Explore The Hidden Treasures of Malaysia

GEOGRAPHY

Location : Situated on the island of Borneo, and is one of the two states that make up East Malaysia. Sarawak and Sabah are separated from West Malaysia (Peninsula Malaysia) by the South China Sea about 600 km away.

Area : With an area of 124,449.51 square km, Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, making up some 37.5 per cent of the country's total area.

Climate : Within the range of 23°C to 32°C throughout the year. During the months of March to September, the weather is generally dry and warm. Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging from 85 per cent to 95 per cent per annum. The average rainfall per year is between 3,300 mm and 4,600 mm, depending on locality, and the wettest months are from November to February.

Time difference : 8H ahead of GMT and 16H ahead of US Pacific Standard Time.

CURRENCY, CREDIT CARDS AND BANKING

Currency : Ringgit Malaysia (RM) is the official currency. Notes in RM 2, RM 5, RM 10, RM 50, RM 100 and coins in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen

Credit Cards & Charge Cards : All major credit cards & charge cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Diners Club widelyaccepted.

Banking : Maybank, RHB Bank, HSBC Bank, Bank Islam, Bank Muamalat, Affin Bank, Southern Bank, Bumiputera Commerce Bank, Alliance Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, EON Bank, United Overseas Bank, Public Bank

POPULATION & CULTURE

Population : Sarawak has a population of 2,176,800. Sarawak is home to 28 ethnic groups; each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle.

Language : Bahasa Melayu is the national language. Different races speaking 45 local dialects. However, English is widely spoken.

Religion : Sarawakians practise a variety of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Chinese folk religion (a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship) and animism.

Dress Code : Visitors are reminded to respect the local culture and to be properly attired when in public. Visitors are requested to avoid walking in public (town/village) in swimsuit or sunbathe topless or nude.

GETTING TO SARAWAK

By Air : Kuching is linked with other major cities in Malaysia, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei by air. Airports are located in major towns and cities - Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu. The modern and state-of-the-art Kuching Airport is the crucial hub and entry point for Sarawak.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which operates daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching has direct links with the major cities in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. Air Asia also operates daily flights from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. Kuching is also accessible to the rest of the world through connections from Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah).

Rural airstrips also serves the remote settlements. Regular scheduled air services using DHC6 Twin Otters-Flights to these airstrips are usually constrained by limited time available due to visibility problem. Helicopter services also communicate between various towns and more inaccessible areas in the Sarawak interior.

Water Transport - There are two categories of water transport systems in Sarawak:

A. International and coastal shipping

The main ports in Sarawak are in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. The latest addition, Senari Port, a new deep-water port at Kampung Senari complements the existing facilities at the Kuching Port Authority. All Sarawak's ports are well equipped to handle general and bulk cargo dry, liquid and gaseous. With the exception of Bintulu Port (a deep sea-port) which is a Federal Port, the other ports are managed as State Port Authorities. As the State relies heavily on external trade for its economic growth, the development of port facilities is important

B. Riverine transport system

The riverine transport system has a great significance to a large section of the population living in the interior and along the coast. This system is an important means of transportation to passengers and goods to large proportions of the population of the State.

Sarawak has a total of 55 navigable rivers with a combined length of 3,300 km. Of all the rivers in Sarawak, the Rejang is the most important with a total length of 567 km; it is the longest river in Malaysia. Between 300-500 boats and vessels ply the river daily.

About 50% of the traffic is engaged in passenger transportation, and the rest are mainly for transportation of goods including logs.

Sarawak boasts an economical yet efficient express boat service which connects the various coastal towns. Express boat services also utilize the many waterways inland to get to more rural areas inaccessible by road.

Road Trasport - The Trans-Borneo Highway connects Kuching to all major cities in Sarawak, and carries on through to the neighbouring state of Sabah through Brunei. Travelling from Kuching to Sibu takes about 5 hours by car while Kuching to Miri will take approximately 10 hours. The road system within the State is being constantly upgraded and public transport system improved to cater to increasing traffic volume.

Most major towns and cities offer a variety of public transport services including buses, taxis and limousine services. Bus services are also available for those wishing to travel within the state from town to town, or even internationally to Indonesia (Pontianak) and Brunei.