The Batang Lupar flows 200km from its source in the Kapuas Mountains to the Teluk Datu of the South China Sea. At its mouth the river forms the broadest estuary in Sarawak, as well as accomodating the largest of the four benaks (tidal bore in local Malay and Iban dialect) that occur in Sarawak.
The benak of the Batang Lupar first becomes visible in the estuary region of Pulau Seduku. It reaches its peak as it passes the town of Sri Aman, 90km from the estuary. Along the banks of the town a tidal watching festival was inaugurated on the King Tide of 5th May 2001 - the Pesta Benak. This gave the local boatmen an opportunity to show their skills to tourists, surfing the bore in longboats. Prior to the event, several days were spent flushing crocodiles out of the river for the safety of tourists!
The benak continues its journey another 30km inland, ending near the small village of Engkilili.
STATISTICS
LOCATION: 01º10'N, 111º05'E
MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 3.0 m
AVERAGE SPEED: 20 km h-1
BEST TIME OF YEAR: Feb to June
TERRAINE: Estuarine and fluvial
FEAR FACTOR: ***
MAPS
NOTABLE INTERNET SITES
Lupar Benak Photo Gallery
An excellent collection of photographs taken from a boat following the benak along its course, which show the great variation in the tidal bore.
LOCATION: 01º10'N, 111º05'E
