Culture in Sarawak
Our Sarawak Holidays
Sarawak family holiday
An action-packed holiday got the whole family to enjoy!
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
Sarawak and Singapore holiday
Discover beautiful Sarawak with a 2 night Singapore stopover
Borneo wildlife holiday, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure holiday in Sarawak
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
Singapore and Sarawak holidays
A wildlife and Cultural Holiday to Singapore and Sarawak
Sarawak holiday, wildlife adventure
Tailor-made wildlife and turtle holiday to Sarawak
Borneo tailor made tour
A Borneo holiday tailor-made for the adventurous traveller.
Sarawak cultural tour in Borneo
A cultural jungle adventure through Sarawak
Borneo tour, Orangutans and Iban
Spotting wild orangutans and meeting indigenous tribes
Sarawak 5 day cultural tour
Explore Sarawak’s remote and fascinating coastal region
Iban longhouse experience in Sarawak, Malaysia
Take a 3 Day Tour to be part of the Iban Tribe!
Sabah & Sarawak holiday in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
Borneo holiday, Sarawak highlights
Wildlife, Orangutans, longhouse stay & beach in Sarawak
Sarawak off the beaten track tour
Explore Remote Sarawak’s Coastal and Interior Region
Land of the Hornbills

The Iban
The largest group of Dayaks by far is the Iban people, with many different branches that are often named according to where they live, and a shared language spun off into countless dialects. The Iban consider themselves protectors of Sarawak’s endangered orangutans, which they believe carry the souls of their ancestors. Theirs is some of the most intricate of tribal tattoo artwork on Sarawak, once used to symbolise the heroism of warriors.The Kayan
Expert blacksmiths and proficient rice-growers, the heavily tattooed Kayan people were once fearsome headhunters. Their longhouses are found on riverbanks, and most Kayan are now Christian, their former religious practices included shamanism and gauging the future by the behaviour and entrails of animals.The Kelabit
Living in the Bario Highlands, the Kelabit are a small group, with entire communities usually sharing one large longhouse. Skilled carvers, they live on a mainly vegetarian diet with rice the staple of most dishes, and in the past were known for using salt as a form of currency.The Kenyah
Comprising some 40 ethnic subgroups, the Kenyah people have much in common with the Kayan, though they speak different languages. The Kenyah are renowned for their creativity especially when it comes to folk music, and performances are a frequent highlight of Sarawak tours.The Orang Ulu
This upriver people live deep in Sarawak’s forested interior. The Lun Bawang are self sufficient, farming, hunting and fishing; while another sub-group, the Penan, are the last nomadic people in Sarawak, and some of the world’s last hunter gatherers, hunting with blowpipes, defiant in the face of deforestation that threatens their land, and resisting government efforts to resettle them in permanent kampongs.The Bidayuh
Known for the potency of their rice whisky moonshine, the Bidayuh are most frequently found in the hill country around Kuching. They are stewards of the ancestrally important Fairy Cave in Bau, a popular climbing destination. If you do any kayaking along the Sarawak River during your trip, the chances are you’ll be guided by a member of the Bidayuh tribe.
Longhouse stays
Batang Ai National Park is a sacred place for the Iban. You can trek through rainforest or travel along the river by boat to stay in a longhouse, where you’ll have a glimpse into the lives of people who have stewarded the forest for generations, perhaps helping them with mending fishing nets, weaving rattan backpacks or planting food. The river journey is particularly atmospheric, as skillful Iban boatmen steer around the branches of sunken trees and great black boulders on the way to remote villages.Sleeping arrangements in longhouses are, as you would expect, quite basic, but comfortable enough. You may help your hosts with preparing dinner, and in the evenings you’ll often be guests at a performance of traditional music and dance. Some longhouses have a slightly unnerving feature of interior design; headhunting was a common practice between warring Dayak tribes until the first White Rajah largely stamped it out, but there are a few communities that still keep a collection of old shrunken heads around.
Sarawak Cultural Village
Outside Kuching, the Sarawak Cultural Village is an award winning ‘living museum’ that showcases the state’s remarkable cultural diversity. There are authentic replica buildings representing major Dayak groupings, craft and cookery lessons, an on-site theatre and music workshops that use traditional instruments. You can also find an excellent introduction to Sarawak’s tribes in the vast ethnographic collection at the Sarawak Museum in Kuching, founded by Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah.Our top Sarawak Holiday
Sarawak family holiday
An action-packed holiday got the whole family to enjoy!
Everything is tweak-able, giving you the freedom to build a unique and personal trip for your chosen date. Upgrade your accommodation for all - or just part - of your trip, slow down the pace with few extra nights here and there or add a few more active adventures along the way.
The Brooke Dynasty
Sarawak Festivals

Responsible Travel would like to thank the Sarawak tourist board for their sponsorship of this guide