Rajang River

The Rajang runs about five hundred and sixty kilometres from the mountains near the Kalimantan border to the sea in central Sarawak, making it the longest river in Malaysia, and for the communities along it - Iban, Orang Ulu, Chinese and Malay - it has long been the road: for most of their history Kapit and Belaga were reached only by water, and much still travels that way, though a road from Sibu now reaches Kapit. The express boats, long low fibreglass hulls with airline seating and films at high volume, run from Sibu up to Kapit in a few hours and, when the water allows, on through the Pelagus rapids to Belaga. Longhouses stand along the banks, timber rafts are floated downstream, and the traffic is entirely local. The river has been altered upstream by the Bakun dam, and low water in dry spells now stops boats more often than it did.

History

In Sarawak Malay a major river is called batang, "trunk", so the Rajang is Batang Rajang, and its upper reaches are the Hulu Rajang; Malaysia's tallest hydroelectric dam, Bakun, 160 metres high, stands on its tributary the Balui (Wikipedia, Rajang River).

What you'll find

• Malaysia's longest river - 560 kilometres out of the interior to the sea.
• Express boats - the low fibreglass hulls that serve the river towns.
• Longhouses on the banks - Iban and Orang Ulu communities along the water.
• Timber rafts - logs floated down towards the coastal mills.

When to go

All year; low water in dry spells cancels the upper services. Three days.

Good to know

Boats are cramped, noisy and fix the whole itinerary. A permit is needed above Kapit. Upstream services stop when the water is low. Accommodation in the river towns is basic.

Nearby

Sibu is the downstream port; Kapit and Belaga are upriver.

Key facts