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From Sarawak to the Western Terai: Discovering Shared Traditions and Warmth in Nepal

By Victoria Joanne Lim Faye

~ Cultural dance and music by the ladies of Bhada Community Homestay.

A journey that unveils the unexpected similarities between the vibrant cultures of Sarawak and Nepal, where community spirit, rich traditions, and heartfelt hospitality create a bridge between these distant lands.

How hot can it get?

‘Was it cold in Nepal?’ I get asked this a lot after I came back from The Land of the Gods. I’m not at all surprised because the first thing that usually comes to mind when anyone mentions Nepal is either Mount Everest or the Himalayas. We would think of hikers in thick mountaineering outfits trekking up the highest peak in the world, the Sherpas carrying insanely hefty loads on their backs, and sometimes blizzards of snow, all thanks to how movies and documentaries love to feature Nepal.

That’s what I used to think Nepal would be like, too. I was told that I didn’t need any cold climate attire because it was going to be hot during summer. That didn’t stop me from arriving in Kathmandu in my thick, woolly Oxford hoodie because I thought, ‘How hot can it get?’ Especially for someone coming from an Equatorial island! And that was my first lesson on Nepal. It was hot and humid, it felt like I was still back in Malaysia. But that was also the first unexpected similarity I discovered between our two nations. At least the places I visited in Nepal, that is.

~ How hot can it get? The evening sun blaring red before it was ready to set over this peaceful village.

A cross in agriculture

I learnt that Nepal is a country of diversity, not only in culture but geographical landscapes as well. What we’d usually see on TV is only the Himal Region. The lowland areas, however, are rarely spoken about. In my pursuit to discover the beautiful people and culture of Nepal, my trip took me to Western Terai, a lowland region that consists of mostly flat grounds – some hilly areas – and massive agricultural lands. Sounds very much like Sarawak, don’t you think? And that’s the second similarity.

But one might think: there’s agriculture everywhere and Sarawak has some of the most unusual species of vegetations. So, it’s highly unlikely that we’d find the same kind of agricultural commodities in two places that are over 4,000 km away from each other, right? Again, one can be quite mistaken. And I learnt that when we got to our first homestay: the Bhada Community Homestay. I felt right at home while exploring Bhada. It’s like taking a walk around the kampungs in Bau, Sarawak. My host even has a tuck shop by the roadside that sells knick-knacks like crisps, ice-creams, snacks, and essential toiletries, just like our kedai runcit!

Throughout our Bhada village walk, we passed by men toiling fields of paddy and corn with the help of buffaloes pulling their ploughs to work the soils. Every home has the convenience of a garden surrounding their mud-houses to provide for the family’s everyday consumption. I spotted similar crops like spinach, aubergine, bitter gourds, and trees of tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, papayas, guavas, laichis, and cempedak (jackfruits)! Curry leaves and wild ferns (like our paku) grow just about everywhere by the roadside, their fragrance neutralising the stench of manures of farm animals most of us were not quite used to.

I’ve always envied folks living in the villages for their easy access to their own home-grown produces. Compared to us who live in the city, they don’t have much need for costly grocery shopping to make sure they have food for dinner. And speaking of dinner, we were served with a dish of what I recognised as the cassava leaves or daun ubi as we would call it in Malaysia, which is what we Sarawakians cook in our pansuh – our chicken or pork cooked in the bamboo over firewood. While tapioca is a common food in most countries, the edibility of its leaves is not widely known. And this I only realised when my Italian housemate pointed out that she’s never seen them eaten before.

For the village’s protein supply, each home has their own farm animals: buffaloes for dairy; goats, pigs, and poultry as livestock; and fish in ponds and rivers. I don’t know much about fish, but I do know they have tilapia, carp, and catfish – all of which are also common in Sarawakian dishes.

~ Our host has a little tuck shop in front of their house.

~ Many households keep chickens and ducks, which roam freely and contribute to the diet with eggs and meat.

~ The Tharu community uses traditional fish farming methods which are passed down through generations.

~ Freshwater crabs – an important source of protein in the diet of the Western Terai communities.

Gracious hospitality in Bhada

Bhada is one of the most remote villages in Western Terai, almost untouched by tourism despite being strategically located between the well-visited Bardiya and Shuklaphanta National Parks. We were told beforehand that the accommodation would be very basic, simple but comfortable for us visitors to find our minimal essential needs covered.

I suppose that’s quite accurate if we’re looking at various levels of accommodation standards in the general, global touristic sense. But it’s not much different from some of the homestays I’ve been to in Sarawak. In fact, we’ve got one that runs on generators that are turned off at 10:00 PM nightly while Bhada runs on solar 24/7.

