Kuching is the capital of the of the Malaysian-Borneo state of Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state, also known as the Land of Hornbills. Sarawak has a superb system of national parks, beautiful beaches and a diverse thriving tribal culture whose hospitality to strangers is unmatched. Situated on the north-western coast of Borneo, the Land of Hornbills beckons the visitor with its rich rainforests, intricate weave of rivers, pepper plantations, and the diverse cultures of its indigenous people.

A city of modernity yet cloaked with romantic colonial charm. That is the appeal of Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, where cleanliness is a way of life. And through this garden city meanders the Sarawak River that gives life to its community.

On the whole, Sarawak has an equatorial climate. The temperature is relatively uniform within the range of 23°C to 32°C throughout the year. During the months of March to September, the weather is generally dry and warm.

Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging from 85 per cent to 95 per cent per annum. The average rainfall per year is between 3,300 mm and 4,600 mm, depending on locality, and the wettest months are from November to February.

Sarawak Cultural Village
Known as the 'Living Museum', the Cultural Village was set up to preserve and showcase Sarawak's cultural heritage. Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from the state capital, Kuching, it is the perfect place to get introduced to local culture and lifestyle.

Sprawled across 17 acres, there are about 150 people living in the village, demonstrating traditional daily activities from Sarawak's diverse tribes like the processing of sago and the making of handicrafts. They wear traditional costumes and also put on dances for visitors.

The village residents provide information on their various traditional cultures and lifestyles. You can see replicas of buildings that represent every major ethnic group in Sarawak; longhouses of the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and a Chinese farm house among others.

The village also has a theatre, where you can enjoy multicultural dance performances. The performances, which are not to be missed, are on twice a day, at 11:30am and again at 4:30pm. There is a restaurant and handicraft shop there, as well. You can even get married at the Sarawak Cultural Village, in traditional Iban, Malay, Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.

The Iban longhouse has separate rooms placed side by side, all of which open to a long communal hall, used for leisurely activities like wood carving and basket weaving.

Guests are often invited to attend nightly ceremonies and drink a potent rice wine, tuak, made by the Iban themselves. Comfortable guesthouses are also available for visitors.

Bako National Park
Sarawak's oldest national park was established in 1957, covers a modest 27 sq. km., and is about 37km from Kuching. It's known for its extraordinary natural scenery, habitats, plants and wild life. Its most significant features are secluded coves and rugged rocky headlands with magnificent steep cliffs that overlook the South China Sea.

The sea spray, wave action and the wind have also carved out magnificent sea arches and sea stacks at the base of the cliffs, some rearing above the waves like a mighty serpent's head. The attractive sandstone formations appear pink with iron patterns on the cliff. Further inland, waterfalls tumble down into freshwater pools in a tranquil and idyllic jungle setting.

Bako is famous for being the most accessible place in Sarawak to see the rare, human-looking proboscis monkey.

Jalan Satok Sunday Market
This vibrant Sunday market along Jalan Satok comes alive Saturday afternoon when local traders from the outskirts of Kuching peddle their wares.

Catch a glimpse of the fat squirming grubs, sieet, or unique wild ferns "midin" and other jungle produce sold in makeshift stalls by the roadside, or simply on empty rice sacks lain on the ground.

The place truly comes alive with a riot of colours, smells and dialects as the locals converge to buy their weekly produce. Traders sell handicrafts, clothes, fresh produce, food and drinks and much more. This is also an excellent excuse for picture taking opportunities.

Once you've worked up an appetite strolling through the market, head for one of the local chinese coffee shops for breakfast. The perfect way to start the day, if you ask the regulars, is with a cup of strong Sarawakian coffee and a pau, or bun, stuffed with savoury meat.

Matang Wildlife Centre
The Matang Wildlife Centre is about 35km from Kuching. Located in Kubah National Park, this large enclosed area of rainforest is home to endangered wildlife. There is a training programme here that teaches Orang Utans, who have been orphaned or rescued from captivity, how to survive in the wild. Visitors will be able to see lots of Orang Utans here, especially during feeding time. Besides these adorable primates, there are also Sun Bears, Sambar Deer, Civet cats as well as three large aviaries that house Sea Eagles, Hornbills and other birds in Sarawak.

Jungle trekking is also possible as there are four jungle trails here: the Pitcher Trail (takes about 2 hours), the Sungai Rayu Trail ( about 3 - 4 hours), the Sungai Senduk trail (about 1 hour) and Sungai Buluh trail (about 2 hours). Picnic spots, an information centre, accommodation facilities, a car park and a small canteen are available at the park HQ.

Although chances of seeing orang utans are very good, other animals at this centre may be a little harder to catch a glimpse of.

Air
Kuching is linked with other major cities in Malaysia, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei by air. The modern and state-of-the-art Kuching Airport is the crucial hub and entry point for Sarawak.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which operates daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching has direct links with the major cities in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. Air Asia also operates daily flights from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. Kuching is also accessible to the rest of the world through connections from Singapore (Silk Air), Brunei Darussalam (Royal Brunei Airlines) and Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia Airlines).

Rural airstrips also serve the remote settlements. Regular scheduled air services using DHC6 Twin Otters-Flights to these airstrips are usually constrained by limited time available due to visibility problem. Helicopter services also communicate between various towns and more inaccessible areas in the Sarawak interior.

Road
The Trans-Borneo Highway connects Kuching to all major cities in Sarawak, and carries on through to the neighbouring state of Sabah through Brunei. Travelling from Kuching to Sibu takes about 5 hours by car while Kuching to Miri will take approximately 10 hours. The road system within the State is being constantly upgraded and public transport system improved to cater to increasing traffic volume.

Most major towns and cities offer a variety of public transport services including buses, taxis and limousine services. Bus services are also available for those wishing to travel within the state from town to town, or even internationally to Indonesia (Pontianak) and Brunei.

Bus
There is no bus terminal in Kuching. Departure points depend on the destination and company used.

Sarawak Transport Company (STC) - Serve Kuching & Southwest area
Chin Lian Long - Serve Kuching & suburbs
Petra Jaya Transport - Serve Bako, Santubong & Damai
Matang Transport Company - Serve Matang & Kubah
Regas Transport - Serve Kuching & suburbs

Sampans (Known locally as Tambangs)
To get across river take one of the small ferries that connect the riverside kampungs to the town. Place the fare – 30 cents (AUD 10 cents) on the seat as you leave. Hiring a sampan, RM$25 (AUD$8) is a great way to see the river and the waterfront villages.

Taxis
Airport to town is RM$17.50 (AUD$5.6) – buy a coupon at the taxi stand at the airport. Town to airport is RM$15 (AUD$4.80). Kuching taxis do not use meter so agree the fare first. Short distances around town are RM$7 (AUD$2.25).

Car Hire
This is a great way to explore in and around Kuching. A number of tour operators provide chauffeur-driven cars, vans or 4WD vehicles, but there are only a few fully-fledged self-drive companies operating in Kuching.

8 hours ahead of GMT (GMT+8)

Metric

431 sq km (166 sq mi)

220V to 240V AC (50 cycles)

About 630,000 reside in Kuching.

Bahasa Malaysia (Standard Malay Language) is the official language but English is widely spoken.

Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)

Monday through Friday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm

Offices usually operate from 9am-5pm, Mondays to Fridays, while shopping centres are open from 10am-10am every day.