What is free in Kuching?

1. Visit to the Museums - Admission FREE

These including the

Sarawak Museum,

Chinese Museum (at Waterfront Kuching),

Islamic Museum,

http://www.museum.sarawak.gov.my/indexeng.htm

Textile Museum

http://www.museum.sarawak.gov.my/textilemu.htm

2. Visit to the Cat Museum (not real cat) - also FREE

The location is inside the City North City Hall.

http://www.dbku.gov.my/catmuseum.htm

3. The City Tower - Civic Centre (Admmission FREE)

Open for public up to 6pm everyday. You can view the whole Kuching, including the mountains and Islands at the South China Sea. A good place to view sun set.

http://www.kuching.net.my/destinations2.asp?destination= 'Civic+Centre'

There is a pub & Chinese restaurant up there called The Link.

http://www.links-entertainment.com.my/index.htm

4. Visit to the Islamic Information Centre (NEW)

To learn more about Islamic history in Sarawak.

http://www.sarawakiic.org.my

5. Visit to the Weekend Market (Sat afternoon & Sun morning)

This is a colourful market with all sort of vege, local products, orchids, cakes, fruits and also some books and t-shirts.

Location is at the Satok area.

http://www.kuching.net.my/destinations2.asp?destination= 'Sunday+Market'

6. Stroll around the Main Bazaar, waterfront and also carpenter Street.

Lot of things to see here, window shopping and relax at the waterfront. See the lifestyle. FREE.

7. Chinese Temples along Carpenter Street and Tuan Pek Kong next to Hilton Hotel

There are several Chinese Temples along Carpenter street and also Wayang Street such as Kong an Si Temple and Tua Pek Kong.

On top of the Hainan Assoication there is another one, go up the stairs, you will find a nice temple there too.

Can go in have a look and take photos, they are FREE. See how the locals burn the paper money.

8. Meditation with the Monks at Borneo Highlands

Up at the Borneo Highlands Resort, there is a Buddhism Temple run by some monks from Taiwan. You can apply and stay with them for weeks and they will provide you FREE vegetarian food and accommodation. However, you need to follow their program and meditation. One hour drive from Kuching.http://www.borneohighlands.com.my

9. Walk in the parks

There are a few nice green parks in Kuching and all are free for public. Reservoir Park, Freindship Park, Botanical Garden (next to Museum).

10. Visit to the Layer cake Factory

Cross the river by sampan (50 cents) and go into the Village Boyan, that is another interesting part of Kuching and see the Malay houses and lifestyle. Visit the Layer cake factory - you can see the products and try some of the cakes for FREE.

11. Visit to the pottery factory

The factories are not in the city center, 5 miles away. You can visit the factory and play with the clay and make your own pots. Try and play- FREE.

(get permission first)

12. Visitors' information centre

of course, you can get flyers and info on Kuching from the information centre for free. One at the arrival hall in Kuching International airport, and another one is inside the Old Court House (end of Kuching Waterfront).

13. Visit to Fort Magherita

This is a beautiful Fort, It is built in 1879 to guard Kuching’s river approaches from pirates.

http://www.kuching.net.my/destinations2.asp?destination= 'Fort+Margherita'

It is FREE. Take a sampan across only 50 cents per way.

14. Visit to Timber Museum

The museum is situated in the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Council building (Wisma Sumber Alam) in Petra Jaya. Anyone with interest in forestry, traditional wood items, forest products and the development of the timber industry should head here.

http://www.sarawaktimber.org.my

15. Pua Kumbu Museum (Iban Weaving)

Visitors are required to make prior arrangements or appointments to visit the Museum and Gallery. Photo taking without flash are allowed only in the Weaving Gallery but not in the other galleries.

http://www.tunjugahfoundation.org.my/textile.php

16. Window shopping in a Shopping Mall

Go to the new Malls in Kuching, such as The Spring

http://www.thespring.com.my

17. Food and Drink

If you visit Kuching during the festive seasons, such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year or Gawai Festival

You may able to visit someone house and get free food and drink, even they do not know you.

Miri, Sarawak

Miri is a holiday where there is not much to see, to play and to enjoy. Differ from catty Kuching and swanlike Sibu, Miri is sadly lacking in animal analogies, probably because it is too casually urban for any to spring to mind.

BUT... therefore its a good site to relax and get away from the city life!!!!

Miri is a city in northern Sarawak on the Malaysian island of Borneo and it is home to a population of about 300,000 people. Thus it is the second largest city in Sarawak. At Miri, breathtaking national parks, spectacular diving paradises, frequent festivals and international events, multiracial and multicultural festive seasons, and a lot of delicious food are the things that you can expect to have.

Miri serves as a transport hub for northern Sarawak, where interconnecting flights to the rural hinterlands of Borneo is very important and available mainly from Miri. Besides that, it is also the gateway to the Gunung Mulu National Park which is a World Heritage Site, the Kelabit Highlands of the interior of Sarawak and the Niah Cave which contains one of the oldest human remains in South East Asia.

