Destinations: Bario

Trekking The Heritage Of Bario

Text by ED JUNAIDI ABU BAKAR Images by DISHEN KUMAR & SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD

Forty minutes after leaving Miri Airport on MASWings DHC-6 Twin Otter, we approach Kelabit Highlands. Still sleepy from the Kuala Lumpur-to-Miri morning flight earlier, I peek from the aircraft window and witness the great aerial view of Batang Baram (Baram River), Malaysia’s second longest river that originates from Kelabit Highlands and home to many Orang Ulu tribes, including Kayan, Kenyah, Berawan, and the shy and semi-nomadic Penan. Along this fascinating river is the world’s second largest cave passage listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site: Gunung Mulu National Park, and the lesserknown Loagan Bunut National Park.

But we were not heading to Mulu. Our intended destination is actually Bario, famous for its rice, pineapple and – as we discover during this trip – the best instant curry noodle in Malaysia. During this trip, we stay at Bario Asal Lembaa longhouse settlement.

Bario is made up of a vast highland plateau that lies 1,000 metres above sea-level in the north-eastern corner of Sarawak and is home to a number of small indigenous villages. Surrounded by mountains, cultural sites, agricultural landscape and tropical rainforest, Bario is undeniably one of the most beautiful rural locations in Malaysia that deserves conservation and protection.

The indigenous community that has been living in Bario for over 4,000 years is called Kelabit, whose members today face challenges like rampant modernisation and deforestation. Over the years, about 65% of the younger population have migrated due to lack of facilities and jobs in Bario. Today, it is estimated that slightly more than 1,000 Kelabit people remain in Bario.

Kelabit tribes, like others in Borneo, are close-knit. Each Kelabit tribe dwell in a traditional longhouse. These days, the longhouse has been modernised yet still retains its cultural functions and aspects. Many such longhouses have to be rebuilt several times due to disasters, especially fire. Since the longhouse is in a remote location in the highlands and inaccessible for the fire brigade to reach it, Volvo assisted the community by equipping the longhouses, including the eco-shelters situated along the 25-kilometre Bario ancestral jungle trail, with fire-fighting system. As a matter of fact, all are also equipped with such facility.

The Kelabit longhouse is impressively stands on many strong pillars, raised four metres above ground and walled by rough wooden planks or bamboo that are joined together using rattan seams. The roof of the longhouse is high and made of thick thatch. In my observation, many parts of the longhouse these days have been replaced with zinc, plywood and cement. Traditionally, the stairs were made from chopped logs but nowadays the staircases are made of thick wooden planks or bricks and cement.

The Kelabit longhouse is distinctive compared to the longhouses belonging to the other indigenous communities in Sarawak. The differences can be seen in the layout of the building, which comprises a shared long hall as the tribe’s main public space called tawa; rooms for each family to stay; and another long hall at the back of the rooms called dalim; a family area; and a kitchen. Dalim is usually smoky because there is a hearth at the back of each room. For Kelabit people, the hearth is very important as the family’s gathering place, thus dominating the layout of the building due to its significance.

The longhouse where we stay, Bario Asal Lembaa, is an important settlement in Bario as it has been recognised as the oldest longhouse since the times when Kelabits settled in the area. Although touches of modernisation can be seen, this longhouse maintains most of its traditional characteristics. During most nights in Bario, my fellow media travelling companions and I gather around the hearth to enjoy Bario coffee and local delicacies like the dried buffalo meat strips and delicious fresh fruits like pineapples and mangoes!

On the second day of our stay in Bario, we hike up to one of the five ecoshelters along the Kelabit ancestral trail to check out how an eco-shelter sponsored by Volvo Trucks looks like. The eco-shelters are built not only for tourists but also for the Penans and Kelabits who commute along this 25-kilometre ancestral trail leading deeper into the thick rainforest along hilly terrain to a place called Batu Lawi, a twin-peaked mountain in the Kelabit Highlands. Batu Lawi is sacred to both Penans and Kelabits; these tribes have been commuting on foot along the trail for over two thousand years. The trail and Batu Lawi, therefore, are steep in legend and myth.

