Kuching: Borneo’s City of Cats (2024 Travel Guide)

Kuching is the capital of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. Its name means “cat” in Malay, and so Kuching is the city of cats! There’s cat statues all over the city, which makes for great photos.

If you’re traveling around Malaysian Borneo, Kuching is usually the beginning or the end of a larger tour. I started in Kuching and then went north, but if you’re coming the opposite way then Kuching is a good place to stop, too. It’s a cute little city with some really fun things to do and see, plus it’s got an international airport so it’s easy to travel to/from the rest of Southeast Asia.

Traveling around Malaysian Borneo? Be sure to check out my Borneo travel guide!

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How to Get to Kuching

From West Malaysia

There are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and Penang. Plenty of airlines make daily flights, and you can snag discounted rates from companies like Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, and Batik Air. I flew with MyAirline and a one way ticket cost about $38 USD. Flights from KL are about 1.5 hours long.

MyAirline didn’t ask for an onward ticket and they didn’t weigh my backpack, but at the time I was traveling with a tiny 27L bag so that might’ve been why.

From Kota Kinabalu

Flying is easiest, as it’s a 2 hour trip versus 27 hour bus ride. If you’re coming from this direction, you might as well stop in Mulu National Park and go hiking for a few days. Then you can fly directly to Kuching from Mulu NP.

From Brunei

Again flying is easiest at only 3 hours versus an 18 hour bus/taxi ride. You could take a taxi into Miri (or hitchhike) and then take a direct bus from there to Kuching, which is a little more straightforward.

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Getting from Kuching Airport to the City

Kuching International Airport (KCH) is about 11 kilometers away from the city center. There are taxis, Grab rideshares and a bus that go into the city. We couldn’t figure out the bus schedule, so we just ended up getting a Grab. Later on I found out there’s a taxi stand with fixed prices.

Taxi coupon: RM30

Grab: RM11

Bus: FREE (but you have to find it to catch it)

You can also rent a car like some of my friends did. This’ll give you a bit more freedom for sightseeing purposes, as Grab isn’t always reliable once you get out into the rural parts, and taxis/private drivers are a bit expensive.

Where to Stay in Kuching

Lots of hotels and hostels for every price range!

I stayed in Marco Polo Hostel, which had a good breakfast and a knowledgeable host. The air con worked well in our room and the bed was fairly comfortable. I did NOT like the bathrooms.

Other than that, some backpacker friends recommended Woodpecker Lodge, Check In Lodge, and Quiikcat.

There’s also lots of apartments for short-term rent along the waterfront! For instance, here’s a modern 3 bedroom apartment for under $100/night.

Things to Do in Kuching

Bako National Park

The main attraction in Kuching is actually just outside of it. Bako NP is famous for its wildlife and excellent trails. You can book an overnight stay within the park, but do it early because spots fill up quick. If you stay overnight, you can go on a night tour!

I went to Bako NP on a daytrip and did 2.5 trails (didn’t complete one because it had insane elevation at the very end), saw proboscis monkeys, macaques, wild boars, and some nice butterflies. Very fun experience and I highly recommend stopping by!

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (Orangutan Rehabilitation)

Super popular spot to go visit orangutans! They’re wild, and only come into the reservation for food when it’s not as available to them in the wild (or if they’re too old to go hunting). There’s feedings twice a day at a platform, but otherwise you can go walking on trails and perhaps see one roaming around.

Recommend getting a ticket for the electric tram, especially if it’s been raining because the pavement up to the feeding area is VERY slippery.

Book a tour with hotel pickup/dropoff here on Viator.

Longhouse Visit

There are several tribes living around Kuching in traditional buildings called Longhouses. Several of these tribes have opened up their longhouses for tourists to come visit and stay in! There’s some very rural and some closer to the city; I only went to the near-the-city one but it was a very fun experience and super cool to see all the buildings and people living there.

There’s a couple different tribes near Kuching you can visit on tours:

• Bidayuh Longhouse and Empurau Experience — this is at Mongkos longhouse near the Indonesian part of Borneo.
• Kuching City Tour & Annah Rais Longhouse — combo city tour and Longhouse visit, good if you only have a short amount of time in Kuching!
• Batang Ai Longhouse 3D2N Tour — combo tour where you go to Semenggoh Nature Reserve, Serian local market and then spend two nights at a longhouse in Batang Ai National Park.

Be sure to bring cash with you on these tours so you can buy souvenirs and give tips to the locals.

Siniawan Night Market

Only open on weekends from 4:30pm-11:00pm, and it really only gets busy after 8:00pm. Nice hawker stalls and small restaurants, a good place to try different foods and listen to live music!

Cat Museum

This is one of those museums where someone collected a BUNCH of things, died, and then nobody knew what to do with their collection so they opened a museum. So it’s a museum about cats! Or more like, a museum about someone’s collection of cat stuff.

I liked it because I love cats and also weird cat things, but I especially liked it because I showed up an hour before closing and they let me in for free.

Borneo Cultures Museum

A jewel in Borneo and one of my favorite museums I’ve ever visited. Highly, HIGHLY recommend coming here and exploring the exhibits. They also have an excellent restaurant on-site.

Rainforest World Music Festival

A celebration of world music held every year for three days in June. If you love live music, this is the place to be!

What to Eat in Kuching

Kuching has tons of great food at all price points! The nicest and most expensive food is probably along the waterfront, and the cheapest (but still good) is everywhere else. Here’s some recommended places:

Choon Hui Cafe – 34, Jalan Ban Hock, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – Closed Mondays. Famous for their popiah, a kind of local spring roll.

Jing-Si Books and Cafe (Kuching) – 152, Jln Padungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – Open daily. Very nice tea/coffee/hot chocolate in a calm, relaxing environment.

Little Fairy Cafe – Ground Floor, 231, Jln Padungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak Padungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – Closed Thursdays. Amazing restaurant owned by a local, serving Malay and Bidayuh (Borneo tribe) food. Delicious! Highly recommended!

Where to Go Next

Go to Mulu National Park and go hiking in the rainforest.

Go to Miri and up into Brunei.

Fly to Kota Kinabalu and maybe snag a hiking ticket up the mountain.

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• Visiting Mulu National Park