SADONG JAYA: At Kampung Iboi Ulu in the unspoilt coastal area of Sadong Jaya, Suraya Lariwoo Sadong Jaya Homestay is a showcase of Bugis culture and tradition.
Situated about 75km from Kuching, Kampung Iboi Ulu is home-sweet-home for Bugis people like Lariwoo Laba, whose forefathers travelled from Sulawesi, Indonesia to resettle in Sadong Jaya.
Seventy-six-year-old Lariwoo converted his traditional Bugis house, which he had built to remind himself of his origin, into a homestay in 2004.
“Preserving this traditional house is significant to our community as it tells the story of our livelihood as a Bugis,” Lariwoo told New Sarawak Tribune during a familiarisation trip to Batang Sadong organised by the Tourism, Art and Culture Ministry recently.
Since 2004, Suraya Lariwoo Sadong Jaya Homestay has become a place for Lariwoo and his family to share their Bugis tradition with the outside world.
From Sulawesi to Sadong Jaya
Recalling the story of the Bugis people when they first arrived in Sadong Jaya, Lariwoo said his mother travelled from Sulawesi, Indonesia to Sadong Jaya, by boat.
“In the early 1920s, my mother and my grandparents first arrived in Johor from Sulawesi. The Bugis people constantly moved from one place to another because they needed to find suitable land for their crops as they were farmers back then.
“From Johor, they moved to Kajang, Selangor, then to Kedah and Perlis before arriving in Sarikei, Sarawak.
“In Sarikei, my mother met her husband-to-be (my father) who was also a Bugis descendent from Sulawesi.
“They moved from Sarikei and settled here in Sadong Jaya,” said Lariwoo.
Wholesome experiences for guests
According to Lariwoo, traditional Bugis houses are built on stilts and have thatched roofs, wooden walls, windows and lattices.
“The size, form and decorations of the houses depend on the size, wealth and status of the family in the community.
“Our house, which has belian stilts, is 80-feet long and 40-feet wide, according to the traditional architecture of the Bugis community,” he explained.
Lariwoo’s daughter, Suraya Lariwoo, who manages the homestay, said preserving the 49-year-old Bugis family house is important for the whole community in Sadong Jaya.
“I remember vividly how eager we were when we decided to turn this house into a homestay in 2014.
“This is the best way for us to ensure that our young ones remember their Bugis heritage and traditions,” she told New Sarawak Tribune when met at the homestay.
To ensure wholesome experiences for their guests, Suraya said that all three homestays in Kampung Iboi Ulu would cooperate to organise cultural activities and programmes for them.
“We encourage guests to participate activities like mock traditional Bugis, Malay or Iban style weddings.
“Cultural performances such as bermukun, silat (Malay martial art), ngajat (Iban traditional dance) and playing gasing (Malay traditional game) are also available.
“Apart from that, guests also get to feast on Bugis traditional food,” said Suraya.
