Sunday, December 7, 2008

Bruit Island - The Venice Of Sarawak

Gold Arawana, on his memorable trip to Bruit Island, Sarawak

Scenic view of a canal at Bruit Island.
Kuching to Mukah
It takes me about one hour by twin otter flight from Kuching to Mukah, where this smallest plane belongs to Malaysian Airlines Systems (MAS) connecting most of the rural area in Sarawak. It can accommodated 19 passengers, and fly as low as 7,000 ft above the sea level will give an impressive aerial views of natural beauties. The web of rivers, big and small and the settlements along the river reflects the connectivity of between rivers and life. In some area, even the passengers can witness the live rapist to the Sarawak’s wealthy, the jungles. Almost everybody see it, but most are closing their eye on this consider non-crime activity. Or in other word, it is consider legal, only in Sarawak!

At Mukah, is a small airport which was built maybe thirty or twenty years ago, originally was a grass turfing airport, but now upgraded to sealed runway where bigger aicraft even can land on it. This airport is located just feet away from the seashore, giving a beautiful scene of muddy beach.

Mukah to Daro

It was a pleasure to drive from Mukah to Daro, a small town popular for it “Terubok”, where I will take a speedboat to the isolated island of Bruit. Mukah and Daro is well connected by roads which take about two hours drive (to my standard of driving, I am driving as slow as a snail anyway). Crossing Batang Igan by a ferry is the most bored part in the trip; I have to wait for almost half an hour! Arrived at Daro, I found a never-eaten terubok replica at the wharf. Of course, before my journey to the Bruit Island, I have to feed my empty stomach with special terubok steam. It was the unforgotten dish in my life! Anybody who visit Daro, please try one!
(Terubuk photo is taken by Mr Toh Chee Leong (Http://cheeleongtoh.blogspot.com )
Daro to Bruit Island

It takes me another one hour by speedboat to Bruit Island by speedboat. On the left and right are mangroves trees, the paradise of thousand species of fauna!


The local fishermen are on their small boats, bringing home their today’s food, and tomorrow they have come again as it become routines. The bigger fishermen’s ships and barge carrying almost everything; logs, construction materials, cars and foods are the frequent users of the rivers. Of course express boats, the main transport for this area are passing every hour. This no doubt, that river plays the main roles in this very inaccessible area. However, the first time visitors will gain great experience on this!

Arrived at Bruit are not much different views from Daro town. The fisherman’s village is laid along the narrow man-made canals, the only transportation mode that connecting the northern part of scattered settlements. There is a road, but vehicles are not running on it except the motorcyclist to their nearest farms. Paddy farmers and fishing are the only activity that spurs the locals’ economy. On most of their routine activities, canals and rivers are their very best friend.

The used of boats are common, wooden bridges are almost every fifty meters and some are less creates an impressive view along the canals. This scenario is really a copy of Venice in Italy, but Venice is actually a modern city and too far to be equal to the Bruit Island.
Bruit Island anyway has his own attractive, “salai lomek”and “sesar”, the popular productions of the island are almost everywhere, runs by every family. These two dry foods are prepared in traditional ways and totally hand made! Of course, this two items are the must buy souvenirs for the visitors. The only doubtful to me is the price; the villagers have to sell their products to the middle man who could sell it up to two or three folds at nearest major towns.

The villagers actually have no choice; there is no other cheaper transportation mode to trade their product!


For those visit this island for the first time, “Prawn Mee” is the must try breakfast. This is normally a curry Maggi Mee cooked with fresh water prawn.

The villagers are friendly, talkative on their hopes to get more development to their kampongs. Where the rivers and canals are their most valuable assets, sharing by all the villagers for almost all activities, I can imagine that maybe the island will one day become the Venice of Sarawak. Of course it will take not as short as 100 years, by the assistant of developments of their land into commercial agriculture on oil palms and paddy, this will no absurd.

The roads and ferry to connect the island to the mainland is now ready at the southern portion, the whole island is expected to be well connected by roads. The important and popularity of its canals and rivers will be a history!














A primary school in Bruit Island, produce the future leader and developer of Bruit Island....

