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Sarawak upcoming events and festivals

We are coming to the second half of 2015 and with many activities more exciting and wonderful activities being plan and organised to commemorate Visit Sarawak Year 2015, it won’t be a dull and boring period to visit and have a vacation in Sarawak.

Below are some of the planed and organised activities as a guide for you to plan your next trip to Sarawak, Land of the Hornbill. Among them are;

The Interbike Hash 2015 is organised by the Kuching Bike Hash Club, choosing the Vicinity of Bau,at venue. The 3 days even will be held from Friday, 10^th and ended on Sunday, 12^th July 2015. Among the activities biking activities on the day are mass mountain biking and city ride. The event is anticipating participation from both international and local bike hashers. More detail about the event is available here Click here

The Pesta Nukenen or Bario Food Festival is a showcase of the unique food, farming,forest and cultural heriage of the Bario Highlands. The event which was first organised in 2006, is being organised by the Bario Community, the Aide Valley Food Adventures UK and the Resident’s Office, Miri. You can enjoy the different food cooked by the various communities of the Kelabit Highlands and enjoy watching the various traditional games and dances showcases at the events. You can get more details and program outline at their FB page Click here

The Borneo Cultural Festival which is being organised by the Sibu Municipal Council, makes Sibu Town Square as the event venue.  The event which is to be started on July 30 and ended August 8th, 2015 will features foods, music and dances from the different community in Sarawak, Iban, Bidayuh, Chinese, Malay, Melanau, Orang Ulu and the Chinese. The event is open to the public and for more details about the program and participations is available here. Click here

The Rainforest World Music Festivals is organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong. The must see and watch event will be held from 7^th. To 9^th August 2015. The uniqueness of the events is the gathering and performing by the world renowned musicians from all the continents and the indigenous musicians from the interior of Borneo. The Event comprises of interactive and educational workshop, ethno-musical lectures, jamming session and mini concerts and followed by evening performance at the main stage. The event not only attracted world renowned musicians but also fans from all over the world. For more details about this event is available here.

Those who love the trill of bamboo rafting can look forward to the Padawan River Safari which will be held on Sunday 16^th. August 2015. The event which is being organised by the Padawan Municipal Council, Ministry of Tourism Malaysia in collaboration with other government agencies and local NGO’s will be held at Sungai Sarawak Kiri. The event is open to both locals and international participation, divided into 40km Rafting Expert and Kayaking Categories and 26km for other rafting category for government departments, hotels and tour agencies. For more details information about the event can be obtain from Padawan Municipal Council here.

These are some of the events and festival being planned and organised by the Sarawak Tourism Boards, the local government and also the local NGO. There are more events and festival being line-up for the coming months till the end of the years.

Ranchan Recreation park, An ideal venue for recreational events and natural gateway.

Ranchan recreation park which is surrounded by greenery and refreshing atmosphere is a popular picnic venue in Serian District. Families, friends, couples and group come to the park to enjoy the nature surrounding, to swim and bath in the cool mountain stream or just to enjoy the scenery.

The park was open to the public in September 1990 and the facilities which are presently available were recently upgraded. The park is under the care of Serian District Council.

The park which is located South of Serian Bazaar at Kampung Ranchan in Serian district is half an hour drive from Serian Bazaar and around 1 ½ hour drive from Kuching City. You can either drive or took public transport to get to the park which has ample parking space.

Public Parking Arrea

The majority of the visitors to the park come to enjoy the cool and refreshing mountain stream which runs through the park. There are series of waterfalls and cascades along this stream providing ample space for visitor to swim and enjoy the cool crystal water or just immerse oneself in the nature surrounding.

Water Fall

Two suspension bridge was built across the stream which enable the visitors to cross the stream without getting wet and safely. The first one is located next to the public toilets and the other one is at the upper reach. Those phobias of height would want to use the small bridge to cross over the other side.

Suspension Bridge

Among the activities allowed at the park besides swimming, are camping, picnic and also hiking. During the weekend you can see many visitors had their cook out at the park. You can also enjoy seafood meals at the Seafood Restaurant there or simple meals at the food stalls located just across the restaurant. There is also the pavilion for visitors to shelter from the weather  or social gathering or having their picnic.

FoodStall.

Ranchan Recreation Park offers accommodations in the form of 4 units Terrace Suite, 4 units Detached House, 4 units Semi-detached House and 2 units Dormitory for overnight visitors. A multipurpose hall which can accommodate 300pax at any one time is also available for public rental and also government department to hold seminars, social gathering, welfare exhibition and also workshops.

Multi-purpose Hall

There is also a lecture hall equipped with P.A System, air-condition, fans and secretariat room attached which can accommodate 60pax at any one time. Those who are interest to make a booking for the facilities can contact Serian District Council for more details or online

Chalet

Majority of the visitors to the park are day tripper, coming to enjoy the nature surrounding and swim in the crystal clear water or just immerse oneself with the nature.

