Ashleigh Seow takes a wild and wonderful canoe ride down the Baram River in Sarawak.

River journeys by canoe are special. Trips in planes, trains and automobiles, even ships, become monotonous and travellers soon turn their thoughts inwards and begin to listen to IPod music, read books or start conversations. This boredom does not arise in a canoe; the river provides its own music and the conversations of the animals keep your attention focused outward. If you doze too long the rapids will wake you up with a playful spray. Children seldom ask "how much further, is it?" as every bend has something new to see.

Recently, I was reminded of the joys of river travel when I joined a group of nature enthusiasts on a trip down the Baram River in Sarawak. The plan was to travel in 'aluts', native canoes, from the upper waters in the WWF's Heart of Borneo conservation area to the sea; a journey that has not been done since colonial times (at least by non-natives). We flew in Twin Otter aircraft and rode 4x4 trucks to our starting point. We stayed in longhouses most nights as paying guests of the Kenyah people. Lunch was an outdoor barbecue on the river banks with food we had either bought from the longhouses, caught from the river or foraged from the forests – kampong chicken, various fish, deer, wild boar, bamboo shoots, ferns and even naturally pink coconuts! A side trip up a tributary brought us to an animist spirit house to listen to the people explain their religion, Bungan, which is still practiced in this remote area – a solitary holdout against the onward march of Christianity which has converted most of the indigenous people of Sarawak.

Coincidentally, the triennial Baram Regatta was on at the same time and we had planned to arrive at Marudi on the first day. The Regatta was initiated by Charles Hose, colonial administrator and naturalist extraordinaire, as a means of waging peace on the lawless, warring Dayak tribes of the upper, middle and lower Baram. This plan (and the building of strategically placed forts) worked: the Dayaks had a bloodless, and headless, mock battle, drank copious amounts of borak (rice beer) and competed in canoe races and other events. There was peace on the Baram. It has been held ever since.

We had not realised that the Sultan of Brunei would also be attending and this knocked our plans awry for almost all able bodied Dayaks, especially boatmen, travelled to Marudi to compete in the regatta or see the Sultan whose ancestors had ruled them till 1882 when the White Rajah Charles Brooke became their overlord. We could not find any large canoes, and boatmen, to bring us through the ferocious rapids above the middle Baram. So rather disappointedly, but probably wisely for our safety, we took to 4x4 Toyotas to bypass the rapids and re-joined the river lower down.The scenery was some compensation as we saw Gunung Murud Kechil, the Usun Apau plateau, the horn shaped extinct volcano Bukit Kalulong and unknown peaks form the high road along the ridge although we had three flat tires between four cars. It would have been shorter and quicker by boat as the road took a long detour to get to Long Lama a trading settlement once renowned for its birds’ nests which were traded with China.

We arrived by river in time to see a race between war canoes and 200 furiously paddling Dayaks. We watched several more races over two days from the cliffs at Fort Hose. In the evening we learnt the hornbill and ngajat (warrior) dances to the sound of sape and wooden xylophones and mingled with the people of the Baram. After two days we left by express boat for Miri and the coast.

Note:A trip which includes the Regatta can only be made every three years. However a shorter journey of 3-4 days can be done before the December – March rainy season on the Upper Baram from Selungo/Long Semiyang to Long Makaba stopping before the big rapids. Trips can be arranged through Guide Willie Kajan on +6012 872 9159 and Dominic Langat +6014 599 3686 or visit www.borneotrekkers.blogspot.com