Location : Apau Koyan Resettlement, Belaga, Kapit Division, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Bakun Resettlement Site (BRS) or more popularly known as Sungai Asap/Apau Koyan is an interesting miniature of the original Bakun basin which houses 15 villages and 5 ethnic tribes comprising Kenyah(4), Kayan(8), Ukit(1), Penan(1) and Lahanan(1).

longhouse, village, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Borneo, Malaysia, Ethnic, native, Dayak Kenyah, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越婆罗州,
Many thanks to Ester Lawing​ for helping us pinpoint these villages

Touring these 15 villages would be best done with a car and a senior as a guide so he or she is familiar with the communities and their customs. If you see a white flag tied to the entrance arch of a village, it is best you do not enter as it marks the death of someone in the village. No visitors are allowed during the mourning period. We had the unfortunate experience at Uma Bawang a Kayan village when our guide friend failed to notice the white flag and unwittingly, we drove in and ascended the staircase and was immediately yelled at and told to get down by one of the villagers. They did not mean to be rude, especially to visitors but customs are customs and need to be respected. Well, we got away without a fine which would have been the case in olden times. We duly apologized and left.

longhouse, rumah panjang, village, native, traditional, Bakun, Belaga, Borneo, Kapit, dayak motif, tribe, Orang Ulu, Tourist attraction, travel guide, 沙捞越长屋
Notice the white flag on the right post of the arch
rumah panjang, village, authentic, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Sungai Koyan, Belaga, Kapit, dayak motif, tribal, Orang Ulu, Tourism, travel guide, 婆罗州长屋
Uma Bawang longhouse

Not all was unlucky that day. When we arrived at the most touristic longhouse of Uma Belor, a little wedding ceremony was about to start. We stayed for a bit to see how it was done. Before we managed to see the bride and groom guests were making to the buffet table. I guessed food came first before anything else. Very important. The guests were mostly Kayans but we did hear Mandarin spoken among them. Sometimes it is really hard to tell a fair looking Kayan from a Chinese. We left soon even though we were invited to partake.

Uma Belun Leo Dian, homestay, rumah panjang, traditional, Kapit, Borneo, native, ethnic, Dayak Kayan, Orang Ulu, Tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越长屋
To Uma Belor

 

Uma Belor, homestay, rumah panjang, authentic, Kapit, Malaysia, native, Sungai Asap, traditional, Orang Ulu, Tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越长屋,
Uma Belor entrance

Uma Belun Leo Dian, homestay, longhouse, authentic, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, native, tribal, Dayak Kayan, Orang Ulu, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越婆罗州, Uma Belun Leo Dian, homestay, authentic, traditional, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, native, Dayak Kayan, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越长屋 Uma Belor, longhouse, rumah panjang, authentic, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Malaysia, native, tribe, Dayak Kayan, Tourism, destination, 婆罗州长屋, 沙捞越旅游景点

Uma Belor, rumah panjang, village, authentic, traditional, Sungai Asap, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, native, Dayak Kayan, Tourism, travel guide, 婆罗州长屋
Old school public phone
rumah panjang, traditional, Village, Sungai Asap, Belaga, Ethnic, native, Dayak Kayan, Tourism, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越, 婆罗州长屋
Wedding reception at Uma Belor

Uma Belor, homestay, longhouse, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, tribe, Dayak Kayan, tourist attraction, backpackers, 婆罗州长屋 Uma Belun, village, indigenous, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, native, tribe, Orang Ulu, Tourism, travel guide,

Uma Belor, rumah panjang, Bintulu, authentic, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Kapit, Malaysia, Ethnic, tribal, Orang Asal, Orang ulu, Tourist attraction, 沙捞越, 旅游景点
Unlike in the Iban community, we see more tattooed ladies among the Kayans

