PULLMANKUCHINGPullman Kuching is located in the heart of the city on top of the hill at Jalan Mathies. It offersexcellent panoramic views of the city and theSarawak River. The 389 rooms all have riverviews and are spacious and contemporary. Thecentral location lends itself to exploration of thecity's nightlife, but there are also restaurants in the hotel, as well as a comfortable spa with steam room, plunge pool and Jacuzzi.Bako National ParkThe smallest but oldest of all Sarawak's nationalparks, Bako is a paradise of rivers and jungles onBorneo's coast, easily accessible by boat on a dayor overnight trip from Kuching. Covering 27square kilometres, the park is home to a varietyof wildlife, including bearded pigs, more than 150species of bird and proboscis monkeys. Your firstviews of this wonderful coastal park are likely tobe of rocky outcrops and mangrove swamps asyou arrive by boat, before landing to explore onfoot. It is possible to stay the night on Bako insimple lodge accommodation and this is highlyrecommended if you are not going over to oneof Sabah's rainforest lodges.Batang Ai National ParkThe emerald green water of the Batang AiReservoir, surrounded by dense jungle, is astunning sight, but it is as you leave the lake, on a longtail boat heading upstream on a shady river,that this national park begins to reveal its secrets.As your Iban boatman skilfully manoeuvres pastboulders and low branches, you can relax andenjoy the vistas of the surrounding forest. Onceyou reach a remote longhouse there is thechance to meet the chief and families, chat overlunch and some rice wine, and witness theirdistinctive ceremonial dances and huntingtechniques. No longer feared as headhunters,these days the Iban people are welcoming andyou may choose to stay for the night in thelonghouse. The accommodation is basic, but once the workers return from their work in thefields and their fishing trips the sun sets over anatmosphere that builds in the darkness: you aresure to have an unforgettable evening.KuchingA small and charming city on the banks of theSarawak River, Kuching is the capital of Sarawakand a great place to begin or end yourexploration of Borneo. Until 1946, Rajah Brookesruled from here and this shows in the colonialbuildings, with Chinese temples adding theirincense-shrouded touches of the Orient. Many ofthe greatest sights are laid out on a heritage trailthat links temples and churches, Fort Margheritaand the stately Istana Palace. Particularlyimpressive is the Sarawak Museum, set inbotanical gardens, whose extensive collectionincludes tribal artefacts, a display of indigenouswildlife and a recreated longhouse. From the city,it is just a short drive to the white sand beachesof the Damai Peninsula. You can also visit thenearby Semenggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre,where you have the chance to view orang-utan.See our feature on orang-utan on page 105.98Long tailed macaque, Bako National ParkKuching riverfrontBako National Park

Damai PeninsulaSituated only 40 minutes drive from Kuching,Damai Peninsula is one of the most easilyaccessible beach areas in Sarawak. The headlandis dominated by Mount Santubong, an 810 metrepeak covered in secondary forest. The peninsulawas once the sight of an early trading settlement,but now stretches of its golden sand coastlinehave been developed and a small collection ofhotels have sprung up.DAMAIPURIRESORT& SPA,DAMAIPENINSULAThe Damai Puri Resort & Spa is the bestaccommodation option in this quiet peninsula.The 207 guest rooms and suites are split betweenthe spa wing and the ocean wing. The spa wingrooms all feature individual balconies and views of the South China Sea or the rainforest-coveredfoothills of Mount Santubong. The ocean wingcaters more for families, being closer to the familypool and not having balconies. There are twoswimming pools within the hotel's landscapedgardens and non-motorised water sports fromthe golden sand beach. The Balinese style D'PuriSpa Village offers very good value.www.audleytravel.com/borneo ?01993 838 120 ?Borneo99Lemanak LonghouseSpending a night with one of the Iban tribesin their traditional longhouse provides anexperience unlike any other. You will sleepon the floor in the communal living area witha simple mattress and mosquito net as youronly comforts. There are 'bathrooms', butyou should not expect too much and theymay not have running water. What theaccommodation lacks in facilities is made upfor by the hospitality of the Iban people andthe experience of a way of life that fewpeople today could ever imagine.Some of the more memorable encountersfrom previous Audley clients' stays:"A guide leapt off our longtail boat to catch arare mouse deer crossing the river and thenbattled a hungry tribe as he tried to release itinto a safer area.""An inexperienced Iban youngster joined someolder tribal members on a jungle trek. As hewas showing us the animal traps they use, theelders played a trick on the young lad and heended up being speared by rattan thorns, muchto the others' amusement.""I had a very sore head on the morning afterthe night before when the rice wine had comeout and the language barrier slowly slippedaway to be replaced by the internationallanguage of mime."Iban man fishing in Engkari river, near Batang AiDamai Puri Resort & Spa, Damai peninsulaFamilies gather outside a longhouse in SarawakSarawak longhouseKuching RiverDamai PeninsulaIban tribesman