An Introduction To Sarawak

Sarawak, the Land of the Hornbills, is the largest state in Malaysia – with a landmass of over 120,000 Square km, and a population of just over one million. It is also a remarkably scenic place, with raw jungles, exciting national forests, towering mountains and a bustling city from where you can stay to explore it all.

To give you an idea of how raw and undiscovered Sarawak actually is, new species of flora and fauna are still discovered within it’s many national parks every year.

Things To See & Do In Sarawak

The capital of Sarawak is the city of Kuching which by itself has many attractions. There’s a wildlife park within the city and if you’re fond of museums then Sarawak museum is the pick of the choices (though others like the Chinese History Museum and Natural Science Museum are also good places to visit.

Fort Margherita is a good historic monument located by the waterfront. There is also a thriving Sunday market within the city selling all manner of fresh produce.

Outside of the main city of Kuching, Sarawak still offers the tourist plenty of sights and activities. There is the popular Damai Cultural Village where you can catch live cultural dances and music. In particular Sarawak is a goldmine of national parks and forests – the most popular ones include:

Kubah National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park. Here you will find a network of limestone caves that will boggle your mind.  It’s the largest cave network in the world.  You won’t believe how large some of the cave chambers are (think a few soccer field sizes!)

Caves in Mulu National Park, Sarawak Malaysia

Bako National Park

Bukit Tiban National Park

Batang Ai National Park

Tanjung Datu National Park

Niah National Park

Loagan Bunut National Park

Lambir Hills National Park

Pulong Tau National Park

Talang Satang National Park

Rajang Mangroves National Park

Unless you’re here for a very long time, it’s probably unlikely that you will be able to see them all – but take your pick because most offer a wonderful selection of trekking opportunities, hikes and vistas as well as some highly interesting flora & fauna.

Away from the capital, and national parks, Sibu town is another colourful little fishing village which has a lovely temple (Tua Pek Kong) and the unique Mist Gardens. It’s similar to Kapit (another fishing village) which is famous for the Kapit Museum, Fort Sylvia and the attractive harbour area.

Another popular region in Sarawak is the Kelabit Highlands – the main town centre to see here is Bario while other places to visit in the Highlands include Ba Kelalan and the Pulong Tau National Park.

Near Sibu is another pretty little fishing village called Mukah – very picturesque and well worth seeing if you’re in the North East region of Sarawak while Bintulu has a pleasant port area and a scattering of sights like a Chinese temple and a few decent places to stay and eat.

Hotels, Guesthouses & Other Accommodation In Sarawak, Malaysia

Sarawak has a lot of hotels, guesthouses and resorts throughout the main visitor areas of the state. Here are some of your choices segregated by region:

In The Capital (Kuching):

Hilton (5 Star)

Hilton Batang (5 Star)

Crowne Plaza (4 Star)

Damai Puri (4 Star)

Holiday Inn (4 Star)

Merdeka Palace (4 Star)

Grand Continental (3 Star)

Hornbill Golf & Jungle Club (3 Star)

Harbour View Hotel (3 Star)

Kingwood Inn (3 Star)

Rajah Court Hotel (3 Star)

Permai Rainforest Resort (3 Star)

Santubong Kuching (3 Star)

Somerset Gateway (3 Star)

Telang Usang (3 Star)

Other Hotels In Sarawak (Outside Kuching):

Mega Hotel (5 Star – Miri)

Marriott Hotel (5 Star – Miri)

Kingwood (4 Star – Sibu)

Park City (4 Star – Bintulu)

Dynasty (3 Star – Miri)

Grand Palace (3 Star Miri)

Royal Mulu (3 Star – Mulu National Park)

Restaurants & Places To Eat In Sarawak

Sarawak has a rich variety of eateries – especially within the capital city of Kuching. Here you can eat at neat and cheery café’s or try some traditional Malay food. The choice is yours. Three of the most popular café’s in Kuching are Life Café, King Top Café and Juat Biang Café all serving the usual café fare.

For Oriental food there’s the Ming Joo and Fook Hoi restaurant. Good Indian grub can be found at Sri Shan Curry and some excellent satay dishes at Madli Satay.

If you’re staying in Kuching, you will find the seafood at the Sea Horse Bistro is highly popular with tourists.

In Miri there are some good dining options too – Tanjong Seafood Restaurant has a good reputation and is often packed at weekends. Sendha Sadhu has some very interesting dishes on its menu with an Asian/Oriental theme while non-meat lovers can indulge at the Vegetarian Delight. The place to go for Indian food in Miri is Jhansi Curry House.

Elsewhere, Kapit is home to the quaint Madam Ma’s Kitchen, and the Orchard Inn (Oriental).

Other eateries are dotted in and around the various other small towns in the state and each of the National Parks has an in-house restaurant too.