Discover the magic of Kuching

A corner of Kuching.

Water waves, time waves

The weather in Kuching has no clear rainy or dry season, the climate is hot and humid all year round. If you want to enjoy the beaches in Kuching, come in July or August, but if you want to explore the old forest, come from November to February next year to catch the high tide.

Kuching is small enough to walk around, but big enough to be diverse. Beaches, forests, architecture... Kuching has it all. Many visitors start their journey to explore Kuching from the city's administrative center building. Whether tourists arrive by plane or train to Kuching, the first thing they see is the conical roof of the City Hall.

The building was opened in 2009 as a meeting place for the City Council, but was later expanded to serve as a tourist attraction. Inside the building are shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and an observation deck on top, enough to satisfy all the needs of tourists. The best time to take pictures of the whole Kuching from the observation deck is at sunset.

The Bandaraya Mosque Kuching impresses at first sight with its architectural style that blends Italian and Malay elements. The building was built in 1968 on the site of the oldest mosque in the state of Sarawak.

The old wooden mosque dates back to the 19th century, and was rebuilt in stone in the early 1960s. Bandaraya Kuching is free to enter, but visitors should avoid visiting on Fridays, as this is the day when most worshippers come to pray.

When mentioning Astana in Kuching, everyone thinks of the palace complex of the same name on the banks of the Sarawak River. When Malaysia was a British colony, Sarawak was a semi-independent kingdom ruled by the British Brooke family.

The kingdom was founded by James Brooke, a British politician and naval officer. Astana Palace was built during the reign of Charles Brooke, James Brooke's nephew and the second king of Sarawak.

The palace was built in the contemporary English architectural style, but with many elements adapted to suit the local climate. The nature-loving King Charles Brooke personally planted an areca and orchid garden in the palace. These two gardens still exist today.

Across the Sarawak River from the Astana Palace is the Kuching Walking Street, the heart of the city. Locals and tourists flock to this street every evening to eat, dance and chat under the neon lights. Take a walk along this street at sunrise to see the ancient buildings reflected on the shimmering water.

One of the ancient structures along the Sarawak River is Fort Margherita. This place has witnessed many battles against pirates, now it has become a museum preserving many artifacts directly related to the history of the city.

Many visitors come to Margherita first to explore the history, then to sightsee and take photos of the structure built to resemble a medieval European castle.

Another famous museum in Kuching is the Cat Museum. It displays artifacts about cats in daily life, culture and beliefs of people through the ages.

Visitors to the Cat Museum should not be surprised to see ancient Egyptian vases carved with cat gods next to a statue of the famous Garfield cat from the comic strip of the same name. The museum's garden is also a place where many locals take their cats for a walk.

Kuching Civic Centre Building.

Nature calls

Kuching is not only rich in history but also has many wonders of nature waiting for visitors to discover. Not far from the city center is the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre - home to many endangered orangutans. Visitors can spend the morning walking in the forest in the reserve and watch the orangutans swinging between the branches.

Gunung Gading National Park is famous for being home to the world's largest Rafflesia flower. A Rafflesia flower when in bloom is over 1 meter in diameter and emits a foul smell like rotting meat to attract flies for pollination.

Rafflesia flowers only bloom for a week and then fade, so if you want to see them in Gunung Gading, you can contact the National Park Management Board in advance to ask when they will bloom. But even if there are no flowers, this place still has a beautiful tropical forest. Visitors should not miss the opportunity to trek through the forest to discover rare flora and fauna.

Annah Rais Village is located in the forest 10km from Kuching, home to the Bidayuh people - the indigenous people of Borneo Island. Coming to Annah Rais Village, visitors will stay at a homestay and learn how the Bidayuh people have lived in harmony with nature for over a thousand years through daily activities such as hunting, picking fruits, fishing... Many guests also choose to row their own dugout canoe from Annah Rais along the Sarawak River to enjoy the peaceful and charming natural scenery.

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