Sarawak is the North-West part of Borneo and is a very diverse area with many different cultures and a fascinating history.

Sarawak is a lovely place and doesn’t seem as polluted as parts of Sabah, although there are still unwanted things thrown in the rivers and sea. Kuching looks cleaner than KK and the air quality feels better but perhaps this has something to do with all the rain.

Some of the problems are caused by tourism and some travellers are less considerate than others. For example, I found myself packing out other’s rubbish from Bako National Park and many people don’t heed the warnings about not feeding the animals.

History

Sarawak has a fascinating history based around one Victorian explorer and his family. We knew very little about it before we came here but it’s not a traditional British colony. In fact, it was only made an overseas territory at the same time as others were gaining independence (after WWII).

There were plans to make a film about the story of the White Rajah with Errol Flynn but the Second World War got in the way. However, there is a modern film in production.

It’s definitely worth visiting The Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita (all the forts are named after the women of the family) if you come here. You can of course read about it online or even watch a show by Sir Michael Palin on it.