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| Dr Jerip and other guests having their lunch at the "Bori Bak Jorak'. |
STARTING next year, the annual Fairy Cave Festival promises a lot more fun and colourful activities being held.
During the augural festival last weekend thousands of visitors from near and far including foreign tourists flocked the Fairy Cave in Krokong, Bau and its surrounding area to join in the events.
Various activities were held during the three-day event. During the day, visitors joined the tour to the Fairy Cave, did rock climbing (Rock On 3) and witness the battle of the gongs, blowpipe competition, 4X4 off road demonstration and traditional paddy pounding competition.
There were also stalls set up by the local people to
sell food and drinks and in the evening visitor were entertained with live band performance.
Apart from the interesting events, Penghulu Dihoi Nyaweng who is the organising chairman of festival built a traditional Bidayuh paddy farm hut which is locally known as ‘bori bak jorak’.
The hut made of wood collected from the forest area and the wall made of sago leaves was the centre of attractions among the visitors during the festival.
Dihoi said in the olden days, Bidayuh farmers usually farmed far away from their village and they built huts in their paddy farm where they would stay while working in their farm.
“They would stay there for a year or two, usually until the end of the paddy farming season,” he said.
On the Fairy Cave Festival, Dihoi said there were seven groups taking part in the battle of the gongs, 38 in the blowpipe competition, five vehicles in the 4x4 off-road demonstration and two groups in the paddy pounding competition.
Following the overwhelming response to the festival, Dihoi said the event will be an annual event for the Krokong Development and Security Committee.
“Next year we will organise the festival in grander scale as part of the tourism income generating activities in the Krokong area,” said Dihoi.
Dihoi said he was happy with the turnout and the success of the festival despite operating with limited financial resources.
“We will also introduce kayaking at the Sarawak Kanan River not far away from the Fairy Cave next year.
“We have eleven houses at nearby Kampung Peros under the homestay programme where visitors can stay in,” he said.
Dihoi said the paddy field nearby which is private owned will also be adopted as one of the tourist products in the area.
There are 15 villages under JKK Krokong, namely Kampung Peros, Batu Sepit, Pisa, Puak, Belimbin, Kaman, Bijure, Ledan, Pangkalan Tebang, Tringgus Rabak Rotan, Teringgus Nguan, Gumbang, Padang Pan and Piduan Bawah. They account for about 11,000 people.
“We will also take up the Public Health Assistant Minuister's Dr Jerip Susil challenge to develop the place into weekend market beginning next year. The local people can sell their produce in the market, similar to the Serikin weekend bazaar.
“It was a good idea from the assistant minister as it would further popularise the place as one of the major destinations,” he said.
Besides, he said it would also create economic activities for the local people.
He said the Sarawak Forest Corporation has also allowed the Krokong Development and Security Committee to adopt the place and develop it as a tourism destination.
“I would like to request the government to gazette the Fairy Cave and the surrounding area as a communal reserve of the Krokong Development and Security Committee for the benefit of the Krokong community,” he said.
The facilities already put in place at the vicinity of the Fairy Cave by the Sarawak Forest Corporation and Bau Distrct Council will be adopted by the committee.
Dihoi said they would however need more funding to improve the environment and the facilities there.
On Saturday when officiating the festival, Dr Jerip suggested to Krokong Development and Security Committee to develop and turn the popular Fairy Cave and the surrounding area into weekend bazaar similar to the Serikin weekend bazaar.
The Bengoh State Assemblyman said the Fairy Cave and the surround area have vast tourism products which need to be tab and turn into income generating activities for the community in the surrounding area.
“A part from the cave (Fairey Cave), within the area there are beautiful mountains very suitable for mountain and rock climbing activities, a big area of paddy field, the Sarawak Kanan River suitable for kayaking and also the homestay in nearby Kampung Peros.
“All these are saleable tourism products and will surely lure tourists and local visitors to the place to generate good income for the people here,” said Dr Jerip.
He said it is timely for the place to be developed for community based programme and as the major tourist attraction in the area.
For the purpose Dr Jerip Said he would help to source for the fund to upgrade the facilities while he commended the Sarawak Forest Coporation and the local council for building the facilities there including the steps and staircase going up to the Fairy Cave.
“We want during every weekend people come for the activities, stay at the traditional kampung homestay, visit the cave and kayaking in the river as well as shopping at the weekend market,” he said.
