Bavanggazo Rungus longhouse

The Rungus are an ethnic group living in northern Sabah in the area around Kudat. They are a subgroup of the Kadazan-Dusun with an own language and a distinct cultural heritage. The isolation from mainstream Malaysia has allowed them to preserve their culture and traditions better than other ethnic groups in Borneo. The Rungus live in longhouses which are quite different from other longhouses in Borneo. Rungus longhouses are built with bamboo and wood with a pentagonal profile, on stilts which are shorter than those of longhouses of other ethnic groups. The Bavanggazo longhouse is located 41km south of Kudat and 98km north of Kota Kinabalu. It is a big, very well preserved longhouse built with traditional materials. Actually Bavanggazo is a settlement of several Rungus longhouses. Tourists can stay overnight, for instance by booking a package with a travel agency.