It a ideal venue for family gathering or getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Enjoy the natural surrounding and cool off in the cool mountain stream.

Sarawak Major Upcoming events and Festivals for 2015

Contemplating or planning to make a trip to Sarawak this year, 2015 but not sure when is the best month or period to make that trip.  Well, with the exciting and fun filled events being planned and organize for the year, you can pick and choose the events you would like to see and plan your trip accordingly either on your own or in a group.

Some of these events are open to international participation and you might be interested to know how to gain entry to the events and who to contact for more details information about the events.

To help to make an informed decision on your upcoming trip to Sarawak, Malaysia, listed below are some of the events being planned and organised for 1^st half of the year,2015.

The 5km Colour Rush Run is a charity event, is being organised by Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society for Children with cancer in conjunction with the International Childhood Cancer Day 2015. The event will be held in Kuching, Miri and Sibu in first week of February 2015. For details about the event can be obtain at the here

The Miri Country Music Fest will be held on 7^th February 2015 at Parkcity Everly Hotel Miri in Miri, Sarawak.  This one day event will be filled with Bazaar, music and dance workshop and the night concert. This event which was first introduced in 2014, attracts both young and old especially country music lovers.  To get an update of the event and tickets purchase can be done here

University Malaysia Sarawak together with Sarawak Forestry is organising the The 4th International Bornean Frog Race 2015 at the Kubah National Park, Matang, Kuching Sarawak, East Malaysia on April 25, 2015. Participants will be given the task to photograph any frogs, salamanders and caecilians they will find within given race time of 2 hours. Other activities on that day will include,talks, exhibitions,  Photography Workshops, Night-Time Frog Search and Photo Contest with prizes. More details about the event can be view here.  

The World Harvest Festival for 2015 will be held from the 1^st to 3^rd of May 2015 at Sarawak Cultural Village. The WHF is an ethnic festival which provides the opportunities for the non-Dayaks to understand the cultures, traditions and aspirations of the Dayaks community. Each year the event had a different theme play which utilized the lakes, ethnic houses and the surrounding areas as the natural props.

The 3 days event will be filled with series of joints workshop by the local and also the invited cultural troupes. There be also traditional foods sampling, showcase of ethnic communities’ handicrafts and the ethnic beauty pageants. More details on this event outline can be view here. 

Borneo Jazz festival 2015 will be a two nights of performances by regionally and internationally recognised jazz musicians. The event is being organised BY Sarawak Tourism Board for 10^th year and be held at Parkcity Everly Hotel, Miri, Sarawak from 6.00pm to 12 midnight on both day; 8^th and 9^th May 2015.You can get more details on the event and ticket purchase here. 

The Bisaya Sarawak Association will be organising the Pesta Babulang on June 1, 2015 at Kampong Batu Danau, Limbang Sarawak. Pesta Babulang is an annual event which is of significant to the Bisaya Community is being held to promote tourism in Limbang and also to showcase the Bisaya community culture and tradition

Among the highlight of the event are the buffalo races and Ratu Babulang along with the cultural performances, cooking contest and handicrafts.

These are some of the events and festival being plan for the 1^st half of 2015. Please be advised  to check with the event organisers so as to ensure that to get the correct information.

FIRST CRUISE SHIP ARRIVAL FOR 2015

KUCHING, Tuesday – The first cruise ship for 2015, SILVERWIND MONACO, sailed into Sarawak and docked at the Bintulu Port on 6^th January 2015 at 8:00 a.m. This is SILVERWIND MONACO’s first arrival for the year and Sarawak is expected to receive a total of 8 confirmed cruise ships for the year 2015 with a few more pending confirmation from the cruise operators.

SILVERWIND MONACO

The cruise ship was on its 11 Days cruise from Singapore to Bali, beginning from Singapore, Bintulu, Muara, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Pare-Pare, Makassar, Komodo and making its final stop in Benoa, Bali. It brought a total of 260 passengers and 220 crew, all Americans.

At the arrival in Sarawak, the passengers were given a traditional welcome, courtesy of Sarawak Tourism Board. Their local ground handler was Exotic Borneo Tours, Kota Kinabalu. While in Sarawak, the passengers will explore Bintulu for various excursion trips such as visiting Similajau National Park, Niah National Park as well as touring Bintulu City.

Total visitor arrivals to the state have increased by 23% with a total arrival of 4.3 million tourist arrivals as of 30 November 2014, compared to the same period in the previous year. Maurice Balang, Sarawak Tourism Board’s Regional Manager for UK & Europe who was on hand to welcome the visitors said, “The cruise industry is on the rise and in recent years there has been a demand in this industry despite the lack of proper cruise terminals in the State. We will continue our efforts in promoting Sarawak as a place where adventure lives”

Issued by:

Corporate Communications Unit

SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD

6^th January 2015