Kuching, Kaching…. $$$
Kuching has been on my list to visit for years and I finally made it. Located in East Malaysia in Sarawak, Kuching is home to many things including the gorgeous rainforest, beloved orangutans and traditional island life. Even though it was a short visit, it was well worth it the trip and the literal fly in / fly out!!!!
Kuching is the city of cats… cats are every where, every corner…. traffic signals, side walks, parks, you name it, it is there! You’ll need to hold on tight as the city of cats is explored a little later.
Food – Kuching, home of Sawarak Laksa! ♥
Finally got my hands on this amazing dish. Much lighter then your traditional Singaporean Laksa and not as fishy as Penang Laksa. I have been converted! A must must must must must try dish when you come to Kuching!
Hotels…. rooms are always so big in Malaysia, cheaper prices, bigger rooms! The Pullman was not bad, it’s a relatively new hotel in the area and is on top of a hill so the views are fantastic. Rooms all have full sized bathrooms and a bathtub with a view… Actually the whole room is bigger than my apartment in Singapore! ha ha ha… But this Pullman does not quite live up to the rest of my Pullman experiences, it’s starting to show wear and tear even though it is not that old, service is average and the check in/check out was a bit of a debacle! Since Kuching is quite a small place, next time I will definitely stay in one of the smaller boutique hotels by the waterside…. thinking of The Ranee, traditional boutique which gives back to the local community!
One of the main reasons for this trip was to visit the Rainforest World Music Festival 2017. Click here to find out more!
One of the goals of heading to Kuching was to check out o-rang-u-tans this trip or Bako National Park on this trip but as I got back at 2am after RWMF, just small walking adventures around town to check out some Kuching Sites!
Kuching is quite small and super mobile to go by foot! After a nice big storm, you wake up to sunshine! And lots of cat hunting…
Fort Margherita
Unfortunately the Museum was closed on a Sunday, so no local history lesson but for the local sites I am off for a little boat ride across the water and a tiny hike to Fort Margherita (and for me a big circle as I turned right instead of going straight, but managed to check out some amazing abandoned spot).
The Fort a gorgeous colonial building with some interesting facts – a must visit, the view and grounds is stunning as is The Brookes Gallery full or history, artifacts and gorgeous images.
Next to the Fort is Istana, the nice luxurious looking dome building, it’s a government building and out of bounds but gorgeous for photos.
Kitties & Street Art
Time for a quick dip to cool down in the sweltering heat and a snack and a cocktails….. One of the plus points of the Pullman was the lap pool (which was empty) and also the outdoor jacuzzi!
… then off we go to check out more Cat Statues dotted around the old town, Carpenter Street, China Street and India Street.
Most cute Malaysian towns have masses of street art, Kuching lives up this on a different level. A lot of stories to tell of local life past, present and future… little alleyways to go in and out of and secrets untold.
Rainforest Fringe
And with my luck, the inaugural Rainforest FRINGE was showcasing at the Court House… dotted all around buildings…
An amazing show of local painters, photographers and artists. I manged to score some amazing prints from Chien Lee… all printed and shipped back to Singapore for me. He is an amazing photographer and can do prints of all size – small and large format. Easy to ship if they are not framed.
The Rainforest Fringe as dotted around the iconic court house and included traditional weaving, tapestries, modern art and also some psychedelic AV installations…
Could not leave Kuching without one more laksa at the iconic James Brooke Bistro and to take in that chilled out perfect vibe! ♥
’til next time Kaching Kuching!
Tip: Make sure you go in the dry season – it’s hot hot hot but much nicer to be dry.