The Bidayuh Heritage Gallery planned for DBNA’s Kuching headquarters is about 10 to 15 per cent complete, but physical exhibition work has not started. The Dayak Bidayuh National Association says the work so far centres on documentation and identifying artefacts. Its end-2027 completion target is therefore a development timetable, not a sign that a new visitor gallery is already open. DBNA outlined the progress after a weaving programme at its headquarters on October 9. It plans to call for exhibition-work tenders in November, with the chosen contractor expected to start around May 2027. Exhibition work could then take about six months. Those dates remain the association’s planned sequence rather than completed milestones. A technical committee is gathering input from different Bidayuh communities, and DBNA is working with the Sarawak Museum Department on museum standards. Artefact owners may rent or sell items to the gallery. The collection is expected to keep growing after an initial display phase. The proposed sections cover food, traditions, beliefs and traditional knowledge. Workshop space, including for weaving, and a handicraft sales corner are also planned, linking the gallery to the people who practise and make the heritage it will display.

Bak Buan Kukuot 瀑布的早上，在瀑布现身以前就开始了。我会早点从古晋出发到 Kampung Sadir，因为 Bidayuh 村落、竹桥和仍在使用的农地，都是路线本身，不是赶到“真正景点”前必须忍耐的路段。 [image: 1789094013265-waterfall-resized.jpg] 来源：In My Tiny Boots 从 Sadir 走到瀑布约需 90 分钟或更久，途中会过溪，也会穿过耕作地。路旁的小 beri 棚可以让人休息；猪笼草和过去用来包米饭的阔叶，则说明为什么值得找熟悉路线的村民带路：这条山径同时连接农地与水道，不是从村落生活里切出来的观光步道。 [image: 1789094013824-falls2020-resized.jpg] 来源：In My Tiny Boots 尽头是有力量的两层瀑布和宽阔水潭，但上一层较难抵达，回村也还要花时间。较早的瀑布记录把 Sadir 周边几道瀑布、竹桥和农路放在同一片地景里；所以我会把水潭当成半日路线的转折，不会把它说成一下车就能游泳的溪边。 [image: 1789094014228-pitcher.jpg] 来源：In My Tiny Boots 瀑布附近有时会有简朴的丛林咖啡馆，热食或竹筒茶要看当天是否营业。这是社区行程的一部分，不是固定设施。周末尤其应预先安排村落向导，并把向导费用算入预算；天气、植被和村民使用情况都会改变路线，不要用国家公园木栈道的想象来规划。 [image: 1789094014308-stream.jpg] 来源：In My Tiny Boots 从古晋市中心算起，我会为车程、来回徒步和停留预留约 3 至 5 小时；单程开车通常约一小时或更久，视路况而定。村里的停车位有限，叫车前往却没有回程安排也不实际。穿抓地力好的鞋，带水、防蚊液、防水袋和替换衣物；下雨后岩石湿滑，不要靠近落水点逞强。当地徒步安排目前有平日和周末时段，但出发前仍要确认向导、路线和天气。 喜欢有村落背景、需要一点体力才到达的 Padawan 徒步者会适合这里；期待铺好平路、保证有厕所和咖啡馆，或一定能下水的人可能失望。若想加上 Annah Rais 或 Upper Padawan 其他村落，先确认回程还有足够天光。 砂拉越古晋 Padawan，Kampung Sadir ️ Google Maps：Kampung Sadir 如果是你，会把瀑布当成唯一目标，还是让村落山径决定这趟旅程的节奏？

A Bak Buan Kukuot morning starts before the waterfall appears. I would leave Kuching early for Kampung Sadir, because the Bidayuh village road, bamboo crossings and working plots are part of the journey rather than a delay before the “real” attraction. [image: 1789094013265-waterfall-resized.jpg] Source: In My Tiny Boots From Sadir, the walk takes about 90 minutes or more. The path crosses streams and cultivated ground, and a small beri hut offers a pause on the way. Pitcher plants and broad leaves once used for wrapping rice are the sort of details that make a local guide worthwhile: this trail is also a way into farmland, not a path cut out from village life. [image: 1789094013824-falls2020-resized.jpg] Source: In My Tiny Boots The reward is a powerful two-tier fall and a broad pool, but the upper tier is harder to reach and the return to the kampung still takes time. Older waterfall mapping describes several falls around Sadir, with bamboo bridges and farm trails connecting the wider landscape. I would treat the water as the turning point of a half-day route, not promise a quick roadside swim. [image: 1789094014228-pitcher.jpg] Source: In My Tiny Boots There may be a simple jungle café near the falls, with hot food or bamboo tea when it is operating. That is a community detail, not a guaranteed facility. Arrange a village guide ahead—especially on weekends—and budget for guide service, because the route changes with weather, vegetation and local access rather than following a national-park boardwalk. [image: 1789094014308-stream.jpg] Source: In My Tiny Boots Allow roughly 3–5 hours for the drive, hike, pause and return, and about an hour or more each way by car from central Kuching depending on the road. Parking in the kampung is limited; e-hailing is a poor return plan. Wear shoes with real grip, carry water, insect repellent, a dry bag and spare clothes, and be cautious around wet rock after rain. Current local hiking arrangements advertise weekday and weekend outings, but confirm the guide, route and weather before leaving. This is a good match for hikers who want a Padawan day with village context and a physical payoff. It will disappoint anyone expecting paved family access, reliable toilets, a fixed café or a guaranteed swimming session. Pair it with Annah Rais or another Upper Padawan stop only when daylight leaves room for the road home. Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Kuching, Sarawak ️ Google Maps: Kampung Sadir Would you make the waterfall the main goal, or let the village trail set the pace?

