Bario through My Eyes

“Photos, the sights you see, souvenirs, everything fades in comparison to the experience that changes you from your core. The change is always for the better, and it is always a cherished memory for people in the end. Don’t let fear hold you back – go out there and meet people of the world, it would be fun, I promise” - unknown

Before I went to Bario, I did zero research about Bario on purpose. I wished to explore Bario by immersing myself into their community, and I am very happy with my decision because I got surprised every day. \^o^/

Most of you might have a question in your mind: “Where is Bario?”

Bario, the home of the Kelabits and Penans, is located at the northeast of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is very close to Kalimantan, Indonesia. Although Bario is part of Malaysia, not many Malaysians know about it. To get to Bario, you have to either take 50 minute flight or a 12 hour car journey from Miri. Throughout my three-week stay in Bario, I always thought that I was somewhere overseas. Why? Simple because…

The food is different.

The culture is different.

The weather is different

The language is different.

Everything seems so different.

Imagine eating wild boar for almost every meal… it doesn’t sound Malaysian, right? Besides, in Bario, you will have pineapple everyday. They don’t only eat pineapple as a fruit, they eat pineapple in the form of pineapple curry!! What’s more, you eat jungle vegetables (midin, dure, paku, tengayan…) on a daily basis. You hardly find nasi lemak, chicken rice, laksa, and mee mamak –the typical Malaysian food– in Bario. It is definitely unusual for a typical Peninsular Malaysian. Wouldn’t you think that you have traveled to some other part of the world, eating these exotic foods each day?

The super warm Bario people!

Apart from the food, the villagers of Bario are a bunch of warm and friendly people. In Bario, you can easily hitch a ride if you wish to. People would love to give you a hand if they are able to do so. The longer you stay in Bario, the more you will love them. You will realise that people there do not take things for granted. They appreciate everything they have. They pray to express their gratitude to God even for a cup of water or a can of Coke. Do we do that? Frankly, I do not. Some say New Zealand is most probably the last paradise on earth. I think Bario should be one too.

Other than that, you tend to become more grateful when you are in Bario. A hot shower becomes a luxury. It is impossible to make a phone call if you don’t have a Celcom number. For your information, Celcom has the steadiest phone signal in Bario whereas Digi or Maxis signal is very, very weak. It is possible to get Internet connection at Bario, but it is either very slow or not working at all. Many things that we can easily get back home become a luxury here.

Located in the highlands, Bario has a much cooler weather than the rest of Malaysia. Hence, the villagers start fires to keep them warm at night. Yes, starting a fire to keep warm in Malaysia! Cool, isn’t it?

In Bario, people mostly communicate with each other in Kelabit.

In Bario, there is no petrol station.
In Bario...

There is a lot more to share about Bario, but it is hard for me to fit everything in a post. For me, Bario is a hidden gem that is waiting to be uncovered. 

Dear Bario, you will always have a special place in my heart. I deeply appreciate all the profound lessons that I learnt from the amazing people, lush paddy fields, and big blue skies. I will be back one day, I promise!

I will be back for the amazing view and the lovely people :)

K Rou