Mukah New Airport

New international airport for Mukah Division? Yes, the location have been identified and probably 15minute drive from Mukah town. Expected to be completed by August 2008 and can accommodate bigger aircraft!!! Well just wait and see. If this new airport complete, there will be no problem for those frequent travellers to Mukah. Another good news for tourism industry in Mukah division and its surrounding area.

Pipus (smoke fish)

Have you seen this? In Melanau dialect it called PIPUS. Its my favorite food and I never miss buying this if go travelling. It only can be found in Mukah. According to reliable source pipus easily can be found during monsoon season. The rational behind this was, in monsoon season fishermen were not able to go to the sea and they have to depend with pipus as their food.

They normally will smoke the fish and punch it into smaller pieces before wrap it with sago leaf. Then they will continue to smoke it again so that they can keep it for longer period. Pipus is a good partner of beer.....

"Charted flight" Sibu / Mukah

I have charted the flight from Sibu to Mukah today (January 24, 2008). You don’t believe it? It is true because during my trip to Mukah today only two passenger in side the twin otter MAS WING flight. It is my first time using MAS WING and first time also no other passenger with us inside the flight, so cool man. Look like we charted the flight.

I proudly inform my friends in Mukah that today I have “charted” the flight from Sibu to Mukah. They just smile at me because my friend told me that that is normal for flight from Sibu to Mukah because there not enough passengers not like from Kuching to Mukah. I just keep quite….. no wonder there no other people inside the flight just now. Other reason is people prefer using bus or driving if they coming back to Mukah because there is nothing to hurry.

If you want to experience “charted flight”, please try Sibu / Mukah flight……

Lamin Dana and its Culture Heritage

Have you been to Lamin Dana in Mukah? If you frequent traveller to Mukah and have not been to Lamin Dana, thats mean your journey is not complete yet. Lamin Dana means traditional house in archaic Melanau dialect. Lamin Dana officially declare open by former Minister of Tourism Malaysia, Dato Sri Leo Dr Muhammad Leo Toyad on September 12, 1999. Diana Rose is the founder of Lamin Dana.

It is easy to find the direction to this place because it located at Kampung Telian Tengah. Just 5 minute drive from Mukah town and Lamin Dana signboard is located at the road side. Lamin Dan is getting popular for domestic and foreign traveller, to date Lamin Dana has opened its door to more than 3,000 domestic visitors and more than 500 foreign visitors. "Lamin Dana's greatest achievement thus far is creating a certain level of awareness among Malaysian on the existence of the Melanau people within the context of Malaysian society (article by Gaing Kunding in BP)".

Visitors' to Lamin Dan also can visit the handicraft centre, located on the next building. They can try to do the local handicreft using local products. Apart from that you also can see "hanging coffin" and jerunei.

Un-tapped tourism potential in Mukah

Where is Daro? Someone was asking me and at that time I am still new with Mukah area. Then I get one reference book and start do my own research about Mukah area. After I have some information about this area so I plan my trip with other of my colleague from Kuching and Miri to joint me to discover places of interest in Mukah.

From Sibu to Daro it takes us two and half hours by express boat which cost us RM17 per person. Upon arrival at Daro wharf, we were caught by surprise that there are so many people at the wharf. We wonder why such a small wharf has so many people around. Then one colleague told us that this people just went back for Hari Raya celebration.

Daro was another sub district in Mukah division headed by District officer. Melanau community is the major ethnic group staying in Daro apart from Iban and Chinese community. ‘Ikan terubuk’, one of the popular local fish is the landmark for Daro. After we check in at Eng Soon Lee Inn in Daro, we proceed with our visit to District Office and nearby “places of interest”. On the afternoon we went to “The Last Melanau Longhouse” in Matu district. We were very fortunate because the longhouse Chief is at the longhouse. The longhouse chief is a lady. She shared with us lots of story about the longhouse.

After we spend a night in Daro, next day we proceed to Oya district by land transport. It took us more than two hours to reach Kpg Senau in Oya. Kampung Senau is popular with its homestay program. There are 10 families participate in this program. This program was initiated by Fishery Department of Malaysia (LKIM). Part of our program in Mukah is visit all the ten houses who is participating in Homestay program, river cruise and visit the tebaloi factory.

After whole day visit to Kampung Senau, Oya, our group then proceed back to Mukah town. We stay at King Inn Hotel in the heart of Mukah Town. Most of us have been to Mukah town before and so there no problem for us to move around. On the final day we have short meeting with Resident office and they have brief us some info about development on tourism industry in Mukah division. After the briefing we proceed to Lamin Dana Cultural Boutique and Handicraft Centre located in Kampung Telian Tengah. My colleague was very impressive with set up at Lamin Dana. Overall, all of us was happy and some of us consider this trip is an eye opener because they didn’t thought that Mukah have plenty tourism product to offer to the tourist.

Business as usual

Pesta Berlanggar Meja, Igan, Mukah Sarawak

This unique culture still been practice by the Malanau community in Igan, Mukah Sarawak. There are 5 villages in this area and they jointly organise "lunch together" program on the area where they arrange a long tables in the main road in their village. This program only will be held once a year after Hari Raya celebration. They also invite other people nearby to joint their program.

Sesar Unjur (smoke prawn)

The workers arrange the fresh prawn on the special "container" before they send it to the "smoke house". The burning process will take few hours. Normally the "smoke house" care taker have to make sure the fire is under control, otherwise the prawn will turn black.

Do you know what is smoke prawn? It is different from the ordinary dried prawn that we can found in the market. In Sarawak, smoke prawn industry can be found in Kampung Belawai, Mukah. Its seasonal industry. They has started as early 400 years a go. The local community in the early days produces smoke prawn for own consumption but due to good market demand they decided to produce it commercially.

There is several type of method to produce quality smoke prawn. Some of them just used any kind of wood to dry the prawn but people at Kampung Belawai have their own ways to keep their quality of their smoke prawn. They used “bakau” (rhizophora mucronata) wood to dry the prawn. This wood will produce special aroma and its make the prawn taste sweet and it did not produce a smoke smell on the prawn. Smoke prawn from Belawai did not use any artificial ingredient to keep it lasting for few months.

10 kg of fresh prawn can produce only 1 kg. 1 kg smoke prawn will cost us RM50.00 (factory price). Market price is between RM60 to RM80.00 per kilo. Good for Beer drinker.........