Kuching is one of the cities in Malaysia that I went pretty often. Mainly because part of my family members are staying there and that's explain why I always go back Kuching like every 1-2 months. Another reason is because I'm a Sarawakian too, though I wasn't born there. Since I've been there many times, hence I thought why not create a post for those who are interested to go Kuching for the very first time? Plus, quite number of my friends actually asked me - what to do and see in Kuching, so here's the post as your reference to plan your trip there.
Besides being the capital city of Sarawak state, Kuching is the largest city of East Malaysia as well as the largest city on the island of Borneo. The name of the city, Kuching is thought to derive from the Malay word "kucing" indicates cat. To date, cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Bahru of West Malaysia do have direct flight to Kuching without any stop.
Sarawak need passport? The most common question I always came across. Oh well, it's up to you; either just bring along your identification card (IC) and you will receive a temporary visitor slip which need to return when exiting the state (
do not lose it or else, you need to lodge police report)
OR you can even show your passport and you will get a stamp. Yes, a stamp on your passport even you are a Malaysian. This applies to a Sabahan too when visiting Sarawak. However for Sarawakian who is going to Sabah, there will be no temporary visitor slip given or even stamp on the passport. That's shows how powerful Sarawak status is.
Another question I got is, what's the currency for Sarawak? Dude, Sarawak is part of Malaysia and therefore, Sarawakian is also using Ringgit Malaysia (RM/MYR).
Now here is my recommended 4D3N Kuching itinerary if you are visiting for the very first time:
DAY 1
Begin your Kuching trip by going to Padungan Street Area for photo opportunity with various cat statues and savouring local food at Song Kheng Hai Food Court. Do try local food and snacks such as Belacan bihun, kompia, fruit rojak and cococane juice there.
Song Kheng Hai Food Court
Opening Hours: 11am to 5pm. Closed on every Monday.
A handful of cat statues along the Pandungan Street
Continue by heading to Padang Merdeka as this is where abundant of attractions situated; ranging from historical museums such as Sarawak Museum, Sarawak Art Museum and Islamic Heritage Museum to creative and colourful murals depicting Kuching's rich history and culture stretching along the street nearby Electra House, Open Air Market to Indian Street Pedestrian Mall.
DAY 2
Kicking-off your day by having
Sarawak Laksa for breakfast at Choon Hui Cafe. Even the late
Anthony Bourdain, the world-renowned travelling & celebrity chef came here twice just for the laksa. Don't forget to saviour the popiah and kaya toast too.
Visit the
Sarawak Cultural Village. Since it is situated 45 minutes away from the Kuching city center, hence you might either need to rent a car or take a Grab for a single-trip between RM30 or more. Also known as the "Living Museum", Sarawak Cultural Village is an ideal place for those who want to discover and learn more about the local culture, heritage and lifestyles of the various ethnic groups and tribes. Here, you get to see different kind of traditional houses, cultural dance and performances.
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm daily
Entrance Fee: RM54 for adult and RM27 for children if you purchase
online here.
Take a stroll at Damai Beach, which located opposite of Sarawak Cultural Village. It's a nice beach with a stunning view over Santubong mountain. However, the beach is not suitable for those who intend to go for swimming. You can grab some snacks and drinks before heading back to the city center.
Dropby at Cats Museum while on the way back to the city center. Housed on the ground level on the Kuching North City Hall Building, this cat-themed museum contains more than 4,000 artifacts including paintings, photos, art, souvenirs and memoriable related to the feline family.
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm daily
Entrance Fee: RM3 for adult and RM2 for children.
If you happen to be in Kuching during the weekend, why not end your night by going to Siniawan Night Market. This night market only opens on weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Approaching to 30 minutes drive away from the city, this small and charming heritage town is an amazing place to spend the evening by hunting for local delicacies on the street lined with two rows of wooden shophouses, and Chinese lanterns light the street below.
Opening Hours: 6pm to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
DAY 3
A trip to Kuching is absolutely incomplete without having
kolo mee. So far the best kolo mee I ever had is Sin Lian Shin at Green Road. You can either opt for plain or seasoned with red sauce (basically it's the char siew sauce which makes the noodle taste slightly sweeter).
