Kuching - a walk around the town

Continuing on with our visit to Kuching - in Borneo, Malaysia - last weekend. The city's main thoroughfare is the broad, meandering Sarawak River. In days gone by its banks were a hive of trading activity, watched over by the White Rajah from his palace. The river remains the focus of city life even today. The beautifully landscaped Kuching Waterfront - popular with visitors and locals alike - provides an excellent starting point for a stroll around the city centre. 

Most of the main attractions are close to the Waterfront and the central business and hotel district, so a walking tour is the best way to really appreciate the city, soaking up the sights, the sounds and the atmosphere.  

It is very easy to cover the city center on foot or in one of the small ferries, or perahu tambang, that ply across the river. The old town consists of row upon row of 19th century Chinese shophouses, fanning out from Main Bazaar, Kuching's oldest street, These bustling streets are a browser's paradise, crammed full of restaurants, food stalls, and art and curio shops. Mosques, temples and churches are also dotted throughout the city center. 

Kuching has literally dozens of historic buildings - even the courthouse and the post office are unique examples of colonial period architecture. The excellent museums include the historic Sarawak Museum, with one of the best ethnographis collections in Southeast Asia. Equally fascinating are the Islamic Museum, the Chinese History Museum and the Police Museum in Fort Margherita. Kuching means 'cat' in Malay, and a short ride to Kuching North City Hall brings you to the world's first and only Cat Museum. 

we had a laugh over this one .... "John's Place" !!

Kuching is a beautiful city with incredibly friendly people, I think everyone that passed by us on the footpath actually smiled and said hello!

Most of the above information is from the website of MALEISURE.

previous blog posts on our visit to Kuching are here:

arriving in Kuching

visit to see the Orangutan

the Sarawak River

the sunset

the people of the river

stay tuned for further blog posts on the city of Kuching!

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Kuching - the people of the river

Kuching is the capital and administrative center of Sarawak. It is a riverine town sitting on the southern bank of the famous Sarawak River and about 32 km from the South China Sea. Its strategic location makes it a bustling riverine port, which plays an important part in its overall development. 

 

Kuching, with a population of about 490,000 people, is well served by air from major destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore and Brunei. Inaugurated as a city on August 1, 1988, it boasts beautifully landscaped parks and colorful markets, mingling among an interesting mixture of modern and historical buildings inherited from its exciting past. 

The banks of the Sarawak River still maintain their old magic, highlighted by many traditional Malay houses built on stilts, historical landmarks and traditional boatmen paddling in their small wooden boats known as "tambang". 

I think it's the people that makes the Sarawak River so interesting. We enjoyed our time sitting by the river and watching everyone go about their business, be it fishing, taking the tambang across the river,  hopping on and off the boats, workmen or people just lazing on their boats watching the world go by!!

 

the people of the Sarawak River

previous blog posts on our visit to Kuching are here:

arriving in Kuching

visit to see the Orangutan

the Sarawak River

the sunset

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Kuching - after the sun sets on the river

Kuching, which literally means “cat” in Malay, is the state capital of Sarawak. It is the 7th largest city in the country and sits on the banks of the Sarawak River. The Sarawak river splits Kuching into 2 districts – the North & the South. These 2 districts are governed by two separate administrative groups and have two different mayors. 

But no one can stay in Kuching without watching the sun setting over the Sarawak River .... either by a commercial sunset cruise or sitting quietly on the riverbank. It truly is quite beautiful.

 

The above is one of the "sunset cruises" returning to the waterfront after the sun has set over Kuching.

The above jetty and the Tambang is well lit from the lights coming from the main part of the jetty and the image below is of the Sarawak State of Assembly Building which certainly is an imposing sight along the river of an evening!

 

and below is The Astana, the imposing palace on the north bank of the river opposite the Waterfront, was built in 1870 by Charles Brooke as a bridal gift to his wife Margaret. It is nowadays the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak, and therefore not open to visitors.

 

after we spent some time taking photos of the sky, various points of interest, having dinner and walking along the Esplanade it was time to head back to our hotel. It really was a very pleasant way to spend an evening in Kuching!

touring the Kuching area:

 

blog post on the flight, the hotel and 

arriving in Kuching 

is HERE

blog post on our visit to the 

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre 

is HERE

 

blog post on 

Kuching - Sarawak River

is HERE

 

Kuching - Sarawak River

A great way to spend an afternoon in Kuching is to cruise along the Sarawak River.  Sarawak River separates the city by north and south. Riding a sampan boat along the river in the evening - or at anytime - is an unforgettable experience. From the water front one get spectacular views of the Malay Village houses ,19th century Chinese shop houses,  Malay mosque, the square tower and historical Margherita Fort and The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building is breathtaking.

 

Sarawak River serves as the main highway for many dwellers who live in the coastal villages outside Kuching. Sungai Santubong where one of Kuching’s most popular seaside resorts, Damai Beach is situated joins the Sarawak River at the river mouth. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist influenced rock carvings have also been discovered around the river delta.

 

 

Several companies offer one to two hour trips up and down the river during the day or in the late afternoon to see the sunsetting leaving from the Waterfront. Cost is around 80 to 100 Malaysian Ringgit. The Tambang we went on took us up river past the Mosque and then back down river and past where the fishing vessels are docked ... this tour took a little over an hour and was worth it to be able to see Kuching from the river!

