A morning exploring ‘Cat City’ and a Kuching Sarawak Cruise in the afternoon gliding down the river, is the perfect way to spend a day in Borneo.
Known colloquially as Cat City, Kuching is an important Malaysia trading port with a colourful history. People from very different cultures have come to live in Borneo’s capital city over the centuries; the original Sarawak tribesmen have been joined by mainland Malays, Indonesian Muslims, Chinese miners, Indian Sikhs and British colonial settlers. A number of different languages and dialects are spoken, including English which is generally understood.
Exploring Kuching (Cat City)
Juan and I spent our last morning in Borneo exploring downtown Kuching, one of the most unique places in Malaysia.
The port of Kuching, at the far end of the waterfront, has a flourishing fish industry and commercial trade. The natural river harbour and cargo pier are filled with colourful trawlers lined up along the docks.
The different faiths have built temples in Kuching over the ages and we had time to visit a few.
Tua Pek Kong is a bright red Chinese temple overlooking Kuching waterfront dating to the 17th century.
It’s most fascinating to see – fierce dragons stand guard outside the shrine which is intricately decorated with mythical creatures, while the scent of burning incense and flower offerings fill the air.
An impressive building with golden domes is the Sikh temple. As soon as we entered a barefoot old man wearing a turban and long white flowing robes came up to speak, politely telling us to cover our arms and take our shoes off (it didn’t seem to matter about brief shorts and bare legs!).
This incredibly interesting person was a voluntary caretaker, a retired commissioner from the Sarawak Police Force, profoundly religious, well-educated, very informative and gregariously friendly. The colourful character spent the next hour proudly showing us around on a personal tour of his place of worship.
The ‘Old Mosque’ is definitely one of Kuching’s most prominent landmarks. Sitting beside a grassy riverbank cemetery, the intricately designed pink building has splendid golden cupolas. Rushed for time, we didn’t venture inside, but non-Muslims (adequately attired – head, arms, and legs covered, bare feet) are allowed to visit outside of prayer times. The best place to admire the mosque is from a Sarawak river cruise boat, especially at dusk to see the domes reflecting the sunset on the water.
China Street and the ‘bazaars’ running parallel to Kuching waterfront esplanade are popular tourist attractions in the ‘old town’. The lively pedestrian streets are lined with old buildings and small stores which mainly sell clothes.
There are interesting souvenir shops to browse in the renovated colonial buildings opposite the waterfront, where I actually got some nice craft items such as wooden masks and embroidered wall hangings, and cat magnets! I couldn’t resist buying a large ornate blow pipe which, surprisingly, doesn’t fit in with my home decor.
River Sarawak Cruise
We had a lazy lunch in a lovely restaurant with views over River Sarawak and then caught an afternoon cruise boat.
It’s the best way to see Kuching, gliding down past the waterfront on a Sarawak Cruise, the Kampung village we’d previously visited on the north bank, the classy modern hotels and the colourful fishing vessels in port on the south bank.
Turning back, the cruise boat sails along past the historic landmarks Fort Margherita, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building’s golden umbrella and the Astana Palace…
…past the lush tree lined riverbanks, the fairytale pink mosque, the beautiful ‘Cat City’ scenery highlighted by the burning golden sunset.
Kuching is magical but this tiny corner of Borneo is only a tempting insight into the adventurous territories waiting to be discovered in this vast destination.
Borneo Trip Information
My trip to Borneo was part of an independent journey to Malaysia. After a weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Juan and I flew to Kuching and then to Johor Bahru back on the mainland, travelled by bus up the coast to Mersing for the night, before getting the morning ferry to Tioman Island for a few days of pure relaxation and snokelling. A return boat to Mersing port and a coach ride through the countryside to KL city for a couple of days of sightseeing ended our exciting 2 week Malaysia itinerary.
*Like most capital cities, accommodation in pocket friendly hostels can be quite basic while central hotels can be horrendously overpriced. The Face Suites is a stylish alternative in central Kuala Lumpur that has been recommended to us by fellow blogger Lauren Jessica.
Websites with interesting info:
www.sarawaktourism.com
www.allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras-in-malaysia/gurudwara-sahib-kuching-sarawak
Top Places to See In Borneo
Kuching Waterfront – Top Places to See in Sarawak
I was actually going to Kuching (Cat City) in Borneo! A vast, remote, exotic island full of adventure stories with headhunting tribes and blow darts…hey, wake me up I must be dreaming! Borneo pertains, as if it’s sliced across the middle lengthwise, to two nations – Malaysia and Indonesia.
Northern Bank of Sarawak River, Kuching
Next morning we caught a small, colourful wooden ferry boat over to the northern bank of the Sarawak River. The boatman punts off when the ‘tambang’ riverboat has enough passengers, mainly locals, school children and families. This side of the river was totally different from Kuching main town…
BORNEO – Santubong Sunset Cruise, Sarawak
A wildlife cruise in Borneo.
The wide Santubong river is calm, the meandering mangrove swamps awesome, and the scenery magical. I listened to the mythical legend of Mount Santubong as we slid by the mysterious mountain on our journey towards the estuary.
BORNEO – Bako National Park, Sarawak
The highlight of my Borneo adventure was a day out in Bako National Park. A short trip along the Sarawak taking in the scenery and we arrived at Bako, Borneo’s oldest national park (2,727 hectares); it’s the most fascinating rainforest nature reserve, jutting into the China Sea on the Muara Tebas peninsula.
BORNEO – Bau, Fairy Caves & Blue Lake, Sarawak
Hearing that we wanted to explore beyond the tourists spots in Kuching, local girls Lucy and Jennifer drove us to rural Sarawak – to Bau fresh food market, on to explore the eerie Wind Caves, to a secret beach by the Kanan River, to the sacred Fairy Cave, and finally to Tasik Biru (Blue Lake).
Top Places to See in Malaysia
Penang Island (Insider Guide) – Top Things to Do and See
Our Penang Island ‘insider guide’ explains the top things to do and see in Malaysia’s top holiday destination. A tropical island with exotic beaches, rain forests, beautiful temples, World Heritage Sites, and amazing food.
Unique Places To See In Malaysia
Looking for somewhere unusual to visit in Malaysia? Whether you’re staying in Borneo, on Penang Island, in the Highlands or Kuala Lumpur city, you’ll love our choice of unique places to see in Malaysia.
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