Places Of Interest In Kuching: Things To Do And Activities
Kuching is one of the cities that I love to be in as the people are friendly, the food is cheap and it has a lot of green landscapes. In this post, I’ll share Places Of Interest in Kuching and the things to do so you can maximize your time whilst in Kuching.
Nestled on the scenic banks of the Sarawak River, at the southwestern apex of the captivating Borneo island, lies Kuching, the City of Kuching. Revered as the cultural and administrative hub of the Sarawak state in Malaysia, this city boasts a thriving population of 325,132 people.
Article Contents
Places To Visit In Kuching: Attractions & Activities
I would recommend that you spend at least 5 Days and 4 Nights (the longer better) to enjoy all the Kuching attractions.
In a nutshell, below are top Kuching attractions and If you don’t have the time or budget, you can always skip some places and/or modify the itinerary accordingly.
Why Kuching is called Kuching?
The name of the city, Kuching, is thought to derive from the Malay word kucing, meaning cat. Many of the locals refer to Kuching as the “Cat City” but it more likely comes from the Chinese word for port (“cochin”) coupled with the Malay name mata kucing (cat’s-eye) for the longan fruit, a popular trade item
Kuching City Video
Kuching Attractions
- Cat Statue
- Tugu Pahlawan (Warrior Monument)
- Old Courthouse
- Fort Margherita
- Kuching Waterfront
- Darul Hana Bridge
- Sarawak Cultural Village
- Damai Beach
- Cat Museum
- Shopping at Main Bazaar
- Bako National Park
- Semenggoh Nature Reserve
- Fairy cave
- Siniawan Night Market
- Feast & Furious Cafe
The list above is arranged based on the distance to one and another so you can save up on your time. I’ll now share you the details of the Kuching Attractions places below:
Kuching Attractions Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Cat Statue
Take a photo at the famous Kuching’s city icon, the cat statue.
Location: Google Map
Tugu Pahlawan (Warrior Monument)
Tugu Pahlawan, also called the War Memorial, is a memorial behind the Sarawak Museum. It was erected to commemorate fallen heroes from all the past wars involving Sarawak
Location: Google Map
Old Courthouse
The Old Courthouse is one of many colonial buildings that are a lasting legacy of Sarawak`s unique colonial history dominated by the Brooke family / the White Rajahs.
Location: Google Map
Fort Margherita (Brooke’s gallery)
Fort Margherita was built in 1879 by Charles Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak and named after his wife Margaret, the Ranee of Sarawak. This landmark building located on a hill on the northern side of the Sarawak River, was built to help protect Kuching from unwelcome attacks from pirates. Today the fort has been fully restored and houses the Brooke Museum which showcases some of the history of Sarawak and the White Rajahs
Location: Google Map
Kuching Waterfront
The Kuching Waterfront is the most popular gathering place in this capital city. The esplanade stretches for about 900 meters along the south bank of the Sarawak river.
Don’t miss out the musical fountain show around 8.30PM from this bridge on weekends. It’s beautiful.
Location: Google Map
Day 2
Sarawak Cultural Village
This is the place you need to come to experience Sarawak culture. You can see a replica of different kinds of houses and experience the lifestyle. The theatre was the main attraction, it included traditional dances and blowpipe demonstration.
Entrance Fee: RM65 Adult, RM 30 Children (2020 Promo)
Location: Google Map
The theatre shows are at 11 AM and 4:30 PM. Don’t be late because you don’t want to miss it! Check out the video below from 0:14 – 2:44 which I’ve taken during my Borneo Ride.
Damai Beach
Located just next to Sarawak cultural village, you can chill here in the evening you miss the sea.
Cat Museum
I underestimated this place but from paintings to statutes, pictures, ornaments & taxidermy, there is a lot of info to take in! Not being huge cat fan, I still found this quite interesting.
- Location: Google Map
- Entrance Fee: RM 3
Shopping at Main Bazaar
Located opposite of Waterfront, you can buy all types of local souvenir here. I would highly recommend that you get the local design shirt/dress as it’s unique. You can also get instant laksa Sarawak here.
Day 3
Bako National Park
Just a short gateway from city bustles, taking a speed boat crossing over river and sea to reach the island Bako. Surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains, forest wild animals mainly wild boars. You can either stay there or make a day trip.
Location: Google Map
Semenggoh Nature Reserve
There are 32 orang-utans here in 10,000 hectares of forest and so the probability of seeing one of these creatures is pretty remote. Combine this with the fact that between November and April there is enough food in the forest then there is very little chance of seeing them at all. So this can be tricky and waste of time, you’ve been warned.
