The best way to learn about one’s culture is – undoubtedly – by living with the tribe you intend to learn for a couple of days, or even weeks. In Sabah, there are a lot of local tribes that are definitely worth learning, not to mention their noble yet meaningful culture and tradition which will definitely give you a new insight on the various local tribes in a foreign country. One of the stops you can head to in learning more about the local Rungus tribe in Sabah is the Maranjak Longhouse Homestay, which the villagers are more than welcome in allowing you to stay with them for a couple of days.
Everything in the Maranjak Longhouse Homestay is filled with heavy reflections of the local Rungus tribe’s cultures and traditions. Upon reaching the place, you will discover that the buildings in the village are all built with the traditional materials used by people from the past in building their homes such as bamboos, and also palm leaves (for the roof). Although the society has stepped into the modern era, the Rungus tribe is still loyal towards their origins and thus, their homes are mostly built by using these traditional materials as a respect and remembrance of their elder generations.
You might get the instant impression that homes built in such ways might not possess all the furniture you can easily find in a person’s city home. You are wrong. In all of these traditional houses, you will find that they are all well-equipped with all kinds of necessity, including a whole complete set of furniture to help them out with their daily lifestyles. However, you will not be able to find any futuristic furniture here as – similar to their building concept – the furniture in the houses are mostly traditionally-made and a lot of them are actually handmade by the villagers themselves.
Visiting the Maranjak Longhouse Homestay will also allow you to experience the cultures and traditions of the local Rungus tribe firsthand. The villagers will prepare all kinds of performances and demonstrations (crab catching) to ensure that their visitors will get the most out of their visits to their village. Apart from that, you will also find yourself being exposed to all kinds of activities such as jungle trekking and monkey watching, which will definitely keep you occupied for the whole day when you are spending your time in the village. The visit to the village will also help you learn more new techniques such as the traditional way of making beaded accessories as well as wine-tasting.
| Recommended Area to Stay in Sabah: | ||
| Kota Kinabalu | ||
| From city’s heritage exploration to islands escape, accommodation option in KK is countless. | ||
| Mount Kinabalu | ||
| For visitors looking to discover mother nature and access to the highest mountain in South East Asia. | ||
| Semporna | ||
| Gateway to the islands paradise (Mabul Island, Sipadan Island, Kapalai Island and more!). |