Uma Belun, longhouse, village, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Malaysia, Ethnic, native, tribe, Kayan, Tourism, 沙捞越婆罗州,Most of the longhouses’ layout were well designed so that it was convenient to drive round the village except for the Lahanan village which I had to drive reversed in order to get out. The longhouses architectural design were pretty stereotype. Possibly from a single blueprint. All stilted with the bottom area sometimes modified into either a garage or a storeroom. First floor would be the corridor or ruai, and each family will have their private sitting room with the kitchen at the back. The second floor would be the bedrooms. We noticed most longhouses would extend the width of their corridors by another 2m which made the ruai looked very spacious. Each longhouse would consist of 15 doors or families. Some villages would build a wooden bridge or platform to connect to the adjoining longhouse. Not very wise as there would be no fire break. As usual the artisitic Kenyahs and Kayans would have the more interesting welcoming arches andpainted or carved motifs on their walls compared to the other tribes. But mediocre compared to their Kalimantan counterparts.

Umoek Penan Talun

longhouse, village, authentic, Bakun Dam, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, native, tribal, Dayak, orang asal, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, 婆罗州长屋
Entrance to Penan longhouse

rumah panjang, village, authentic, Bakun Dam resettlement, Sungai Koyan, Belaga, Malaysia, Ethnic, tribe, Dayak, Orang Ulu, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越长屋

longhouse, village, authentic, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, native, tribe, dayak, tourism, travel guide, 婆罗州长屋
Uyan chatting with Penan ladies who are her part time workers for her bakery. They conversed in the Kayan language

Umoek Penan Talun, rumah panjang, village, authentic, traditional, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Ethnic, native, orang asal, Tourism, travel guide, 沙捞越长屋

Umoek Penan Talun, village, indigenous, Bakun Dam resettlemen, Belaga, Kapit, Malaysia, native, tribal, Orang Ulu, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 婆罗州旅游景点
Young Penan mother making a sunhat from licuala leaves

rumah panjang, village, traditional, Sungai Asap, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Borneo, Malaysia, Ethnic, tribal, orang asal, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, rumah panjang, village, Bakun Dam resettlement, Sungai Asap, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, ethnic, tribe, Dayak, orang ulu, tourism, travel guide, destination, 沙捞越长屋

Uma Ukit Apau Koyan

longhouse, village, authentic, traditional, Bakun Dam resettlement, Sungai Koyan, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, native, tribal, Dayak, Tourism, backpackers
Entrance to Ukit longhouse
rumah panjang, village, Bakun Dam resettlement, Kapit, Borneo, Malaysia, Ethnic, native, tribe, Dayak, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越婆罗州
Nice church

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rumah panjang, village, authentic, traditional, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, native, tribe, tourism, travel guide, destination, 沙捞越长屋, 婆罗州旅游景点
Ukit style of a comfy chair
village, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Apau Koyan, Kapit, Bintulu, Malaysia, tribal, Dayak, orang asal, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越旅游景点
Shopping for baskets ina Ukit longhouse
longhouse, village, traditional, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia, native, rattan crafts, Orang Ulu, Tourism, backpackers, destination, 婆罗州长屋
Sold
longhouse, village, authentic, traditional, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Borneo, Malaysia, native, tribe, dayak, orang ulu, travel guide, tourism, 沙捞越长屋
Ukit girls

village, authentic, Sungai Asap, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Borneo, Ethnic, tribe, Orang Ulu, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, destination, 沙捞越婆罗州

rumah panjang, village, Sungai Asap, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia, Ethnic, native, dayak, orang asal, travel guide, backpackers,
Later additions
Apau Koyan, village, indigenous, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Malaysia, Ethnic, native, Orang Ulu, tourist attraction, travel guide, backpackers, destination,
Sweet Ukit lady all smiles

village, indigenous, Bakun Dam resettlement, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Borneo, Sarawak, native, tribe, Tourism, travel guide,沙捞越旅游景点, 婆罗州长屋 Uma Ukit Apau Koyan, village, authentic, traditional, Sungai Asap, Belaga, Kapit, Malaysia, native, tribal, orang asal, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越婆罗州 longhouse, indigenous, Bakun Dam resettlement, Sungai Koyan, Belaga, Kapit, Bintulu, Borneo, dayak, ethnic, tribe, Tourism, travel guide, backpackers, 沙捞越婆罗州Next : Village Hopping Part 2

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