Location : Kota Malinau, Kalimantan Utara, Indonesia.

In Sarawak this tribe is currently known as Lun Bawang. They used to be called the Muruts by the early day European adventurers to Brunei and they can be found in Bario, Ba Kelalan, Lawas, Brunei and Sipitang. Later they were bundled into the general category of Orang Ulu by the Sarawak government. Now they are happy just to be called Lun Bawang and nothing else. But the Lundayeh in Malinau have always been Lundayeh and always will be. Lundayeh means Upriver People.

We had to catch the early morning ‘taxi’ which was actually a converted tiny van with minimum luxury. Lucky thing we needed to wait only 10min for it to pass by our lodging house. Taxi fare is quite expensive here as petrol is expensive, if available. By the time we arrived at the venue (which was about the size of 6 football fields), the centre field was already filled with the Lundayehs. It was their day and the stage belonged to them and them only. The musicians and dancers, maybe a thousand of them, were dressed in their traditional best, eager to welcome the Bupati (Regent) and his wife to officiate the opening of the show. Indonesia, authentic, Borneo, culture, event, HUT, indigenous, Festival, Kota Malinau, Lun Bawang, Muruts, native, pesta adat, Suku Dayak Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide,

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Beautiful body art on her legs

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Double hornbill headgear

Indonesia, Ethnic, indigenous, Lun Bawang, Muruts, native, Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, tribal, tribe,

authentic, culture, event, HUT, indigenous, Irau Festival, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, authentic, Borneo, culture, Ethnic, event, HUT, indigenous, Irau Festival, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, orang asli, pesta adat, Suku Dayak Lundayeh, Tourism, traditional, tribal, tribe,Luckily it was not a very hot day. Gongs and drums roared as the VIP pair walked into the venue and ushered to a specially made wooden hut.

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VIPs
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VIP stand

Prayer was offered followed by a tribal miring with fire and we saw a piece of palm leaf offered to the Bupati probably signifying a gesture of peace.

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Blessing ceremony

authentic, Borneo, culture, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Irau Festival, native, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, orang asal, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribeBeautifully choreographed dances kept flowing by different sets of dancers. The tribal band backing the dances were equally awesome. authentic, cultural dance, Ethnic, event, HUT, Irau Festival, Kota Malinau, Muruts, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribe,Borneo, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Irau Festival, Kota Malinau, Lun Bawang, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, Orang asli, pesta adat, Lundayeh, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, authentic, Indonesia, culture, event, gong Festival, Lun Bawang, native, North Kalimantan Utara, Wisata budaya, orang asal, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, authentic, Borneo, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Festival, native, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, budaya, orang asal, pesta adat, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, tribal, tribe, authentic, cultural dance, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Irau Festival, Lun Bawang, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, sape music, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, authentic, Indonesia, culture, Ethnic, event, gong, indigenous, Irau Festival, Kota Malinau, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata budaya, orang asli, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, cultural dance, event, HUT, Irau Festival, Muruts, Lun Bawang, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, Kota Malinau, Irau festival, indigenous, Muruts, native, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang asal, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, tourist attraction, traditional, tribe, cultural dance, HUTBorneo, culture, event, indigenous, Irau Festival, Kota Malinau, Lun Bawang, native, North Kalimantan Utara, Obyek wisata, budaya, orang asli, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, authentic, Borneo, Indonesia, cultural dance, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Irau Festival, Lun Bawang, Obyek wisata budaya, orang asal, pesta adat, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe,

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Pounding the lesong dance

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Totem pole

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The Gong Gang. Somebody in the crowd told me there ever was an event with a thousand gongs! That must have been awesome! authentic, Borneo, Ethnic, gong music, indigenous, Irau Festival, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, pesta adat, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, travel guide, tribal, tribe,authentic, Borneo, culture, Ethnic, event, indigenous, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, tourism, music

authentic, Indonesia, cultural dance, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Kota Malinau, native, Obyek wisata, budaya, Orang Ulu, pesta adat, Suku Dayak Lundayeh, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe,Kota Malinau, authentic, culture, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Festival, native, Obyek wisata, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe, budaya, HUT, authentic, culture, Ethnic, event, indigenous, Festival, native, Indonesia, Borneo, Obyek wisata, Suku Dayak, Lundayeh, Tourism, tourist attraction, traditional, travel guide, tribal, tribe,There were other smaller events held during the afternoon session, next album and the last on Irau.

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