Orang Ulu Sarawak Cultural Village
An Orang Ulu longhouse on stilts
Walkway up to the Orang Ulu longhouseLonghouses are also built on uneven terrain, so there will be a wooden staircase leading up to the longhouse’s main entrance. As you walk up, you will notice intricate carvings and painted murals on the longhouse stilt poles.
Longhouse EntranceAs I reached the main entrance of the longhouse, a single log staircase leads me to the door. This hand-carved log can only take one person up at a time, and you then enter the amazing world of the Orang Ulu people.
Orang Ulu Tree Of Life muralA unique mural of ‘The Tree Of Life’ with nature-inspired creepers reflected in overlapping curves in different directions is painted on the main walls of the longhouse.
Orang Ulu warrior shields and vestInside the longhouse, there are various sections where a variety of items are being displayed. You see most of the Orang Ulu craft and even some weapons there.
Orang Ulu tattoo kitAt one of the tables lies an authentic traditional Orang Ulu tattoo kit. A guide there will even show you how traditional tattoos are done without piercing your skin.
Several other handcrafted items like baskets and mats are also displayed inside the longhouse, and none of the items is for sale, just in case you decide to want some of them.
Orang Ulu Sape making process
The veranda of the longhouse is most interesting. I found that this is my favourite place in the entire Cultural Village.
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| Orang Ulu Sape |
Spending his free days carving and painting the Sape guitar, the master craftsman then fine-tunes it, tests it, and puts it on sale at the souvenir shop.
The Sape is a mandolin-like instrument with a peculiarly Celtic sound when played. Some professionals actually rig it up to a speaker for a better effect. The strings alternate between high and low keys and are not similar sounding to the common guitar.
Orang Ulu womenThe Orang Ulu women are mostly skilled in various crafts like weaving and bead-working. Some of the bead-working from the Orang Ulu are considered the best among all the tribes.
Orang Ulu beadworkThe bead-working skills of the Orang Ulu are handed down from mother to daughter, and among the items they would bead are bangles, necklaces and headgear, which are often given away as gifts to others.
Also, at the longhouse, Orang Ulu girls in traditional costumes or uniforms wait for guests to arrive where they will perform a traditional dance at the veranda of the longhouse.
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| A beautiful Orang ulu girl. |
When you leave the Orang Ulu longhouse and make your way to the next place, you will come across one of the huts where a weaponsmith is seen making some traditional weapons.
Finally, I would recommend this place to those interested in Sarawak’s culture and heritage. The main reason for visiting the Sarawak Cultural Village is that not many people have the luxury of exploring deep in the interiors of the Sarawak jungles to visit the original longhouses.
- RM 60.00 (US$20) (Adult)
- RM 30.00 (US$10) (Child: 6-12 years old)
- Free for Children aged under 6.
- Tickets can be purchased at the Entrance of Sarawak Cultural Village.
- You can also get it from the authorized local travel agents around Sarawak.
0900 – 1700 daily
1600 – 1645
Sarawak Cultural Village Address;
Pantai Damai, Santubong,
P.O.Box 2632, 93752 Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia.
Telephone: (6082) 846 411
Fax: (6082) 846 988
Email: enquiry@scv.com.my
Website: http://www.scv.com.my/
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| Orang Ulu woman dancer |
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