Having a hectic schedule means not having enough time to truly go around sightseeing…and it does not help when Kuching city is just so huge… It is after all the capital city of the largest state in Malaysia…

But here are some places you might like to take into consideration should you find yourself in the Cat City of Malaysia… nicknamed thus because Kuching sounds just like Kucing (Bahasa Malaysia for cat).. hehehe…

1. Semenggoh Nature Reserve

Our first stop was none other then the Semenggoh Nature Reserve where orphaned or rescued orang utans are somehow trained to survive in the wild…

The surrounding forest reserve thrives with a population of healthy adolescent and young adult orangutans, who are now breeding in the wild….,

however some of the newer orang utans along with the training programme has been transferred to Matang Wildlife Centre, but Semenggoh Nature Reserve is still home to semi-wild orangutans and their babies who spend their time roaming the forest but frequently coming back to the Centre for a free meal…

However, when it is fruiting season, most of them will not come to to the Centre for their meals, which is a good sign and another step on the way to full rehabilitation….

The ideal time to visit Semenggoh is during the morning and afternoon feeding sessions when visitors will then get a good chance of seeing some of these semi-wild orangutan returning to the Centre for a free meal….

Feeding takes place between 9.00-10.00am and between 3.00-4.00 pm.

Address – 93250 Siburan, Sarawak

2. Jong’s Crocodile Farm

Located at 18 1/2 Miles (29KM) Kuching Serian Highway, about 20 minutes drive from Kuching, Jong’s crocodile farm & zoo claims to be the first & largest captive breeding crocodile farm in Malaysia…

The farm provides a perfect sanctuary for the reptiles, saving the species from extinction. There are few natural breeding ponds for the crocodiles to mate and multiply…

It can be kind of nerve wrecking gazing at open jaws with sharp pointed teeth and those cold menacing eyes staring st you through the fences…

…but it is also pretty amazing especially when you watch these prehistoric beasts lazily swimming and suddenly leaping out from the water to a few feet for their meals…

The skull of the notorious killer crocodile Bujang Senang, one of the largest crocodile ever caught in Sarawak is also displayed here….

Website- http://www.jongscrocodile.com/
Address – Jalan Kuching – Serian, 94200 Siburan

3. Sarawak Cultural Village

Known as the ‘Living Museum’, the Cultural Village is an amazing place where Sarawak’s cultural heritage is preserved and showcased to visitors…

Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from Kuching, it is the perfect place to understand and immerse yourself in the fascinating local culture and lifestyle of the many different ethnics of Sarawak…

This is one of the rare places 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 comes with a theatre, where visitors can enjoy the multicultural dance performances.

Website – https://scv.com.my/
Address – Damai Beach Resort, 93762, Kampung Budaya Sarawak, 93010 Kuching

4. Kuching Riverfront

Kuching Waterfront, which lines the south bank of Sarawak River, is THE place to sample the city’s cosmopolitan vibes….

During the day, it offers scenic views of the Astana, Fort Margherita and the Malay kampungs across the river; but when night falls, it is a whole new world…

Kuching Waterfront today is one of the most popular meeting place in the city, beautifully landscaped with wooden benches, food stalls, restaurants and entertainment facilities… You can also find interesting older buildings which has been beautifully preserved and incorporated into the design, including the Chinese History Museum, the Sarawak Steamship Building, an open-air theatre and the Square Tower.

Modern additions to the Waterfront include the Darul Hana Bridge which links Kuching Waterfront with the north side of the river and make it more easier to make a visit to Astana Building or Orchid Garden…

Naturally you really not miss out on the Darul Hana Fountain as well… where combining the elements of music, water and lights, visitors are treated to an amazing sight as the beautifully decorated fountain features a nine-foot wall measuring 80 metres in length. Operated using modern technology, it has hundreds of nozzles that shoot water 25 metres upwards…

The Darul Hana Musical Fountain runs daily at 8.30pm and 10pm, for a period of 15 minutes each.

5. Kuching Cat Museum

Kuching Cat Museum is a cat museum in Kuching owned by the Kuching North City Hall.

This might be an interesting place if you are fond of cats and like to gush over cats as the place showcase a lot of cat collections from photos, posters, cat food etc… and they even have Egyptian mummified cats.. but if you are not fond of cats you might want to skip out on this…

However, the Kuching North City Hall building is pretty impressive sitting on top of a hill….

I certainly appreciated the beautiful scenery of Kuching and the surroundings

Address- Bangunan DBKU, Jalan Semariang, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching

6. The Brooke Gallery / Fort Margherita

Fort Margherita was built in 1879 to guard Kuching’s river from pirates. In the old days, a canon shot was fired from here every evening to mark the end of the government work day.

Named after Charles Brooke’s wife, Ranee Margaret, the hard-to-miss landmark is situated along Sarawak River. It is afterall the only medieval looking fort around the area which was built inspired by a medieval English castle….

It is now known as the Brooke Gallery where you can view irreplaceable historical documents, artefacts and arts from the White Rajah’s era, wrapped in steep history and preserved in time….

The gallery also includes new addition such as a portrait painting of Rentap painted by the local artist, Alena Murang, depicting the man who was a hero to some and a villain to others…

This gallery is a joint project of the Sarawak Museum Department, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as Mr. Jason Brooke, the grandson of the last Rajah Muda and the Director of The Brooke Trust.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Margherita/
Address – Fort Margherita, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching