LOGO MEANING
The Visit Sarawak Campaign is mooted by the Sarawak Tourism Board to produce the logo. The overall style of the logo is simple, friendly and approachable while keeping its impactful nature. The brush strokes of the logo font portrays a fun and friendliness, representing the unparalleled hospitality found in Sarawak.
The different and vibrant colours represent the diversity and multitude of elements that make Sarawak unique.
- Red and yellow indicate the colours in the Sarawak flag, hence their use in the letters “S” and “R”.
- Orange represents the strong spirit and vibrant energy of the different ethnic communities within Sarawak.
- Green represents the luscious rainforests teeming with life.
- Blue reflects the calmness of the ocean along Sarawak’s long coastline.
- The stylised “S” in the logo features a curling pattern, imitating a traditional design that is often used in the artwork of the Dayak and Orang Ulu people.
- The ‘hornbill head’ in the centre replacing the ‘A’ alphabet represents the “Bumi Kenyalang” that the State has been labelled for many years as well as the cultural significance the hornbill has to the indigenous people of Sarawak. It also adds another natural element to the logo, as one of Sarawak’s main attractions is its nature.
TAGLINE ‘MORE TO DISCOVER’
The tagline “More to Discover” has a simple forward-slanting font that gives the feeling of forward movement while portraying a firm and clear concept, solidifying the message that the State is serious in all the tourism development and eager to offer ‘More to Discover’ in culture, adventure and nature attractions.
The decision to have the “More to Discover” tagline is to shout out to the world that Sarawak has more offerings than anyone could imagine.
The phrase ensures that a person needs to set foot in Sarawak personally to truly discover all the attractions Sarawak holds, instead of just looking at it from a screen. It also promises that once a person has been to Sarawak, there is always more for them to experience and discover, as there is far more within the State than can be experienced by a traveller within one trip.
Discover Culture
As the largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak is home to 27 ethnic groups, speaking 45 languages and dialects, and each with their own stories, colorful cultures, traditions, and beliefs that makes Sarawak a cultural extravaganza just waiting to be explored.
For example, tourists to Sarawak will have the opportunity to meet people from the Iban tribe, known for their headhunting skills and tribal expansion in the past. While the tribe has long since put their headhunting practice behind them, they still maintain their rich customs and practices as well as continue to speak their own language.
The people from upriver, or Orang Ulu, itself comprise of different tribes such as Kayan, Kenyah, Lun Bawang and Kelabit. They each have their language, lifestyle and culture that are unique. Their exotic art and music has spread internationally, as seen in the growing popularity of the boat lute or sape, as played by famous Sarawakian musicians such as Tuku Kame.
World class museums, easy communication, authentic hospitality, and a diverse religious and cultural trade all form part of the cultural attraction.
Discover Adventures
On land, visitors have a plethora of adventures to choose from – from jungle trekking, adventure caving, to mountain climbing, rock climbing and jungle expeditions. In water, visitors can choose from river activities, diving, watersports, fishing, jet skiing and yachting.
Urban explorers can visit Kuching, which has one of the most interesting architecture mix in Malaysia, with colonial buildings amongst modern architecture.
In addition, visitors can not just only take home the arts and crafts but can also learn how to make them from the local skilled craftspeople. The Orang Ulu are adept at teaching skilled beadwork, while the Iban are deft weavers. Both the Melanau and Bidayuh are associated with basketry making and weaving of hats and artifacts using natural resources like bamboo, palm, rattan and tree bark.
Discover Nature
Sarawak has a whopping 56 totally protected areas, 37 gazetted national parks, five wildlife sanctuaries and 14 nature reserves. It’s rainforests are the size of Austria.
The hornbill, proboscis monkey and the orangutan are some of the most awe-inducing fauna in Sarawak. Its rainforests house the world’s richest and most diverse ecosystems. Home to the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia (that can grow to the size of a coffee table), squirrels and snakes that fly, deer the size of cats, plants that eat insects (and small animals). Home also to the orangutan, the proboscis monkey, the hornbill the Rajah Brooke butterfly and the silverleaf monkey, experts believe that there are some species of flora and fauna yet to be discovered.
Mulu National Park is a priceless UNESCO World Heritage Site, in a league of its own as it qualifies for all four of the World Heritage criteria. Fewer than twenty World Heritage areas have managed this feat. Bako National Park traces its first visitors’ footprint to 1957, making it one of Malaysia’s oldest National Parks. Niah National Park is famed for Sarawak’s genesis, with evidence of human presence from 40,000 years ago discovered in the form of Paleolithic and Neolithic burial sites.
Discover Food
From the delectable “manok pansuh” which is chicken cooked in bamboo, to the savoury “Sarawak laksa,” to the delicious “kolo mee,” to the mouthwateringly crispy jungle fern “midin” dish, to the herby broth known as “kueh chap” and the rich “manok kacangma” made from motherwort and rice wine, to the seasonal “dabai” fruit, to the Melanau “umai” delicacy with thin slivers of fish and rich sago pearls, Sarawak’s very long list of unique culinary offerings is unparalleled.
The late Anthony Bourdain had popularised the “laksa Sarawak” as a breakfast option where he referred it as “breakfast of gods” and had featured the delectable dish in his globally-acclaimed series, No Reservation and the CNN Parts Unknown.
Discover Festivals
Sarawak is home for the most unique festivals in Malaysia throughout the year. The celebration is literally endless, from Gawai harvest festivals of thanksgiving, to the Kaul which is celebrated by the Melanau fishing communities which marks the beginning of the fishing season, Sarawak offers a plethora of festivals for tourists to participate in.
Contemporary festivals include the world-renowned three-day Rainforest World Music festival which has run for 21 consecutive years continues to be the star attraction and attracts some 20,000 visitors. The festival sees world music performers come together to perform and host workshops in the heart of a rainforest which has attract ardent followers worldwide and has been voted among the top 25 festivals in the world by the London Based Songline magazine.
In addition, other spectacular festivals include the Borneo Jazz, Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival, Pesta Kaul, Tidal Bore Festival, Borneo Cultural Festival and Sarawak Regatta.