By Adrihani Rashid
Our writer takes us through the emerging tourism landscape of Ulu Baram and the community that is working to grow their presence in the ecotourism sector.
Journeying into Ulu Baram will always feel like an adventure, no matter how you choose to get there. Visiting Ulu Baram is now more accessible than ever, as local communities open their doors for visitors seeking an ecotourism experience like no other.
Ridgeline of Gunung Murud Kecil. Photo by Lucy Wong.
Getting there
From the closest city of Miri, your options are either a Twin Otter flight or a long offroad drive through logging roads; and however you choose, your adventure has already begun. By air, the rigid grids of oil palm plantations slowly transform into undulating hills and mountains of the untouched rainforest. By road, the sheer vastness of the scenery unveils itself, revealing the misty view of the last remaining intact rainforests of Sarawak. There is something truly special about Ulu Baram, where much remains to be discovered.
A wooden perahu navigating the tributaries of the Baram river. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
Then you will traverse the river with an expert boatman navigating the rapids of the Baram and its many tributaries to your eventual destination, of which there are a number of different villages to visit. Compared to the heat and open landscapes of the logging road, the rivers are shaded by large overhanging trees, offering relief from the sun and rain. On the boat journey, hornbills soar overhead, their familiar calls echoing in the air.
O’ong Tekiwit, a hundred meter tall waterfall in Ulu Baram. Photo by Lucy Wong.
Biodiversity
What becomes immediately clear is that Ulu Baram is a place like no other. One of the last standing virgin rainforests of Sarawak, the area is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, many unique to the area. The Baram Heritage Survey of 2023 identified 120 bird species, 67 mammal species, and 24 reptile and amphibian species, many of which are rare, endangered and threatened. These surveys are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wealth of biodiversity in the region, as many areas are yet to be explored.
Male Rhinocerous Hornbill feeding the nesting female. Photo by Lucy Wong.
Life in Ulu Baram
Ulu Baram is the ancestral home to various ethnic communities collectively known as Orang Ulu, including the Penan, Kenyah, Kelabit, and Saban groups. These are resourceful and resilient people, who not only rely on the land for their livelihoods, but actively protect and care for the natural resources around them. They are kept busy with the daily work of maintaining life in the village—farms to tend to, boats to build, engines to be repaired.
Sia Ngedau, chairman of KOPPES guiding a group up Bateu Layuk. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
These communities are also fighting to protect their way of life, while also looking to carve out their future on their own terms. Many farmers are continuously building their capacity to improve their own livelihoods and spur on the local economy via high-value crops such as coffee and pepper, in order to create a future for the next generation.
View over Long Lamai. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
It is these people, who have made their living in these forests for generations, who will welcome you into their homes and show you their way of life. All food consumed is grown or harvested by their own hands; their daily tools—bags, parangs, and sleeping mats—skillfully handcrafted. Homes are built with wood from trees felled and processed on their own; ferns and tubers are gathered for daily meals.
Pakeu Julut, ferns harvested for daily meals. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
There is much pride taken in the local handicrafts, many handmade rattan goods are crafted with care and precision for daily use as well as for decorative purposes. These crafts are also a means of carrying on their traditional practices and cultures into the modern era, an issue that many people, not just the Orang Ulu, are struggling to hang on to. Traditional musical instruments such as the keringut (nose flute) are becoming increasingly rare, but still there are many stalwarts of culture and tradition who are working hard to protect these sounds from being lost to history.
Jong uai, typical handwoven rattan bracelets. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
Community sustainable ecotourism initiatives
There are various community-led initiatives to protect natural resources and community rights towards these resources, such as the upcoming Nawan Nature Discovery Centre of Long Moh, and the Tubo Tu’an Temedan Ulang of Long Semiang, both of which are strongholds of native biodiversity. These efforts are not just to protect the natural glory for the local communities, but also to share with the rest of the world the beauty of Upper Baram that these communities have fought so hard to protect.
As the local communities work towards developing sustainable ecotourism on their own terms, more sites are opening up for visitors that were previously less accessible. Visitors can soon experience the warmth of a local homestay, sampling the homegrown rice and vegetables, and freshly caught fish grilled over an open fire. You might even try your hand at harvesting your own dinner, and getting a taste of local delicacies. Ulu Baram is also a hiker’s paradise, with many meandering trails leading to stunning waterfalls and breathtaking views across forested valleys.
Freshly caught fish over the barbeque. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
One such initiative is KOPPES, or Koperasi Pelancongan Penan Selungo, who are working to scale up the local community’s capacity to host tourists throughout the Selungo and Selaan area. A community-led endeavour, KOPPES comprises members of the local Penan community who are improving their own capacity to showcase the sights and sounds of their heritage, encompassing the local culture and natural beauty. Some such sights include the impressive O’ong Tekiwit (Tekiwit Waterfall), and the various hiking trails throughout the area, such as the Bateu Layuk peak and Bateu Siman cave.
Bateu Siman, an important cultural site for Orang Ulu. Photo by Adrihani Rashid.
While these efforts to increase capacity and improve accessibility are still underway, Ulu Baram remains open to visitors who are willing to go the extra mile, by road, air, and water, to get there. Visitors can look forward to more updates in 2025 as the community-led initiatives mentioned above make progress towards completion and open their doors to the public in the year ahead.
Find out more:
KOPPES can be contacted via their Facebook page, or via email at: koperasipenanselungo@gmail.com
Follow Nawan Nature Discovery Centre on instagram: @NNDC_CHANNEL
Editor’s Note: KOPPES has partnered with Adventure Alternative Borneo to promote the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of the local community. In addition, the organization is one of the recipients of funding from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for the Penan Selungo Community-Based Tourism project. This initiative is set to run for a duration of 16 months, aiming to enhance sustainable tourism while preserving the unique traditions of the Penan Selungo community.