Kapit

Kapit is a town of some tens of thousands on the middle Rajang with no road linking it to anywhere - everything comes by river, and the express boats from Sibu, long low fibreglass tubes with airline seats and loud films, are the way in and out. Fort Sylvia stands on the bank, built by Charles Brooke in 1880 to control the movement of Iban war parties further upriver and now a museum on the Rajang and its peoples. The town is a supply centre for longhouse communities on the tributaries, so the shops and the market reflect that: chainsaws, outboards, salt, and jungle produce coming the other way. Travel above Kapit towards Belaga needs a permit from the district office, a Brooke-era arrangement that persists.

What you actually see

• A town with no road - everything arriving and leaving by river.
• Fort Sylvia - the 1880 Brooke fort on the bank, now a museum.
• Express boats on the Rajang - the two to three hour run up from Sibu.
• A longhouse supply town - shops and market serving the tributaries.

When to go

All year; low water can disrupt boats in dry spells. Two days.

Honest expectations

Boat schedules are limited and dictate the visit. A permit is needed to go further upriver. Accommodation is basic. There is little laid on for visitors; the interest is the river life.

Nearby

Belaga is further upriver, permit permitting; Sibu is downstream.