Kuching

Travel Guide Asia Malaysia Malaysian Borneo Sarawak Kuching

Introduction

Kuching Sunset

Kuching, Malay for 'cat', located on the banks of Sungai Sarawak, is a small but thriving city. Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, is also most people's first point of entry when they arrive in Borneo. The city of Kuching city is also used as base for visitors to arrange day visits or trips to the Bako National Park and Batang Ai National Park.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

The city's main sights are situated on the south bank of the Sungai Sarawak and are all within walking distance of each other. With many temples and museums to visit during your stay and a beautiful waterfront, there is plenty to keep you entertained during a stop-over or short stay in the city.

The Great Cat of Kuching Statue
Hong San Si Temple
Kuching's Waterfront
Tua Pek Kong Temple
Harmony Arch - China Town
Walking Tours of the city
Siang Ti Miao Temple
Sarawak Museum
Art Museum
Natural Science Museum

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Kuching, like much of Malaysia, has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures usually are around 32 °C during the day and around 22 °C. Although there is no distinctive dry season, the months of November to March are much wetter compared to the driest months of June and July when there is still 180 mm of rain a month. January has over 600 mm of rain!

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Getting There

By Plane

Travellers arriving by plane, arrive at the Kuching International Airport (airport code: KCH). Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines are the two main airlines that operate flights to Kuching. There are connections from here to Kuala Lumpur and Penang on the mainland Peninsula. These airlines also operate internal flights to the following destinations from Kuching; Bintulu, Sibu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Johor Bahru. You can also take international flights from Kuching to other destinations, for example from Macau, Jakarta and Singapore.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Buses connect Kuching with other cities and towns throughout Sarawak and internationally to Pontianak in Indonesia (be sure to get your visa in order before travelling though!).

By Boat

There are express boats servicing transport to further areas such as Sibu and Bintulu.

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Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

There is definitely no better way to see the sights of Kuching than by bicycle. You don't have to be Lance Armstrong to take a full day bicycle tour of the city. Roads in Kuching are adequate for moving around by bicycle. Bicycling is a healthy and budget conscious way to explore the city and it enables you to explore and see things you simply cannot achieve by walking or taking the bus.

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

You will find the majority of the accommodation for the city of Kuching on the south bank of the Sungai Sarawak. There are many types of accommodation available for visitors to Kuching of varying tastes and budgets from hostel and guesthouses to international chain hotels.

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Annah Rais Longhouse Homestay	No.71, Kampung Annah Rais, Jalan Borneo Height, Padawan, 94200	Hostel	100
B&B Inn	30-I, Jalan Tabuan	Hostel	85
Beds Guesthouse	229, Lot 91, Section 50, Lorong 9 Jalan Padungan	Hostel	90
Berambih Lodge	No. 104 Ewe Hai Street	Hostel	83
Borneo Bed and Breakfast	No.3, Greenhill Road	Guesthouse	71
Borneo Seahare Hostel and Adventure	2nd Floor. Lot 30M, Jalan Tabuan, Teochew Association Building	Hostel	83
Brookes Terrace	291, First Floor Jalan Abell	Hostel	85
Fendy	30-o, 1st floor, Jalan Tabuan	Hostel	87
Kuching Waterfront Lodge	No. 15, Main Bazaar	Hostel	83
Lodge 121	Lot 121, 1st Floor, Section 33 KTLD, Tabuan Road,	Hostel	93
Marco Polo	1st Floor, 236 Padungan Road	Hostel	97
Mr. D's Bed & Breakfast	No. 26 Carpenter Street (China Street)	Hostel	69
Nomad Borneo Bed	1st.Floor,No.3,Jalan Green Hill	Hostel	88
Pinnacles Kuching	Level 1, Lot 21, Block G, Taman Sri Sarawak Mall Jalan Borneo, 93100, Kuching	HOSTEL	82
Singgahsana Lodge	No. 1 Temple Street	Hostel	83
Tracks Bed & Breakfast	1st flr,No.5, Jalan Green Hill	Hostel	84
Saramo Hostel	LOT 183, 2ND FLR, ABELL RD	Hostel	66
The Secret Sanctuary & Boutique Hotel	133 Lorong 12A, JalanSetria Raja Taman Stutong Indah	Hotel	100
Basaga Holiday Residences	Lot 69-70 Jalan Tabuan	Hotel	83
Threehouse Bed and Breakfast	51 Upper China Street	Hostel	95
Rafflesia Lodge	12 Main Bazaar	Hostel	72
Abell Residence	Lot 47- 48, Sec 49, Abell Road	Hostel	82
Wo Jia Lodge	1st Floor , No 17 Main Bazaar	Hostel	86
Planet Borneo Lodge	No. 10, Park Lane Kuching, Sarawak	Hostel	-
BIDAYUH ANNAHRAIS LONGHOUSE HOMESTAY	Kampung Annahrais Padawan Jakan Puncak Borneo	Guesthouse	-
Drop In Guesthouse	209, Jalan Padungan 93100, Kuching	Hostel	73
Nook Cafe & Beds	No.8 Song Thian Cheok Road	Hostel	-
De Palma Waterfront Kuching	Lot 299-303, Section 49 KTLD Jalan Abell, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak	Hotel	-

Mid-Range

Upscale

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Work

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Learn

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Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post

Pos Malaysia is the national postal service of Malaysia. Rates for sending a standard letter locally is 30 sen (20 gram) to 40 sen (up to 50 gram). International airmail has minimum rates ranging from RM1.00 to RM2.00, depending on destination. It costs 20 sen to send a postcard or aerogramme locally, or 50 sen to send a postcard or aerogramme to anywhere in the world.

Expedited Mail Service (EMS), branded locally as Poslaju, is available for both domestic and international destinations. Domestic EMS has a next day delivery guarantee. International EMS guarantees mails and parcels to be delivered out of the country by the following day. The time required to arrive at its destination will depend on clearance by authorities and the postal service of the destination country. For most countries, delivery of documents can be done in 3 to 5 days.

Generally, post offices are open from 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday, except the first Saturday of the month. They are closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

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