Annah Rais is one of the oldest Bidayuh Longhouse. For centuries, the villages who are from the “Bidayuh” tribe used to stay on top of the two mountains. Eventually, they moved down from the mountains and stayed at the longhouse for more than 150 years. It is one of the nearest and easiest longhouses to access as it is located 60km from Kuching city. Annah Rais Hot Springs is located just 3km from Annah Rais village. So it is recommended to visit both sites at the same time.
The small hut outside the village is the Tourist Information Centre and also the ticket counter to purchase the entrance tickets. The entrance fee is RM 10 per adult and RM 5 per child (below 12).
Visitors get to sample tuak (Sarawakian rice wine). Its taste was sweet.
The entrance to the longhouse has two types of staircase. One of them is the narrow traditional staircase with bamboo railing.
There are more than 80 doors, or families, that live in the longhouse. The longhouse stands at 10 feet above the ground and is built from Ironwood (belian) and mature bamboo (apek).
The residents' ancestors were "Head Hunters" until middle 19th century. The Head House called "Panggah" is open to visitors. The trophies (human skulls) are kept here.
Annah Rais Longhouse is a mixture of old and new. Some parts of the longhouse still retain the original structure without nails in the past.
Next, I took the opportunity to visit the nearby Annah Rais Hot Springs. It is open from 8am to 5pm daily. Entrance fee is RM 5 for adult, RM 3 for student (7 - 17).
Passed through an orchard before reaching the river.
There are some basic showers and changing rooms, although they looked a bit run down. A cement staircase takes down to the stream where visitors have to wade across the river to reach the hot spring pool on the opposite side. The river has clear crystal water and the water was knee-deep. But wading across the river can be tricky especially if you're carrying a child since the currents can be quite fast.
The main pool has a wooden platform that serves as a sunbathing area. Visitors can soak their feet or body in the hot spring. The proximity of the hot spring to the river allows visitors to gravitate between soaking in hot and cold water.
I reckoned the water was about 40 degrees, a bit too hot to my liking. My son's expression changed quickly after dipping in the water for 10 seconds, haha. Afterwards, we headed back to Kuching. What an eventful day it was!
Annah Rais Longhouse Homestay
Entrance fee: Adult RM 10, Child (below 12) RM 5
Website: https://longhousehomestay.com/
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