“Your short visit to Mari Mari Cultural Village will help the community to preserve the longstanding culture and tradition of Borneo.”
Sabah’s Mari Mari Cultural Village offers an educational, entertaining and fun tour to explore the state’s rich cultural diversity and heritage. This village operates as a museum to share Borneo’s longstanding history, culture, tradition and knowledge.
The Village features Sabah’s five major ethnic groups – the Kadazan-Dusun and Rungus, who are farmers and traders; the Lundayeh, who are hunters and fishermen, and are known for their specialisation in agriculture; the Bajau, who consists of the Bajau people of Kota Belud (known as the Cowboys of the East due to their awesome horse riding skills) and the Bajau Laut of Semporna (known as the Sea Gypsies due to their seafaring skills); and the Murut, who are famous for their fierce and ferocious ancient tradition of headhunting in the olden days.
The Mari Mari Cultural Village showcases the traditional houses of these five tribes that are all built by their descendants. You will get the opportunity to not only discover the distinctive folklores of these indigenous ethnic groups, but also see and experience their unique cultures and lifestyles.
Apart from storytelling and folklores, the village offers visitors a chance to see the making of blowpipe and the unique arts behind tattoo-making, as well as various cultural performances. You are also welcomed to try blowing the Murut blowpipe weapon and using bamboo to cook and start a fire. Needless to say, all these interesting activities will provide lots of fun for every visitor, regardless of age.
Also, don’t forget to taste the different delicacies of each tribe as you visit the small huts in the village during the tour. After the tour, you can take a cool and refreshing dip in the nearby Kiansom Waterfall.