As the place of birth of Sarawak’s and Malaysia’s petroleum industry, Miri remains the major industry of the city. Malaysia’s first oil well was dug here in 1910, and is currently a state monument and one of Miri’s tourist attractions, namely The Grand Old Lady. It is the Miri Oil Well No.1 situated at Canadian Hill. According to the old folks, there was one Canadian who lived there and his main business was to recruit foreign and local workers to work in the oil fields around this mountain, hence it was called Canadian Hill. The Petroleum Museum, next to the Grand Old Lady, exhibits photographs and information on the petroleum industry. The Grand Old Lady is about 30 meters high. Situated on top of Canada Hill overlooking Miri, it attracts even locals to enjoy the scenery or jog on the well-designed path.

Miri has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. It hosts many expatriates from all over the world. There are many ethnic groups of people live in Miri, which consists of Chinese, Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Kelabit, Lun Bawang and others. Almost all the locals are able to speak English or Mandarin but the main language is the Sarawakian language, which is similar to Malay but with local slangs.

My to do List
- Visit the Grand Old Lady
- Have a walk at the Miri City Fan
- Go to the Esplanade Beach (refer to the top picture)
- Visit the San Ching Tian Temple (Largest Taoist temple in South East Asia)

Tour Package : http://www.borneogoldenholiday.com/index.htm

Food: http://www.miri.sarawakfoodguide.com/

http://www.sarawakian.net/?s=miri

Hotel: 3D2N Pangkor Escapade (Teluk)

Link: http://www.miricity.com.my/
____________________________________________________________________

Call to make Miri safe for tourists
Criminals often target visitors from Brunei, affecting Sarawak's reputation as a tourist destination.

-NST Tue, May 12, 2009New Straits Times

KUCHING, MALAYSIA - Sarawak's Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng has called for quick action to stop criminals in Miri from targeting visitors from Brunei. "The theft of tourists' cars from a neighbouring state is worrying," he said when he opened the first sitting of the state assembly yesterday.

"If this crime is not checked, it will affect the image of Sarawak as a prime tourist destination."

Abang Muhammad called on police to beef up security in places visited frequently by tourists.

State Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Mayin said in response that the situation in Miri, which had 1.5 million visitors from Brunei last year, had improved greatly.

"The police in Miri only told me last Friday that there was not even one theft of Brunei-registered cars in the last few months," he said outside the assembly.

"Crimes committed against Brunei citizens had also declined. Security has improved tremendously and I am going to Brunei after the sitting of this assembly to give our guarantee that the security in Miri is doing well.

"It may be the case a year or two ago but but not any more," Mayin said.

He blamed envious Brunei businessmen, who see their countrymen heading to Miri every weekend to do their shopping, for continuing to fan stories that Miri was dangerous to visit.

Stories of Miri being unsafe had impacted tourist arrivals from Brunei. Miri recorded a drop of about 10 per cent in arrivals last year compared with 2007.

Manyin said security fears were not the main reason why Bruneians had stayed away from Miri.
He said they were also going to Kota Kinabalu to do their shopping at Borneo's largest shopping complex, 1Borneo.

"Curiosity played a part too. But I'm sure they'll be back.

"It's a six-hour drive to Kota Kinabalu and only one hour to Miri."
____________________________________________________________________

Speaking Malay in Sarawak

Please notice some basic communication terms in Bahasa Melayu Sarawak.
Kamek - I
Kitak - You
Auk - Yes
Sik - No
Igek - Piece
Kamek Mauk Pergi Jamban Dolok - I Would Like To Go To The Toilet
Kitak Dari Siney? - Where Are You From?
Nyaman Juak Makanan Tok - This Food Is Quite Tasty
Kamek Ngupok/Mupok Dolok - I'd Like To Make A Move
Nama-NameMaok-Want
Jamban-Toilet
Duit-Money

Sarawak

You shouldn’t go Sarawak for holiday if you have seasickness as boats are a common mode of transport in Sarawak. This is because of the dense vegetation of its interior is crisscrossed with rivers. However, experiencing the impossibly dense jungle wall breezes past will ensure you an unforgettable trip.

Sarawak lies in its capital city Kuching. Kuching was built along the banks of the Sarawak River and it is also very near the coastline, about 32 km away from the sea. Kuching is a tranquil location with nice landscaped parks and gardens, classic colonial buildings, colorful markets and a beautiful waterfront named as Kuching Waterfront. It is a good place to stroll around and relax.

