4d3n in Santubong, Kuching, Sarawak
Here is a brief post on our trip to Kuching! It was a 4d3n trip, overlapping with Labour's Day on May 1 in between. Weather was generally sunny with 1 day of rain.
We rented a car to ease our movement for the trip. We got a Myvi for RM130 a day, with a deposit of RM100 to book the car, and full payment upon receiving the car keys. Our car rental company was called M.L.M. Transportation. Communication was mainly through Whatsapp.
The Culvert
Our stay was at the tube hotel called The Culvert, under the same management as The Cocoon resort and The Theatre Hotel in Kuching. This property is about 45min drive from Kuching International Airport on a good day.
We booked the Sea View Suite for 2pax at RM1250 then. The room window gives you a partial view of the sea but right outside is a deck parked on a cliff looking out to the ocean.
The room is cosy, with a blasting aircon right on your face, at the entrance when we walk in. Temperature changes quite drastically if you turn the air con on or off. Be prepared to have condensation outside your room door. The bathroom is a step away and situated opposite the room door.
The room price includes breakfast, which was rather good, with sufficient choices of continental menu. There's 2 pools we can swim in, a gym, a sauna, and self-service laundrette too! Parking may be a squeeze during peak season (which Labour's Day was one), but there were ctually spare spaces when we first arrived.
The Culvert also boasts a private beach you can walk down to. It is a mix of sandy beach and stone blocks, some shaped like a couch with edges to hold our drinks or snacks.
Scroll down to see the full moon photo taken at the beach.
We chose this particular hotel just because it is a 4min drive away from the Sarawak Cultural Village.
Sarawak Cultural Village
You be the judge if the price is worth visiting.
We arrived around 9+am to avoid peak hours and also the blasting hot sun of the noon.
We paid RM135 per pax (inclusive of a lunch set) for the visit. It is worth having lunch there if you'd like a taste of some local cuisine and unsure of what to start trying. They served us umai, midin, ayam pansuh, which are among the common starting points into Sarawakian food.
Perhaps ordering lunch there would have been a better choice as we could have picked what we actually wanted to try rather than waste some in the prebooked set menu.
The village took us about 3+hrs to complete. We were also frequently reminded of the Cultural performances happening at 11.30am. There were about 20 types of local houses / exhibits you can experience. When we were there, nearly all the houses had at least a guide in there to share facts and stories of the people and the architecture. Some also have guides demonstrating the making of and selling titbits to you in these houses, giving you a glimpse of the lifestyle of the locals.
The cultural performances was worth sitting in for, one because it is in an airconditioned auditorium, away from the heat nearing noon, and second because the emcee would also provide brief narration of what and why of these dances. It did give us a feel of what different tribes value, such as family, humour, camaraderie, etc... you can observe that sense of community is a strong value of the locals.
When we were there, one of the exhibit house was burnt down recently and have yet been repaired. Charred pillars were still on site.
I believe this site is also the venue for the Rainforest Music Festival happening annually in Kuching because i noticed preparations and signs for them around.
Full moon at Santubong beach
The few days we were there were crossing through the full moon cycle. Santubong beaches were boasted to be among the best places to view the night sky. Of course, the full moon also means brighter sky, less visibility of the stars.
These are a snippet of the beach and the full moon from one of the Santubong beaches.
Kuching town
Kuching is a lovely city with much to offer. For places to visit and food to try, I’m sure any tourism pamphlet will give you a top 10 list. I’ll share a few specific locations for you to go to instead:
Here is a list of must-try places to eat:
Topspot - rooftop eatery. Try their oyster pancake, seafood dishes, umai, midin.
Ceylonese Restaurant - for the longest cheese naan in Malaysia (i think), and good masala chai
Lepau Restaurant - for local cuisine like ayam pansuh, midin, umai, purple bario rice.
George Cafe - for Laksa Sarawak
Sam's ice cream - Gula Apong (local Nipah palm sugar) ice cream
Was it worth the trip?
Yes. Kuching is a quaint city with much to offer. From history buffs to nature lover to foodies, Kuching got you covered.
Check out their museums (Borneo Cultural Museum, Dockyard Maritime Museum, Fort Margherita), then their National Parks (Bako, Semenggoh, Kubah) and caves.
For an "overseas" travel 2hrs away from Kuala Lumpur, I'd say it's worth it.