 

 

 

 

You do not have to take a 'tour' as such, for a leisurely commute across the Sarawak River, river taxis locally known as tambang or penambang offers daily services at various points along the Kuching Waterfront, with a one-way fare at RM0.40. The fare hikes up to RM1 from 10PM-6AM the next day. Kindly place the exact change on the designated plate instead of giving it to the operator, as you disembark the river taxi at your destination.

There are many different 'views' of the river and along the river...... there are people fishing, people taking the boat across to do shopping, some working, a few people sitting on the edge of the river and others preparing their boats ready to go out on the morning tide ....

When you are in Kuching, do take a river tour on one of the Sampans or better known locally as a Tambang and the Kuching Waterfront is a place worth spending at least half a day exploring especially for first time visitors.

touring the Kuching area:

 

blog post on the flight, the hotel and 

arriving in Kuching is HERE

blog post on our visit to the 

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is HERE

 

 

the slow and steady 128km ride de Singapore on July 3rd

RIDE SAFE

and to all drivers on the road, 

please be aware that 

NEXT SUNDAY (JULY 3rd)

there are 60 bike riders 

on the same road as you are!

The lead rider will moderate the pace.. 

it is all about completing together, eating together and suffering together!

 

  

the following images are of the route the 60 riders will be taking after departing from ECP (East Coast Park) at approx 7.30am.

If you see the riders at any stage along the way, please wave and cheer them on!!

Segment 1:
From East Coast park (Car park Park B2) to West Coast Park MC Donald.
Distance 18km.

 

Segment 2:
From West Coast park (Mc Donald) to Kranji Dam
Distance 32km.
Rest Stop at Jurong West (before City harvest Church) and Coffee Shop after Kranji Dam.
Cross with caution: Round About at Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim Road

 

Segment 3:
From Kranji Dam to Punggol.
Distance 30km.
Rest Stop at Yishun Industrial Park A and Coffee Shop @ Punggol.

 

Segment 4:
From Punggol to Changi Village.
Distance 18km.
Rest Stop at Changi Village ......
if you are in the area, please stop by and say hello.  They need all the encouragement you can give them for the next leg of their journey!!

 

Segment 5:
From Changi Village to ECP Car park.
Distance 21km.
Final Push. For the last stretch, you can cycle via the service along ECP or on the PCN.

ride safe and don't quit!

 thanks to Belinda Tan for the last image.

thanks to Matt and Taiwoon for the maps.

 wishing everyone on the ride a really great day!!

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our visit to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

Last Saturday morning we were up bright and early for our visit to the Semenggog Wildlife Centre and while there we were hoping to see at least one Orangutan. We were more than happy as we managed to see eight of them in the wild. Well perhaps the centre would be considered semi-wild as they are being rehabilitated into the wild, though are free to roam in the jungle area. Most days they return to the Ranger for feeding at about 9.00am and 3.00pm. Our guide mentioned that we would be lucky to see them as often they gather nuts and fruits for themselves, which is what they are being trained to do too. There are many farms in the region where the Orangutan are able to 'steal' the produce.

On wet days the Orangutan also stay away from the centre. The following information on the wildlife Centre is available on the SouthEast Asia Travel website.

The Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is located about an hour south of Kuching in Borneo's 1613-acre Semenggoh Nature Reserve. Since 1975 the center has been accepting animals either orphaned, injured, or rescued from captivity and reintroducing them back into the wild.

The Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is not a zoo; unless quarantined, the animals are not kept in cages and are free to roam about the thick, green forest canopy.

The following two images show the first Orangutan that I saw:

 

Rather than just attracting tourists, the primary goal of the wildlife center is to actually rehabilitate animals and get them back into the wild if at all possible.

The endangered orangutans are the primary reason that people visit the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, although the rangers do work with other species including crocodiles and hornbills. The center offers an increasingly rare opportunity to view orangutans in a natural habitat; many orangutans in the refuge are considered semi-wild and rarely come back to the rehabilitation center.

Orangutan means "forest people" in the local language; the name fits well given the primates' superior intelligence and human-like personalities. In 1996 a team of researchers witnessed a group of orangutans making sophisticated tools - and sharing them - for extracting seeds from fruit.

Orangutans are native only to Borneo and Sumatra and are considered extremely endangered. Of the estimated 61,000 orangutans existing in the wild, a little over 54,000 live on the island of Borneo. Female orangutans typically produce only one offspring every seven or eight years, hence the dwindling population.

Seduku - the "grandmother" at the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre - was born in 1971 and has given birth to several offspring. Ritchie - the alpha male in the refuge - weighs over 300 pounds and was rescued by a journalist. Most of the orangutans at the center are named and the rangers can easily identify them with a glance.

While the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is doing their best to preserve orangutans in the state of Sarawak, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is doing their part in Sabah.
 
In an effort to protect both the orangutans and tourists, the center no longer allows people to walk through the refuge on their own.

 

 

 

 

we didn't have to walk far into the dense jungle to see these beautiful animals, perhaps just 250 metre's.

 

 

the previous blog post was on our journey to Kuching on Friday June 24 2011

other blog posts on our visit to Kuching are here:

arriving in Kuching

visit to see the Orangutan

the Sarawak River

the sunset

the people of the river

 

 a walk around the town

 

 The Satok Market

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