Hotels in Kuching City Center

Kuching is the capital of the state Sarawak in Malaysia. The city is situated in the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sarawak on the Island of Borneo. The land of Kuching covers the area of 431 square kilometres. Kuching is now a major food destination for tourists and the main gateway for travelers visiting Sarawak and Borneo.

There are many sources as to how the name Kuching came about. One of them is said that the name derived from the fruit ‘mata kucing’. This fruit is widely grown throughout Malaysia and Indonesia. There was also a hill in the city that was also named after the fruit. The hill was called ‘Bukit Mata Kucing’.

Bahasa Melayu is the main form of communication by the people of Sarawak however in Kuching they have a dialect of their own known as Bahasa Sarawak. The dialect in Kuching however is rather different than the one in Miri. Han Chinese are the next majority race in Kuching therefore they mostly uses Hokkien, Hakka and Mandarin Chinese to communicate. Since there are many races here, English is widely used as well to ensure there is no language barrier when communicating.

How to Get There

By Plane

One can take a local flight such as Air Asia or Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air to fly to Kuching. There is a flight to Kuching almost hourly using the local air flights. The airport is an international airport however it only connects to 2 international cities which are Pontianak and also Singapore. Then from there will be plenty of taxis waiting outside the airport to bring the visitors to their hotels.

By Boat

From Sibu visitors may take the Express Bahagia or Express Sejahtera express boat to head to Kuching. It runs alternate days service with each boat returning the next day. The fare is RM 38 and RM45 for the first class each way. The journey takes around 5.5 hours and along the way it stops at Sarikei and also Tanjung Manis.

By Bus

Kuching has a bus terminal called Kuching Sentral Terminal which is around 1 kilometre from the airport. Miri, Sibu and Bintulu are among the big cities where buses arrive from at the terminal. Others include Pontianak in Indonesia. Therefore there are plenty of buses that make their way into the city. Some of the bus companies are Plusliner, Transnasional as well as Trans Borneo.

Tourist Attractions

Tua Pek Kong Temple

This is the oldest Chinese temple in the city. It is located at the heart of Kuching strategically opposite the Chinese Museum. It was built back in 1843. The temple would organize events such as The Wang Kang Festival as well as the Ghost Festival.

Sultan Iskandar Planetarium

This is the first planetarium built in Malaysia. It was built in Kuching Civic Centre Complex. Here there are displays of videos of the astronomic adventures in the solar system. It is very educational to the young.

Hotels

Riverside Majestic Hotel

This hotel is located in the city itself. It is only 0.07 kilometres away from the famous Cat Monument that symbolizes the city. It is an excellent hotel with great services that will ensure comfort to their guests.

Grand Margherita Hotel

This luxurious hotel will ensure that their guests are pampered when staying here. They have the facilities for a leisure stay or a corporate stay. They also have a fitness centre that is open to their guests.

Imperial Riverbank Hotel Kuching

This hotel has great location. They also have their own café that offers great food. Not to mention the services provided as well as the facilities come at a very affordable prices.

Grand Supreme Hotel

This hotel is strategically located to many public facilities. They have 24 hour front desk that helps their guest should they arrive late or need assistance. They also have Wifi offered together with the stay.

Harbour View Hotel Kuching

This hotel is close to several tourist attractions therefore it eliminates the need of a car to get around. It is an affordable place that offers great comfort and services.