He said all these are income generating activities and is confident the project will be successful as they are capable people to manage them.
For next year’s festival, he said more activities will be organised to portray the local Bidayuh traditions, which is the ambient of the festival.
Meanwhile the annual crock climbing activity which was also held at the same place recorded 100 percent increase in term of participation.
Rock On 3, a natural rock-climbing activities which in its third year being held at the Fairy Cave.
Organised by sports climbing enthusiasts Malcolm and Eunice Jitam from Outdoor Treks and Adventures and Alex Holke, Rock On 3 were participated by climbers from around the world, showing their skill in tackle the limestone face of the Fairy Caves.
Malcolm said some 40 climbers are from New Zealand, Australia, United State, Germany, South Korea, England, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and a strong contingent from Sabah joined this year event.
He said besides serious climbers there are about 30 beginner climbers and 10 junior climbers, aged 13-14 years old, taking part in the event.
The initiative by the Ministry of Tourism in 1998 to develop sports and adventure tourism in the state saw an Australian team of climbers bolting about 30 routes along the Batman Wall, one of the rock-climbing walls at Fairy Caves.
From 2008 onwards, Holke bolted 30 more routes with the help of other local climbers.
Malcolm said he was happy to note that participation from foreign climbers has increased by double.
He said he and his partners has been working very hard in putting up more new climbing routes around the mountain at their own expenses.
“We have created new routes and our effort is yielding now as every month we received visitors from all over the world who came to climb here.
“We aim to create more climbing routes. Once we reach 100 routes, we will qualify as an international rock-climbing destination,” Malcolm said.
“Currently, five walls serve as the main climbing area at Fairy Caves but experienced or professional climbers are welcomed to create new routes.
“There are routes never climbed before, and whoever succeeds the climb can name that route,” he said, pointing out that each route is named by the creator.
All climbs have glued in (Hilti RE 500) and fixed hangers on expansion bolts certified by International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA).
According to Malcolm, the quality of the rocks and natural settings at the Fairy Cave are one of the best in around the world.
Malcolm said he was also very happy with the support given by the local people during the festival.
“They are very active and polite which made our visitors felt being welcomed and they stayed at the local homestay,” said Malcolm.
He hoped the Ministry of Tourism will allocate more fund to develop more climbing route as it is very costly to create them.
According to Malcolm, each route involves not less than 10 points and each point need to have one hanger and one bold, adding that each bolt and a hanger would cost about RM30.
“We received the first funding when the project started in 1999 but after that there was no more funding coming from the Ministry of Tourism although we have been promised,” said Malcolm.
During the augural festival last weekend thousands of visitors from near and far including foreign tourists flocked the Fairy Cave in Krokong, Bau and its surrounding area to join in the events.
Various activities were held during the three-day event. During the day, visitors joined the tour to the Fairy Cave, did rock climbing (Rock On 3) and witness the battle of the gongs, blowpipe competition, 4X4 off road demonstration and traditional paddy pounding competition.
There were also stalls set up by the local people to
sell food and drinks and in the evening visitor were entertained with live band performance.
Apart from the interesting events, Penghulu Dihoi Nyaweng who is the organising chairman of festival built a traditional Bidayuh paddy farm hut which is locally known as ‘bori bak jorak’.
The hut made of wood collected from the forest area and the wall made of sago leaves was the centre of attractions among the visitors during the festival.
Dihoi said in the olden days, Bidayuh farmers usually farmed far away from their village and they built huts in their paddy farm where they would stay while working in their farm.
“They would stay there for a year or two, usually until the end of the paddy farming season,” he said.On the Fairy Cave Festival, Dihoi said there were seven groups taking part in the battle of the gongs, 38 in the blowpipe competition, five vehicles in the 4x4 off-road demonstration and two groups in the paddy pounding competition.
Following the overwhelming response to the festival, Dihoi said the event will be an annual event for the Krokong Development and Security Committee.
“Next year we will organise the festival in grander scale as part of the tourism income generating activities in the Krokong area,” said Dihoi.
Dihoi said he was happy with the turnout and the success of the festival despite operating with limited financial resources.
“We will also introduce kayaking at the Sarawak Kanan River not far away from the Fairy Cave next year.
“We have eleven houses at nearby Kampung Peros under the homestay programme where visitors can stay in,” he said.
Dihoi said the paddy field nearby which is private owned will also be adopted as one of the tourist products in the area.