Other information about Bruit Island


Bruit Island is also accesible by express boat from Sarikei Town which take about three hours, and from Sibu Town which will take about four hours trip. Most of the tribe in in this island are Melanau, but they speak in different language from Melanau in Mukah and Dalat.
There is also an Iban longhouse on the southern of the island. The island being gazette as National Park mainly on birds sanctury, where thousands of species of birds will be temporary assembled before continue their never-end travels.

Paddy, another core product of Bruit Island...

Traditional processing of "Salai Lomek"

20 comments:

Toh Chee Leong's Collections said...

Tidak sangka tuan Engr. Minjo ak Simanding memang mempunyai bakat yang terpendam ,iaitu ada bakat jadi journalistlah.
Tahniah dan syabas!

Terimakan usaha penulisan murni anda.

Hipani Alwi said...

Nice writing. I have a poetry about Pulau Bruit which I will publish some other day.

Gold Arawana said...

Thanks..

Pulau Bruit has his own identity, may this identity will be develop for a better Pulau Bruit.

forexfortyone said...

I've been to Bruit. I stayed 2 weeks at Kg Sebako. I don't know they have arowana there.

Gold Arawana said...

En Khairul Azmi;

Thanks for visiting my blog, and for visiting Pulau Bruit as well....

sulaimansoil said...

Saya henak ke Beruit tapi mau tingal di mana ada homestay ke...atau contact person.

elrient said...

Kalau di kampung Bruit terdapat rumah khas untuk disewa yang disediakan oleh Persatuan Nelayan Kawasan (PNK) Bruit.

elrient said...

for more information about Kampung Bruit http://bruitsayang.blogspot.com

BUSERRA SRAN said...

congratulations! i really appreciated your visions well done. Many more educated Sarawak citizens should do the same. Personally I have the instinct that you are highlighting infrastructure and socio-economic developments of poor villages. So sustain your good jobs, please.

BUSERRA SRAN said...

Jangan bimbang kalau nak ke Kampung Beruit tak ada masalah dengan penginapan! Kami ada Pengulu dan penduduk kampung yang prihatin dan friendly sedia membantu dalam banyak hal. Selamat Datang.

Gold Arawana said...

En Sulaimansoil;

Saya memohon maaf kerana baru menerima komen dari saudara.

Sekiranya saudara berminat untuk melawat Pulau Bruit bolehlah menghubungi Pejabat Residen Mukah (084 - 872596)...atau email kan saya ke minjoes@yahoo.com.

Dan rasanya, rakan-takan blogger yang lain ada juga menghulurkan bantuan sekiranya saudara perlukan... You are welcome to Bruit Saudara!

Gold Arawana said...

En Elrient;

Terima kasih kerana melawat blog saya... Ya, terdapat rumah sewa oleh Persatuan Nelayan di Kampung Bruit...

Talian telefon untuk Celom sekarang adalah sangat memuaskan dan perancangan pembangunan di Pulau Bruit sedang rancak dijalankan...

Gold Arawana said...

Terima kasih En Wassiro;

...yaaa... I am so happy that Pulau Bruit now is under highlight in term of infrastructure development and of course on sosio-economic as well.

We will see a better Pulau Bruit in 5-10 years I believe...

BUSERRA SRAN said...

Kampung Beruit folks infact should have been living in medium comfort many years back. The potential landing of good harvests of fish and prawns and agricultural products since 50 to 60 years back should have been able to develope better the socio-economic standard for these kampung folks. But until then nothing much was conveyed to the villagers for the changes. They were just unlucky villagers who should have been better folks in term of socio-economic status and not to remain like they are now. Relevant government departments should look into ways.

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Anonymous said...

Hopefully the Venice of Sarawak will come true in 100 years time.Cheers.

Gold Arawana said...

Mr Wassiro;

I hope so... thanks for your visit.

Gold Arawana said...

Mr Anoy 9:53;

Hope that you already found your program.. Thanks

Gold Arawana said...

Mr Anoy 4:57;

kesian orang Pulau Bruit nanti... Thanks for your visit & comments..

Norwati Md Yusof said...

Salam 1Malaysia to all. I search for Bruit Island on the Internet after a couple of visits in June and December 2011. Both visits were eye-opening experiences topped by a visit returned by a couple of Bruit villagers to KL end of December. I'm into Melanau language now to understand the people and the culture better. I hope there'll be others to join me. NORWATI MD YUSOF