Nomadic Tribe

Move step-by-step through the precious undergrove on this epic adventure to meet the Penan. Split across the winding Baram river, there’s two distinctive sides to this fascinating tribe. Discover local traditions and culture, rooted in a long-standing love of storytelling.

Limbu means ‘heroes of the hills’ in their native language, so it’s no surprise to discover that they have an affinity for altitude. A journey to one of their villages located 2,500 to 4,000 feet above sea level is sure to be a travel highlight.

Melanau, or A-Likou, means river people in Mukah dialect. The current name of Melanau was given by one of the Sultans of Brunei in the 19th century. Connect with this fascinating tribe who were among the earliest settlers in the Sarawak region.

Deep in the districts of East Meghalaya live the Khasi communities. They have various names depending on the region they live in. You may hear of Jaintias, Pnars, Bhois and Wars. But they are all part of the same ethic lineage. As well as Khasi, they are sometimes referred to collectively as the Hynniewtrep people.

With their small population, the Kenjaman people largely live in two villages; Rumah Kejaman and Rumah Kejaman Ba. Experience life alongside the Rejang River with a community working to keep its language and spirit alive.

The Veddha are a minority group of indigenous people in danger of extinction which name means "the one who uses bows and arrows". This tribe traditionally lives for centuries by hunting and gathering in the forests of Sri Lanka.

The name Tagbanua means "people of the village." The Tagbanua inhabit the central portion of Palawan Island, both the eastern and the western coasts, which lies between Mindoro and Borneo. The higher concentration of population is in the more extensive lowlands to the east of the island's mountain range.

Today the Maldives presents a mixture of different cultures. It is tough to say who or when the first settlers came to the Maldives. Archaeological finds indicate Maldives was inhabited as early as 1500 BC. In other myths and legends, first settlers are estimated to be Indo Aryan civilization. The first settlers were known as "dheyvis” and seems to come from “Kilabanja" in India. The Maldives has been occupied by populations who met here for trading affairs. In the past centuries the Portuguese, Dutch and British have all established governance, until 1965 when the islands obtained full political independence from the British government.

Chin people are the mountainous populations living between the Myanmar (Burma) and the Indian border, in the Chin State. This ethnic group has been one of the most persecuted in the country, and many different tribes identify with this group. They are also known as Zo, which is their original name.

Dayak is a generic term that has no precise tribal significance. It is applied to any of the indigenous peoples of the interior of the island. The Dayak tribe are the aboriginal people of Borneo (the largest of the Southeast Asian islands), inhabitants of the state of Sarawak, the Dayak people come from six tribes: Klemantan, Penan and Kenyah (those with the oldest settlement); Keyan, Murut and Iban (who arrived in the zonain and subsequent epochs). Dayak people show the age-old mixture of Malay, Chinese and negritos elements. Dayak population is estimated at 2.2 million.

They are one of the oldest native tribes in Indonesia, also named Mentawei or Mentawi. Nowadays, they are estimated to be around 64.000, and they mainly live in Siberut Island. They originally come from the northern island Nias and then settled in Mentawai Islands, close to the western coast of Sumatra. They have always lived isolated until in XVII century Dutch arrived. They are also known as "Flower people" because of their connection with nature. Mentawai people used to inhabit in the coastal and rainforest environment, but recently the central government started a relocation plan trying to assimilate indigenous culture.

Tay people are the second largest ethnic group in Vietnam. Communities can be found all around the country; however, most of them inhabit the northern territories, where the soil is more fertile for agriculture. Because of historical reasons, going back to 1000 years ago, Tay people are very well respected by the Vietnamese, with they share many cultural characteristics, and they contributed to the war against the Tong dynasty from China.

Discover a richness of life within the ancient Kathmandu valley in Nepal. Here reside the Newari. Newari or Newa translates as “Inhabitant of Nepal” and was first found as an inscription that dates back to 1654.

The Kayan form one of a number of sub-groups of Myanmar’s Red Karen people, a Tibetan-Burmese-speaking minority. The Kayan consists of the following groups: Kayan Lahwi (also called Padaung), Kayan Ka Khaung, Kayan Lahta, Kayan Ka Ngan. Kayan Gebar, Kayan Kakhi and Bwe people (Kayaw). Padaung is a Shan term for the Kayan Lahwi (the group in which women wear the brass neck rings).

Bedouin, in Arabic Badawi and plural Badw, are nomadic peoples from the deserts of the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, North Africa, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.