There are 15 villages under JKK Krokong, namely Kampung Peros, Batu Sepit, Pisa, Puak, Belimbin, Kaman, Bijure, Ledan, Pangkalan Tebang, Tringgus Rabak Rotan, Teringgus Nguan, Gumbang, Padang Pan and Piduan Bawah. They account for about 11,000 people.
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| Visitors at the entrance to the Fairy Cave. |
“It was a good idea from the assistant minister as it would further popularise the place as one of the major destinations,” he said.
Besides, he said it would also create economic activities for the local people.
 |
| Visitors posing for photograph at 'Bori Bak Jerak' |
“I would like to request the government to gazette the Fairy Cave and the surrounding area as a communal reserve of the Krokong Development and Security Committee for the benefit of the Krokong community,” he said.
The facilities already put in place at the vicinity of the Fairy Cave by the Sarawak Forest Corporation and Bau Distrct Council will be adopted by the committee.
Dihoi said they would however need more funding to improve the environment and the facilities there.
On Saturday when officiating the festival, Dr Jerip suggested to Krokong Development and Security Committee to develop and turn the popular Fairy Cave and the surrounding area into weekend bazaar similar to the Serikin weekend bazaar.
The Bengoh State Assemblyman said the Fairy Cave and the surround area have vast tourism products which need to be tab and turn into income generating activities for the community in the surrounding area.
“A part from the cave (Fairey Cave), within the area there are beautiful mountains very suitable for mountain and rock climbing activities, a big area of paddy field, the Sarawak Kanan River suitable for kayaking and also the homestay in nearby Kampung Peros.
“All these are saleable tourism products and will surely lure tourists and local visitors to the place to generate good income for the people here,” said Dr Jerip.
He said it is timely for the place to be developed for community based programme and as the major tourist attraction in the area.
For the purpose Dr Jerip Said he would help to source for the fund to upgrade the facilities while he commended the Sarawak Forest Coporation and the local council for building the facilities there including the steps and staircase going up to the Fairy Cave.
 |
| Battle of the gong |
He said all these are income generating activities and is confident the project will be successful as they are capable people to manage them.
For next year’s festival, he said more activities will be organised to portray the local Bidayuh traditions, which is the ambient of the festival.
Meanwhile the annual crock climbing activity which was also held at the same place recorded 100 percent increase in term of participation.
Rock On 3, a natural rock-climbing activities which in its third year being held at the Fairy Cave.
 |
| Blowpipe competition. |
Malcolm said some 40 climbers are from New Zealand, Australia, United State, Germany, South Korea, England, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and a strong contingent from Sabah joined this year event.
He said besides serious climbers there are about 30 beginner climbers and 10 junior climbers, aged 13-14 years old, taking part in the event.
The initiative by the Ministry of Tourism in 1998 to develop sports and adventure tourism in the state saw an Australian team of climbers bolting about 30 routes along the Batman Wall, one of the rock-climbing walls at Fairy Caves.
From 2008 onwards, Holke bolted 30 more routes with the help of other local climbers.
Malcolm said he was happy to note that participation from foreign climbers has increased by double.
 |
| Paddy pounding competition. |
“We have created new routes and our effort is yielding now as every month we received visitors from all over the world who came to climb here.
“We aim to create more climbing routes. Once we reach 100 routes, we will qualify as an international rock-climbing destination,” Malcolm said.
“Currently, five walls serve as the main climbing area at Fairy Caves but experienced or professional climbers are welcomed to create new routes.
“There are routes never climbed before, and whoever succeeds the climb can name that route,” he said, pointing out that each route is named by the creator.
All climbs have glued in (Hilti RE 500) and fixed hangers on expansion bolts certified by International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA).
According to Malcolm, the quality of the rocks and natural settings at the Fairy Cave are one of the best in around the world.
Malcolm said he was also very happy with the support given by the local people during the festival.
“They are very active and polite which made our visitors felt being welcomed and they stayed at the local homestay,” said Malcolm.
He hoped the Ministry of Tourism will allocate more fund to develop more climbing route as it is very costly to create them.
According to Malcolm, each route involves not less than 10 points and each point need to have one hanger and one bold, adding that each bolt and a hanger would cost about RM30.
“We received the first funding when the project started in 1999 but after that there was no more funding coming from the Ministry of Tourism although we have been promised,” said Malcolm.
 |
| Rock climbing activity at the Fairy Cave. |
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