VILLAGE TOURISM
Tourism growth
potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The development
of a strong platform around the concept of Rural Tourism is definitely useful
for a country like Malaysia, at West Malaysia Sabah and Sarawak Across the
world the trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric
approach. Alongside, the stresses of Urban lifestyles have led to a
“counter urbanization” syndrome. This has led to growing interest in the rural
areas. At the same time this trend of urbanization has led to falling income
levels, lesser job opportunities in the total areas leading to an urbanization
syndrome in the rural areas.
Rural Tourism is
one of the few activities which can provide a solution to these problems.
Besides, there are other factors which are shifting the trend towards rural
tourism like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and
culture and improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness. In the
developed countries, this has resulted in a new style of tourism of visiting
village settings to experience and live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. This
concept has taken the shape of a formal kind of Rural Tourism. Under this
Scheme, thrust will be to promote village tourism as the primary tourism
product to spread tourism and its socio-economic benefits to rural and its new
geographic regions.
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weLcOmE To sArAwAk cUlTuRaL viLLaGe |
Known as the 'Living Museum', the Cultural Village was set up to preserve and showcase Sarawak's cultural heritage. Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from the state capital, Kuching, it is the perfect place to get introduced to local culture and lifestyle.
Sprawled across 17 acres, there are about 150 people living in the village, demonstrating traditional daily activities from Sarawak's diverse tribes like the processing of sago and the making of handicrafts. They wear traditional costumes and also put on dances for visitors.
The village residents provide information on their various traditional cultures and lifestyles. You can see replicas of buildings that represent every major ethnic group in Sarawak longhouses of the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and a Chinese farm house among others.
The village also has a theatre, where you can enjoy multicultural dance performances. Besides this, there is a restaurant and handicraft shop. You can even get married at the Sarawak Cultural Village, in traditional Iban, Malay, Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.
The Iban longhouse has separate rooms placed side by side, all of which open to a long communal hall, used for leisurely activities like wood carving and basket weaving. Guests are often invited to attend nightly ceremonies and drink a potent rice wine, tuak, which the Iban make themselves. Comfortable guesthouses are also available for visitors.
