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Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, is a riverside town in the west of the state, located on the banks of the Sarawak River

Sarawak - Land of the Hornbills Situated on the north-western coast of Borneo, the Land of Hornbills beckons the visitor with its rich rainforests, intricate rivers, pepper, and the diverse lifestyles of its indigenous people

Sarawak shares its boundaries with Indonesia's Kalimantan in the south and Brunei and Sabah in the north-east. Sarawak is Malaysia's largest state, covering an area of 124,450sq.km. and is divided into nine Divisions with the city of Kuching as its capital

Two-thirds of its land is under rainforests and its population of 1.7 million is made up of 23 ethnic groups. Sarawak is best known for its natural and cultural wonders.

Economy - Sarawak's oil-rich coastline plays a major role in the economy. Sarawak's economy is largely dependent on its rich natural resources like oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas is mostly exported to Japan

Other sources of revenue come from the famous Sarawak black and white pepper, rubber, sago, copra, bird's nests and timber. Malaysia produces around 27,550 tons of pepper annually, 90% of which comes from Sarawak.

Accommodation - Finding a suitable place to stay in the main towns of Sarawak is easy.

There are over 50 hotels in this tropical paradise, ranging from simple one-star hotels to five-star international hotels. Prices vary from RM30 to RM500.

History - Archaeological findings at Santubong Peninsula show that the Chinese came to trade during the Tang, Sung and Yuan dynasties from 618AD to 1368AD. Little is known about its later history (as there are no written records of this 'middle age') except that, at some point, Sarawak came under the control of the Sultan of Brunei

The People The Iban and Chinese each make up a third of the population. The Malays are third in number followed by the Bidayuh, Melanau and Orang Ulu. The Iban traditionally depend on fishing, hunting and farming for a living

The Malays are mostly farmers and fisher folk, and live in the coastal areas. The Bidayuh were coastal settlers who had been driven inland by sea pirates.

Considered the original settlers of Sarawak, the Melanau are fisher folk. Many of these ethnic groups dwell along the great rivers. They live in longhouses, where the entire population of a village lives under one roof. They are very hospitable to travelers and many visitors stay overnight in a longhouse during their visit.