Next on our list was Kuching, Sarawak which is also my hometown. For those who do not know about Kuching, it is the capital of Sarawak which is located on the island of Borneo. It is a 1 hour flight from Miri to Kuching and a 2 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. Kuching is well known for its food, sites and rich history. Want to know more about Kuching? Check out our post on the 12 REASONS TO VISIT THE CAT CITY – KUCHING
Now, a brief of history on Kuching and Sarawak. Kuching was given to James Brooke in 1841 by the Brunei as a token of appreciation for helping to fend off attacks from rebellions. After having survived the invasions during World War 2 by the Japanese (1942-1945), the last Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to Britain, and designated Sarawak under the British Crown Colony. In 1963, Sarawak, which includes Kuching joined in the formation of Malaysia and was given the state capital status.
Kuching also means ‘Cat’ in Malay, which is why there are so many cat statues here
Enough with the history, let’s get on with the interesting part. For those who would like to explore Kuching we recommend staying here for at least 3-5 days depending on your activities and places you want to cover. And it would be much easier to rent a car, as most places outside Kuching area requires long distance to cover unless you are travelling with a tour.
Day 1
For the first day, we suggest starting off with a visit to India Street, located at Kuching Old Bazaar. If you are looking for cheap and quality textiles and fabric, this is the place for you. It is located between 2 parallel rows of shophouses and can be easily spotted by the street art along the bazaar.
Kuching food
India Street – Kuching, Sarawak
Street art – Kuching, Sarawak
Street art – Kuching, Sarawak
Street art – Kuching, Sarawak
Street art – Kuching, Sarawak
Street art – Kuching, Sarawak
Located in the heart of Kuching is the cat statue as seen below. Its not hard to miss, it is about 5-10 minutes walk here from India Street. Just walk along Kuching waterfront and head right all the way till you see hotels and this cat statue here. There are a few cat statues scattered in the city centre of Kuching. See if you are able to spot them !
Cat Statue – Kuching, Sarawak
Cat Statue – Kuching, Sarawak
Cat Statue – Kuching, Sarawak
After doing a bit of ‘cat spotting’, we headed to Kuching Waterfront which is the most popular tourist attraction in Kuching. Along the waterfront, there are various stalls and bistros which you can quench you appetite as you walk along the Sarawak river bank.
Astana Waterfront – Kuching, Sarawak
Sarawak River Cruise – Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak
Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak
View of Kuching Waterfront (Image credit: Sarawak Tourism)
View of Fort Margherita on the far right corner in white
Across the river you will be able to see Astana which is where the governor resides and also Fort Margherita (constructed in 1879 by Charles Brooke) which stands out in white. 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. On the other side of the river, you can explore the Brooke Gallery or explore the DBKU orchid garden.
In the ‘sampan’ – Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak
Sampan (Boat) – Kuching, Waterfront, Sarawak
Boatman working hard – Kuching, Sarawak River
We took the trip across the river and also took the opportunity to buy some ‘kek lapis’ or layered cake which is well-known in Sarawak. The ‘kek lapis’ is a sweet layered cake which is made of various layers, patterns or shapes and would make a perfect souvenir to take home or share with your loved ones.
Kek Lapis/Layered Cake – Kuching, Sarawak
Kuching Waterfront – Sarawak
Square Tower at Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak
We also took the chance to walk on the Darul Hana suspension bridge which is free and offers a bird’s eye view of the majestic Sarawak River. In the evening, Kuching Waterfront is usually filled with buskers playing all sorts of music. Make sure you don’t miss the light shows when you are here.
Show times :-
1st show – 8.30 pm to 8.45 pm,
2nd show – 10.00 pm to 10.15 pm
Kuching Waterfront – Sarawak
Kuching Waterfront – Sarawak
Kuching Waterfront – Sarawak
Kuching Waterfront – Sarawak
Just beside Kuching Waterfront is the Kuching Old Courthouse which was constructed in 1868 to be used as an administrative centre for the government of Sarawak. Today, the building is used as a tourism complex, cultural and art exhibition, concert space and to host many other events.
Kuching Old Courthouse – Sarawak
Kuching Old Courthouse – Sarawak
Day 2
If you like to explore historical landmarks, we suggest you head to the Hero Monument at the Sarawak Museum on the second day here. The war memorials here was erected to pay respects to the fallen heroes during World War 2. It is a 10 minute drive from the Kuching Waterfront and easy to spot.
Hero Monument – Kuching, Sarawak
Hero Monument – Kuching, Sarawak
Hero Monument – Kuching, Sarawak
Hero Monument – Kuching, Sarawak
Also located just beside the Hero Monument is the Sarawak Museum which is definitely a must see if you are here. Built in 1891, the Sarawak Museum displays specimens of Sarawak’s fauna and wildlife on the ground floor. On the first floor, artefacts from all the ethnics groups in Sarawak is displayed such as longhouse models, boat models, musical instruments and handicraft.
