By Ling Hui
ULU BARAM, March 24: Four years ago, two Kenyah couples here in Long San discovered five beautiful waterfalls that soon became the main tourist attractions in the area.
Since the discovery, the village that is situated deep in the interior of Baram has attracted numerous visits from local Sarawakians, Malaysians from the Peninsular and even foreigners.
Three Sisters Waterfall, U’ong Geneh, and U’ong Bilong are the names given to the hidden gems in Keluan by the founders: Edward Erang and his wife Wati; Linda (also Edward’s cousin) and her husband Sylvester. U’ong means ‘waterfall’ in the Kenyah language.
While Edward and Wati run a homestay called Wedgwood Inn and offer boat rides to Fort Long Akah, Linda and Sylvester run another homestay just a stone’s throw away, the Jevinda Village Stay.
Linda also provides tour guide services to visitors who wish to hunt for the waterfalls by hiking on the trails that she herself had put in place.
“People say they can hear the sound of the waterfall, it’s very loud, so we decided to look for it.
“It took us four attempts to finally find the waterfalls. The first time we went into the woods, we didn’t find anything.
“The next day, we went again, didn’t want to give up. And after four times, we found them. There were five waterfalls, all very close to each other,” said Edward.
He said the first three waterfalls, also known as Three Sisters Waterfall, is situated at the lowest point of the foothills. Ascend, and head deeper into the woods and one will find the U’ong Geneh and U’ong Bilong, accordingly.
Wati said their endeavour back then was “really tough” because there were no proper tracks, and they had to hike through the jungle while holding onto vines.
“Until today, I have never wanted to go to the waterfalls again because I got really bad leg cramps back when we were searching for the waterfalls.
“It was really, really tough,” she told DayakDaily last night (March 23) when the D’Drift team was staying overnight at Wedgwood Inn.
Wedgwood Inn, a quaint double-storey house located at the entrance of Long San Village, belongs to Edward’s aunty, Aunty Dora.
Aunty Dora no longer stays at Wedgwood Inn due to her body condition which requires her to receive treatment in Miri, which is why Edward and Wati took over the management of the homestay about 10 years ago.
On the first floor, family photos of Aunty Dora and her deceased husband, Christopher, can still be seen hanging on the walls.
While all five rooms with two single beds on the first floor are open to visitors, Edward and his family of three daughters and a youngest son live on the ground floor.
Despite the lack of information and photos of Wedgwood Inn on the Internet, DayakDaily truly recommends the homestay.
The hosts were kind and welcoming, and the rooms and beds were comfortable and clean.
Washrooms too were fairly clean and equipped with the necessary toiletries. And the food was absolutely delicious!
Charges are fixed at RM70 per person per night, including food and drinks. To make a booking at Wedgwood Inn, do not hesitate to contact Edward at +60 11-2526 9931. — DayakDaily
