Sarawak Longhouses

The longhouse is the traditional form of settlement across much of Borneo: a single building raised on stilts along a river, sometimes a hundred metres or more in length, in which each family has its own private room opening onto a shared covered gallery that runs the whole way down, and where the life of the community happens in that common corridor. Iban longhouses along the Batang Ai and Lemanak rivers and Bidayuh ones nearer Kuching still function this way, though modern ones are usually built of timber and zinc rather than bark and thatch. Visiting properly means going with an operator or community homestay scheme, travelling upriver by longboat, sleeping on the gallery, eating what the household eats and drinking the rice wine called tuak. The great annual moment is Gawai Dayak, the harvest festival at the start of June, when families return home and the longhouses fill.

What to look for

• The common gallery - the long shared veranda where the community's life takes place.
• The river journey - the longboat trip upriver to reach the more remote houses.
• Gawai Dayak - the June harvest festival, when the longhouses fill and celebrate.
• Weaving and craft - the pua kumbu textiles and other work of the household.

When to go

Visits run year-round; Gawai Dayak at the start of June is the great celebration, though longhouses are then full of returning family and less able to host outsiders, so arrangements must be made carefully. River levels affect longboat access, and heavy rain can make journeys slow.

Good to know

These are private homes, not attractions: go through a reputable operator or a community homestay scheme, accept the household's hospitality on its terms, bring a small practical gift rather than sweets, and ask before photographing anyone. Some tours near Kuching stage performances for day visitors, which is a thin version of the real thing; an overnight upriver is far more honest. Facilities are basic, shared and simple.

Nearby

Batang Ai's rainforest and Kuching are the usual gateways; the Sarawak Cultural Village near Kuching gives an easier introduction.