Discover Sarawak: A 5-Day, 4-Night Adventure This November!

Fellow adventurers, around the globe, it’s time of the year again to start dreaming of a year-end vacation. Why not set your sights on an unforgettable journey in Sarawak? Step into the magical land of rich landscapes, dive into deep cultures and relish tempting cuisines this November. Prepare to embark on a voyage of discovery and create lasting memories in this enchanting Malaysian state. Don’t rush—make the most of it. Today, we bring you a 5-day-4-night itinerary to make your trip the most happening ever.

Day One: Explore Kuching City

Morning: Arrive Kuching, Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street

After arriving at your hotel, walk into your hotel or take a taxi to Main Bazaar Street, a street that will transport you back to the 19th century. It is filled with old shops that sell everything from antiques and crafts to textiles, ceramics and wood carving. Engage in friendly bargaining with the vendors. Art galleries here are home to the work of local artists. Visit one of the quaint coffee shops or local cafes and have something to eat while enjoying the stunning views of the Waterfront at the Sarawak River.
Then, it’s a short walk to Carpenter Street, which is equally charming and cultural. Check out the little trading shops and the Chinese temples or sit at cafes. Try the Lau Ya Keng food court, with its Chinese opera stage as the centrepiece. There are many delicious foods to try here, such as kolo mee (springy noodles), laksa, kueh chap, satay (meat skewers) and fish ball soup. Don’t forget the local coffee and milk tea. Note that the stalls close during the evening.

Afternoon/Evening: Borneo Cultures Museum, Fort Margherita, Gambier and India Street, River Cruise

Visit the Borneo Cultures Museum (across the field from Plaza Merdeka shopping mall). This modern building displays Sarawak’s excellent collection of arts and crafts. It encapsulates the state’s rich heritage and cultural diversity through interactive displays, allowing visitors to engage with it. There are family-friendly activities for the kids. Explore the different levels and immerse yourself in Sarawak’s rich history.

Head back to the Sarawak River. Board a sampan at the Waterfront jetty for a short ride across the river. Then, proceed to Fort Margherita, an 18th-century structure erected to defend Kuching against pirates. Afterwards, take the sampan ride back and, if time permits, walk to Gambier and India Street. Gambier Street is best known for its various spices, herbs and other grocery sundries. People visit India Street for an exclusive shopping experience where you will find all clothing, traditional attire and textiles under one roof. The neighbourhood has bookshops and cafes as well.

Join the daily Sarawak River sunset cruise at 5:30 p.m. for a tranquil experience. You can pay at the ticket desk beside the jetty, which leads to a large double-storey boat. Enjoy breathtaking views of the cityscape, iconic landmarks, and the Malay villages along the opposite banks of the Waterfront, connected by the Darul Hana Bridge. The cruise lasts 1.5 hours.

Evening/night: Dinner, Musical Fountain Show

Have a great meal at one of the Waterfront restaurants or the Old Court House. At 8:30 p.m., a spectacular musical fountain show featuring colourful lights and choreographed water displays begins. End the day enjoying the ambience at the waterfront.

How to reach: Go to Main Bazaar. All the attractions are within walking distance. Take a taxi to the Borneo Cultures Museum from Carpenter Street and return by taxi to the Waterfront. The ride each way is about 5 to 10 minutes. Your hotel can provide a map.
Kuching Information Centre: +6 082 248088
Borneo Cultures Museum: +6 082 548215
Weekdays: 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. (last admission: 4 p.m.)
Weekends: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (last admission: 4 p.m.)
Fort Margherita: +6 016- 3101880
Daily: 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. (last admission: 4.15 p.m.)
Sarawak River Sunset Cruise: +6 082 240366

Day Two: Sarawak Cultural Village, Damai Beach, Santubong Wildlife Mangrove Cruise

Morning/Afternoon: Sarawak Cultural Village

Enjoy a leisurely morning breakfast at your hotel or one of the kopitiam (local café). Head to Sarawak Cultural Village, a 17-acre living museum across from Damai Beach Resort. Immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle of the diverse ethnic groups in Sarawak. Don’t miss the daily cultural show inside an air-conditioned theatre at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Dancers and musicians in their costumes present multi-cultural performances.

Visit the various tribal houses to learn about their traditional way of life. Each house features people dressed in traditional costumes, and most houses provide cooking, music or craftwork demonstrations. Visit Sculpture Park to see the modern stone sculptures made from native stones.

Have a scrumptious lunch at the village café, Restaurant Budaya. You get to try exotic dishes such as nasi lemak, chicken rice, kolo mee (spring noodles), manok pansoh (chicken cooked in bamboo), laksa, ayam penyet (fried yellow spice chicken), bamboo shoot, saute prawns, eggplant with sambal and midin (local fern). If you purchase the ticket with lunch included, you’ll receive a set lunch, not a buffet. Next to the restaurant is a handicraft shop with many souvenirs, books and gift items.

Afternoon/Evening/Night: Damai Beach/Santubong Wildlife Mangrove Cruise

After exploring the village, walk over to Damai Beach Resort for a relaxing afternoon at Damai Beach. Enjoy the sun, swim in the warm waters or simply unwind with a good book. Additionally, you can ride an ATV buggy at the beach. There are rental charges for the buggy. Shower areas are available beside the beach, so bring a change of clothing and towels.

Non-in-house guests need to pay a voucher fee of Rm30 per person. You can redeem the voucher at Café Satang, Sunset Bar (at the beach) and Santubong Bar.

Remember to allow enough time to get to the meeting point for the wildlife mangove cruise, which starts late afternoon. If you require a taxi, please arrange one in advance. The journey will take about 20 minutes. If you prefer to spend more time at the cultural village, then skip Damai Beach.

