Sibu - Exploring The Rejang

Introduction I An Ethnic Kaleidoscope I Sibu I Kapit I Sarikei I
Belaga I Exploring The Rejang

Although Kapit and Belaga can both be reached by MAS Twin Otter, the only way to really see and enjoy the Rejang is to travel by boat. The vast distances involved and the absence of roads have given rise to a form of transpot unique to the Rejang, the Express Bost, These torpedo-shaped craft, styled like airliners and powered by thousand-horsepower engines, blast their way up and down the Rejang and its tributaries at speeds of over 60km/h, their weather-beathen skippers treating rapids and mud-flats with equal disdain.

The express boats are the lifeline of the entire Rejang Basin, and are used by everybody who needs to travel, so you are bound to meet a cross section of Rejang society, from elderly Kayan grandmothers with their tattoos and elongated ears, to sophisticated Chinese businessmen balancing their laptop computers on their knees. The interior is comfortable, air-conditioned, and complete with "in-flight" movies, but for the adventurous, the best place to enjoy the scenery is perched on the roof, waving to other craft and catching a glimpse of life along the river.

The most exciting part of the upriver journey is the Pelagus Rapids. As you approach the rapids, a boatman will shoo all the rooftop passengers inside, as the boat ploughs into 1.6km of fast, turbulent water and sharp, rocky outcrops. Before the introduction of express boats, passengers would have to disembark and walk through the forest to another boat on the other side, but nowadays the express boats glide through the rapids easily, the skipper skilfully positioning and manoeuvring his craft with sheer horsepower.

Remote longhouses are accessible only by outboard-powered longboat. Rejang longboats are narrow and highly manoeuvrable, so an experienced boatman can negotiate very narrow and difficult waters, but you should be prepared to climb out and help to push or carry the boat past a particularly tricky set of rapids. Upriver travel on the Rejang and its tributaries can be hard work at times, but it can provide visitors with fond memories that last a lifetime.