Homestays that identify their accommodation as ‘simple but comfortable’ are usually very cultural and traditional, and this gives their guests a more authentic and realistic experience of their community’s way of life. And very often, it is the remoteness of their location from the nearest supplying town or city that determines the level of comfort they can provide for their guests.

For me, the highlight of my stay here was our lovely host whose 16-year-old son was our interpreter. The boy who studies in the city of Dhangadhi was back in the village on a school break when we were there. Both mother and son were gracious hosts who took great care of me and my housemate, from making sure we were comfortable with our lodging needs to preparing food for us despite the uncertain times we went back to the house for our meals, even as late as 11:00 PM for dinner!

Despite the language barrier, our hostess would try to communicate with us and sit with us while we had our meals. We learnt that although they have hosted guests in their home, we were their first foreign tourists and she was picking up English as more visitors came by their place. Our hostess has this bright, warm smile that made us feel extremely welcome in her home. I remember how she showed us the handicrafts she made herself, shyly at first but beaming with pride when we admired them in awe and appreciation of how well-crafted they were. Textile and embroidery crafts, baskets and bhungro (a cushioned ring placed on the head to serve as a base for carrying loads) were intricately designed and woven by the hands of this talented and artistic lady.

The warm hospitality and handicrafts remind me of our own Dayak community. When it comes to culture and way of life, I think the Tharu community has the most in common with the Bidayuh. And this is the third similarity I stumbled upon in the Western Terai.

~ The Tharu Stick Dance performed by the ladies of Bhada Community Homestay.

~ Of warm smiles and gracious hospitality – our gracious hostess made us feel right at home.

~ Naturally warm and hospitable, the Tharu are always all smiles with visitors.

~ Despite the language barrier, our hostess and her family shared their stories and showed us their handmade crafts.

~ A simple breakfast of coffee, dhikri (steamed rice flour dumplings), chickpeas and sticky rice.

Out in the wild

Okay, so maybe our Sarawakian wildlife scene is slightly different from the Terai. Where we have our Orang Utan, they have their Royal Bengal Tiger. Where we have the Proboscis Monkey… well, they do have their monkeys, but these do not quite hit the top three on the chart because the Indian Rhinoceros keeps cool in the mud at number two. But we both have elephants, just different species: the Asian Elephant that are adaptable to different environments in the Terai and the notably smaller and water-loving Bornean Pygmy Elephant in Sarawak.

My favourite animal has always been the tiger and when I learnt that we might be able to catch sight of one, I was frightfully excited and excitedly frightful at the same time. I didn’t really know what to expect as I had never seen a tiger in the wild without a barrier of protection between us. I mean, when you know you might come face-to-face with a carnivore in its own habitat, you should also come prepared with your best final thoughts. Just in case! Unfortunately (or otherwise), we did not run into the Royal Bengal Tiger, the species that is increasing in population in the Bardiya National Park where we did a full-day jeep safari and a morning jungle walk the next day.

Despite the tiger’s no-show, we managed to see the other amazing wildlife of Nepal. There were numerous species of birds high above our heads, spying on us and teasing us with their cooing as we carefully navigated under their living space. Monkeys – especially the mothers with their adorable babies latching on to them! – congregated cheekily in tall trees, situating themselves low enough for us to catch sight of, yet too high for us to take proper phone-pictures of. Sometimes we would pass by rangales of deer in pockets of clearings, just grazing or hanging out easy like Sunday morning. At one point, we spotted a couple of elephants cleverly camouflaging between the trees. We wouldn’t have seen them if not for their habit of swiping at insects with their large thin ears.

~ The great one-horned rhinoceros.

Sense of Connection

I was in Nepal for 11 days. It was an eye-opening experience for me as I discovered little similarities everywhere I went throughout the trip. From the aesthetic handicrafts to the everyday dishes, from agricultural practices to the warm hospitality, even the climate, in the case of when I visited the place. Each aspect gave me a sense of connection that bridged the geographical and cultural distance between Sarawak and the Western Terai. It made me think of the universal threads that weave the world’s different cultures together.

This trip brought me farther than just another region away from home; it deepened my understanding of both Sarawak and the Western Terai. Sometimes, we need to be taken to some place far away to re-discover the beauty and wonders of our own land. This experience was a reminder to me that every time I travel, I grow as a person and, not just in knowledge of the people and culture in the places I visit but also in appreciation of our people and culture back at home. Each time I explore a distinct trait of another destination, I find myself viewing Sarawak from a wider perspective.

Being among travellers from different parts of the world in my group and the locals in Nepal, I was made even more conscious of the importance of cultural exchange. In a world that is increasingly interconnected yet so often divided, recognising and celebrating our shared experiences can foster empathy, respect, and a deeper connection between people. These cultural meetings-of-chance not only enrich our lives but also contribute to a more harmonious global community. The more we discover other cultures, the more we appreciate our own, especially when we share stories that connect lives.