Highlights
- Stay overnight in a real Iban longhouse, sharing communal space with local families
- Journey deep into Sarawak’s interior via overland drive and longboat across Batang Ai Lake
- Experience community-led Iban traditions, including a courtesy visit to the longhouse headman
- Enjoy a traditional Iban dinner prepared by the longhouse community
- Watch a Ngajat dance performance and a blowpipe demonstration hosted by local residents
- Pass through rural Sarawak landscapes, including rice fields, pepper farms, and fruit orchards
- Experience a back-to-basics rural stay with simple accommodation and facilities
Overview
The 2D1N Batang Ai Iban Longhouse Experience offers a rare opportunity to spend a night in a living Iban longhouse community deep within Sarawak’s interior. This is not a staged cultural attraction, but an overnight stay where guests share communal spaces and experience everyday village life in Batang Ai. The journey itself is part of the experience, combining a scenic overland drive with a longboat crossing across Batang Ai Lake to reach the longhouse.
During your stay, you will be welcomed by the community and introduced to Iban customs and traditions through a courtesy visit to the longhouse headman, a traditional dinner, and community-hosted activities such as the Ngajat dance and blowpipe demonstration. Along the way, you will also gain insight into rural Sarawak livelihoods as you pass through rice fields, pepper farms, and local markets. With very basic accommodation and facilities, this experience is best suited for open-minded travellers seeking cultural immersion and authenticity over comfort, offering a meaningful connection to Sarawak’s indigenous heritage.
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What's Included
What's Excluded
Important Notes
- Guests must arrange their own flights to Kuching. Air tickets are not included in this package.
- Accommodation is in a working Iban longhouse with very basic facilities. There are no hotel-style rooms, air-conditioning, or private bathrooms. This experience prioritises authenticity over luxury.
- Sleeping arrangements are in shared communal areas. Privacy is limited and guests are expected to be respectful of community norms and fellow residents.
- Toilet and bath areas are simple and shared. Hot water may or may not be available.
- Electricity supply may be limited or intermittent. Power banks are strongly recommended.
- Guests are expected to dress modestly, behave respectfully, and follow guidance from the host community, especially during the courtesy visit to the longhouse headman.
- Guests with specific dietary restrictions or food allergies are advised to inform the guide in advance. Substitutions may be limited depending on availability.
- A Tourism Tax (TTx) of RM10 per room per night applies to foreign tourists (effective 1 September 2017). Malaysians and permanent residents are exempted upon presentation of valid identification at check-in.
- This package is based on a join-in basis of shared guide and transport vehicle. Private guide or tour is available upon request at a reasonable fee. Please inform your tour operator when making the bookings.
- The departure time may vary slightly depending on your hotel location and traffic conditions. We recommend reconfirming with our staff for the exact timing. If your transport is delayed, please contact the number listed on your voucher before arranging alternative options.
- All activities are weather-dependent and may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience under current conditions.
- Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
- Your tour operator reserves the right to alter routes, timetables, itineraries and accommodation should conditions beyond their control render it necessary.
- All participants must pay attention to all safety briefings and instructions. It is the responsibility of all participants to seek clarification for anything not understood from these briefings.
- Though it is never expected, tipping is always appreciated.
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