Kelabit Highlands

The Kelabit Highlands are a highland plateau region in northeastern Sarawak on the island of Borneo, inhabited primarily by the indigenous Kelabit people. The area is notable for its cool climate, traditional rice agriculture and remote mountain villages.

The Kelabit have inhabited the plateau for many generations, developing wet-rice agriculture on the plateau and a distinct highland culture. In recent decades the area has seen limited tourism focused on cultural stays, trekking and ecotourism, while remaining one of Sarawak’s more remote inhabited regions.

The highlands are in northeastern Sarawak, Malaysia, inland from the coastal plains of Borneo and centered on the village of Bario at roughly 1,000 metres elevation; the terrain is mountainous and forested.

• Culture and agriculture: The highlands are a remote plateau region inhabited by the Kelabit people, known for traditional wet-rice cultivation and cool highland climate compared with lowland Borneo.
• Access: Access is typically by small aircraft into Bario or by multi-day trekking routes that connect remote villages and passes.

What to See #

• Bario: Bario village sits on the highland plateau at roughly 1,000 metres elevation and serves as the cultural and logistical center for trekking and rice-growing in the region.