After traveling as far south as possible by land on the Malaysian peninsula, I reached a point where different modes of travel had to be employed to move on. The closest destinations would be Indonesia to the south or flying to the eastern part of Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Indonesia not being on my agenda for now (I have been there in 2010; in fact, it was my first solo backpacking experience), I opted for the latter.
Kuching is a town in the northwest of Borneo, and at the almost very western end of the Malaysian territories on Borneo. Malaysia-Borneo is said to be the more wild and less developed part of the country. Well, let’s see for ourselves.
How to get to Kuching from Singapore
There are no ferries for this route, so the only way to travel over to Borneo is by air. The amazing airport in Singapore is easily reached by subway and a short bus ride at the end, and the flight takes about 1 hour.
The airport in Singapore is somewhat of a tourist attraction in itself. Make sure you plan enough time to visit it and its main attraction, “The Jewel.” I was not aware of this, so I was in my usual last-minute mode and couldn’t allot time to wander around much.
Kuching
Kuching, which means “cat” in the local Bahasa language, is a mid-sized town in the western end of the Sarawak province on Borneo. Due to its name, cats are the trademark of the city – there are several statues of the felines to be found within the city as well as a cat museum. It also has some other official buildings with very interesting architecture and is in close proximity to nature parks and caves. It is best to spend 2-3 nights here and 1 night at Bako Park.
As in all Malaysian cities, you can easily move around via Grab.
Things to do in Kuching
- Visit the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. This is a forest sanctuary for orangutans, which are sadly threatened by extinction. During feeding time, you can observe the impressive primates from close proximity in their natural habitat.
- The Cat Museum: If you are really, really, really into cats. And even then, it is a waste of time and money. It is basically a huge collection of cat figurines and pictures. Not a single word on why Kuching is named after the word “cat.” If you want to know, you have to do your own research or click here.
- Visit the Borneo Cultures Museum, a very modern building with many insights into the local history and culture. Highly recommended.
- Visit the Fairy Caves. They are about one hour from Kuching. I did not go there, so no advice on this.
- Visit Bako National Park. A Grab will bring you to the Bako boat jetty from where a boat will take you to the entrance of the park. Be aware that the last returning boat departs at 3 pm! This is quite early, and the park is rather big, with many hiking paths to explore. It is therefore strongly recommended to spend one night at one of the lodges inside the park.
Click on one of the pictures to open the Kuching gallery :
