12 Reasons To Visit The Cat City – Kuching, Sarawak

Have you ever heard of the Cat City? Also known as Kuching, this city is the capital of Sarawak which is located on the island of Borneo. There is a few theories how the name “Kuching” came about. One of the version is based on a story of miscommunication between James Brooke and a local guide when he asked the name of the town. The guide thought that James Brooke was pointing to a cat and said “Kuching” which is a Malay term for cat. Today, Kuching is well known with its rich history, scenic views and delicious food. Getting around Kuching city is not difficult as you can walk or take a taxi around the city. However if you want to explore some of the places mentioned below, you will probably need to rent a car or join a tour as it requires a bit of travelling. Want to know more about our trip to Kuching? Check out our post on 4 DAYS TRAVEL GUIDE IN KUCHING, SARAWAK

So what are the 12 Reasons to Visit the Cat City – Kuching?

1. Take a stroll at “The Peoples Place”, Kuching Waterfront

Kuching Waterfront

Hop onboard the Sarawak River Cruise to watch sunset

Astana

Going across the river

To start off the list, we have the Kuching Waterfront which is the most popular attraction in Kuching. Along the waterfront, you will be able to see the British administration remains in Sarawak. You can easily spend a few hours exploring all the historical buildings here. Across the river you will be able to see Astana which is where the governor resides and also Fort Margherita (built in 1879).

Family Photo

To get across the river you can take the ‘sampan’ a river taxi manned by the locals with a small fee of only Rm1 per trip across the river. You can also cross the river via the Darul Hana suspension bridge which is free and offers a panoramic view of the majestic Sarawak River. The Kuching Waterfront comes alive in the evening with buskers playing music, aroma of the delicious street food and also the beautiful light shows along the Sarawak River.

2. Go shopping at India Street (Kuching Old Bazaar)

India Street

Street art

Being one of the most popular streets in Kuching today, India Street came about in the 1840s as the first Indian settlement here. The street is located between 2 parallel rows of shophouses and can be easily spotted by the street arts along the way. You can find all sorts of textiles and fabrics here, selling at a cheap price. It is a 7 minutes walk here from Kuching Waterfront. Be sure to drop by and pick up some souvenirs for you and your loved ones.

3. Visit the World’s First Cat Museum

Entrance to the Cat Museum (Image credit: DBKU Sarawak)

Cat sisters 🐈😹

A mummified cat donated to the museum

An actual cat cemetry

The huge dome behind is the Cat Museum

Yes, of course there is a Cat Museum in the Cat City! The Kuching Cat Museum is the first one of its kind to showcase over 4,000 exhibits, artworks and souvenirs collected and donated by cat owners over time. The Cat Museum is located in Petra Jaya, a 15 minutes car ride to get here.

4. Sit back and relax at Damai Beach

(Image credit: Damai Beach Resort)

(Image credit: experiencetravelgroup)

Take the hike up Mount Santubong (Image credit: Borneo Today)

Damai Beach Resort is the main beach in Kuching and is located around 45 minutes from Kuching city. The resort has a stunning view of Mount Santubong and offers various activities to chose from. You can just sit back and relax or go on a hike up the various trails available here.

5. Go dolphin watching!

Irrawady Dolphins (Image credit: Tripcarte.Asia)

Endangered species (Image credit: Veltra)

The Irrawaddy dolphin watching tour takes place between the Santubong and Salak River. These dolphins are often spotted at shallow waters less than 30m deep and can be seen hanging around fisherman boats, looking for an easy meal. They are listed as an endangered species by the WWF and only found in Southeast Asia rivers. In 2020, just 90 of these beautiful dolphins are estimated to still exist. The main cause of their extinction is due to manmade gill fishing nets and also pollution of the rivers.

(Image credit: Borneo Post)

To combat this problem, the Sarawak Forestry has taken proactive steps to create a protected area for the dolphins between Santubong and Damai. To see these magnificent creatures you will have to join the wildlife cruise which usually takes 3 hours and is offered by a few agencies such as cphtravel and borneoadventure.

6. Join the turtle conservation efforts at Satang Island

Satang Island overview (Image credit: CPH Travel)

Pulau Satang Besar (Image credit: travelmalaysia.me)

Join the turtle hatchery tour (Image credit: Talang-Satang National Park)

Go snorkelling on the island (Image credit: Viator)

Come and visit the turtle conservation efforts at Pulau Satang/ Satang Island. The island is part of the Talang-Satang National Park and accessible via a 30 minutes boat ride from Damai Beach. The Green Turtle makes up 90% of the turtle population on the island and accounts for approximately 95% of the total turtle landings in Sarawak. These marine turtles are also an endangered species and face extinction due to pollution, egg poaching, entanglement in fishing nets and attacks from predators. To combat the dwindling numbers of the turtle population, the Sarawak Forestry has set up hatcheries all over the national park. To get here visitors will have to join a tour organised by agencies such as borneoadventure or cphtravel.com as there is no regular boat service to the island.

7. Visit the “Living Museum” at Sarawak Cultural Village

Entrance of Sarawak Cultural Village (Image credit: cph travel)

Performance by Sarawak Cultural Village (Image credit: SCV)

Map of the cultural village (Image credit: SCV)

(Image credit: ttrw)

One of the best way to see all of Sarawak’s local cultures and lifestyles is to visit the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) which is located just 850m away from Damai Beach Resort. There are 9 replica buildings at the cultural village to represent the major ethnic groups in Sarawak; Bidayuh, Iban, Orang Ulu, Penan, Melanau, Malay and also Chinese. In each of the traditional houses, there will be a representative to answer any of your questions regarding their lifestyles and cultures.