A journey along the rivers, creeks and mangroves of the Santubong Peninsula is packed with stunning sights. The cruise departs from Sarawak Boat Club and makes its way along the course to the mouth of the Santubong River before navigating along the mangrove-lined river and estuaries. Pass traditional village houses built on stilts in the mangroves as you go. Watch out for Irrawaddy dolphins, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, monitor lizards and exotic birds along the way. As night descends, the boat will venture further into the smaller tributaries of the swamp to pursue fireflies that illuminate the branches of mangrove trees. Light refreshments or a boxed dinner will be provided on the boat.

How to get there: Take a taxi or rent a car to Sarawak Cultural Village. The ride from Kuching city takes about 45 minutes. From the village, walk to Damai Beach Resort. Make sure to coordinate with the taxi driver who dropped you off at the village when you want to be picked up again for the wildlife mangrove tour. Taxis are hard to come by in this part of town. At the end of the cruise, you will rejoin the tour going back to your hotel if you are not renting a car. Sarawak Metro offers complimentary hydrogen bus services on Saturdays and Sundays on the Damai Loop to the Damai area and back. Check H2 Sarawak’s Facebook for the schedule. You must still arrange transportation for the wildlife cruise from Damai to Santubong.
Sarawak Cultural Village: +6 082 846108/078
Damai Beach Resort: +6 082 846999
Sarawak Cultural Village: www.scv.com.my (showtime schedules and attraction details)

Day Three: Mulu National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Miri

Morning/Afternoon: Arrive Mulu, Lunch, Deer Cave, Lang Cave, Bat Exodus

Take a flight from Kuching directly to Mulu on MASwings. Upon arrival, check into your accommodation and enjoy lunch at Mulu Café (inside the park) or Good Luck Café (outside). There are various accommodation options, including budget homestays, park accommodations and the nearby 5-star luxury Marriot Hotel. Mulu Café is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Book the Deer and Lang Cave tour (including bat exodus) in advance at www.mulupark.com. The three-hour tour begins at 2 or 2:30 p.m. It takes about 45 minutes to walk from Park HQ to Deer Cave. The bat exodus (if weather permits) usually starts at 5 p.m. After the bat exodus, walk back to Park HQ from the bat observatory. If you plan to join the night walk around the park, which starts at 7 or 7:30 p.m., please ensure sufficient time.

Deer Cave is famous for its massive chambers and Lang Cave houses breathtaking rock formations. The Deer Cave has the world’s largest known cave passage. Venture further on the tour to the Garden of Eden, with sunlight pouring down into it and supporting amazing plant growth. Between 5 pm and 7 pm, over one million bats living in the cave shoot out of it at an insane rate, spiralling into the sky.
Evening: Dinner, Night Walk

Have dinner at your accommodation or one of the cafes. Then, participate in the night walk tour, which is a 1.5-km circular walk around the park to observe the creatures living there. The park is home to a plethora of nocturnal species. Visitors must move quietly to observe the night animals. The night walk typically lasts 1 to 2 hours.

Day Four: Mulu National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Miri

Morning/Afternoon: Clearwater Cave, Cave of the Winds

The four-hour tour starts at 8:45 or 9:15 a.m. It includes a longboat ride along the Melinau River. The first stop is a Penan longhouse and market at Batu Bungan. We then return to the boat to proceed towards Wind Cave. From there, it’s a short boat ride to Clearwater Cave. Be advised: to reach the cave and view the subterranean river, you must climb 200 steps up the stairs.
Clearwater Cave has one of the longest cave systems on Earth. While swimming inside the cave is not allowed, you can have a picnic lunch and swim or cool down in the natural, crystal-clear waters at the picnic deck. The King’s Chamber, a cathedral-like space filled with stalagmites and columns, is only one of the chambers you will encounter in Wind Cave.
Return to Park HQ by longboat. Take a rest before the next adventure in the afternoon.

Afternoon: Adventure Caving at Lagang Cave

The cave is accessible by a 20-minute boat ride from Park HQ and a 1-km walk to the cave entrance. From inside, immerse yourself in the beauty of stalactites, stalagmites and unique cave sediments. Wear a helmet and use a torchlight before you set to discover yet another underground universe. On the tour, you will clamber over boulders and along ancient riverbeds. This experience is suitable for family groups as no climbing is needed. That being said the park will determine if each person is suitable. The tour needs at least 3 people and can handle a maximum of 6 participants. The minimum age is twelve.
If you prefer something more relaxed, choose one of the park’s unguided tours, such as Mulu Botanical Heritage Trail, Kenyalang Loop or Paku Waterfall.

In the evening, savour time and do your own activities after dinner.

Day Five: Mulu National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Miri

Morning: Canopy Walk

The Canopy Walk— At 25 metres high above the forest floor, you can experience mother nature in a totally unique and exhilarating way. It is one of the longest tree-based canopy walks in the world spanning 420 metres. The view is panoramic with the lush green rainforest, the calm rivers below, and towering limestone cliffs above. It’s an excellent opportunity to see the abundant woodland wildlife such as birds, monkeys and plants of the rainforests. Birders should take the early morning tours offered. The tour takes about 2 hours.
Depart Mulu in the afternoon. Allow enough time to get to your return flight. The Park HQ can give you cash from your credit card with a fee or bring sufficient cash. You can also leave your luggage at the Park HQ.

How to get there: Take a direct flight from Kuching to Mulu. You can also fly to Miri and then take another flight from Miri to Mulu on MASwings. Mulu airport is a mere 5-minute car ride from the Park HQ. Check with your accommodation for transfer provisions from the airport. Book your flight, accommodation, activities and tours in advance.

Gunung Mulu National Park: +6 085 792600/601/602/603
Website: www.mulupark.com (attraction details and ticket prices)