Things to Do in Kuching – The Charming Cat City
Kuching is the capital of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo and is a delightful city to visit. It is a charming place with its lovely waterfront and there are plenty of places to see, both in the city and further out. It is also a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy so the food scene is fantastic. Here’s our guide for things to do in Kuching.
The first thing you notice about Kuching is the number of cat statues in the area. This is because the word ‘kuching’ means cat in Malaysian. Fans of felines will enjoy taking photos. Kuching even has a cat museum!
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you click through and decide to make a purchase we will make a small commission, at no extra cost to you, which will help towards the costs of running this site. Thanks for your support!
Where To Stay in Kuching
There are plenty of hotels and hostels in Kuching, covering a range of budgets. The hotels closest to the waterfront will be more expensive. We stayed at the Lime Tree Hotel, which was just a few minutes’ walk away. The service was friendly, we had a large bedroom with all the facilities and the buffet breakfast was extensive. Any hotel which has a make-your-own-laksa is fine with us!
We spent a week exploring Sarawak, often visiting other locations for a couple of days at a time. The Lime Tree were happy to store our large bags for us and then check us back into the hotel when we returned from each adventure.
Getting Around Kuching
Kuching airport is located around a 20 minute drive from the city centre but this timing will be traffic dependent and there may be congestion if you arrive at a busy time of day. A taxi will cost around 40 RM.
The city centre is very walkable and there are plenty of things to do. If you do wish to travel further out, taxis are reasonably cheap and reliable. You can agree a fixed price with the taxi driver. There is no Uber, but you can use the Grab app, which works in a similar way.
A Note About Kuching Airport: This is a small airport. If you are leaving Kuching to travel internationally, there are no facilities after security/emigration, except a toilet. There are precious few facilities around the check-in area of the airport – a coffee shop, a café and a small shop.
Things To Do in Kuching City Centre
Stroll Along The Waterfront
Kuching’s waterfront is absolutely delightful, a broad boulevard skirting the Sarawak river, and is lovely to stroll along.
Notable landmarks include the Square Tower, constructed in the time of the Rajah in 1879. Initially it was a prison but later became a fortress.
The Round Tower, just up the road, has two distinctive corner towers was originally designed as a fortress but never used as such. It is now a posh restaurant.
The Darul Hana bridge leads to the dramatic Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building.
Further along the river is the very beautiful floating mosque which was opened in 2019.
If you wish to cross the river – and are far away from a bridge – there are multiple boats that will ferry you to the other side.
There are plenty of options for river cruises if you would like to enjoy a relaxed few hours seeing the city from a different perspective.
Borneo Cultures Museum
This impressive museum, which is the largest in Malaysia and the second largest in South-East Asia, showcases the history and culture of Borneo.
Each of the five floors has a different theme: ‘Love our Rivers’, ‘In Harmony with Nature’, ‘Time Changes’ and ‘Objects of Desire’. The ground floor hosts temporary exhibitions relating to the local culture.
We recommend setting aside at least a morning or an afternoon to explore this museum. It is open daily, and the cost is 50MR – cash only.
Sarawak Museum
Located just across the road, via a pedestrian bridge, from the Borneo Cultures building, this historic building, dating from 1891, has exhibits relating to Borneo’s history and natural history.
Just across the entrance road there is a burial pole, intricately carved from a tree, which the local tribespeople used historically to commemorate their deceased ancestors. There is also a natural history museum close by.
Sarawak Islamic Heritage Museum
Close by the Borneo museum, the Islamic Heritage museum offers a series of galleries showcasing the history and culture of the Muslim people living the area. Entry is free.
Chinese Heritage Museum
Another small museum, located just by the waterfront, this offers a history of the people of Chinese heritage who settled in the area. Entry is free.
The Upside-Down House
A slice of silliness which will keep you occupied for a while, the upside-down house is exactly what it says: a series of rooms with furniture glued to the ceiling. You can pose for photos and then use the magic ‘rotate’ tool in your photo editor to turn them upside down. Much hilarity ensues if you like that sort of thing. The friendly staff can help choose the best places to pose.
