Kuching Malaysia July 2019

Sarawak River

We arrived in Kuching early evening and took a taxi to the Imperial Riverbank Hotel, which was not far from the main part of town. We wandered along the riverbank, where there were many eateries. We came across the musical fountain near the end of the performance, it was quite spectacular and we decided we would make sure we saw it all another night. We had dinner at one of the outdoor eateries on the river bank.

Kuching is a homophone for cat in Malaya and cats feature everywhere in souvenirs and statues around the town, it became fun noticing them all. On our first full day we discovered a food market but it was closing down when we arrived then found an ATM which we needed then

had a coffee at the ‘Fast & Furious’ café, its them was racing motorbikes, it actually wasn’t a bad place to eat or
drink. We then went down to the hub of the town to old Court House, then the Ranee Margaret Museum, the wife of one of the ‘White Rajahs’’.

We then walked across the main bridge where the Legislative building is situated, but it’s completely fenced and couldn’t easily get to the fort which was on the same side. We then decided to have a rest. We went out later and walked to the end of town and eventually ate dinner at an outdoor stall along the river. We then went for a drink at the bar at the Hilton.


We needed some laundry done and luckily there was one just across the road from our hotel, where we dropped off our clothes. We then took a boat across to the fort. We had to walk through a small village to get there. It’s now a museum of the history of the ‘White Rajahs, which was fascinating. They ruled Sarawak until after World War 2.


After we returned, we went the Museum Café which was quite pleasant. We revisited the market from the previous day. Then we booked a trip to see the orangutans and visit a longhouse. Dinner was at the Indan House Restaurant.


I love the orangutans; they are so human like and have such wonderfully expressive faces. They are in the wild and only come in when there isn’t any fruit available in the forest. There is information about each one and it was so touching to read it.

Orangutan

Then to the Anais Longhouse, which was fascinating. We saw pepper being dried, and various other food products drying and being sold. It was a very informative tour as we learnt about the nature of this environment.


Kuching has much on offer, we went to the Textile Museum, the Sarawak Museum, unfortunately the new museum was up and running but there was a small but very informative display close by. We then took a boat trip up and down the river which was enjoyable plus there was a small performance of folk dancing.


We also went to the night market but wasn’t overly impressed. The food stalls along the riverbank were better. We managed to catch the full performance of the musical fountain which was very impressive. There were more performances of music and dancing along the water front which added a festive air to the evening.


The following day we had a half day tour to the Sarawak Culture Village which was pleasurable and informative, there was also a performance of local dances of the various tribes of the area. It is here that the Rainforest Music Festival will take place. It would be a wonderful experience to attend.

We lunched at fried noodles and egg at Green Hill Restaurant

Cultural village playing sape

The next day we relaxed and didn’t do much really, coffee at the Hilton, lunch at the James Brooke Café went to the Chinese Museum and coffee at the Museum Café, so overall just enjoyed chilling out. We decided to cross the river for dinner as it looked as though it would be a good place to eat, we were bitterly disappointed, had a pretty ordinary dinner crossed back for drinks at the hotel across the road from ours.

We booked a trip on a Wetlands Wildlife cruise for the afternoon plus one to Bako National Park for the following day with Ooo Haa Tours & Travel who proved more professional than the previous tour company we used.


It was a pleasant trip and we were the only 2 on it. It took us along the river and into the south China Sea. We managed to see a proboscis monkey and a crocodile and fishing villages. Unfortunately, the weather was turning nasty and we had to return so missed out on some of the wildlife viewing, better than being caught in a storm and dangerous conditions in a small boat.  Our guide told us about a good place to eat called Top Spot which was close to our hotel and decided to go there for dinner.

The Big White Cat

There is a big white cat statue which is featured on brochures and I wanted to find it, so on ensuing day we went on the hunt. We found it no problem and discovered an interesting street in the bargain. As we returning back to base, we noticed a lovely little café a bookshop. The books were mainly relating to mediation and Zen like subjects, but the café was delightful with the beans freshly ground for each cup of coffee. It was such a quiet and peaceful place to relax I dubbed it the ‘Zen Café’’.

This night we decided to go to Top Spot for dinner. It was a huge area with many stalls where you choose the fish or meat and vegetables you want and then they cook it for you and bring it to your table. It definitely was a top spot!



The next day we were off to Bako National Park, we were guided on a shortish hike which seemed longer as the tangle of tree roots over the undulating path could be easily trip over or slipped on so was taken quite carefully. It was very pleasant surroundings and would be a good place to stay for greater exploration of the park.

Proboscis monkey Bako N.P.

We got up close to proboscis monkeys and native pigs. There were other monkeys also who were very cheeky and would grab food etc from people sitting outside the restaurant. It was ultimately relaxing getting away from town and into nature. We also reprised Top Spot for our dinner that night.



The subsequent day we visited the Sikh Temple and there was a guide there who explained the ins and outs of the religion, then to the Muslim Heritage Museum, both were worthwhile visits.

Our last night in town we decided to go to a more upmarket restaurant Bla Bla but checked out its location first that afternoon. It proved to be a good choice as the food was delicious.

Kuching has some amazing street art, and we watched the gradual completion of one outstanding piece featuring musicians.


Our last day we returned to our ‘Zen Café’ I had a foot massage went again to the Commons Restaurant for lunch. We did some final shopping, went back to pack then decided afternoon tea (coffee & cake) at the Hilton would be a pleasant way to finish our stay. There was also a conference that day and there were a lot of security and important looking people milling around. This related to the arrival of the Chief Minister of Sarawak who came to open the conference, then all the flurry quickly died down.

From the 'Zen'Cafe

Back to our hotel, taxi to the airport and no our way back home.

Loved Kuching and hope to return and explore more places in Sarawak in the near future.