Kuching

By JON CARTER

With a South-East Asian destination in mind, I dediced to visit Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Kuching was my final destination and first impressions tell of a laid-back and relaxed city, with many modern facilities, but with a rich colonial background, to boot.

In general the temperature is always hot, seeing that it's located close to the equator, but also humid. This means a lot of sweating -- but it's good sweating, not the bad sweating you get in a city like Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Kuching has a river, the Sungai Sarawak, that runs right through the city, making for some great photo opportunities. It didn't rain too much during our stay, but when it did rain, it rained dogs and cats (pun intended). If you are interested in finding well-priced hotels in the city area, click here.

Sarawak is one of three states that make up Malaysia, which has a population similar to our's, of about 20,000,000. Rich in natural resources, Malaysia is the world's biggest supplier of tin, plus it exports many other resources, such as natural rubber and fossil fuels. It also has a huge port, rivalling Singapore's, but the country is well known as a popular tourist region, too.

I took a flight to Singapore (7 hours), then headed east (2 hours) to Malaysia, Sarawak. Kuching means cat in the local tongue. As such, you'll see big old statues and replicas of cats dotted all over the city. There's even a cat museum. Meow!

The first language in Kuching is Malay, but Chinese and English are also widely spoken. Sarawak is made of mainly of mountains and rainforest areas, so putting the big city behind you is extremely easy.

The city of Kuching is located on the west side of Borneo and is, truly, a place of wonderment. I suppose you could factor in the cheap food, cheap clothes, cheap everything really, but that's not what it's all about. The place has a natural beauty unlike anywhere else in the world - there are mountains covered by dense rainforest, with caves hidden beneath and long beaches dotted with palm trees. The mood is always fairly relaxed (except at peak hour) and the locals are always keen for a bit of a chat.

The first place I visited after touching down in Sarawak was the history museum, which, I was informed by the guide, was the best in all of the world. While not the best on Earth, the museum looked as though it hadn't been touched since 1940. There were plenty of stuffed animals, a killer whale skeleton, weapons and jewellery. It was like stepping into the past - very nostalgic.

Next we headed out to the coast to spend a day at the beach. After about an hour's drive, we checked in at the Santubong Resort - one well known for it's top-flight golfing facilities. After 18-holes it was time for a dip in the ocean to cool off and after that, the best seafood this side of the Timor Gap. Truly, it was a feast to behold!

Another great place to visit are the caves of Sarawak, though they are about one to two hours drive from the city of Kuching. If you are really after an unforgettable experience, ask about the Mulu caves, though getting to the Mulu national park is usually via light aircraft. Anyway, the closer caves are the Wind and the Fairy caves in Bau, a gold-mining town. The astonishing limstone caves were created by water gradually etching out a system of tunnels and hide-e-holes and are littered with stalagmites and stalactites througout.

The Fairy caves are located very close to the Indonesian border and start high up a limestone cliff and tunnel through to the summit of a small hill - that is if you are prepared to explore the dark, damp caves.

The Wind caves are much easier to explore as instead of concrete or even non-existent paths, there is a raised walkway throughout. The cave is home to huge families of bats, so watch out for the guano!

There really isn't enough space here to talk about all the brilliant cultural and historical aspects of Kuching, but rest assured, it's a place like no other. The temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees (most hotels are air-conditioned, thankfully), the food is out of sight and the environment just beckons you to take a look and enjoy what's on offer.

For those who like more adventurous activities, Kuching offers amazing jungle treks, adventure caving - with emphasis on 'adventure', moutain biking, rafting and of course scuba diving. If you ever get the chance to visit Borneo, or are the South-East Asian region, Kuching is well worth checking out - so much so that you won't want to leave.

Malaysia links

Accommodation in Kuching
Sarawak Tourism
Sarawak Tourism Centre
Kuching Online
Discover Borneo - Mulu caves
Borneo Online
Borneo Nature Tourism