Vacation Packages

Too much information about Kuching travel destinations that you have gathered on the Internet and just not sure which to one go & which one to drop? Let me introduce you the 10 places in Kuching that you should not miss out!

1. Weekend Market (a.k.a. Sunday Market)

The locals simply call it “Sunday Market”. It really more than a Sunday’s market, because the market start operating from Saturday’s afternoon around 2pm. The crowd is forming from 3pm onwards, 99% are local shoppers & traders, and you will be that remaining 1%. At this weekend market, you get to see all kind of stuffs people are selling & buying there. Goods been traded ranging from cloths, home accessories & supplies, local produces, meat & fresh vegetables, foods, so on and so forth. Basically everything you can think of that can be found at Kuching, but definitely not the branded merchandise of course. This is the most traditional market that you will ever find in Kuching, which remain never change since some 20 years ago, or longer. You can easily hire a taxi from your hotel and will never cost you more than a RM15, unless you are staying somewhere off the Kuching city.

2. Sarawak Museum

Your Kuching travel will never be completed if you miss the Sarawak Museum. It’s free entrance anyway, & it has so much to tell you about Kuching and also the story of entire Sarawak. Some says that by just visiting Sarawak Museum alone and spend an hour walk through the entire museum is as good as traveling to the whole of Sarawak for a week. It’s located next to Merdeka Palace Hotel in Kuching.

3. Malay Village across the Sarawak River

This is not a tourist place I have to warn you first, but an authentic Malay village that just right across the Sarawak River, a 200 meter river’s away from the hectic Kuching city. Simply take a boat transfer from the Kuching Waterfront that cost you approximately RM2 per person only, please check the fare with the boat man before hopping in. You are free to roam around the village, but be polite & respectful to their religion. Almost 100% of the population in this village are Muslim, so do not wear something that’s too exposed, or sexy! Try the local Malay foods there, it’s pretty cheap and tasty, but be warned that almost all the food are spicy. If you don’t take spicy food, check with them which are not. Please note that this village is nowhere mentioned in any travel guide books, so you know at the moment it’s still considered “off the beaten track”.

4. Main Bazaar Souvenir Shopping

This is where most tourists like shop for local souvenirs. At Main Bazaar, not only souvenir shops you can find there, but also lots of other shops selling other stuffs, just like a carpenter shop selling traditional handmade goods. Just stroll along the conservation old shop lots you will discover lots of interesting things, so I will leave it to you to explore them. Trust me, there are lots of interesting stuffs can be found there, such as tribal handicrafts, antiques & etc. Please bargain the price right, or shop around first before making your purchases.

5. Annah Rais Longhouse

Travel to Kuching and never completed with a visit to Annah Rais Longhouse means your trip is not completed yet. So far this is the only authentic traditional longhouse ever found near to the Kuching city. It is located about 90 km away from Kuching city. By visiting to Annah Rais longhouse you will get to see how the local there live in the basic traditional way of living. Nowadays Annah Rais longhouse will be seen as a bit touristic type of place; however, it’s still an authentic Bidayuh tribe’s longhouse maintaining their original structure, in which the flooring still made of timber wood and the bamboo for instance. For those who would like to stay back and experience the traditional way of living there, you can do that by participating on their homestay program that run by the local family there. You get to stay under one roof with the villagers and eat the local traditional Bidayuh foods with the family you stay with. This is truly a great experience and I’m sure it will be your most interesting highlight ever recorded in your Kuching travel journal.

6. Semenggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

As its name suggest, it’s a place which house the endangered species apes called “Orangutan” in Borneo. This wildlife centre is located near to Kota Padawan, about half an hour drive from Kuching. To get there you can either take a taxi or a STC bus no. 6, or simply joined any travel agencies who will organize tour to this centre. Please also be warned that the sighting if the Orangutan is no guarantee during the fruiting season, because they are in the wild & set free in the surrounding jungle. They will hardly come to the HQ for foods when they can find so much fruits in the jungle. The best time to spot them is during the feeding time at 9am & 3pm daily. If you are lucky enough you will see the big guy named Ritchie & he looks extremely gigantic in size with the long soft fur. He is the head of all Orangutans in that territory. The entrance fee is merely RM3 per person (at time of writing), much cheaper than the Sepilok Wildlife Centre in Sabah, which cost approximately RM30 per person if I’m not mistaken, and you get to see pretty much the same thing.

7. Sarawak Cultural Village

Sarawak Cultural Village, as the name implied, it’s a village that showcase of all ethnics’ culture in Sarawak. It was built mainly for the tourist and it’s not a real village though, however, they have built the various ethnic house models in the actual human size. The best part is that, they even employed the local people to live in the village based on their original traditional way of living. When you enter into the village and the houses, you are like visiting the family who are staying at that particular house. It’s like a living museum indeed. Highly recommended, you can find all sorts of longhouses there, and learn more about the tribes in Sarawak.

8. Bako National Park

I can’t stretch enough that this is the only place that will get you excited every moment when you are in the park. The journey on the boat transfer alone already part of the adventurous trip, because you will get a chance to see the wild crocodiles when you are on the boat, however, this is not a guaranteed sighting though. When arrive at the park, you will most likely be greeted by the long-tailed macaque or the wild bearded pig. The wildlife is almost everywhere. This is also a good place for jungle trekking too. You will find a lot of trails, some offering you a good chance to see the endangered species of flora & fauna, such as proboscis monkey. Opt for the night jungle trekking too, the ranger can arrange for you and you will get to see the different creatures at night. Remember to bring mosquito repellent, lots of mosquito in the park though and they are simply, wild too!

9. Jong’s Crocodile Farm

Lots of people like the idea that the crocodiles are kept in the huge piece of land that form pretty much like a swampland, the crocodile natural habitat. The crocodiles are not caged, but you do! What a good idea right. This crocodile farm is well worth your visit, as you get to see thousands of crocodiles that are kept pretty much like they are in the wild. Moreover the entrance is barely RM8 per person, highly recommended!

10. Jalan Song Eatery Place (Must Go)

Again I need to mention, this is another non-tourist place, but it is very important for you to know that this is the most popular eatery place in Kuching for the local Kuching people. If you are a good food lover, this is the place for you to sample all kind of Kuching’s local dishes, such as Kolo Mee, Sarawak Laksa, and etc. Only visit this place for your dinner, because during the day, it’s just like a ghost town, but it gets very happening when the day turns dark. Since you are travelling in Kuching and you got to try the local dishes, this place have put everything together for you. I would say it’s a “Must Visit” place to include in your Kuching travel destinations plan.

Visit Lester Sim’s Kuching Travel Guide for more insights information about traveling in Kuching. Also visit his friend’s homestay website – Annah Rais Longhouse Adventure, if you wish to experience the longhouse’s life!