History of Benak

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 accommodating the largest of the four benak's that occur in Sarawak.
Tidal bore or locally known as benak, occurs everyday with different wavelengths and heights. However, during spring tide, normally on the third and eighteen day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, tidal bores with high magnitude can be observed clearly. The 'benak' continues its journey another 30 km inland, ending near the small village of Engkilili.
Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Carnival) in Sri Aman is one of the yearly activities in the Sarawak tourism calendar. The objective of Pesta Benak Sri Aman is to introduce Sri Aman town through tourism and encourage tourist from in and outside the country to visit Sri Aman. Apart from it, Pesta Benak is also to promote harmony among local community.

In conjunction with this phenomenon, many events were organized such as exhibition, food fair, karaoke competition, culture and art performances and others. Tidal wave festival has made the area a popular spot in Sarawak for visitors; you can join in the fun and hitch a ride with the longboats or just watch the boatman braving the waves. You can even immerse yourself with the local culture at the food fair, good music and dance performances that are part and parcel of the festival.

Where to go
Tidal bore or benak phenomenon in Malaysia can only be seen at Batang Lupar, Batang Sadong, Batang Samarahan and Batang Saribas in the state of Sarawak. Sri Aman is situated about 194 km by road from Kuching City. The unique phenomenon of tidal bore occurs in Batang Lupar. Batang Lupar flows from the Klinkang Range to South China Sea with river length of 275 km.

Home to a crocodile a.k.a Bujang Senang
'Bujang Senang' or 'Happy Bachelor' was the name for a huge crocodile that grew to 19 feet and 4 inches. The crocodile is notorious as a man-eating 'monster'. It had a well-formed and worn canines on its huge jaw. 'Bujang Senang' was well known back in 1993, when it went on its killing rampage around the Sri Aman area. The Batang Lupar River, which flows through Sri Aman, still conjures up fearsome images, as it was home to this legendary killer. It was struck down by a shotgun shell in Sg. Pelaban in Lingga Batang Lupar at Sri Aman.