Magnetising mud of Meritam

Sri Aman has its benak or tidal bore. Miri has its glowing shoreline. Both are natural occurrences that attract tourists (domestic and international) to come and witness for themselves these phenomena. For the village of Meritam in Limbang, it’s their lumpur bebuak.

Lumpur bebuak is what the villagers call the warm bubbling mud that form mudpots in different spots on the plains at the edge of Kampung Meritam. Little is known about the origins of lumpur bebuak, whose characteristics are like those found in mudpots at the base of a volcano. What is known about it though is that lumpur bebuak often forms mudpots of variable sizes, some so large that up to five persons can fit into it at a time. As the mud on the rim of a mudpot slowly hardens, it eventually forms a mud volcano reaching over a metre in height.

Research carried out on the lumpur bebuak mud found it to be free of bacteria and is safe for humans. The locals have also claimed the mud from lumpur bebuak to have healing properties and smoothens the skin. It’s no surprise why many people come to Kampung Meritam to take long dips in the warm bubbling mud.

Recognising the potential of the lumpur bebuak, the area was therefore developed and infrastructures were built to turn it into a tourism attraction for Kampung Meritam. In 2016, a festival centred on the mud was introduced, aptly named Pesta Lumpur Bebuak Meritam (Meritam Bebuak Mud Festival). Besides having visitors come to get down and dirty in the mud, various activities were introduced to enliven the festival.

Last year, Pesta Lumpur Bebuak Meritam was held on Nov 10 & 11, 2018 and lured visitors from as far as Sabah, West Malaysia and Brunei. Activities and competitions included mud futsal, mud dodgeball, mud masking competition and Mr. Lumpur Bebuak, which saw a contestant from Brunei bagging the title trophy.

Festival or no festival, Kampung Meritam’s lumpur bebuak needs to be experienced. So if you’re planning a trip to Sarawak, this should definitely be added to your itinerary.

Located about 40km from Limbang town, the route has clear signage to Meritam. Visitors can self drive, or hire transport from a reputable travel service company.