A tourist hotspot in the making

ONCE an isolated settlement in Penrissen, Kampung Danu has emerged as one the most frequently visited places in Kuching Division.

Thanks to kayaking activities in Upper Sarawak Kiri River, the village welcomes paddlers almost every day – both locals and foreigners – who would usually round up their outings with a tour of the village plus lunch.

To get to the Bidayuh village, one has to cross a suspension bridge.

For many years, the bridge has served as a lifeline. If it were to collapse, the whole village would be stranded. Without boats, the kampung folk would not be able to get in or out.

A huge section of the river separates the village from the outside world. Looking down from the suspension bridge during low tide, you can see a vast expanse of pebbles almost as wide as the river – ideal for a family or group picnic.

During the dry season, when the river is shallow, the water is crystal clear and safe for swimming. But whenever there is a heavy downpour, the river swells and flows very fast.

After crossing the suspension bridge, the first thing to pass through is a colourful mini flower garden.

Life in Kampung Danu has changed since the completion of the Semadang-Danu Road, shortening the journey from Kuching to the village by about 20km from the original 60km.

This also makes the village of about 50 families accessible either via off Jalan Puncak Borneo or the newly-constructed Semadang-Danu Road.

About two years ago, the villagers used to park their cars outside the entrance of the village – on the other side of it – but now vehicles are parked either in front of their houses or by the roadside.

More happenings

After so many years living a simple life, the villagers now want to see more happening in their area.

And as long as there are kayaking activities, Kampung Danu will continue to welcome tourists who normally stop by to sample some native herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits before taking a cool dip in the river and having lunch catered on a sandy bank or a pebbled field.

But the villagers want to explore more tourism products so that tourists can stay longer and give the local economy a boost.

A homestay sub-committee has, thus, been set up by the village co-operative and headed by Agnes Harold, to explore and develop new tourism products.

Caving is one activity the sub-committee is planning to add to the existing tourist attractions.

Agnes said they have explored two nearby caves and one waterfall all with great potential to be turned into niche tourism products.

The survey of these three places – Keyu Cave, Rembang Cave and Tancag Waterfall – was carried out with the help of the villagers, including experienced local cavers.

She noted that all of them could be developed into tourist spots for Kampung Danu.

“According to the cavers and the elders, the entrances to the two caves were discovered many decades ago. The caves used to be the breeding places for swiftlets and bats.

“I’m not familiar with swiftlets but according to our cavers, bird’s nests are still found in Keyu Cave, although not much now.”

As such, Agnes said, the village security and development committee has barred people from collecting bird’s nests in the cave.

Cavern attractions

She believes Keyu Cave could be very popular as it offers shorter and more convenient cave tours, which suit shorter visits.

She said along the path to the cave, there is a species of flowers that blooms only at night.

The villagers call the flowers Bunga Bangkai because they produce a very unpleasant smell.

Agnes said Keyu Cave is only about 10 minutes on foot from the Keyu Bridge along the new Semadang-Danu Road, adding that it takes less than five minutes to drive from Kampung Danu to the Keyu Bridge.

She disclosed that during the survey of Rembang Cave, a bigger and longer cavern system was discovered.

While Keyu Cave is accessible by land, a boat is needed to get to Rembang Cave. The boat ride downstream of Upper Sarawak Kiri River from Kampung Danu takes between 10 and 15 minutes.

From the riverbank, the walk to the cave entrance also takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Agnes said Rembang Cave was more spread out and longer and could lead through to Kampung Karu on the other side of the mountain.

“According to the elders, in the old days, the villagers usually used this cave as a short-cut to Kampung Karu to seek traditional treatment. In the past, there was no road connecting our village – so we used boats to Kampung Semadang downriver before taking any mode of land transport to our next destination and to Kuching.”

To explore the two caves, she said visitors are not required to trek deep into the jungle and spend a night out in the open because they are not far from Kampung Danu.

Cave tourism

Meanwhile, cave tourism has reportedly gained popularity in many parts of the world.

Traditionally known as spelunking in the US and Canada and potholing in the UK and Ireland, caving is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems.

Having visited almost all the caves in Mulu several years ago, I find the challenges involved in caving vary from cave to cave.

Aside from total absence of light beyond the entrance, the challenges often include getting around pitches, squeezes and water hazards.

More often than not, caving is undertaken for enjoyment of the outdoors or physical exercise as well as exploration similar to mountaineering or even diving.

While physical or biological science is an important goal for some cavers, others would rather engage in cave photography.

In some of the regions of the state, many of the accessible caves have already been explored.

In certain areas, caving has been utilised as a form of eco- and adventure tourism. Some tour companies have been organising expeditions to the caves in Sarawak.

Caving activities in the state often place strong emphasis on the preservation of the caves. There are many rural villages in Penrissen, Padawan and Bau, high on the list for cave exploration and development into popular tourist products.

Tancag Waterfall

Aside from caves and huge pebbled fields, Kampung Danu is also home to a waterfall the local community call Tancag Waterfall, located upriver between kampungs Danu and Bengoh.

From Kampung Danu, it takes about 10 minutes by longboat to reach the waterfall when the water is shallow and even faster when the water is higher.

The waterfall is not very high while the pool is only chest-deep. It’s already a must visit for kayakers who start off from Kampung Bengoh.

For the homestay sub-committee’s plan to materialise, Agnes is appealing to the authorities concerned to help develop these three places of interest – the two caves and the waterfall – in the village.

She believes this would boost the economic activities in the village and the surrounding areas.

She pointed out that Kampung Danu, which is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, needs to offer more tourism activities to benefit both the local community and the state.

“Our village has a lot of potential to be further developed into a popular tourist destination.

“We’re keen to develop these areas and hope the authorities concerned could look into it, especially in helping us operate the homestay and further tap the village’s tourism potential.”

Agnes also appealed to the relevant authorities to help them run the homestay programme in the village, saying 12 families had applied to operate homestays.

“I believe the homestay programme and the availability of the new tourism products can create more economic activities and further improve the livelihood of the village and the surrounding areas,” she said.