Kampung Temurang is the kind of Padawan stop where the information centre matters as much as the trail. From Kuching, the drive takes about an hour; from the village centre, the Rafflesia site is roughly a 20-minute walk with a local guide. I would arrive ready to ask what is blooming, because the forest decides whether this is a flower day or a limestone-and-river day. [image: 1788489442506-temurang-1-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan The walk is not just a hunt for a giant flower. Temurang sits along Borneo Heights Road in the Braang Bidayuh landscape, where local stories place early settlements on Braang Mountain. The heritage trail links old settlement routes with the present villages of Temurang, Bidak and Braang Payang. That is why a guide adds real value: the rocks and paths are cultural landmarks as well as terrain. [image: 1788489443179-temurang-2-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan Look closely at Batu Berketis, the small upright limestone pinnacles locals call the Narrow Stones. Nearby Buk Benang is associated with Braang legend and ritual traces, while several caves in the limestone hills carry wartime stories connected to Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. These details turn a generic jungle walk into a landscape with memory. Do not enter caves or climb sharp rock without local direction. [image: 1788489443730-temurang-3-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan The Rafflesia is the seasonal bonus. Older local tourism material says Temurang can be a nearer alternative to Gunung Gading, but a bloom is never guaranteed; call or ask the village before building a whole day around it. The wider Padawan river system also hosts rafting routes: in the 2024 Padawan Raft Safari, Temurang was one of the starting points and Kampung Git the finish. [image: 1788489444571-temurang-4-resized.jpg] Source: Amazing Padawan I would pair Temurang with a Padawan countryside route, allowing half a day for the guide-led walk and extra time if a flower is open. It suits travellers who want community-led nature, Bidayuh history and uneven ground. It will disappoint anyone expecting a guaranteed bloom, a paved botanical garden or a self-guided photo loop. Wear proper shoes, bring water and confirm guide, trail and bloom conditions before leaving. Kampung Temurang, along Borneo Heights Road, Padawan, Sarawak ️ Google Maps: Kampung Temurang Would you plan around the Rafflesia season, or come for the rocks and the stories even when there is no bloom?

The first time someone offers to take you up Mount Santubong, listen carefully to how they describe it. If they say it was "tough but worth it" they made the summit. If they smile a rueful smile and change the subject, they probably didn't get past checkpoint F7. At 810 metres, Santubong is Kuching's highest peak and the dark green silhouette visible from almost the entire coastline. The trailhead sits at the Santubong National Park office on the Damai Peninsula, about 35 minutes by car from central Kuching. The park opens at 7 am and enforces a noon cut-off — you need to be past checkpoint F7 by noon or they will turn you back. The climbing window is real. [image: 1782094249824-1_santubong_bridge-resized.jpg] Mt. Santubong seen from Santubong Bridge The summit trail runs roughly 4 km one way and takes an average fit person 3.5 to 4 hours up and 2.5 to 3 hours down. That sounds manageable until you reach the section between checkpoint F7 and the summit (F15) — 1.3 km of near-vertical terrain where you haul yourself up aluminium ladders, grip knotted ropes and use tree roots as footholds. There are 21 ladders total. Most hikers say that final kilometre is where the mountain earns its reputation. A lower loop trail of 2.5 km offers an alternative for anyone who wants the rainforest atmosphere without the lung-busting ascent. It's flat, shaded and takes about an hour at a relaxed pace. Good for families or first-time visitors who just want to say they stood at the foot of Santubong. [image: 1782094250331-2_summit_view-resized.jpg] View from the summit — South China Sea and the Kuching coastline The rock itself is part of a sandstone and shale formation that rises directly from the coast. Geologists describe Santubong as part of the same Cretaceous-to-Eocene sedimentary sequence that underlies much of western Sarawak. But locals have a better explanation. The legend goes that two princesses — Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang — were sent from heaven to help the villagers. Santubong was a master weaver, Sejinjang a rice-pounding expert. They lived peacefully until a quarrel ended with Sejinjang hurling a rice pestle at her sister. Santubong was struck and turned to stone, becoming the mountain. The broken notch on one side is where the pestle hit. Her head split apart and the fragments became the islands that fringe the coast. [image: 1782094250973-5_ropes_ladders-resized.jpg] Ropes and ladders on the final push The practical side matters a lot here. Bring at least 1.5 litres of water per person and proper hiking shoes with aggressive grip — the trail gets slippery in minutes after a rain, and afternoon downpours are common. Most rescues happen on the descent when tired legs meet steep mud. Do not hike alone; a partner makes the dangerous sections safer and the summit photo better. A small park entry fee applies (bring cash) and there is a registration desk at the trailhead. Who should go: anyone with reasonable fitness who wants a genuine rainforest summit experience within easy reach of Kuching. Who should reconsider: anyone with weak knees, fear of heights on ladders, or less than four hours of daylight ahead. The summit opens onto the South China Sea and the entire Kuching coastline — that view is the reward, and it doesn't disappoint. [image: 1782094252040-3_wetlands-resized.jpg] Wetlands and coastline visible from the summit You do not need to be a mountaineer. You do need to respect the mountain's timeline, bring the right shoes and start early. Plenty of people turn back at F7 and still count it as a good morning. That is the honest measure of Santubong — it gives you a clear choice, and both options are valid.

