willb

Hello.

Are there any British Ex Pats living in Sarawak.

bakedbean

I think the answer is probably Yes but I don't know anyone personally. Are you thinking of visiting there? moving there?

willb

Hi Bakedbean.

We did live in Goa India. for 3 years. but the new visa rules have now spoiled that. So looking for somewhere to lay our hats. We know about the MMMH scheme.

Just trying to find someone living in the Kuching area, to chat to, as it looks OK there.

Maybe we will spend a few weeks there and have a look around. There is quite alot of chat going on now on the Goa forum re visa's. And i can't see things changing for a long time. Goa is having a real bad time now. Visitors are down a lot. Some people are blaming Goa. But Goa did not change the visa rules. It was the Indian Goverment. Goa is only a dot on the map.

bakedbean

I think there's someone on here who's been to Sarawak, not sure. I'll give him a nudge.

I think there might be some stuff on my2home forum. I'll see if I can find a link - or have you already looked at that one?

Strider24

I'm sure there are a lot of Expats living in Sarawak. I have just returned to KL after 8 days with Iban in a Longhouse at a Gawai festival. I can tell you Iban are serious party people, super warm hearted and generous.
Prices generally are about KL prices or a bit higher. Housing prices seem on a par also. Kuching is a very spread out and quite lovely city, with extensive suburbs. Towns like Sri Aman and Sibu are big country towns with all amenities. Its a place to have a car as the bus system is not clever, although the long distance buses are fine...if you can find the terminals, which are usually located in the most inconvenient spot. Kuching and Bintulu in particular. Strider24

bakedbean

Okay... found a link for you http://www.my2home.info/index.php/topic,456.0.html with someone who lives in Sarawak. Wonder if I can lure him over... mmmm

Geez Strider, are we the only 2 sad people posting on Christmas Day? Mind you, you've got to have a break from the partying sometime Cracked open a jolly nice bottle of port last night and feeling a bit bleughhhh today

Strider24

Port requites a "hair of the dog" and very nice with big chunks of ice

bakedbean

Strangely enough, in my youth (which was a very long time ago), someone introduced me to Port and Brandy (combined) for hangovers... and it works.... honest. I don't know how.

Willb, back on topic, I've just noticed on another thread that Ex-Reg used to work in Sarawak so he should have some info. If he's not on here in a few days, just give him a nudge. He's probably opening up all his Christmas presents as we speak. Flipping heck, I wonder when Santa is coming here, he's late

willb

Many thanks for your replys.

Will look into these.

Merry Christmas.

Bill.

willb

Hello.


Now joined MM2H Malaysia My Second Home Forum. Full of good info. Best thing for us now is to spend some time on this and BE forums. And also get over to Sarawak and explore first.

Thanks for your replys. Hope you are all having a great Christmas.

Cheers.

Bill.

Strider24

Sarawak is the biggest state in the country and you will find it a beautiful and exciting place. Grab a car and really explore. Kuching is a big and very spread out city, with lovely hideaway parks and backwaters. You will either love it or hate it and my guess in love it.

willb

Hi Strider. Thanks for your reply. Yes we are now looking into going to Goa for a while, see all our friends then on to Sarawak. Looking at flights etc. and also going through the MMH2 forum.

Cheers. Bill.

bakedbean

Hi Bill,

I think you should be able to get some info on both of these forums. I know Ex-Reg on this forum used to work there (he mentioned on another thread on here). There's some folks on the other forum too. Just do a bit of searching around on both. Problem at the moment is it's Christmas holidays and New Year so some people won't be around.

Yes I had a nice quiet Christmas Day with Mr bakedbean and a few little drinkie events either side of Christmas and more to come, and feeling quite stuffed actually... and didn't like what the scales were telling me this morning.

b-bean

ex reg

Thanks bakedbean.
But I worked there 34 years ago.
I was in Bintulu when it was a one whore house town before any development started.
I also worked in a timber concession 2 hours speedboat ride upriver from Bintulu, this was before logging became anathema to most people.

We used to get invites from the Ibans and Dayaks to their Longhouses and thought we were on good terms with them which we were generally.
But I was walking around the log stockpile with an ex pat workmate one day when one of the longhouse 'elders' walked by.
My mate gave him a smile and the elder who was drunk, that wasn't normal but it did happen, took umbrage and you could see this in his whole manner.
My mate quickly made his way to the radio shack which had 4 inch thick Selangan Batu, Stone Wood, walls and door, no window, and called the 'local' police in Bintulu.

We all new what was going to happen. The Iban went off to get his Parang and started to try to hack away at the Radio Shack door to get at my mate. Parang in one hand bottle of beer in the other. That's how quickly the Ibans and Dayaks could change and for no if little apparent reason. We all understood this might happen and were warned never to get involved.
Anyway 2 hours later the 'local' police arrived and took the Iban away for a week or so until he cooled off.
BTW he made no impression on the Selangan Batu door.

What was amazing was how quickly the Ibans and Dayaks picked up things.
Playing Scrabble, playing table tennis, driving log trucks.

From no driving skill they could learn to drive a logging truck carrying 6 X 30 foot long 750mm dia logs. And they could drive these tracks on laterite road even during rain when the road surface was really slick and I'd have to pull my 4 wheel drive landrover to the side in case I skidded off the road.

Driving from Bintulu to Miri was great fun then and to drive over the ferry and border to Kuala Belait in Brunei an expedition that David Attenbrough would have liked doing.

Express boats were the only way to get around up and down rivers cheaply and they used to show X rated videos on their 'in house' TV, no matter what age children were on board.

Just recalling that in Bintulu the school kids used to walk to and from school across the airport runway.

Anyway you might guess how enjoyable was the time I spent there.

Have been back to Kuching and Sibu once on business.
Not so sure I'd really like to live there now.
Needs thorough investigation.

Sorry for the blog

Strider24

Fantastic account "ex reg". It explains something for me...that is why the Iban all drive at max 30kph. ...must still think they are driving trucks. Mind you the roads into the longhouses are still dirt washaways.

Just spent 8 days with Iban people for a one in 40 year ancestor "gawai", monumental booze up. They also picked up the habit of whiskey chaser, then gin, vodka, Sibu brandi!!!and ever present tuak rocket fuel.

Happily we have always found the Iban very kind, warm hearted and very friendly. You don't see any guys with throat tattoo's any more (skull taking tattoo's), so probably their very strong Christian faith has calmed them down some.

Actually did a blog on http://tinktravel.blogspot.com/ if of any interest.

Longhouses are not the same now with badly ventilated concrete monsters, but they eat and party just the same.