http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/1/2/nation/kchhorse&sec=nation
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Bario to be made highland garden to attract tourists
KUCHING: The Bario plateau in northern Sarawak will be turned into a highland garden for nature-loving tourists.
State Tourism Minister Datuk Abang Johari Tun Openg said different temperate flowers would be planted along the roads in the plateau and a special horse carriageway would be built to ferry tourists to the cottage area from the recently-upgraded Bario airfield.
“Non-motorised vehicles will be used there,'' he told reporters after welcoming more than 100 passengers on Flight MH684 from Singapore at the airport here on the first day of “Visit Sarawak Year 2003'' yesterday.
Johari said about RM3mil was expected to be spent to develop the Bario highland garden project, which would be a unique environmental-friendly tourism product for upmarket tourists.
Bario, which is 1,128m above sea level, is the homeland of some 8,000 Kelabits of Sarawak.
It is a fertile plateau where the Kelabits produce several varieties of high quality rice.
Johari said tourists could stay at the Kelabit traditional longhouses, and could visit the various attractions such as natural hot springs, waterfalls and salt springs there.
