Responsible tourism in Sarawak
Responsible tourism in Sarawak is about creating value around unspoilt jungle, natural waterways and forest habitats for local communities. The importance of the Sarawak’s unique culture and nature is finally being recognised by travellers, photographers, wildlife fans and adventure-seekers, and as it steps out independently from the shadows of both Sabah and Borneo, responsible tourists from across the globe are travelling here to see these natural riches and to contribute to their protection. Far from the stampedes of mainland Southeast Asia, tourism here is largely being developed sensitively and sustainably. Income contributes to the wellbeing of communities, the preservation of the forests and of course, the orangutan rehabilitation centres. The steady yet controlled growth of tourism across Sarawak could provide hope for the survival of its most endangered species and its unique way of life, just as long as it’s done well.
Our Sarawak Holidays
Sarawak family holiday
An action-packed holiday got the whole family to enjoy!
From
£1088
9 days
ex flights
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
From
£855
8 days
ex flights
Sarawak wildlife & beach holiday
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
From
£1102 to £1390
10 days
ex flights
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
From
£1744
13 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife holiday, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure holiday in Sarawak
From
£2895
14 days
inc UK flights
Singapore and Sarawak holidays
A wildlife and Cultural Holiday to Singapore and Sarawak
From
£3095
15 days
inc UK flights
Orangutan conservation holiday in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
From
£1195
13 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife cycling holiday
Ultimate Borneo wildlife experience on two wheels
From
MYR8242
9 days
ex flights
Borneo tour, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei
Exotic Trans-Borneo Overland from Rainforest to Beach
From
US $1398
13 days
ex flights
Luxury beach holiday in Borneo & Orangutans
Relaxation in one of nature's most picturesque settings
From
£1915
13 days
inc UK flights
Wild Borneo holiday, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including Deramakot
From
£4340
18 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak and Singapore holiday
Discover beautiful Sarawak with a 2 night Singapore stopover
From
£1720
15 days
ex flights
Sarawak cultural tour in Borneo
A cultural jungle adventure through Sarawak
From
£3515
15 days
inc UK flights
Borneo wildlife holiday
Showcasing the best of Borneo - wildlife, rainforests and tropical beaches
From
£4099 to £4649
17 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak off the beaten track tour
Explore Remote Sarawak’s Coastal and Interior Region
From
MYR3646 to MYR5814
7 days
ex flights
Borneo cycling holiday, Headhunters Heartland
An epic ride into The Iban Heartland
From
MYR7626
7 days
ex flights
Orangutan volunteering in Borneo
Volunteer at an award-winning orangutan rehabilitation centre in Malaysian Borneo
From
£795 to £1995
8 days
ex flights
Sarawak rainforest cycling tour, Borneo
Discover the sights, sounds & taste of authentic Sarawak
From
MYR6600
8 days
ex flights
Borneo tour, Orangutans and Iban
Spotting wild orangutans and meeting indigenous tribes
From
£3899 to £3999
16 days
ex flights
Sarawak and Sabah holiday, tailor made
Tailor made Sarawak and Sabah adventure holiday
From
£3795
17 days
inc UK flights
Borneo holiday, Sarawak highlights
Wildlife, Orangutans, longhouse stay & beach in Sarawak
From
£2296
13 days
ex flights
Sabah & Sarawak holiday in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
From
£2535
14 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak holiday, wildlife adventure
Tailor-made wildlife and turtle holiday to Sarawak
From
£2770
15 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak 5 day cultural tour
Explore Sarawak’s remote and fascinating coastal region
From
MYR3568 to MYR5201
5 days
ex flights
Highlights of Borneo group tour
Small-group culture and wildlife tour of Borneo
From
£3075 to £3295
14 days
inc UK flights
Borneo tailor made tour
A Borneo holiday tailor-made for the adventurous traveller.