Visiting the Local Villages
We enjoyed a bike tour of the area, cycling along the riverbank passing through the local villages. You can recognise the transition from one village to the next because there will be a mosque at each village.
The cycle tour is nice and gentle, on mainly flat roads. Local drivers are very considerate so, despite being a bit nervous on bikes, we felt very safe. There are also plenty of stops along the way to visit markets, and to try snacks and local food.
Street Food, Street Art and Shopping
Lorong Kai Joo is a great street for discovering great local cuisine. You can pick up opium coffee and curry puffs. The street leads to India Street which is a shopping street. Go through the narrow alley to visit the spice market, perfect for buying savoury souvenirs.
Close by there is a hawker centre and some excellent cafes where you can enjoy some of Kuching’s most famous dishes. And there is plenty of street art to enjoy.
This picture below depicts a tribesman from the Iban people. It is thought that tattooing originated in Borneo. The tattoos are highly symbolic and have significant meaning for their wearers. The Iban and other tribes in the area used to practice headhunting (don’t worry, they don’t hunt heads anymore!) But the tattoo on his throat indicates that he had indeed captured a head.
Visit Local Markets
If you wish to buy spices for souvenirs, the market stalls behind India street (just follow the road around from the waterfront) have a wide variety on offer and are great value. The Sunday market across the river (open during the week but very popular at the weekend) has a wide variety of fresh produce, including interesting fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices.
We were particularly taken with the water apples – pink and crunchy. Their other names are jambu air or rose apples.
Day Trips From Kuching
The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
The Semenggoh Orangutan centre is located around a half hour’s drive from the city. The centre is a location where wild orangutans have been rescued and rehabilitated. They live in a large, forested area and are considered to be semi-wild in that they roam free in the jungle. Their food is supplemented by the centre. Feeding times are at 9 am and 3 pm daily. There is no guarantee that they will come from the forest to eat but there is a reasonable chance of a good sighting in the right season (March to October).
However, if you visit during the fruit season – November to February – it is unlikely that you will see orangutans because there will be enough food for them to forage for themselves. We were lucky in that we saw six of the twenty or so orangutans living in the area.
There are buses, taxis or Grab available. The buses are the cheapest option; a Grab or cab will range from 25-40RM each way. Alternatively, there are plenty of trips available to book in advance and these usually include a hotel pickup.
Bako National Park
This is an area of outstanding beauty on the coastline, and Sarawak’s oldest national park, it takes around a 40 minute drive from Kuching followed by a 40 minute boat ride through pristine scenery.
The primary draw here is the primates – proboscis monkeys, silver-leaf monkeys and naughty macaques. There are a number of forest trails to explore, many of them leading to some lovely beaches.
Although the monkeys are the top wildlife, there are lots of other interesting species, including adorable Sunda flying lemurs (not real lemurs, you can only find those in Madagascar ) and several species of snake, including the very pretty but very venomous green pit viper.
You can visit on a day trip or stay overnight. We recommend the latter, you stand a much better chance of spotting the proboscis monkeys. Also, it’s much quieter when the day trippers have gone home – the sunset from the beach is wonderful.
If you are on a day trip there is a visitor’s centre with bathroom facilities and a buffet available for refreshments.
NB – if you arrive at low tide you won’t be able to disembark at the jetty, so will need to jump into the water by the beach. So remember to take waterproof shoes (or shoes that are easily removable) and wear shorts/trousers that you can roll up.
Kuching for Foodies
You can read our post about the best food in Kuching which has details of all the must-try dishes. There are plentiful restaurants, food courts and hawker markets where you can enjoy a cheap and delicious meal. Top dishes include:
Sarawak laksa, described by Anthony Bourdain as ‘breakfast of the gods’. These are rice noodles in a spicy coconut broth flavoured with spices such as lemongrass and tamarind, topped with chicken, omelette, beansprouts and prawns. It’s also available for lunch and dinner as well because it’s so delicious
Kolo Mee is another noodle dish. Slices of pork top a tangle of noodles, bathed in a spicy oil.
