Sibu Tourist Activities

There are a fair few things to do in the city itself, as well as the nearby forest park which is a big attraction for most travellers to the area. As Sibu is fairly small, it’s usually possible to explore the main attractions of the city in a couple of days, whilst you may need to take a couple of additional day trips to see more about the local indigenous culture.

Sibu Heritage Trail

Starting with the town of Sibu itself, a good place to start is by exploring the heritage trail to get a good understanding of the area’s history and culture.

This includes sights like the Sibu Heritage Centre, Sibu Old Mosque and the oldest Muslim cemetery, the Warrier’s Memorial Site which is where Rosli Dhobi is buried, Lowe King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum, Hoover Memorial Square, Tua Pek Kong Temple and Sibu Central Market.

Walking the trail and taking in all the information will take several hours. Some of the highlights include the temple, which dates all the way back to 1870, and the Lowe King Howe Hospital which is the only medical museum in Malaysia and has all sorts of interesting collections on display.

Sibu Gateway & city parks

The Sibu Gateway can’t be missed and here you can see the illuminated fountain, an attractive garden and a swan statue that is ringed by the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac – another nod to the cultural history of the town.

You can also enjoy one of the town’s parks, such as the Bukit Aup Jubilee Park which is 10km outside of town and here the highest peak was a traditional area to bury Iban warriors, lending some extra history to the area. Other popular parks include Kutien Memorial Garden and Hin Hua Memorial Park.

Visiting riverside villages

There used to be a popular cruise down the Pandaw River that started from Sibu, but unfortunately this was stopped due to logistical problems. The main way now to observe more of the nature of the area and the traditional villages and cultures is to take a visit to one of the Iban villages near the riverside.

The longhouse experience tours tend to last for a half day and can be booked on arrival in Sibu without too many problems, costing from MYR195 per person depending on your negotiation skills. On these tours you can visit villages like Bawan Assan where villagers live in traditional longhouses, on arrival you’ll enjoy locally produced food and drink and learn more about daily life, including music and costumes.

Weaving is an important traditional skill for the Iban communities and there are also various tours and educational programmes that allow you to get a better insight into the textiles that are produced. Passed down through the generations everything from clothes to mats are weaved in the traditional way and you can even learn the basic techniques yourself. Again these tours usually last a few hours and cost from around MYR200.

Bukit Lima Peat Forest

For more wildlife and nature, a trip to the Bukit Lima Peat Forest is highly recommended and easy to organise by taxi or with your own transport. This has been protected since October 1929 and there are a couple of decent trails up to 3.5km that offer the opportunity to spot local wildlife, as well as a watchtower. Common animal sightings include birds, lizards, snakes, bats, monkeys, frogs and terrapins as well as plenty of birdlife. Unfortunately much of the local forest has been damaged by the long running logging industry in the area, but this area is well protected and maintained.