Kuching Budget Travel Guide helps you prepare for a trip to the capital of Sarawak. I want to share with you here useful travel tips for visiting Kuching, and provide you information on the major tourist attractions you can visit there.
About Kuching
Kuching is the capital of Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia. Presently its population is approaching half a million people. The origin of the name Kuching, which means cat in Malay, is believed to come from two likely sources. Firstly, the word has a similar sound to kochin, which means harbour in Chinese. Another explanation has it that when James Brooke, the wealthy English adventurer, arrived in the Kuching area, he saw a lot of fruit trees bearing browish round fruits with sweet flesh. When he asked for the name of the fruit, the response was mata kuching. That name was corrupted to Kuching, and the word came to be used for the place.
Sarawak Cultural Performance (2 October 2004)
© Timothy Tye
Accommodation in Kuching
Book Accommodation Online or call up the following accommodation providers:
- Borneo B&B Tel: 082 231200
- Fata Hotel Tel: 082 248111
- Kapit Hotel Tel: 082 418516
- Liwah Hotel Tel: 082 429222
- Singgahsana Lodge Tel: 082 429277, www.singgahsana.com
What to do in Kuching
The following are some suggested activities in Kuching. Please check with local tour operators for arrangements.
- Extreme Sports: Contact Challenge Borneo, tel: 012 882 1921, www.challengeborneo, for available activities
- Kayaking: Contact Kuching Kayak, tel: 082 253005, www.kuchingkayak.com, for kayaking around Kuching
Religious Buildings in Kuching
Click on Churches, Mosques & Temples in Kuching for a listing that I have assembled.
Getting there
Almost all visitors arrive at the Kuching International Airport (KCH). Upon arrival, you can take a taxi to the city. The procedure is quite straightforward. Buy your taxi coupon at the taxi stand outside the Arrival Hall. The fare is fixed at RM22.00.
Getting around
The city centre can be explored on foot. This include most of the sights along the Kuching Waterfront, and all the way till the Sarawak Museum. For farther away sights, you would do better to self-drive a rented car or book a local tour package.
Tourist Information Office
Tourism Malaysia has offices at Padungan, Jalan Song Thian Cheok, and Riverbank Suites, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman for distributing brochures. Tel: 246575. Opening Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Mon-Fri, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Sat.
History of Kuching
The origin of Kuching, and for that matter Sarawak, was the stuff that swashbuckling adventure was made of. James Brooke arrived at the court of the Sultan of Brunei in 1839. Within a short period, he managed to get himself appointed Special Adviser. At that time, the sultan's influence was in decline, and he had difficulties maintaining control over his vast territory. That his officers were tyrants that forced the locals to pay high taxes did not help to endear the Sultan to his people.
When James Brooke helped to put down the rebellion, he sought and was appointed Governor of Sarawak. With help from the British, Brooke consolidated his position and expelled the sultan's people. The Sultan of Brunei tried to retaliate, but was unsuccessful. Instead, he was forced to sign a treaty with Brooke making Brooke the first White Rajah of Sarawak on November 24, 1841.
The Sarawak River and its tributaries was the only form of travel through the dense jungle, where tribal warfare was commonplace. Each time Brooke quelled a rebellion or warfare, he would seek new land grant, expanding his territory until eventually it dwarfed the Sultan's own territory. That was how James Brooke founded Sarawak.
With his death in 1868, James Brooke was succeeded by his nephew, Charles Brooke. While James was an adventurer, Charles Brooke was an excellent administrator and politician. Under his administration, many of Kuching's most elegant buildings were erected, includeing the Istana, Fort Margherita and the Court House. It was also under Charles Brooke that the well-beloved Sarawak Museum was founded.
When Charles died in 1917, his son Charles Vyner Brooke succeeded him as the third Rajah. He built on his father's achievements, setting up a State Council in 1941. Unfortunately the council was short-lived as the occupying Japanese forces put it to an end, and Vyner fled to Australia.
When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Sarawak came under Australian military administration until Vyner Brooke ceded it to the British Government. Sarawak became a British Crown Colony on 1st July, 1946. And on 16th September, 1963, Sarawak and Sabah gained independence together, and joined the other 11 states of Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia.
Kuching Location Map
Zoom out on the map to view sights outside the city of Kuching
View Kuching in a larger map
Photos of Kuching
Kuching at night, with statues of its namesake felines (1 October 2004)
© Timothy Tye
Kuching Waterfront at night (1 October 2004)
© Timothy Tye
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Places of Interest in Kuching
Top Kuching Tourist Attractions
- Bako National Park
- Sarawak Cultural Village
- Sarawak Museum
- Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building
- Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Sights in Kuching
* Sight of considerable significance
** Sight of major significance
- Astana
- Bangunan Mahkamah Syariah Kuching
- Borneo Convention Centre Kuching *
- Brooke Memorial
- Carmelite Church
- Cat Museum
- Central Police Station
- Chinese History Museum
- Civic Centre *
- Fort Margherita *
- General Post Office *
- Guan Thian Siang Ti Temple
- Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple
- Japanese Building
- Kampung Annah Rais Bidayuh Longhouse
- Kuching Courthouse *
- Kuching International Airport
- Kuching State Mosque *
- Kuching Waterfront *
- Kueh Seng Onn Temple
- Muzium Islam Sarawak
- Old Fire Brigade Station Lookout Tower
- Old Market of Kuching
- Pavilion (Textile Museum)
- Riverside Kampung
- Round Tower *
- Sama Jaya Nature Reserve
- Sarakraf Pavilion
- Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building **
- Sarawak Museum **
- Square Tower *
- Sri Srinivasagar Kaliamman Temple
- Tua Pek Kong Temple *
- Tun Abdul Razak Hall
Shopping in Kuching
- Centrepoint Shopping Centre
- Choice Super Mall
- Crown Square, Jalan Pending
- Furniture Town Expo Centre, Jalan Pisang
- Riverside Shopping Complex
- Saberkas Shopping Centre
- Sarawak Plaza
- Satok Sunday Market
- Tun Jugah Shopping Centre
Education in Kuching
- Universiti Tun Abdul Razak Kuching
Day Trip from Kuching
- Bako National Park
- Damai Beach
- Gunung Gading National Park
- Gunung Penrissen
- Gunung Santubong
- Gunung Serapi
- Kampung Annah Rais Bidayuh Longhouses
- Kubah National Park
- Lundu
- Matang Wildlife Centre
- Santubong
- Sematan
- Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
- Serian
- Sungai Jaong Rock Carvings
- Telok Melano
- Talang-Satang National Park
- Tanjung Datu National Park
- Wind Cave & Fairy Cave
- Bidayuh Longhouse
- Chinese Farmhouse
- Iban Longhouse
- Malay Townhouse
- Melanau Tall House
- Orang Ulu Longhouse
- Penan Hut
Historical Roads in Kuching
- Barrack Road
- Carpenter Street
- Main Bazaar
Kuching Road Names
Click on Kuching Road Names for alphabetical list of roads in Kuching.
Hospitals in Kuching
The number in brackets immediately after the name refers to the location, as shown on this map of Kuching.
Normah Medical Specialist Centre (1)
Timberland Medical Centre, Jalan Rock (10)
Golf Courses in Kuching
Sarawak Golf Course, Jalan Pustaka (2)
Sarawak Junior Golf Foundation and Academy (3)
Government Agencies in Kuching
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Sarawak, Jalan Tun Abdul Rahman (2)
Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Kuching, Jalan Green Hill (6)
Menara Pelita (2)
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak (2)
Wisma Sumber Alam / Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation
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