MARI MARI CULTURAL VILLAGE

My nephew who is in the travel trade business invited me yesterday to inspect a new cultural village established about a month ago. The cultural village, situated about 40 minutes from the city is a new tourism product which brings visitors back to the prehistoric Borneo. In this village, visitors have the opportunity to see and experience the culture and lifestyle of some of the ethnic groups of Borneo. They are the "Dusun", " Rungus", Lundayeh" "Bajau" and "Murut".

We entered the village through this hanging bridge

Aross the river

The Dusun traditional way of cooking food in bamboo demonstrated by 2 Dusun girls.

We were invited to participate in the cooking.

The brewing of Montoku (Rice wine), a favourate of the Dusun tribe.

Inside the Rungus longhouse where a young Rungus demonstarted how to start a fire without a lighter or matches

Two Lundanyeh youth showed us how to extract bark from a tree. They make ropes, vests, floors,walls and etc out of these parks.

Cooking the "Jala" , a traditional cake of the Bajau. A real sweet treat.

A visitor trying out the making of "Jala"

Visitors can try out the costumes of the Bajau and pose for photographs in the longhouse.

A Murut long house in the village where visitors witness a customary "Welcome ceremony" and the demonstration on blowpipe making.

Murut warriors offered us their local tobacco

The longhouse's "dance floor"

Care for a Murut traditional tattoo?

Pounding rice, the Murat way

The oldest and tallest tree in the village

I like the longhouse's unique style staircases.

The final part of the tour was the cultural dances

The "band"

The ever popular Bamboo dance with a different beat

Everybody joined in for the fun After a delicious afternoon high-tea. We said good by to the host.

The Mari Mari Cultural Village is opened daily with 3 guided tours at 10:00, 15:00 and 19:00. Tour can be purchased through appointed agents in the city. Lunch, high-tea or dinner is inclusive in the package.