A ROUGH DIAMOND

Often overlooked by modern travellers, Malaysia's Sarawak offers a rare blend of cultural diversity and untouched heritage

- STORY AND PHOTOS: THANA BOONLERT

Kuching has many cat statues. An indigenous performance at the Sarawak Cultural Village. Annah Rais Bidayuh Longhouse.

On the way to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, I had a short transit in Kuala Lumpur. Some first-time visitors, including me, were wondering why we were required to clear immigration, given that the mainland and a stretch along the coast of Borneo, separated by the South China Sea, are in the same country.

"Sarawak and Sabah are in Malaysia, but people and languages here are different," said Louis, our local guide, on the first night of our arrival in Kuching.

Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah (formerly known as North Borneo) and Singapore, which later withdrew, formed Malaysia in 1963. However, visitors need to clear immigration, including Malaysians from Malaya and Sabah, when they enter Sarawak. "It is because we have three separate independences," Louis explained.

The largest state of Malaysia, Sarawak has a complex history. It came under Brunei's rule until British adventurer James Brooke, the first "White Rajah", arrived in 1839. His family's rule lasted for a century until 1946, when Sarawak became a British Crown Colony. After being granted self-government, it joined the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Since the 1980s, this multi-ethnic country has experienced rapid growth. Still, many including Thais, are not familiar with Sarawak. Some have not even heard of it. Besides a lack of knowledge, direct flights from Bangkok to Kuching are not available.

But if visitors cross the vast gap to Sarawak, they will experience a charm that lies in its blend of island tradition with modernity. While opening up to the outside world, it still retains a leisurely tradition that attracts those in need of the slow life.

"It is like a little-bit-polished diamond," said Louis.

DISCOVERING ANCESTRAL ROOTS