The Bidayuh are one of Sarawak's largest indigenous groups, concentrated in the hilly country south of Kuching toward the Indonesian border, and Annah Rais is one of the easiest of their traditional longhouses to visit — under two hours' drive from the city, without needing a boat or a multi-day trek.
The longhouse itself is centuries old in parts, a cluster of bamboo-and-timber structures connected by suspension bridges and raised walkways over the Sarawak River's tributaries. Visitors can walk through sections of the longhouse with a local guide, see the communal baruk (headhouse) that once stored skulls from historical inter-tribal conflict — now preserved respectfully as heritage rather than practice — and try tuak and traditional snacks with resident families.
Just downstream, Annah Rais's natural hot springs are a welcome finish to a visit — simple stone pools fed by warm mineral water, popular with both villagers and visitors looking to soak tired legs after a walk through the longhouse.