From
£2256
12 days
ex flights
Borneo small group adventure holiday
A varied and exciting 2-week Borneo tour of Sabah & Sarawak
From
£1735 to £1785
13 days
ex flights
Wildlife & environment
Reforestation
Huge steps are being made across Sarawak to conserve and manage its valuable and unique forests. In addition to some 800,000 hectares of Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) that are off-limit to logging companies, large areas of land classed as ‘terrain 4’ (steep and hilly) areas, ‘High Conservation Value Forests’, buffer zones and verified ‘Native Customary Rights’ land remain pristine. In addition, Sarawak has adopted a land-use policy that provides for the long-term economic well being of the State, which includes provisions for a sustainable forestry sector based on a targeted 6 million hectares of natural forests, and a further 1 million hectares of planted forests, and a robust agriculture sector based on a targeted 3 million hectares of agro plantations and smallholdings.What you can do
Visiting Sarawak’s national parks and protected areas and paying fees contributes to the upkeep of these fragile forests – much of them pristine primary growth – and protects the unique wildlife that lives within them.
Some operators offer the chance to get involved in reforestation initiatives; park buffer zones are extremely important in increasing the available habitat for wildlife, so by extending the forest cover you are helping to protect what lives within it.
Orangutans: volunteering - responsibly
After hearing about the plight of the world’s last orangutans, it’s natural to leap at the opportunity to volunteer with them, and to support their conservation. However, philanthropic travellers should take a step back: choosing the wrong volunteer placement is not just worthless – it can actually cause even more harm. A common cold can quickly kill a baby orangutan, and spread rapidly throughout the group. Additionally, fully wild orangutans will avoid contact with people; it is the ones who have become habituated to our presence that are caught straying on plantations or farmland – or attacking a human. So any contact they have with people reduces their chances of successful rehabilitation, and reintroduction into the wild.
Stef Studley, from our supplier Regent Holidays, explains the company's stance: “I get so many requests from people who want to hold an orangutan, which is understandable because they’re so lovely, but it’s a really bad idea – they aren’t pets, they’re 96 percent the same as humans, so the chances of them picking up an infection is enormous if they’re handled by someone who might not be well. A responsible volunteer programme will make sure its handlers have lots of jabs and a thorough check over beforehand. We recommend sponsoring orangutans through reputable charities such as Orangutan Appeal UK.”
Harriet Whitmarsh, from our supplier The Great Traveller, explains more: “Now and again you do come across a project that allows hands-on volunteering – however, these volunteers will have been in quarantine for ten days, and the tests you have to go through are quite rigorous. There is also quite a significant amount of training – this just isn’t suitable for someone on a two-week holiday.”
Harriet Whitmarsh, from our supplier The Great Traveller, explains more: “Now and again you do come across a project that allows hands-on volunteering – however, these volunteers will have been in quarantine for ten days, and the tests you have to go through are quite rigorous. There is also quite a significant amount of training – this just isn’t suitable for someone on a two-week holiday.”
What you can do
Pick your placement well. Most involve daily tasks such as cleaning, constructing and repairing enclosures, building climbing frames and maintaining paths. You should never be offered the chance to come into contact with the orangutans themselves to avoid the spread of disease.
Do your research – find out more about the place you will be volunteering, including the kind of work you will be doing there and where your money will end up. One way to do this is to check online traveller review sites; the reviews on Responsible Travel are also unedited and honest.
Think outside the rehabilitation centres, and look for initiatives that work with rural communities and conservation. Community tourism allows local people to make money from the forest in its natural state, thus reducing the incentives for logging and poaching, and empowering them to stand up to big businesses. Planting fruit trees on the edge of a national park may sound less glamorous and exotic than snuggling a baby orangutan – but it’s far, far more helpful in the long term.
Read more about Orangutan conservation here
Pick your placement well. Most involve daily tasks such as cleaning, constructing and repairing enclosures, building climbing frames and maintaining paths. You should never be offered the chance to come into contact with the orangutans themselves to avoid the spread of disease.
