Kuching & the Southwest
Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak. Ride on a sampan along the Sarawak River, and be awed with its magnificent view of the Malay Villages with great mountainous background. Kuching is a great starting point to explore Sarawak and there are many sights within the city including the renowned Sarawak Museum and the Petra Jaya State Mosque. Because of Kuching’s relative isolation, and it not being bombed during the Second World War, Sarawak still preserves the 19th century turbulent days with its Chinese shophouses, the attractive Fort Margherita, temples and mosques, Brooke era buildings with unique architecture, and the Kuching Waterfront Park.
A Heritage Walk has been devise that covers many of these buildings. Therefore the town is suffused with old memories, enhanced by the colonial buildings. Kuching's museums, cultural exhibits, and historical attractions will help you form an overview of the history, people, and natural wonders of the state.
Kuching is also with easy reach to a number of national parks, such as the Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary and the national parks of Gunung Gading, Kubah and Tanjung Datu National Park. In the northern part of Kuching, you’ll find Bako National Park and the Damai Peninsula. As the name suggests, Damai (means Peace in Malay) will fascinate you not only with its white sandy beaches facing the South China Sea, but also its lush tropical rainforest walks and Mount Santubong dominating the skyline. Once accessible only by river, Damai is Sarawak’s premier beach resort area. It is now just a 40 minutes ride from the capital of Sarawak, Kuching. Damai hosts three international-class resort hotels - the Holiday Inn Resort Damai Beach, Damai Lagoon Resort and Santubong Kuching Resort. Each resort boasts with its own secluded beach, landscaped, swimming pool and offers sports activities such jet skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis, squash and fitness centers.
You will certainly be kept amused with the sorts of variety of entertainment pleasure and the glorious variety of sumptuous food in Damai. Yet, discovery of the ethnic Sarawak culture and village lifestyle is only a step away at the Sarawak Cultural Village and Bako National Park. Plan your trips to interesting Malay fishing villages, nearby islands and river cruises around the Santubong Peninsula.