Kueh chap will make you rethink your attitude to offal. This is rice cakes, pork belly and pork entrails in a rich gravy, which is surprisingly good.
Don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with sponge cake, Kek Lapis, which is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Final Thoughts
Kuching is a lovely city, with so many things to do. It has a rich heritage and culture and there are a number of day trips that you can enjoy to experience Sarawak’s remarkable wildlife. The icing on the cake – or should that be the kek lapis – is its fabulous and distinctive cuisine, which has so much to offer the tastebuds of any visitor.
Related Posts You May Enjoy
- Great Grinds & Best Brews – Coffee Around The World
- Things to Know Before Visiting South Korea
- Things to Do in Kuching – The Charming Cat City
- The Very Best Kuching Food
- A Splendid Three Days in Singapore Itinerary
- RECIPE: How To Make Dakgalbi
- Just for the Hell of It – The Hells of Beppu
- Five Wonderful Places to Visit From Tokyo
- Amazing Japanese Black Sesame Pudding Recipe
- How To Say Thank You For The Food in Japanese
- What To Know Before Visiting Japan
- Where To See Snow Monkeys In Japan
- Is Kanazawa Worth Visiting?
- RECIPE: How to Make Sushi Ginger – Gari
- Kobe Beef in Kobe – Is It Worth It?
Thanks so much for reading. We hope you enjoyed this article. If you’d like to keep up to date with new posts and recipes, please subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media – Bluesky, Facebook or Instagram. We always love hearing from you and would be delighted to read your thoughts about this article.
Anywhere that celebrates cats this much just has to be good in my books. What beautiful statues, and how interesting there’s a cat museum too. Although all the other museums also seem fascinating, particularly the Borneo Cultures Museum. I have to say though, I don’t think I’d be able to leave this place without (fingers crossed) seeing some orangutans. What lovely creatures they are. Top it off with some local street art and great food and Kuching seems like a great place to visit.
I was just waiting for when you two were going to write about Kuching in Malaysia, and this finally came. I’m happy to read about this Sarawak gem and to know that you find Kuching a place to immerse deeper in its local colors and wildlife. I love water apples (I used to eat them before), and I enjoy eating kek lapis whenever I’m in Malaysia. Kuching, with its penchant for cats and good food, is a great place to go to after Penang or Ipoh. #flyingbaguette 🥖🪽
You learn something new everyday! Kuching is Malaysian for cat. Fascinating to see the statues of cats everywhere around the city. Also th ecity of gastronomy looks very appealing to my taste buds. Museums are always a fascinating place to visit and educate yourself about the place. As for the orangutans what beautiful animals they are. Great insight into the city, thanks for sharing.
What a great post. I didn’t have long in Kuching which is a shame as it looks like there’s plenty to see and do. If I’m ever back there I’ll be checking out all the cat statues and hunting down the street art. I love visiting markets when I’m in a new place and this looks a great place to stock up on spices.
I remember your previous post on Kuching and the many tasty local dishes that you tried. This is a sweet city and I like the reference to the “cat”. I think there are several legends and stories linked to its name but has been more the case of linguistic and cultural/local developments in shaping the name. The house of upside down is always a un experience. There are several of those across Europe too.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
What fun it would be to go exploring and see all the cat art around the city. I have yet to visit one of the upside down houses but this one in Kuching looks like a good place to start. I would need to pack my stretchy pants for all the delicious food. Malaysian is a favourite cuisine! I definitely couldn’t leave the area without visiting the orangutans!
Kuching sounds amazing, I’d hunt out all of the cat statues. The nearby Orangutang sanctuary is a must for me too. And shopping, street art and street food-amazing.