If you are looking forward for something close to the nature and also wildlife, probably you can consider either going to the Bako National Park or Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. However, you can only pick one as it impossible to cover both in a day. Glad that I have finally managed to visit both of these places this year but in two separate Kuching trips.
During my recent trip to Kuching May this year, we drove to Bako National Park which is about 30 minutes drive from the city. We reach there as early as 8am in order to catch the boat from the terminal to the jetty of the national park. I personally think it's best one need to be physically fit and tough to get through the trekking trail cause there are few trails were pretty tough and steep. We're grateful we managed to sight few Proboscis monkeys (the main star of the national park), silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaque monkeys as well as wild board running free around the park during our visit.
Two type of fees:
1) National Park Entrance Fee: RM10 for adult and RM3 for children.
2) Boat Ride Fee (Return): RM30 for adult and RM20 for chiclren. The last boat ride back to the terminal is 3pm
As for
Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, I went and dropby when I was in Kuching on November this year. The drive from city center to there took about 45 minutes. Unlike Bako National Park, Semenggoh is an easily walking trail and it's suitable for the young children and elderly. Just that from the ticket counter to the feeding trail, it's about 2-3km walk but don't worry, you can take a ride on a van for RM1 per person for a single ride. Semenggoh is an ideal half-day trip to encounter orang-utan, one of Borneo's endangered species. But be sure to get there before 9am or 3pm cause that's the only time for the feeding trail open to visitor.
Feeding Time: 9am-10am and 3pm-4pm daily
Entrance Fee: RM5 for adult, RM3 for senior citizen and disabled person and RM2 for children (For local only)
After a full-day of jungle trekking or a half-day trip to watch orang-utan being fed, quench your thirst by having Kuching's best ice-kacang (shaved ice) at Swee Kang Ice Kacang. Besides a bowl of standard ice kacang, don't leave the shop without trying the "White Lady" drink which is pretty popular and only can be found in Kuching.
Opening Hours: 12pm to 6.30pm. Closed on every Thursday.
On your last night in Kuching, take a walk and enjoy sunset at Darul Hanal Bridge, the latest additional of Kuching's attraction. Built with "S-shaped", it is a pedestrian bridge that connects both north and south side of Kuching river.
DAY 4
Before bidding goodbye to Kuching, why not bringing back some kek lapis (traditional layer cake) as souvenirs for your friends and family? It's best to go on your last day of your trip in order to maintain the freshness of the cake. There are two shops highly recommended for selling the best kek lapis; Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah and Mira Cake House. Generally, each cost RM10 and if you bought 10, you will get 1 for free.
How To Get These Two Kek Lapis Shops:
Take a boat across from the Waterfront 7-Eleven and turn right until spot a green mosque. Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah is just behind the mosque while Mira on the left side. There are signboards for both.
And in the case you are searching for tourist memento and tribal handicrafts, venture and wander a very long row of shophouses along Waterfront Main Bazaar Street. Besides getting some typical knick-knack stuff, you might find local items such as the famous Sarawak black pepper, Sarawak laksa paste, instant kolo mee and more.
Last but not least, enjoy a hot cup of coffee pairing with cake at a cafe of Kuching Old Courthouse before depart to Kuching International Airport.
Where To Stay In Kuching
The best area I would suggest when comes to picking accommodation in Kuching are those in between Padungan Street Area to Kuching Riverfront for its ideal and convenient location. Most of the hostels and budget hotels are located along Padungan Street Area whereas for 5-stars international hotels such as Pullman and Hilton are situated in the heart of Kuching.
For a long-list of food you should try and have when in Kuching, do read
my post here.
Extra Info
To make your trip to Kuching more interesting and fun-filling one, schedule your trip to visit during
Rainforest World Musical Festival or
Kuching Food Festival Fair that held annually, most probably in the month of July every year.
Rainforest World Musical Festival, a three-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music that held annually at Sarawak Cultural Village. Next year will held on 10-12 July. So save the date!
Kuching Festival Fair, a month-long food fair houses hundreds of mouth-watering local and international cuisines.
