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Travel Features > Budget Travel
Budget travel in Sarawak
Wayne Tarman Attempts to Debunk the Myth that
Sarawak is an Expensive Place for Budget Travellers
Introduction
Despite its size and its range of nature-based attractions, Sarawak
is the least visited State in Malaysia. With its excellent national
parks and scope for upriver journeys, you'd think Sarawak would
attract a sizeable number of budget travellers. It doesn't. Sarawak
is not on the well-worn backpacker trail of Southeast Asia, perhaps
because it is often perceived as an expensive side trip away from
the much trampled (and cheap) Bangkok to Singapore backpacker
route.
Being off the beaten track certainly has its advantages. Sarawak
doesn't have any travellers' ghettos where banana pancakes and
the latest Hollywood flick govern the day, and interaction with
the local people is kept to a minimum. Sarawak also tends to attract
slightly older, clued-up travellers. They've usually read up on
Sarawak and Borneo and often have a particular interest and reason
for coming - the rainforest, the culture, or a desire for a mad
upriver trip. Another plus is that the two most irritating types
of travellers - the `year off' funded by daddies' credit card
brigade and the often culturally insensitive `dog on string' crusties
- are absent from Sarawak.
Most popular guidebooks on Malaysia mention that the cost of getting
to Sarawak is relatively high and travelling costs in Sarawak
are higher than in Peninsula Malaysia. The combination of these
two factors essentially means that if you are travelling on a
budget, a trip to Sarawak can appear quite costly, and maybe less
attractive that moving on to the Philippines or Indonesia. However,
visiting Sarawak need not prove too expensive - there are ways
of keeping the costs down. And its also worth bearing in mind
that Sarawak offers a very different travel experience to other
destinations in Southeast Asia. If you are into a cheap beach
experience, Sarawak is not for you, you would be wasting your
time coming here. However, if you are into national parks and
other cultures, the additional expense of a trip to Sarawak is
more than justified by what's on offer. You won't find such an
accessible network of national parks anywhere else in Southeast
Asia, and although an upriver longhouse experience may cost a
more than a few days on a beach in Thailand, it is a unique travel
experience.
The following sections offer a brief guide to budget travel in
Sarawak. They do not contain extensive listings but provide a
general overview of the best places to visit and a rough idea
of budget travelling costs within Sarawak. For more details on
the attractions of individual places go back to the main Travel Features menu of SarawakAlive!
Where to Go
Kuching, one of the most pleasant towns in SE Asia, is a good base for
budget travellers and serves as the jumping off point for three
national parks and a number of longhouse trips. There is a wide
selection of budget accommodation and an abundance of cheap hawker
style food. B&B Inn on Tabuan Road is the cheapest accommodation
option at RM 15 per night (dorm) including a light breakfast.
The Anglican Guest House in the grounds of the St Thomas Cathedral
is another popular budget option with rooms from RM 18. Jalan
Green Hill is conveniently located and offers a range of budget
hotels and lodging houses where rooms cost RM 25-45.
Bako National Park is Sarawak at its best and offers the ultimate rainforest and
wildlife experience. Although Bako can be done as a day trip it's
best to stay for a few days. A bed in the hostel block costs RM
10.50 and the canteen serves simple rice and noodle dishes for
RM 2-4. Petra Jaya Bus No. 6 (RM 2.10) takes you to Kampung Bako
jetty where a boat to the park HQ costs RM 30 (per boat). If you
are not in hurry, wait around at the jetty until other travellers
arrive and share the boat fare. The larger boats can take up to
10 people but most boatman prefer to take 4-6 passengers.
Kubah National Park is only a 45 minute drive from Kuching (Matang Transport Bus
No. 11). The park now has some excellent budget accommodation
but receives very few visitors. The hostel unit is actually a
sub-dividend chalet with three rooms, a lounge area, shared bathroom
and a well equipped kitchen. Its a great place to chill out as
you're likely to have the whole chalet to yourself. Room rates
are RM 20 (2 beds), RM 40 (4 beds) and RM 60 (6 beds). Single
travellers have to pay the per-room price but the 2-bed hostel
room is usually available so costs can still be kept low. There
is no canteen at Kubah so stock up on provisions before you go.
