MY · Sarawak · 1.24°N 111.47°E

sri aman (simanggang)

Watch the benak, a tidal bore, roll up the Batang Lupar from beside Fort Alice.

Best time
The benak comes every day, but it's biggest around the new and full moon, and the really big bores come only a couple of times a year. Pesta Benak, with boat races, a trail run and hundreds of stalls on the waterfront, has been held in September in recent years. April to September is drier for walking around.
How long
1 day, or 2 with Batang Ai
Getting there
Fly from KL to Kuching (about 1 hour 45 minutes), then drive about 3 hours east on the Pan Borneo Highway via Serian. Express buses from Kuching also stop here.
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MY · Sarawaksri aman (simanggang)1.24°N 111.47°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Watch the benak, a tidal bore, roll up the Batang Lupar from beside Fort Alice.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSri Aman (Simanggang)MY, Sarawak
KLsri aman (simanggang)
≈ 1,107 km from KL, as the crow flies

A river town on the Batang Lupar, about 3 hours east of Kuching, famous for the benak: a tidal bore that rolls upriver as the tide comes in, up to 2–3 metres at the biggest tides. You watch it from the riverside park beside Fort Alice, the 1864 Brooke fort that's now a heritage museum. Most people still call the town Sri Aman, though it officially went back to Simanggang in 2019.

Makan

  1. Ayam pansuhIban chicken cooked in bamboo with lemongrass and tapioca leaves.Map ↗
  2. MidinCrunchy jungle fern, fried with belacan or garlic.Map ↗
  3. Kolo meeBreakfast at the Chinese kopitiams in the old town. The usual version uses pork.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The benakCheck the time on the tide table posted by the river and get to the bank early. The river fills in about 10 minutes once the wave has passed.Map ↗
  2. Fort AliceA belian fort from 1864, named after Rajah Charles Brooke's wife and restored in 2015 as the Sri Aman Heritage Museum.Map ↗
  3. Taman Panorama BenakThe riverside park and viewing platform next to the fort, the classic spot to watch the bore.Map ↗
  4. Batang AiThe dam lake, longboats and Iban longhouses are about 1–1.5 hours further on, so many people pair the two.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Stand well back from the edge when the bore comes through; it pushes water fast up the bank.
  • Book a room early for Pesta Benak, when the whole division comes to town.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.