RWMF at SCV (Image credit: rwmf)

Besides that, the SCV also hosts one of the biggest events in Sarawak annually, the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF). The RWMF is held for 3 days and showcases traditional performances and music to celebrate the diversity in the world of music.

8. Hangout with the Orangutans

Entrance to Semenggoh Nature Reserve

Swinging around

Feeding time (Image credit: Semenggoh Wildlife Centre)

Where’s my food? (Image credit: Sarawak Tourism Board)

The Semenggoh Nature Reserve is home to young Orangutans, which have been rescued from captivity. The Orangutans here are taught how to survive in the wild and released back when they are ready. It takes approximately half an hour to reach the nature reserve centre from Kuching city. The best time to come here is during feeding time, whereby visitors will be able to see and interact with the Orangutans looking for food.

9. Check out the Matang Wildlife Centre

Entrance to Matang Wildlife Centre (Image credit: visit malaysia)

Endangered species (Image credit: tripcarte.asia)

(Image credit: tripcarte.asia)

(Image credit: Cat City Holidays)

Another place that you can check out is the Matang Wildlife Centre which serves the same purpose as the Semenggoh Nature Reserve. This wildlife centre is located slightly further from Kuching city (40 minutes drive) and serves to protect endangered species such as the Orangutans, Sun Bears, Sambar Deer, Civet Cats and Hornbills just to name a few.

Matang Family Park (Image credit: SEDC Tourism)

Kubah National Park (Image credit: Bombastic Borneo)

The wildlife centre is park of Kubah National Park and also home to the Matang Family Park. There are plenty of activities that you can do here such as jungle trekking, swimming, picnic and even camping.

10. Stay at the resort above the clouds : Borneo Highlands

Foothill of Borneo Highlands Resort

Lush greenery

Located 60km away from Kuching city is the Borneo Highlands Resort. This resort sits approximately 1,000m/3,281ft above sea level and boasts one of the world’s oldest rainforest. If you are planning to drive up here yourself, we suggest you to use a 4WD as the roads here is steep and could be challenging for the first timers. Otherwise, you can contact the resort to arrange transport for you.

Beautiful gardens (Image credit: Borneo highlands resort)

Taking the buggy to the view point

View point

(Image credit: Sarawak Hotels)

When you arrive at the peak of Borneo Highland, you will be greeted with the lush beauty of the flowers and cool breeze. One of the highlights here is the view point of the border which separates Sarawak and Kalimantan.

11. Venture into the magical Fairy & Wind Cave

Climb up the 4 storey staircase to enter the Fairy cave

To visit these intriguing caves, you will have to travel to Bau which is an hour journey from Kuching city. Entry into the Fairy Cave free and accessible via a 4 storey staircase. The Fairy Cave got its name after a stalagmite structure which is believed to resemble a Chinese deity.

Inside Fairy Cave

(Image credit: Trip Advisor)

Legend has it that there was once a poor boy who attended a Gawai celebration at one of the villagers house. The angry homeowner caught the poor boy and gave him sugarcane waste, telling the boy that there was pork inside. The boy happily returned to his mother and presented the gift he received from the homeowner. Upon seeing the sugarcane waste, his mother was humiliated and plotted for revenge. She then dressed a cat in a beautiful dress and threw it in the middle of the villagers Gawai celebration. The villagers then laughed at the cat’s costume. Their laughter brought on the storm and lightning over the village. When the storm was over, all the villagers had turned into stone. It is believed that today, the villagers are part of the stalagmites and stalactites that formed inside Fairy Cave.

Wind Cave here we go!

Make sure to bring torchlights

Bat droppings

Inside Wind Cave (Image credit: Sarawak Forestry)

Located just 10 minutes from Fairy Cave is the Wind Cave which got its name due to the cooling breeze flowing through the cave. The Wind Cave has a 1km plank walk which runs along the cave and leads to a river bank. Inside the cave you will be able to spot thousands of bats and swiftlets flying around, so it is probably a good idea to wear a cap to avoid their droppings. 😂

12. Explore Bako National Park

Entrance to Bako National Park (Image credit: Klook)

Sea Stack (Image credit: Travel.Earth)

(Image credit: flickr)

(Image credit: Borneo Adventure)

(Image credit: Culture Trip)

Bako National Park is well known for its diverse wildlife species, white sandy beaches and jungle trekking. At the national park, you can easily spot the proboscis monkey, silver-leaf monkeys and long-tailed macaques roaming around the park casually. To get here, you have to travel to Kampung Bako (30 minutes drive) and from there take a 20 minute boat ride to the park. As you make your way to the national park, you will pass by sea stacks along the way. If you wish to get a closer look, you will have to join a tour. Accommodation is also available at the park for those who want to spend a night here.

Lakei Island (Flickr)

For those who want a more secluded getaway, consider joining the tour to the beautiful Lakei Island (20 minute boat ride from Bako Jetty) which is rumoured to have special healing powers. The views on this island are stunning and looks like you’ve walked straight into a postcard. The only drawback is that the island is still under developed and has the very basic amenities for visitors.

Kenyah traditional costume

Have any experience or tips on travelling in Kuching? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!

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