Things looking up for village above the sky

PADAWAN: Tranquil. That aptly describes how I felt 1,000 metres above sea level at a village above the sky. In fact, at some points of Kampung Sapit, about a two-hour drive from Kuching, one could literally look down on the clouds.

It was simply breathtaking to be able to sleep under the stars and wake up to a sea of clouds just fingertips away at one of the campsites operated by a local resident.

Being the skeptic that I am, I didn't think it would be possible for me to video call my friends and family or even upload pictures for Instagram directly from way up here. Well, guess what?

With scenic views and better than average Internet connection, this place, which is just a stone's throw away from Kalimantan, Indonesia, is definitely a hidden gem waiting to bloom.

At the moment, there are about eight campsites offering similar stunning views of the Borneo highlands made available by the local Bidayuh community.

Julia Ridang, the owner and operator of Kiyau Campsite, told Bernama that improvements made to telecommunication services in the area around five years ago have been a boon to tourists and her business.

"Internet access has made it easy for guests who come here on holiday but still wish to work. It also allows me to promote my place virtually. There is a (telecommunication) tower here, installed five or six years ago but it's still a little lacking.

"The Internet coverage is not steady... at times it's good and at other times quite disappointing. Some areas in the village also do not have Internet access... but, overall, it's still better than last time when there was no coverage at all," she said.

Apart from that, the road leading to the village at the top of Bukit Kiyau has also been upgraded recently, making accessibility to the area so much easier.

"From the main road, Jalan Puncak Borneo, to the village and campsite I stayed at is about 3.5 kilometres (km). Previously, it was just a gravel and cement path, now it has been paved... it was completed in 2018.

"Last time, it was difficult as everything (facilities) was down there... to send a sick person (to get treatement) was also difficult as we could not use a car to go down," she said.

Julia also believes that with better infrastructure, tourism could become a new source of income for the people there as well as provide new job opportunities.

"Here, electricity is supplied using generators and using solar power while our water supply is sourced from the hill and tanks. So, if all these can be resolved, it will be way easier to manage the tourist area.

"The view here is also panoramic, there are many trails for hiking, not to mention waterfalls. So, if the tourists are comfortable, I am sure many will come back again," she said.

A short walk from her campsite is a residential area comprising about 70 houses. A lot of the houses here still maintain their traditional look, with some made from bamboo, although quite a few have undergone a facelift, complete with bricks and steel.

Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) member Per Paling, 65, said the village had existed for quite some time and that he was also born there.

"The people here mostly cultivate pepper, hill paddy and vegetables. But the problem is that we have not had proper electricity and water supplies for a long time. Even the road to the village was completed about three or four years ago," he said.

Kampung Sapit is situated in Mambong, one of the 82 state constituencies where the battle lines have been drawn for the 12th Sarawak election this Saturday (Dec 18).

The Mambong seat will see the incumbent, Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, 64, of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), involved in a five-cornered fight against Sanjan Daik of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Chang Hon Hiung of DAP, Chong Siew Hung of Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) and Joshua Roman of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK).

-- BERNAMA