The creation of Sarawak’s largest man-made lake has provided access to this fascinating national park. Created as part of a hydroelectric scheme, the 24-square-kilometre Batang Ai Lake boasts Iban longhouses and habitats of wild orangutans in the vicinity.
The Iban, Sarawak’s largest ethnic group, and once renowned headhunters, still live in traditional longhouses around Batang Ai. Visitors to the park can reach the longhouses by boat travelling up on one of the rivers that flow into the lake or as they trek on the jungle trails looking for wildlife.
They can stay at Iban longhouses and sample their age-old way of life. If you are lucky, your hosts can guide you to where wild orangutans, roaming through the forest in search of fruit, make their nests for the night high in the trees. Batang Ai is Sarawak in the wild, but you can experience it all in the lap of luxury while staying at Aiman Batang Ai Resort in the jungle, right on the lakeshore.
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Created as part of a hydroelectric scheme, the 24-square-kilometre Batang Ai Lake boasts Iban longhouses and habitats of wild orangutans in the vicinity.