Kuching, Sarawak

Stepping foot into Kuching, Sarawak

As a former flight stewardess, I have flown to Kuching, Sarawak numerous times but have never set foot outside of the airplane. The idea of taking a short holiday to Borneo, sounds adventurous and a plan to go on a jungle trek. I’m fearful of creatures inside a rainforest. My earliest childhood memory into a nature reserve was traumatic but dramatically hilarious to others – I found a leech in between my toes! To this day I am squeamish of leaches and worms.

The perks include having the pool and beach to ourselves. The downside -most amenities in the hotel are closed; there is no buffet offered in the restaurant or bar for the sunset drink. Oh…and the spa is closed too. These lack of amenities didn’t put us out at all since we get a good discount and our goals are to enjoy the pool, sea and rainforest. In fact, we absolutely enjoy the quiet ambiance of the resort and friendly staffs.

The South China Sea

Our first gift of the evening is a spectacular sunset over the South China Sea. The next day, early morning mist and low clouds cast a veil over Mount Santubong but they dissipate towards noon. The sea is very calm with fine sandy beach that becomes rocky towards the foothill. It makes an interesting contrast and we enjoy our daily walk here. Our ala-carte meal orders at the restaurant are slow so a hotel staff suggests a food court just opposite the Sarawak Cultural Village. We walk over there and find only a few food stalls opened. We end up eating the next three days at the hotel restaurant.

Experience Sarawak Cultural Village

The Sarawak Cultural Village sits on a 17 acre site with replicas of indigenous tribal longhouses. There are very few tourists around so we enjoy walking through and experience the diverse cultures at our own pace. The cultural performance is entertaining with blowpipes and dances. We spend time watching and asking questions in each tribal house we visit. Shane even gets a tribal Iban tattoo, a fake one nonetheless but equally exciting when we show it off to our kids back home in the United States. They think dad has finally done it! LOL We come back to this place again two days later on a wet morning and the staff surprises us with complimentary entrance tickets!

All gear up for rainforest trekking!

We have an early start to our rainforest trek and register ourselves at The Green Paradise Jungle Trek to confirm the trail we are following. With a map in hand, I feel pretty safe because the first part of the trail is paved and there are several tree house chalets. Then the trail branches out and we have to use markings for guides.

The dense foliage shuts out all traffic noise – my fear goes up threefold while Shane gets more excited. I fear the critters and wild animals like snakes and tigers but Shane feels right at home. He patiently leads the way. The trail we have chosen is supposed to be an easy one but for me it feels completely laborious. I worry I was going to drop dead – I developed PTSD after getting a heart attack and I am only in my second month of physio therapy! My cardiologist has given the go ahead for this trip. Shane encourages me a lot and stops often so I can rest while snapping photos.

I must admit the Sarawak rainforest is amazing!

Vines thicker than my arms grab on low branches climbing upwards on its host tree. Humongous tree roots with tall trunks rise majestically into the sky. I hear screeching and birds chirping and the air is humid. Some parts of the trail are steep but there are ropes and vines to hold on to.

We arrive at our target peak next to the waterfall, take a breather and begin our descend. By now, I am too tired to fear anything. Detecting the traffic noise is so welcoming because we are finally back to civilization! I feel an overwhelming sense of achievement when we arrive at the base. I’ve made it! I’m alive. My heart did not fail me. (That’s PTSD talking) It took us 3 hours of trekking this time but I am now game for another trekking adventure. (Please read this article written for Trip Advisor for anyone interested in exploring this mountain.)

This trekking achievement calls for a celebration

We take a long soak in the pool and watch the sun sets on the horizon. The water feels good and eases our sore legs. I call for a Grab Car (e-hailing car service) to take us to a Chinese seafood restaurant recommended by the front desk. We enjoy fresh coconut juice and some seafood dishes but they aren’t something worth going back again. One important thing to take note is to make sure you have the telephone number of the driver. It is very difficult to get a Grab Car where we are staying. He becomes our regular driver because he lives close by to the resort in a nearby village and we always book ahead of time.

Things to do in Kuching city

We spend our last two days in the Kuching city and getting a Grab car is easy here. We enjoy a fusion meal at a restaurant by the Riverfront, shop for gifts, buy a teak wood root bowl for our house and visit a Taoist temple. Our dinners are at the Top Spot Food Court, a seafood haven on the roof top of a six floor car park. The food is AMAZING! It is such a bustling place, serving a variety of seafood dishes we can see and pick – important for people like us who need visual to know what we are eating. We eat a local treat calls stir fry ‘Midin’ a wild jungle fern that tastes like asparagus but better so we order it twice! The grilled fish and prawns are fresh and tasty.

It is such a great experience staying in Kuching, Sarawak because the people are friendly and the place has a nice ambience. We are excited to visit Borneo again so we can explore more places.