Besides that, Sarawak’s charm also lies at its most popular and scenic beach, Damai Beach. Damai is located on the Santubong Peninsula, which is about 35 minutes away from Kuching. Besides the beautiful sandy beaches to relax on, there are also water sports such as jet-skiing and windsurfing. The Santubong Peninsula also offers several sites for bird watching. Bird-watchers can enjoy sighting a variety of birds likes Sandpipers, Egrets, Terns, Collared kingfisher, the White-bellied Sea Eagle and Brahminy Kites and Buntal village, an important wintering ground for migratory birds, is the best place for bird watching. Want to have more adventurous activities, you may climb through the rainforest to the summit of Mount Santubong, which is about five to six-hour trek. Others than that, Damai is one of the best places to see the rare Irrawady dolphin, particularly in Santubong, Salak and Buntal river estuaries. This kind of dolphins is really shy, so you need a good guide-cum-spotter to catch a sight of this dolphin in the Damai area.

To find out more about Sarawak’s historical background, visit The Islamic Museum in Kuching is a must. Opened in 1992, it was originally a Malay college but now houses seven galleries displaying elements of the Islamic culture and religion, which includes History of Islam in Sarawak, Islamic Architecture, Science, Technology, Economics, Education and Literature, Music, Costumes and Personal Ornaments, Weaponry, Decorative Arts, Domestic Utensils and a Quran Collection.On the other hand, you also have to visit the Chinese History Museum, which was originally a court for the Chinese community in Kuching. It depicts the rich history of Sarawak’s diverse Chinese groups. At there, you will learn about their origins, traditional skills and culture through the exhibitions there.

Others than that, Sarawak’s charm also lies at the Cultural Village, which is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the cultural heritage of Sarawak’s major ethnic groups. Catch a glimpse of the lifestyles of major indigenous groups which include the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu.

Overall, a visit to Sarawak entails a wonderful journey of discovery into its culture, heritage and history. From the peaceful sights of Kuching city to the awe of its historical museums, there are a lot of things for you to do and see in Sarawak.

The best time to go Sarawak is from June to August. In that period, Sarawak has the least rainfall. Besides that, if you intend to go for bird-watching at Buntal village, the best period is from October to March.

Where & What to Eat
One of the Sarawak specialties is Umai. Umai is a traditional dish of the Melanau people, which is a spicy salad of raw marinated fish, limes and shallots. You may get it at Penrissen Inn, Tapanga Tree and Malay food stalls in Top Spot (Taman Kareta).

Apart from that, you also must try the Iban’s fine delicacies likes Pansoh Manok, which is chicken with rice wine cooked in bamboo. The same technique is also used to cook fish. You can savour this dish at Penrissen Inn or the Cottage.

For seafood lover, you must try the steamed pomfret or manchong fish, asam prawns, sambal prawns and slipper lobster.

Others Sarawak specialties like Sarawak laksa, Kolo mee (simple but popular Sarawakian noodle dish), Tomato Kueh Tiaw and Foochow bagel (kompia) are the “must eat” if you make your to Sarawak. The Foochow bagel can only be found in Sibu where ethnic Chinese of Foochow clan formed a majority.

Stay Away From
Be careful of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) because they are very common in certain parts of Sarawak. Caution should be taken when entering water, especially brackish areas such as Batang Lupar.

Move around

By bus
Most cities in Sarawak are now linked by express buses although travelling times can be long because of the distance. Companies include Vital Focus Transportations Sdn. Bhd., which operates Suria Bas, PB and Borneo Highway express buses, and http://www.biaramas.com/.

Timing and cost of express bus : http://www.vftransportation.com.my/schedule.html

By boat
Express boats run from the coast inland along Borneo's larger rivers. They are generally faster than buses and cheaper than planes. Popular routes include Kuching-Sibu (4 hours) and Sibu-Kapit (3 hours).

Local transport
Most cities have local buses and taxis serving not only the city centres and their surrounding suburbs but also adjacent rural districts.

Visit
Sarawak Cultural Village, some 45 minutes' drive from Kuching. Entrance fees are RM60 per person. It is a living museum of different tribes and architecture spread over a lovely green area at the foot of Mount Santubong. You will be able to see how Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, etc. tribes live, work and cook in the longhouses, each with its own identity. It is also best to visit this place during the annual Rainforest World Music Festival which happens each July. The festival is held on the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village, hence you don't need to pay the entrance fees (festival fees include entrance to the Village).

Rainforest World Music Festival has been around since 1997 and its popularity is growing from year to year. Accommodation around the festival grounds are snapped up as soon as bookings open so be quick. Good places to stay are Holiday Inn Damai Beach and Damai Lagoon, both a few minutes' walk away from the festival. Alternatively, you can stay within the heart of Kuching city and take the daily shuttle to the festival (RM10 each way). The three-day world music festival brings together some of the best world musicians for workshops and nightly live concerts. Tickets for the three-day festival are RM250, or RM90 for daily entry.

Take a tour to an Iban Longhouse. One longhouse provides accommodation for visitors. The facilities are very basic, but tolerable for one night and an interesting insight into the Iban culture.

Alternatively, you can visit to one of the very old Bidayuh longhouse (namely Annah Rais Longhouse), which is nearer to the Kuching. Visit Longhouse Adventure website for more details about their full-board longhouse homestay program.

Link: http://www.sarawak-hotels.com/