Home to the oldest tropical rainforest in the world – over 130 million years old, every tree and plant in Borneo has its own unique story to tell.
At Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC), we work closely with native communities in preserving their Traditional Knowledge (TK) which has sustained them for countless generations. We invite you to join us on an invigorating Litsara experience as you discover enchanting fragrances from Sarawak’s indigenous herbs & plants, enrich your appreciation of Sarawak’s biodiversity and traditional knowledge & its uses in food, medicine, health and a host of other applications; followed with hands on activity with essential oils and refresh yourself with our Litsara® natural personal care series inspired from traditional knowledge.
This ONE and an HALF-hour tour is designed to excite your sight, smell and feel (SSF) sensory:
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First, experience an indigenous interpretive tour of our Ethnobotanical Garden which boasts of plants close to the hearts of indigenous communities in Sarawak. Be it to win your love, hunt or heal, the forest offers bountiful treasures. Here, you will get upclose and personal with selected plants harvested by indigenous communities for food, medicine and wellness. |
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The tour will lead you to our Gallery. Be ready to enchant your olfactory sensory with a line up of essential oils derived from local herbs and plants. After that, make your own aromatherapy oil from a selection of essential oils and bring it back home to pamper yourself or as a gift for a friend/loved one. |
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Experience a Traditional Steam Spa ‘Native style’ and invigorate your tired feet and hands with our LitSara series outdoors.The tour ends with a native story-telling which unravels the strong connection between man and nature. |
Note:
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Project: Proceeds from the LitSara tour will be channeled back to our Traditional Knowledge (TK) programme & participating indigenous communities in the ABS programme under Litsara project.
Achievement: In April 2019, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) achieved a historical milestone. Sarawak became the first state in the country when SBC signed the ABS agreement with Indigenous communities in line with Nagoya Protocol for Litsara Project.
Natural & Sustainable: The Litsara series uses 100% natural pure essential oil, harvested from Good Wildcraft Practice.
GI Patent: The LitSara series has a Geographic Indicator (GI) Patent, which means that it is unique and exclusively found in Borneo. No where else in the planet!
Programme
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Mindful Walk through our Ethnobotanical Garden (approx 30 mins): Get upclose and personal with centuries old Traditional Knowledge of Sarawak’s indigenous communities and offers insights on the medicines of the forest and wellness. Discover ongoing initiatives between science and traditional knowledge for breakthrough biodiversity innovations. |
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Gallery and Scents (approx 30 mins): As you take a 5-minute moderately paced walk up to our Gallery, tantalize your eyes with a foray of some interesting indigenous plants of Sarawak. Once at the Gallery, be ready to enchant your olfactory sensory with a line up of essential oils derived from local herbs and plants. Make your own aromatherapy oil from a selection of essential oils (30 mins). |
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Do it Native Style (approx 30 mins): As you walk back, stopover for a Traditional Steam Spa at our mini Spa garden, as you experience a Traditional Steam Spa ‘Native style’ infused with wild herbs and spices of Borneo (so don’t forget to bring spare clothes to change) – 15 mins max as it can get steamy but all is well as the great outdoors has an exhilarating touch. Collect your “Litsara Gift Set”. While waiting for your turn, grab some local fruits and invigorate your tired feet and hands with our Litsara series. |
Our Objective
The connection of your senses brings you closer to Borneo’s biodiversity and beauty of traditional knowledge!
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What to bring: Please ensure to wear comfortable walking shoes or runners. We recommend you dress for the weather and bring a water bottle.
Session
ONE SESSION DAILY (1.5 hours) except Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.
Litsara Morning Tour: 10.30 am to 12.00 pm
Important:
Please book 5 working days in advance as only one group is taken per session (minimum 5 to max 20).
Please pdf download the pdf version (839 KB) of the info for future refeence.
