ISLANDS OF SARAWAK

DAMAI Beach, SANTUBONG PENINSULA

Damai Beach in Santubong is a vacation spot embraced by the South China Sea with majestic jungle-clad Mount Santubong as its backdrop.

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

Damai Beach is Sarawak’s popular and scenic beach. Besides beautiful sandy beaches to relax on are water sports such as jet-skiing and windsurfing.

The rich jungle in the background for trekking and climbing. Bird-watchers will enjoy sighting a variety of birds such as Sandpipers, Egrets, Terns, Collared kingfisher, the White-bellied Sea Eagle and Brahminy Kites.

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 centers. 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 Malaysian 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.

PULAU TALANG-TALANG, off Sematan Town

A diving sites. Pulau Talang Talang is a protected turtle sanctuary and permission must be obtained to dive the area. Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles are commonly sighted.

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.

Sarawak, a rich tapestry of cultures and traditions, spectacular natural attractions and fascinating wildlife.

Sarawak is a land of adventures.

Sarawak has 700 km coastline along northwestern Borneo Island.

2) Holiday Inn Damai Beach Resort (changed name recently ). A short drive away from this beach is the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living museum of the various ethnic cultures in the state.

3) 90 km from Kuching are the pristine beaches of Siar Beach,

4) Semantan Beach

5) Penyok and

6) Bandung, ideal for swimming and sunbathing.

7) 30 minute boat ride away from the Damai Beach is the Satang Besar and Satang Kecil islands, sanctuaries for green turtles. Day trips can be made to Satang Besar Island with the permission of the Talang-Satang National Park office.

8) Tanjung Datu National Park, at the western tip of Sarawak

9) Similajau National Park, in the northeast, features golden sandy beaches that face the South China Sea.

10) In Bako National Park, discover a sandy coastline that is ideal fro swimming and sunset watching. Sightings of the long nosed proboscis monkey, a species unique to Borneo will be a memorable experience.

11) Long stretches of beaches in Miri are a popular weekend getaway. The Luak Bay and Hawaii Beach are among the well-known shores in Miri.

Miri is geographically close to the sea, boasts some spectacular and popular beaches:

1) Tanjong Lobang Beach, formerly known as Brighton Beach (Taman Selera),

2) Luak Esplanade,

3) Hawaii Beach,

4) Bekenu-Sibuti Beach,

5) Marina Bay (owned by Marina Mahathir),

6) Lutong Beach