Kuching, Malaysia

Kuching is the capital and largest city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak and the district of Kuching. It is a haven for tourists, offering a variety of attractions and activities. Its major sights are its museums, the oldest being the Sarawak State Museum. Other museums include the Cat Museum, Fort Margherita, The Timber Museum and the Islamic Museum.

The Kuching Waterfront is an attractive area to visit. It is an approximately 1 kilometer long riverside esplanade stretching from the main hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown Kuching. The beautifully-landscaped waterfront is dotted with food stalls, restaurants and benches and offers excellent views of The Astana, Fort Margherita and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The waterfront also features an observation tower, an open-air theater and musical fountains. The Sunday Market at Satok operates during weekends offers a large diversity of items for trade. The Kuching Civic Center offers a panoramic view of the city from a viewing platform during the day.

Things to See & Do

* Sarawak Museum
* The Astana (former palace of the White Rajahs)
* Kuching waterfront area
* Fort Margherita
* Tua Pek Kong Temple

General information

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Ringgit (RM) (MYR)
Language – Bahasa Malaysia, English
Population – 660,000 approx
Land Area – 431.01 km ²
Electricity – 2 vertical square pins and one perpendicular below British style
Time - GMT plus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code – +6o

Travel Links - Kuching International Airport is the main gateway for air passengers. It is served by many local and international airlines including AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Maswings, Firefly, Royal Brunei Airlines, SilkAir, Tiger Airways and Batavia Air.

The Express Bahagia and Express Sejahtera express boats run an alternating once daily service from Kuching to Sibu, each boat returning the next day. The journey takes 5 1/2 hours, with stops at Sarikei and Tanjung Manis. The boats depart from the Pending wharf to the east of the city at 8.30AM.

Kuching's regional express bus terminal is located along Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli, also dubbed as "3 and a half miles", located south of the city, just before the Boulevard shopping mall. All long-distance express buses arrive from and leave for major Sarawak cities like Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, as well as Pontianak in Indonesia.