Ting & Ting Supermarket near the B & B Inn is a good place for
buying provisions.
Gunung Gading is two hours from Kuching (STC bus No. 2B, RM 7.80). The park
spans a number of rugged rainforest peaks and is home to the Rafflesia,
the world's largest flower. Most visitors only stay in the park
a few hours, view a Rafflesia and then return to Kuching the same
day. But Gunung Gading is worth a few days as there are some excellent
jungle treks. Cheap accommodation is available at the park's hostel
(RM 10.50 per night). Lundu town, a 15 minute walk from the park
HQ, has a number of coffee shops and hawker stalls selling cheap
food.
An organised longhouse trip to the Skrang River with one with of Kuching's tour operators
costs RM 250-400. To save costs try and link up with other travellers
and go as a small group. Although the longhouses on the Skrang
have played host to small groups of visitors since the 1960's
the area is not over-commercialised. Trips can also be arranged
to Batang Ai, which only started to receive visitors in the late 1980's. A
trip to Batang Ai may cost a bit more but the upriver scenery
is some of the best in Sarawak and you may even see a wild orang
utan. Many budget travellers do opt for an organised tour but
others prefer to travel independently up the Rejang River. This trip is undoubtedly a unique river journey and offers the
opportunity of a longhouse visit. However, a trip up the Rejang
is bit of a hit or miss affair. Some travellers are lucky and
get invited to a longhouse and come back waxing lyrical about
their experience. In contrast some end up hanging around and maybe
don't get the opportunity to visit a longhouse and have to be
content with the river journey itself. Sibu serves as the jumping
off point for the Rejang. Express boats from Sibu to Kapit cost
RM 15 whilst the fare from Kapit to Belaga is RM 20. Budget hotels
in Kapit and Belaga offer rooms for RM 20-40. The Baram River also offers an interesting river and longhouse experience. If
you have the time, patience, an ability to drink huge volumes
of rice wine, and the desire for a mad one, the Baram could be
for you.
Miri serves as the jumping off point for Mulu, Niah and Lambir National Parks. Most budget travellers only spend a night or
so in Miri before heading to a national park, usually Mulu. There
is some debate amongst travellers as to whether its cheaper to
go to Mulu on a packaged tour or independently. If there is only
1 or 2 of you a tour package may work out more expensive. However,
the larger the group the cheaper it becomes. For a group of four
or more an organised tour to Mulu starts to look like good value.
Flights to Mulu are RM 140 (return). Packages cost from RM 300-500
per person depending on length of stay and what attractions you
take in (Show Caves, Pinnacles, adventure caving, etc.). There
is now a trail leading from the Park HQ to Clearwater. This is
good news for budget travellers as it means you can now walk to
Clearwater Cave & Wind Cave, you don't have to pay for a longboat
to transport you there. Deer & Lang's Caves are also accessible
by plankwalk. If you opt for a Mulu package you can either stay
at a tour operator's lodge or the Royal Mulu Resort. Naturally
most budget travellers opt for the lodge, however, it is worth
asking your tour operator how much more it costs to stay at the
Resort. Some tour operators are able to get very low rates at
the Resort and you may find out that for an extra RM 50 or so
you can stay in the resort hotel rather than a budget lodge. Now,
some die-hard "I ain't spending more than tuppence ha'penny a
day" backpackers will baulk at that extra 50 bucks. For others,
a bargain two nights in a luxury hotel after months on the road
may hold appeal. And think of all the toilet rolls you can acquire!
Niah Caves is worth a visit, although some travellers give it a miss if
they have been to Mulu. There is an excellent hostel at Niah Park
HQ. A dorm bed costs RM 10.50 per person per night. Lambir Hills National Park is just out of Miri town and has a good trail system. You won't
see much wildlife at Lambir but it is one of the most species-rich
areas of rainforest in the world. There is no hostel at Lambir,
only 2-room chalets. These can accommodate up to four people and
cost RM 40 per night.
