KUCHING: The annual D’Drift 2025 adventure programme, organised by DayakDaily, is back with the theme “The Homestay Odyssey.”
This year’s focus is on exploring the uniqueness of homestays in Sarawak, while enhancing community involvement and supporting rural tourism.
The 10-day expedition will cover homestays in the central and southern regions of Sarawak, offering a deep dive into local hospitality as well as showcasing the area’s rich culture, natural beauty, and traditional cuisine – all of which are major attractions for tourists.
Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah lauded the initiative, saying it does more than promote tourism spots in Sarawak.
Noting that the D’Drift will include distributing more than 1,000 books, he said this could lead to more individuals from rural areas improving their lives.
“I can see the books we have here today, including those by Enid Blyton, which I am very familiar with. Most of us grew up with her books.
“I hope that by distributing these books to rural areas, where access to such literature is limited, we can excite students in these rural schools.
“With these efforts, I believe we can foster a greater interest in reading and encourage children to crave knowledge. These are the small yet meaningful contributions we are making,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the D’Drift 2025 flag-off at TT3, DayakDaily office today (Feb 27).
Abdul Karim asserted that this year’s theme, focusing on homestays, aligns perfectly with the growing tourism industry in Sarawak, especially in regions such as Padawan, Telok Melano, and Belaga.
“And probably from there, they will be able to write good commentaries or opinions that even the homestays themselves might find valuable.
“Each homestay offers different experiences, and with the knowledge they gain from each one, the feedback that DayakDaily provides can help improve some of these homestays,” he added.
In addition to promoting tourism, the D’Drift 2025 team is bringing 1,052 books, with 507 donated by DayakDaily and 545 by BESarawak.
They are also bringing 10 large bags of soft toys and two boxes of non-soft toys to the Tarat area under the initiative titled ‘Bless Rural Children with Books and Soft Toys’.
The items will be presented to Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, the Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) and Tarat assemblyman, on the final day of the expedition, March 8.
Since launching its used book collection campaign in 2022, DayakDaily has donated over 3,000 books to rural schools, including SK Lusong Laku (for Penan children), the Orang Ulu community in Ulu Belaga, and the Long Latei Reading Corner in Ulu Baram.
