Sarawak Islands and Beaches, Malaysia

Pulau Talang-Talang

Renowned for her natural eco-trails and tribal culture, Sarawak also has some diving sites. Pulau Talang Talang lying off the mouth of Sematan River is a protected turtle sanctuary and permission must be obtained to dive the area. Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles are commonly sighted in the vicinity.

A World War II ship wreck Katori Maru, located about 30 nautical miles from the mainland, was a Japanese troop carrier sunk by British aircraft. Being located further off the coast, water visibility is between 5 to 8 meters. The poor light penetration has resulted in little coral growth on the ship but it has managed to attract a number of large fish inhabitants and in particular, reef sharks. Locating the wreck is no easy task - it usually takes the local dive-master several minutes of cruising before locating the wreck.

Damai, Santubong Peninsula

Damai, Sarawak's main beach resort area, is located on the Santubong Peninsula, about 35 minutes' drive from Kuching. The area has sandy beaches at the foot of an imposing jungle-covered mountain.

Damai features three world-class resort hotels: the Holiday Inn Resort Damai Beach, Damai Lagoon Resort and Santubong Kuching Resort.

Each resort has their own private beach, swimming pool and offers jet skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis, squash and fitness centres. There is also an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course nearby.

Other attractions at Damai include the Sarawak Cultural Village and the sleepy fishing villages of Santubong and Buntal with their excellent seafood restaurants.

For visitors wanting more adventurous activities, climb through the rainforest to the summit of Mount Santubong. It is a five to six-hour trek and surrounding hotels will usually provide a guide and a packed lunch.

Irrawady Dolphin Watching
Damai is one of the best places to see the rare Irrawady dolphin, particularly in Santubong, Salak and Buntal river estuaries. A good guide-cum-spotter is necessary in order to catch a sight of this shy dolphin in the Damai area. Hotels and tour operators offer Irrawady Dolphin Cruises to take visitors to popular sighting destinations.

Bird-Watching
The Santubong Peninsula offers a few sites for bird watching. Buntal village, an important wintering ground for migratory birds, is the best place. The best period is from October to March.

Among the migrants that were spotted by the Malaysain Nature Society (Kuching Branch) at Buntal in their bird count in January 2000 include a variety of Plobers, Sandpipers, Egrets, Terns and other rare migrants, while resident birds include Collared kingfisher, the White-bellied Sea Eagle and Brahminy Kite.