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Just beside the Sarawak Museum is the Art Museum which dates back in 1949 and displays various books, documentation and paintings. The Sarawak Museum & Art Museum is opened from :
Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 4:45 pm
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
However, at the time of writing, both the museums are undergoing renovations so please check before coming here to avoid any disappointment.
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Sarawak Museum – Kuching
Day 3
If you would like to cool off after the first 2 days exploring Kuching why not head over to the Borneo Samariang Water Park on the third day. It takes approximately 30 minutes drive from the city centre to the water park. The water park opened its doors in 2018 and is the 1st Sarawak water themed park.
Group photo before heading in – Samariang Water Park, Kuching
We rented the Double Tube for more excitement – Samariang Water Park, Kuching
Rental fees – Samariang Water Park, Kuching
The water park is opened on :
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
10am – 6pm
Saturday, Sunday, School & Public Holidays
9am – 6pm
*Closed on Tuesday EXCEPT if its a Malaysian school holiday or public holiday.
Salak Beach Wave Pool – Samariang Water Park, Kuching
Entrance Fees
Adults (13 – 59 years old) : RM30.00
Children (children above 90cm – 12 years of age) : RM20.00
Senior Citizens (60 years and above) : RM20.00
For more information, you can check out their website and also FB page
Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
Lazy river Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
Another group photo before our water slide – Samariang Water Park
Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
3 different water slides to try out – Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
The 6 lane racers at Santubong Tower – Samariang Water Park – Kuching, Sarawak
We arrived the water park at 10am and by 2pm we were exhausted from all the rides here. The water park in my opinion is a great place for locals to relax and enjoy, however it would be better if there was more rides to try out. We had our lunch at the water park and changed into dry clothes before heading to the next place on our itinerary, the Cat Museum.
Entrance to the Cat Museum (Image credit: DBKU Sarawak)
From the water park, it takes approximately 20 minutes to get to the Cat Museum by car. You could opt to skip the Cat Museum and proceed to Damai Beach which is also about 25 minutes away from the water park. We however, were exhausted and decided to postpone our trip to Damai Beach to another suitable time.
Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
The Kuching Cat Museum is the world’s first Cat Museum and boasts over 4,000 exhibits, artworks and souvenirs collected and donated by cat owners over time. The museum is located in Petra Jaya, Kuching City North City Hall and has a 60 metre elevation above sea level, providing a bird’s eye view of Kuching City.
Family photo
Picture with the Cat Museum at the back
Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
The Cat Museum is open from Monday to Sunday, 9am – 5pm (except for public holidays). Entrance fee is only RM 3 for those (12 years and above) and RM 2 for those (Below 12 years old).
Family cat photo – Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
Cat sisters 🐈😹Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
An actual cat cemetery Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
A mummified cat donated to Cat Museum – Kuching, Sarawak
Day 4
On the forth day, we headed to Borneo Highlands Resort which is located 60km away and around 1 hour 30 minutes from Kuching city. If you are planning to drive up here yourself, we suggest you to use a 4WD as the roads up is steep and could be challenging for those driving here for the first time. Otherwise, you can contact Borneo Highlands Resort directly so they can arrange transport for you.
Foothill of Borneo Highlands Resort – Sarawak
We decided to drive up to Borneo Highlands Resort using our trusty Toyota Hilux and it took us around 20 minutes from the foothill to the resort. The resort sits approximately 1,000 metres above sea level and boasts one of the world’s oldest rainforest. On the way up, we made a few stops to capture the beauty of Borneo Highland.
Borneo Highlands – Sarawak
Enjoying nature – Borneo Highlands, Sarawak
Quick stop on the way up – Borneo Highlands, Sarawak
Borneo Highlands – Sarawak
Once you arrive at the peak of Borneo Highland, you will be greeted with the lush beauty of the flowers and fresh air. If you are a guest at the hotel, you can proceed straight to the resort. As we both did not intend to stay the night, we took the resort buggy to the Kalimantan view point which costs us RM 10 per trip. The view point is the border which separates Sarawak and Kalimantan, offering a bird’s eye view of Kalimantan.
Entrance to Borneo Highland Resort – Sarawak
Borneo Highland Resort – Sarawak
Taking the buggy to the view point – Borneo Highlands Sarawak
Finally arrived at the view point – Borneo Highlands Sarawak
Borneo Highlands Sarawak
Borneo Highland resort also offers a challenging 18-hole golf course for those who want to up the ante with its high elevation and windy condition.
Residents of Borneo Highland – Sarawak
We headed back to Kuching after spending an hour at Borneo Highlands resort. All in all, we do think that you should check out this place if you have the time. Due to time constraints we were not able to explore all the places that we wanted to in Kuching.
Borneo Highlands Sarawak
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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