Location: Google Map
Day 4
Fairy Cave
Easily the most impressive cave I’ve ever seen. Part of the ceiling is collapsed, creating a massive green skylight; it indeed looks like a fairy tale.
You will need to climb 3 floors for staircase before entering the opening of the caves and invited with more stairs into a dark tunnel. Right after, you’ll be amazed by the beautiful caves with many different sites that you can explore. I would recommend to come in the morning so that You have more time to explore. Please ensure your phone is installed with torchlight. Sone part can be slippery, better to wear proper shoes. Bring cameras that can capture dark spots.
Siniawan Night Market
Located about 25 KM away from Kuching, it’s a must place to experience the local night market for a foodie. The old wooden shop houses flanking the street is charming and the food selection is good too. Come earlier and see the sights of the town as well, like the little jetty that the locals used to cross the river.
Note: If you’re going here, make sure you arrange cab/taxi/grab on your way back in advance because it’s difficult to get one from Siniawan to Kuching. Alternatively, you can stay at the Tian Xia homestay at the night market area. (Just Google it)
Where To stay In Kuching?
If you fancy comfortable hotels, waterfront area would be the place and If you’re on a budget, stay at carpenter street which is not far away from the Waterfront.
How Do You Get Around in Kuching?
You can easily get around Kuching by taxi, Grab or hire a personal driver.
If you prefer to drive on your own, I would suggest that you rent a car from Ajim (+60128848842) as he provides excellent service. For navigation, you can use Google Maps or Waze.
What & Where To Eat In Kuching?
Best Laksa Sarawak / Kolo Mee In Kuching
Laksa Sarawak is a local food that you must try! I’ve tried a few places and I would recommend the top two places for the best Laksa and Kolo mee
Chong Choon Cafe
For me the Laksa here is a little bit spicy but you would love it! The place closes at 12 Noon, so be early!
Location: Google Map
Choon Hui Cafe
The Laksa here has more (thick) flavour and less spicy. It can be crowded here and I would suggest that you go here early.
Location: Google Map
Feast & Furious Cafe
If you’re looking for a cafe for your coffee fix, delicious western food or even laksa, this is the best place to be. Owned by multi-talented proud Sarawakian, Alex Stmrock Wong who is also the founder of the Borneo Blowpipe Run.
This cafe has a great atmosphere especially for motor enthusiasts and I would highly recommend that you check this place out as it’s just within walking distance from the waterfront.
Location: Google Map
Aladdin Chicken Rice Shop
Located in the Carpenter street, I would suggest that you try out their roasted chicken here. For me, it is tasty and said to be the best chicken rice shop in Kuching. (They might be!)
Location: Google Map
Kek Lapis (layer cake)
Your visit to Kuching would not complete without trying out the Kek Lapis. Mira Cake House offers great choices for you to choose from and they also offer free testing.
Location: Google Map
Tips: From the waterfront, you can a take a boat ride across the river and walk to Mira Cake house. The ride will cost you RM1/pax (one way). The boat station is located at the back of Gloria Jean’s Coffees White Barouk.
Kuching Bars
The Bikalan
As I’ve travelled quite extensively in South East Asia, I must say Bikalan in Siniawan Night Market is one of my favourite bars that I’ve been to. Situated just about 25KM from Kuching city, Bikalan is a laid back bar, serving authentic local cuisine and they offer a great range of alcohol/foods to fill up your night. Their food/drinks pricings are quite affordable and we really enjoyed the Bikalan, you don’t get this kind of atmosphere anywhere in Malaysia. Imagine having a good draught beer next to a river in a Belian wood shop house in Siniawan’s historic main bazaar.
The owners (Andy & Grace) are down to the earth person. If you’re going there, ask Andy about the history of the place, he would love to explain it to you.
Bear Garden
Probably the cheapest bar and walking distance from the Waterfront! Bear Garden is one of the very few places within Kuching that you can grab a much need beer during the day whilst out sightseeing.
The staff are really friendly and welcoming. A great little bar which gets busy in the evening. We had such a good experience we made sure it was our regular watering hole for the trip. They also serve food which is great value for money and homemade. They also do amazing work supporting local animal conservation projects. Well worth a visit.
Location: Google Map
Drunk Monkey Old Street Bar
If you choose to wander along Carpenter Street (near the waterfront), there are numerous bars and the Drunk Monkey is one of them. The staff are efficient and they have a large selection of drinks available. Highly recommend it.
Location: Google Map
Conclusion
Kuching is definitely a destination I would recommend if you aren’t looking for somewhere too commercialised, but rather a place that has some character and culture to it. Have you been to Kuching? Which Kuching attractions you liked the most?
Related Articles
Please follow my WhatsApp Channel for updates.
