KUCHING: With airfares soaring ahead of the Gawai Dayak celebration, many Sarawakians are once again turning to express buses as a more affordable way to reunite with their families back home.
At Kuching Sentral, the festive rush is already in full swing as students, workers and families crowd the terminal carrying luggage, food supplies and gifts while preparing for long journeys to towns and longhouses across central and northern Sarawak.
For 21-year-old construction worker Aderin Sigan Jubang, the decision to travel by bus from Kuching to Sibu was not only about saving money, but also about enjoying the journey home after being away for years.
“Festival season flight tickets are expensive. From Johor to Kuching alone, it was already more than RM600 per person one way,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
According to his mother, Duni Bana, 50, direct flights from Johor to Sibu during the festive season could reach over RM800 per person.
“In comparison, the bus ticket to Sibu is only RM60. It is much more economical,” she said.
The family, who live in Pasir Gudang, Johor, had not returned to their hometown in Kuala Balingian, Mukah for three years.
Aderin said travelling by road also gave them the chance to enjoy the scenery and observe changes around Sarawak along the journey.
“We want to enjoy the road trip and see what has changed in Sarawak because it has been a long time since we returned home,” he said.
After arriving in Sibu, the family will continue their journey by bus again to Kuala Balingian, which takes more than two hours.
Despite the lengthy journey, Aderin said returning home for Gawai carried a different feeling compared to celebrating away from Sarawak.
“Over there, the feeling is different because it is not our own hometown.
“Here, it feels more exciting because we can celebrate with more family members,” he said.
Another traveller, Loudes Insyrah Mendung Franky, 23, who is studying at Cyberjaya College Kuching, said she alternates between flights and express buses depending on airfare prices.
“If flight tickets are expensive, I take the bus. Bus ticket prices are more stable compared to flights,” she said.
Originally from Kapit, Loudes said she would first travel to Sibu before continuing the journey to her longhouse by road.
The journey from Kuching to Sibu takes about five to six hours by bus, followed by another two-hour drive into the interior areas near Kapit.
Although the journey can be tiring, she said returning home for Gawai every year remains important.
“We cannot miss it. On the night of May 31, everyone gathers together,” she said with a laugh.
Her longhouse, which has more than 40 doors, is located deep in the interior, with parts of the road still consisting of gravel tracks.
Meanwhile, first-semester Medical Lab Technology student Bibiayana Kellymina Dennis, 18, was also among the many students heading home for Gawai.
The Cyberjaya College Kuching student said almost all of her friends had already returned to their hometowns the previous week.
“Everyone has gone back already. I’m among the later ones returning home,” she said.
Originally from Julau, Bibiayana will travel to Sibu before continuing her journey to her family’s longhouse at Rumah Sumbang Ulu Sungai Assan Batu 12, which consists of around 30 doors.
She said she was excited because all her family members would be returning home for this year’s celebration.
As the Gawai celebration approaches, Kuching Sentral continues to bustle with emotional reunions, packed buses and long journeys home — a yearly tradition many Sarawakians are still willing to endure for the chance to celebrate together with loved ones.