The trail, however, is not for beginners. Even skilled and experienced hikers would find it challenging having to hike along hilly terrains, cross rivers, get stuck in muddy pathways and climb steep mountain slopes. Some parts of the trail are merely soft soil and can be unsuspectingly dangerous.

When the locals say that the 25-kilometre trail is a three-day hike for them, it actually means six to seven days of a hike for the rest of us! Before we begin hiking to the eco-shelter, locals say that it takes four hours to get there, but we end up doing seven hours one way!

We started off in high spirits but falter along the way as the trail becomes more and more challenging. It first passes by village houses, farms and paddy fields but then it gets harder when we enter the forest. We made it to the ecoshelter number 2 (the closest shelter to the village) after seven exhausting hours.

The eco-shelters, although funded by Volvo Trucks, were actually built by the Kelabits and Penans. All building materials were brought in on foot. No trees were cut down to build the shelters and most of the logs used were bought from outside Bario and carried into the jungle on foot.

These shelters are basic. Each of them is erected four metres above ground with basic toilet and basic shower room. Most of them are also equipped with a simple rainwater harvesting system – those without the system use water from a nearby source. There are literally zero amenities being placed inside the shelters but enough to protect hikers who stay the night from wild animals. We were told that there is a plan to bring in more amenities to facilitate hikers who need to rest there. If travellers plan to hike the trail and stay the night, bring along a sleeping bag and enough amenities to stay clean and comfortable.

Personally, I find the trail challenging. However, if a traveller can plan the hike properly, it would be a great experience to hike into the thick rainforest jungle of the Kelabit Highlands. I totally recommend Mr Julian from Bario Asal Lembaa to guide through the jungle because he is one of the most experienced, knowledgeable and remarkably patient man to get anyone through the challenging ancestral trail. Perhaps, we push ourselves too hard to get to the eco-shelter because we did not have much time and we had to complete the hike in a day. Travellers with more time should stay a night at one of the shelters before heading back to Bario village.

Bario is not just about hiking along the ancestral trail. Other activities that can be done here are village sightseeing, hiking to the waterfall, freshwater fishing trips, watching wildlife and nature, mountain biking, kayaking and boat riding, camping, farming and working in the paddy field. Please check the activity’s level of difficulty first before doing. For event goers, there are two main events in Bario that make the destination worth visiting: Bario Trail Run (www.bariotrailrun.com) in September and Bario Food & Cultural Festival called Nukenen Festival (www.sarawaktourism.com/event/pestanukenen-bario-food-cultural-festival), typically in July or August.

Reminders

There is virtually no ATM machine in Bario. Internet connection and telecommunication is poor. The Internet can be accessed at the community hall and internet centre only. Neither Grab or e-hailing services nor taxis or buses are available. Travellers need to arrange their own transportation. To move around, bicycles can be rented from any of the community service providers. Take note that Waze too does not work in Bario. Travellers should download offline maps via Google Map before flying to Bario.

Last but not least: do not go into the jungle alone.

Getting to Bario

• Unless you prefer driving on a four-wheel drive (4WD) through the rainforest that would typically take 10 to 14 hours to reach Bario, the only other way to get there is to fly on a small Twin Otter plane from Miri, operated by MASWings, Malaysia Airlines’ rural flight service. A direct flight from Miri to Bario takes about 40 to 50 minutes, depending on weather, which might be unpredictable in the highlands, causing delays and cancellations. Travellers are advised to prepare for last-minute changes and eventualities.

• The maximum capacity for an 18-seater Twin Otter plane is 10KG for check-in baggage and 5kg for hand carry. A fee of RM1 per kg is chargeable for each extra kilogram; please travel light to avoid unnecessary charges.

• Travellers can fly to Miri from Kuala Lumpur or other domestic destinations in Malaysia using Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia or Firefly.

For ground arrangement enquiries, contact Mr Julian at +6 011 2508 1114 or browse Visit Bario Instagram page or Bario Reality Tourism Facebook page. You can also get in touch with Bario Highlands Guide Council via barioguide@gmail.com.

Check out barioexperience.com too for more information.