritage site.
“The caves are one of the best destinations to showcase Sarawak to the world. One cave is so huge, it can accommodate a 747 plane,” she said, adding that she has stood in its very depths and found it to be a humbling and awe-inspiring experience.
“There’s quite a number of other caves as well that will be of interest to trekking and caving enthusiasts.”
She added that while doing a spot of touring in the city centre can be fascinating, venturing out on the road less travelled can give one a more in-depth and profound feel of what Sarawak is truly all about.
“In my own constituency of Batang Sadong, which is my pride, we have the longest river-crossing bridge in all Malaysia – the Batang Sadong bridge.
“We are hosting the Batang Sadong bridge marathon run soon, and I would like to see more people coming in to witness that event,” she said.
Sarawak is also well known for its wide range of mouth-watering hawker favourites that are simply too hard to resist.
While the classics like mee kolo and laksa are well-known and much loved, she encourages tourists to sample the more unique delicacies and specialities that the state has to offer.
Take Burasak, for instance. A specialty of the Bugis people, Burasak is a rice dumpling cooked with coconut milk, and packed in a banana leaf pouch.
Meanwhile Sarawak’s version of prawn mee is noodles dunked in a sumptuous, flavourful broth made from prawns harvested from the rivers native to the area.
“Tourists should also try the ikan terobok, a local fish from nearby rivers. This fish is best enjoyed with a steaming hot serving of sayur midin.”
Feeling deep pride and love for her home state, Nancy acknowledged however that many misconceptions still persist about Sarawak and its people, the most common being that its natives live on trees.
She said it is her mission to promote the “real” Sarawak, a state that has embraced development and modernity yet is profoundly proud of its rich culture, racial diversity, warm hospitality and natural heritage.
Nancy said she hoped more tourists, both foreign and domestic, would take a chance on Sarawak once its borders were fully open to international travel.