Where I was Born

View of Miri from Canada Hill

MIRI

 Miri is the gateway to the North of Sarawak, and is a coastal city located just South of the  Sarawak/Brunei border. The city has developed largely as a result of the oil industry and timber tycoons, and much of the economy of the area is today derived from the oil companies. It is also a popular spot among the many expats working in Brunei for rest and recreation. 

The charm of the city lies in its wonderful mixture of races, culture and language. Its population is made up largely of natives, malays, chinese and expats. There are some wonderful open air markets to entice shoppers with numerous local wares, local fruits, exotic batiks, clothes and fragrant rice and a host of other goods. The most popular market is Tamu Muhibbah, which is also open in the evening. 

Oil Well No.1 on Canada Hill

Tourists to the area can visit the long jetty, which is an ideal spot to watch the sun set over the South China Sea, Oil Well No. 1 on Canada Hill where oil was first discovered in Sarawak in 1910, and various parks, markets and local beaches. 

Miri is also an excellent place for the purchase of artefacts and souvenirs from many areas of the region. Sarawak pottery makes excellent souvenirs and can be found at a couple of shops along the Lutong-Kuala Baram Road. Many shops can also be found selling handicrafts such as terendak, pua kumbu, rattan bags beads etc. 

The Miri River is often alive with regattas, skiing, and rafting competitions. 
 

MULU CAVES - The caves of Gunung Mulu, as it is known locally, are the crowning glory of Sarawak's national parks and contain the largest limestone cave system in the world. 

Mulu's system of caves is truly spectacular. The caves which are open for public inspection include the world's largest natural chamber (Sarawak Chamber), the world's largest cave passage (Deer Cave) and the longest cave in South-East Asia (Clearwater Cave). 
 

Langs Cave at Mulu

A visit to Mulu Caves will generally include an afternoon/early evening Tour of the Deer and Lang Caves on your first day in the area and a tour of the Wind and Clearwater caves on your second day. 

There is also plenty to see and do above ground, without having to venture into the caves. The park contains 15 different types of forest - including mixed dipterocarp, heath, peat swamp, moss forest and montane vegetation - and thousands of species of ferns, fungi, mosses and flowering plants, including 170 species of wild orchid and 10 species of pitcher plant. Mulu's wildlife is as rich as its flora, and is inhabited by an impressive variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and other invertebrates. 

NIAH CAVES - The caves are located close to the coast a couple of hours South of Miri. They are the sight of the earliest habitation by man in South-East Asia some 40 000 years ago. At the rear of the main cave is the smaller painted cave with its 1000 year old rock paintings of small canoe-like boats, which were possibly used as coffins, which indicates that the cave was probably used as a burial ground. 

Niah also supports birds nest collectors who climb up spindly scaffolding and poles to reach the roof of the cave some 50 metres above the floor to collect the edible white birds nests formed by swiftlets which live in the cave, and which are used in the famous Chinese dish - "birds nest soup". 

The caves are also inhabited by bats which deposit guano on the floor of the cave. Guano collection has become another thriving industry based in the vicinity of the caves. 

As a result of the swiftlets and the bats living together, when evening comes along there is a wonderful spectacle of the swiftlets arriving home as the bats depart for the night.