Bario and the Kelabit Highlands offer some great treks, stunning mountain scenery and the chance
to sample some legendary Kelabit hospitality. The Kelabit live
in large longhouses scattered over the highlands. Most treks go
from longhouse to longhouse on well-trodden walking trails, some
of which pass through dense rainforest. Access to Bario is by
MAS Twin Otter flights from Miri (RM 70). Tarawe's Lodge in Bario
is popular with travellers. Rooms cost RM 20-45 and they can also
assist with treks around the Kelabit Highlands.
Ideal Length of Stay
To get the most out of Sarawak you'll need to stay for 3-4 weeks.
That way you'll be able to take in most of the national parks
and go on at least one upriver journey and not have to worry about
cutting your journey short if, for example, you stumble onto something
unusual, or get invited to a longhouse deep in the interior. If
you don't have the luxury of time you can still fit a fair bit
into a two week stay although an extended upriver journey would
be difficult. If you only have a week or so then stick to the
attractions around Kuching. In a week you should be able to fit
in Bako & Gunung Gading national parks and go on a short longhouse
visit, although this would have to be a organised trip with one
of the tour operators in Kuching.
Extending Your Visa
If you are planning some serious trips into the interior then
you may well need a visa extension. Although part of Malaysia,
Sarawak has its own immigration rules and most visitors receive
a one month visa upon arrival. Some major guidebooks state that
it is difficult to extend a tourist visa in Sarawak. This is not
true. Tourists can extend their visa by up to a month quite easily,
especially in the Kuching immigration office - one of the most
polite and efficient immigration offices in Malaysia. You pay
RM 1 for a form, fill it out, wait 45 minutes or so and then you'll
get a one month extension. The usual `traveller dealing with officialdom' rules apply - dress
reasonably smart (leave the shorts and singlet in the hostel),
be polite and be prepared to wait a while.
Getting There - Keeping the Cost down
Getting to Sarawak from West Malaysia or Singapore is often regarded
as expensive. The standard Kuala Lumpur-Kuching one way fare with
Malaysian Airlines (MAS) is RM 262. If you don't mind travelling
late at night or early in the morning MAS offer a "night tourist
fare" for RM 187 (one way). Also look into MAS's advance purchase
tickets and 50% group discounts. The latter can bring significant
savings if you club together with other travellers. Another potential
bargain is MAS's "Discover Malaysia Pass". These offer travel
to 5 destinations in East & West Malaysia for US$ 199. If you
are planing to visit Sarawak and Sabah this deal offers savings
over the standard sector fares as you can fly from West Malaysia
to Sarawak, from Sarawak to Sabah and from Sabah back to KL. If
you plan things carefully you can also fit another flight in whilst
you are in Sabah or Sarawak. The cheapest way of flying from KL
to Kuching is to fly with Transmile Airlines. A KL-Kuching is
RM 190 (one way) or RM 350 (return). Transmile flights are charters
so some restrictions apply.
If you are in Singapore remember that exchange rate differences
between Malaysia and Singapore can result in significant savings
for those who have the time and don't mind taking a bus across
the causeway. When you buy a Singapore-Kuching ticket at a travel
agent in Singapore you pay in Singaporean Dollars. It works out
a lot cheaper to nip over the border to Johor and take a Johor-Kuching
flight on MAS for RM 169 (one way).
Getting Around
Travelling around Sarawak can be expensive due to the distances
involved. Internal flights are sometimes useful and save time
but you obviously pay for this privilege. MAS Rural Air Service
flights offer excellent value and are often the only realistic
way of getting to some places (e.g. Bario). The cheapest way of
getting around is by bus. For example, the bus fare from Kuching
to Miri (a 12-14 hour journey) is RM 70. To fly from Kuching to
Miri costs RM 164 and takes just over an hour. The coastal express
boat service from Kuching to Sibu is cheap (RM 33) and relatively
fast (4 hours). By contrast the Kuching-Sibu bus fare is RM 32
and takes 7 hours.