Annah Rais is the kind of place I would leave a whole morning for, not squeeze between two city cafés. The road from Kuching climbs past Batu Kitang into the hills, and the reason to keep going is not a staged “cultural village”: it is a living Bidayuh longhouse whose shared architecture still shapes how visitors move through the place. [image: 1781402587113-annah_rais_01.jpg] Source: Annah Rais Longhouse exterior The longhouse story is unusually easy to see. Annah Rais is described as more than two centuries old, while the awah—the long open corridor—works as the social spine between family rooms. That makes the building itself the exhibit: a raised timber community, not a row of separate museum rooms. The nearby river, forest and hill road explain why this is best treated as a settlement connected to its landscape. [image: 1781402587354-annah_rais_02.jpg] Source: The central corridor (awah) I would arrive in daylight, walk slowly, and ask before entering private areas or photographing residents. Day visits can be brief, but a homestay or arranged meal turns the route into a longer cultural exchange; tuak, bamboo-cooked food, craft demonstrations and short nature walks may depend on the host and the day. Nobody should arrive expecting a guaranteed performance or a theme-park timetable. [image: 1781402587545-annah_rais_03.jpg] Source: Inside the longhouse Allow roughly 1–1.5 hours from central Kuching by car, longer if rain slows the hill roads, and arrange the return journey before going. Fees, homestay packages, guides and which activities are available can change, so confirm with the community or current listing. Wear shoes for uneven ground, bring repellent and keep a little flexibility for weather. The road distance is the price of reaching a place where ordinary life is the point. [image: 1781402587755-annah_rais_04.jpg] Source: Scenery around the longhouse Travellers who want a respectful, community-based Bidayuh encounter will find more here than a quick photo stop. Those wanting a polished visitor centre, fixed show times or guaranteed food may be disappointed. I would come with time, quiet manners and no expectation that residents owe the camera a performance; that is what lets the longhouse remain a home rather than become another backdrop.

Annah Rais 长屋值得留出一个早上，不适合硬塞在两个市区咖啡馆之间。从古晋经过 Batu Kitang 往山里开，真正值得继续走的不是一座布置好的“文化村”，而是一座仍然有人生活的 Bidayuh 长屋；建筑本身就是这趟路的主角。 [image: 1781402587113-annah_rais_01.jpg] 来源：Annah Rais Longhouse 外观 这里的故事很容易从空间看出来：Annah Rais 常被描述为拥有超过两百年历史，贯穿长屋的 awah 长廊则是家庭房间之间的公共脊梁。它不像一排分开的展厅，而是一座把生活、邻里关系和山林环境连在一起的高脚木屋群；附近的河流、森林和山路，也解释了为什么不能只把它当成拍照背景。 [image: 1781402587354-annah_rais_02.jpg] 来源：长屋中央走廊 我会选择白天抵达，慢慢走，并在进入私人空间或拍摄居民前先询问。短暂参观可以只走长廊和周边，但如果安排 homestay 或由社区接待，tuak、竹筒料理、手工艺和短途自然路线都可能让行程变长；这些不是每天固定上演的表演，别把长屋当成有时间表的主题公园。 [image: 1781402587545-annah_rais_03.jpg] 来源：长屋内景 从古晋市中心自驾约一至一个半小时，雨天山路可能更慢；叫车的话，出发前先安排回程。入场费、住宿、向导和当天能参加的活动会调整，最好直接确认社区或当前地点资讯。穿适合不平地面的鞋，带防蚊用品，也给天气留余地。车程较远，换来的是一个仍把日常生活放在中心的地方。 [image: 1781402587755-annah_rais_04.jpg] 来源：长屋周边风景 想以尊重方式认识 Bidayuh 长屋与社区生活的人，会觉得这里远不止一个拍照点。期待冷气展馆、固定表演或保证有饭吃的人可能失望。我会带着时间和安静的礼貌来，也接受居民不需要为镜头表演；这样长屋才能继续是家，而不是另一块布景。