Celebrated all over Sarawak in Borneo, your best bet for seeing Gawai Dayak festivities is near the capital of Kuching. The Sarawak Cultural Village - the same venue used annually for the Rainforest Music Festival - is a popular and convenient place for tourists to learn more about indigenous culture. Kuching typically holds a celebration on May 31 at the Civic Centre which includes dinner, dancing, and even a beauty pageant.
Do not expect to arrive on May 31 to join the Gawai Dayak celebration; Kuching is busier than ever with parades and demonstrations along the waterfront that begin a week prior to Gawai Dayak.
Another option for the more adventurous is to make your way up the river from Sibu to the small village of Kapit and arrange for a visit to a local family's traditional longhouse.
There is a push within the Dayak community to unify the celebration, however for now Gawai Dayak remains mostly incongruous with each longhouse holding separate events and itineraries. Do not expect any less from the festival - as many as 30 families can occupy a single longhouse!
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