Do your research – find out more about the place you will be volunteering, including the kind of work you will be doing there and where your money will end up. One way to do this is to check online traveller review sites; the reviews on Responsible Travel are also unedited and honest.
Think outside the rehabilitation centres, and look for initiatives that work with rural communities and conservation. Community tourism allows local people to make money from the forest in its natural state, thus reducing the incentives for logging and poaching, and empowering them to stand up to big businesses. Planting fruit trees on the edge of a national park may sound less glamorous and exotic than snuggling a baby orangutan – but it’s far, far more helpful in the long term.
Read more about Orangutan conservation here
People & culture
Positive community tourism
Sarawak is home to thousands of endemic species, 40 indigenous groups including sea gypsies, longhouse-dwelling communities and former head-hunting tribes, and one of the largest rainforests remaining in the world, so as well as the incredible wildlife, a Sarawak holiday has everything a cultural traveller could ask for. Longtail boat trips upstream through the emerald green waters of the Batang Ai reservoir are a truly mesmeric way to reach the remote villages of its near impenetrable jungle; the skilled Iban boatman will manoeuvre your boat around huge black boulders in the lake and treetops that emerge from the water as a visual reminder of the valley that flooded in 1980 to create the reservoir. And there’s plenty of chance to get stuck in locally too, with floating markets and living museums. Don’t overlook a rustic longhouse homestay; the Iban of Sarawak are famous for their longhouses, sharing communal life with dozens of local tribespeople. It’s a seductive and incredibly enriching experience.
What you can do
Community tourism is a way for visitors to learn about local traditions; for local communities to continue practicing them and sharing the knowledge with younger generations; and for people to demonstrate that their culture, their sustainable way of life and their knowledge is valuable – even in the modern world. Some of the best community tourism projects are in Sarawak, where you can stay in a communal longhouse and live alongside the tribe knowing that your money will go directly into their community and conservation initiatives.
Community tourism is a way for visitors to learn about local traditions; for local communities to continue practicing them and sharing the knowledge with younger generations; and for people to demonstrate that their culture, their sustainable way of life and their knowledge is valuable – even in the modern world. Some of the best community tourism projects are in Sarawak, where you can stay in a communal longhouse and live alongside the tribe knowing that your money will go directly into their community and conservation initiatives.
Harriet Whitmarsh, from our supplier The Great Projects: “Our project is in Batang Ai, where there are wild orangutans. You stay with a local Dayak tribe and go out trekking with them in the forest, which provides local jobs. It really does help.”
Responsible tourism tips
Responsible Travel would like to thank the Sarawak tourist board for their sponsorship of this guide
More about Sarawak
Learn the best time to visit Sarawak in terms of the weather with our month by month guide.
Make the most of your time with our map of highlights and suggested itineraries.
There's lots to do in Sarawak from trekking in national parks to tribal homestays.
The culture and heritage of the Lun Bawang people is at the core of Sarawak community tourism.
There are some 30 Sarawak national parks, all extraordinary, all very different.
Sarawak adventure holidays take you into some of Asia's most spectacular natural landscapes.
The Rainforest World Music Festival is one of Sarawak's greatest cultural events.
Community led conservation projects in Sarawak offer life affirming experiences for visitors.
With over 20 Important Bird Areas and plenty of national parks too, Sarawak is birdwatching bliss.
Batang Ai National Park is a superb place to see endangered orangutan in the wild.
Exploring the culture in Sarawak is one of the key reasons to visit the Land of the Hornbills.
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The joys of a short tour to Sarawak are as clear as the waters of its many dive sites.
The fascinating heritage of the Brooke dynasty can be seen across Sarawak.
Sarawak wildlife ranges from endangered orangutans to proboscis monkeys and sea turtles.
Sarawak multi activity holidays let you experience stunning natural landscapes and tribal culture.
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