On the rivers, the express boats are also relatively cheap (RM
15-30) and convenient. Most upriver towns are served by express
boats. On the Rejang River, express boats can get you to most
places. Only when you want to go beyond Belaga, or travel on some
of the smaller tributaries, will you need to look at other options.
Renting a longboat when upriver is not cheap. It can cost RM 50-100,
a few hundred Ringgit, or maybe run into thousands of Ringgit
if you go on an extended two week trip upriver. These boat trips
are only viable if you are travelling in a group of at least four.
When you charter a longboat the price you pay will be calculated
on a daily fee for your boat & the services of the boatman plus
the cost of petrol. The further upriver you go the more expensive
petrol becomes. Sometimes it is possible to hitch a ride when
going upriver. If this is the case a small donation to cover a
proportion of the fuel costs will be appreciated.
Budget Accommodation
Although accommodation costs are slightly higher than in Peninsula
Malaysia, budget accommodation is widely available. Sarawak doesn't
have a network of guest houses, hostels and bungalow operations
like Thailand and Indonesia or even the East Coast of Malaysia.
The only town that has hostel-style accommodation is Kuching.
The centrally located B&B Inn on Tabuan Road is the best bet.
A dorm bed and a simple breakfast costs RM 15. Discounts are sometimes
available for long stays. Sarawak has an abundance of small lodging
houses where rooms with a fan generally go for RM 20 a night and
an air-con room with attached bathroom costs RM 30-40. In addition
most of the national parks have hostel blocks or budget lodges.
A bed in a dorm in one of Sarawak's national parks costs RM 10.50
a night. Some national parks (e.g. Bako) have campsites where
a RM 4 charge is levied. However, camping at Bako is not advisable
as your tent is likely to be raided by a troop of macaque monkeys.
Eating Out
Hearty meals of mixed rice (rice served with meat and/or fish
and vegetables) cost RM 3-5. The cheapest meals on offer are from
the noodle stalls that are dotted all over the place. A bowl of
noodles costs RM 2, or RM 4 for something special like a bowl
of Foochow noodles in a herbal soup with chunks of chicken. A
chicken biryani rice meal in an Indian restaurant will set you
back RM 5. If you fancy splashing out on a meal, seafood is a
lot cheaper in Sarawak than in West Malaysia. Count on RM 20-25
per head for substantial meal that includes fish, prawns and some
vegetables. All-you-can-eat buffets in major hotels are also worth
checking out.
Canned drinks cost around RM 1.20-1.50 in coffee shops and RM
0.90 in a supermarket. Mineral water is around RM 1-1.50 for a
500 ml bottle and RM 2-3 for 1.5 litre bottle in most sundry shops
and coffee shops, less in supermarkets. Beer is relatively expensive
in Malaysia, and a night on the town can start to look expensive
when you think about it on a hung over morning. Cans of Tiger,
Carlsberg or Anchor beer cost RM 3-4.50 in the shops. A large
bottle of beer in a coffee shop costs around RM 10. A glass of
beer in a pub costs around RM 6-8. This rises to RM 10-14 in a
hotel, karaoke joint or trendy bar/cafe.
A budget of RM 15-20 per day should be more than adequate for
food and drinks for most people if you prepared to eat local food.
Total Daily Expenditure
Although its difficult to put an exact figure on daily expenditure
for backpacking around Sarawak, a budget of RM 50 (around US$
13) per day seems a reasonable bench mark figure. Of course you
can get by on less, and you can most definitely spend more. This
daily budget of RM 50 would include the cost of basic `A to B'
travelling on public buses or express boats but would not include
the cost of any organised tours such as a short longhouse trip
to the Skrang or the costs of flights to Mulu, Bario. Etc. If
you confine yourself to the Kuching area you should be able to
get by on RM 40 a day. |