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It's amazing how few of us from Peninsula Malaysia ever make it a point to visit Sarawak. It used to be the cost. Before Air Asia began its low fare/ no frills operations to Borneo, it was indeed a price to pay for flights. Now that there are cheaper flights, then what's stopping us from a short hop away? Really? The cost. yet again. Yup. With the low fares, it's occasionally more enticing to visit neighbouring Indonesian islands than Borneo. Ahh... you see, there's Bali, Batam and Bintan but then there's Borneo. There really isn't a comparison. Not for those wanting to journey into the wild wonders of the exotic - those who have proudly graduated from a holidaymaker to a traveller. Am I babbling?

Indeed I am. Then there are those in Sarawak who lament that they don't receive as many visitors per annum as Sabah does because the former lacks many of the must-haves in selling this exotic island ~ Beautiful diving, the Sepilok Orang Utan Centre and one plus point - Mount Kinabalu. Yes there are dive sites in Miri, yes there are hills and mountains to climb like Mount Santubong and Mount Api and the Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (Orang Utan) but there are also places unique to Sarawak. There's the Mulu and Niah caves, the limestone Pinnacles, there are the peoples of the land and the many festivals, the national parks like Bako and Batang Ai National Park, the Bario highlands. But all having said. you have to love what nature has to offer and have the time to travel. And if you have only a week. that's okay too as there's Kuching and its surroundings.

Kuching

Kuching is the entry point into Sarawak for most. But of course, those flying in from Kuala Lumpur, there are other entry points such as Miri and Sibu. Life in Kuching is of a good pace. It's South East Asia minus the rush and the traffic. Organised too. And clean. And lots of museums scattered about. There's the Cat Museum, Fort Margherita which now houses the Police Museum, the Timber Museum (??!!), the Islamic Museum which is located across the bridge from the Sarawak Museum and a rather new venue included in this ever expanding list is the Textile Museum.

Listed are a few must see places in Kuching.

Sarawak Museum

The Sarawak Museum has fine display of a variety stuffed and mounted animals in huge glass casings, some specimens dating back as far as during Wallace's expedition to the Malay Archipelago in 1850's. In fact, it was Edgar Wallace who persuaded Charles Brooke to construct a building to house the species and artefacts found in Sarawak. The Sarawak Museum was regarded as one of the best in South East Asia, housed in a building which Charles Brooke commissioned in the style of a Normandy town hall. On the ground floor are displays of fauna and flora found in Sarawak. A number of crocodile skulls of great proportions can be found stuffed at the bottom of the display casings. During the reign of the White Rajahs, bounty was put up for nuisance crocs and rewards can be high.

On the second floor, is an impressive mural painted by the Long Nawang Kenyahs who were invited by anthropologist Tom Harrison (the curator of the museum from ). Artefacts and even a life-sized model of the interior of a longhouse has been added into the exhibition. The black and white photographs of the many tribes in Borneo are fascinating. The most intriguing items on display are the weapons and body piercing instruments.

Opening times: 9.00am - 5.30pm Opening days: open daily. Closed on 1 st day of Major festival

Located: Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg

Entrance fee: free

Textile and Costume Museum

This new museum is housed in the Pavilion, just opposite the General Post Office. The 3-storey rectangular building was built in 1907 as a medical centre and was later allocated to the Education Department as headquarters in1947. The architecture is a mix of late English Renaissance and English Colonial design. This is an interesting museum for those wanting to know a bit more on the textiles of the indigenous people from bark cloth to the Pua Kumbu.

Opening times: 9.00am - 5.30pm

Opening days: Daily

Located: Next to the old courthouse in town centre, opposite the General Post Office

Entrance fee: free

For more on Kuching...

Accommodation and Packages to Kuching, Damai Beach, Bako National Park and Batang Ai National Park

Malaysia Cities , Towns & Villages