12 Things to do in Kuching within 48 hours

If you are looking for a weekend getaway, why not consider heading to Borneo Island, welcome to East Malaysia, Kuching! Do note this mean the only way to arrive into Kuching is by flying, not accessible via land transport (this is not West Malaysia)!

Here is a quick guide on what to do if you only have 48 hours just like how I spent my weekend in Kuching. The trip starts from the moment I boarded the plane at 3.20pm, departing from Singapore. Recommended taking the afternoon flight because one could take half day leave and yet arriving at the airport in time to catch the flight. Otherwise, the next AirAsia flight will be arriving Kuching past midnight.

The best part of Kuching is that the airport is located within 10km from the main touristy area, making it just a mere 15 minutes ride to city if the traffic is smooth flowing.

I stayed at <The Marian Boutique Lodging House> for 2 nights. For a triple sharing room, each night set me back for around Singapore Dollars SGD$60. The location is just a 8 minutes walk from Kuching waterfront and major tourist areas.

Day 01 : Friday 

List of attractions to visit on Day 1:

*Kuching Waterfront 

*Cat Statue

*Top-One food court (dinner) 

*Floating Mosque

1520H: Flight depart from Singapore to Kuching on AirAsia

1645H: Arrive Kuching

1700H: Check into Hotel & refresh

1730H: Time to explore the Cat city

1745H: Explore Kuching waterfront , look out for the Kuching signboard! Best time to take during sunset hours.

1800H: 5 mins walk away, one will able to locate the Cat statue located in the center of the roundabout.

1820H: Dinner time at Top-One food court known for the seafood outlets. It is basically function like an open air food court, only thing is it being located on top of a multi-storey car park. Look for “UTC Building”. The food court is open from 5pm till midnight. I would strongly recommend trying out the mega huge prawns, stir fried vegetables with chicken feet. The clams are something not to be missed as well here!

2030H: Head to the Bazaar Street , located along the Kuching Waterfront. This place overlooks the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. Every night, food stalls and street vendors will be there to greet you.  Look out for the 15 minute light and show program. There are 3 shows , happening over weekends from Fridays to Sundays at 8.30pm-8.45pm, 9.30pm-9.45pm and 10.30pm-10.45pm.

2100H: Not far away lies the floating mosque, located on the banks of the Sarawak River. The multi-colour LED lights of the nearby light show increase the glow and ambiance of the riverfront making the mosque a splendid sight to behold.

2130H: As the night goes on, it is time for late night shopping! Kek lapis (layered cake) shops can be found in the vicinity. The cake is a Sarawak’s signature food item. These cakes taste awesome!

Day 02 : Saturday 

List of attractions to visit on Day 1:

*Carpenter Street 

*Tua Pek Kong Temple 

*Upside Down House Kuching 

*Qing Shan Temple

*Kuching Food Street Festival 

0900H: Start the day with a hearty breakfast! The first stop will be Carpenter Street. It looks more to me like Chinatown where one can find the local version of Chinese food here. Must try food here include Kolo Mee, Sarawak Laska that comes with a spicy yet sour taste and Kueh Chap, hearty broth filled with slices of pork meat & intestines. Trust me, the Kolo Mee and Laska taste so good…….Carpenter street is also the area where one can purchase white peppercorns which Sarawak is famous for!

1030H:Walk over to the famous “Tua Pek Kong” Temple, the oldest and yet most popular attraction located on a busy intersection in the center of  the town.  Along the way, be enchanted by the many artistic walls around Kuching city.

1115H: Just a short 10 minutes walk away from Tua Pek Kong temple, lies one of the most unique attraction in Kuching. Welcome to Upside Down House Kuching.  It is an interactive gallery where the interior set up are built upside down, making it a fun environment to take photos. Admission fee is rather reasonable at around RM25 per adult. Senior above the age of 60 years old enjoys discounted price, just show your passport to the ticketing staff! A plus point I love about this place is that staffs were friendly! They have the patience to guide you along on posing for good photos. Schedule at least 45 minutes to fully explore the house.

1230H: Return back to hotel for a quick rest and refresh!

1300H: Embark on a 30 minutes journey to Qing Shan Temple. Do note that Grab drivers seldom take you to this area as it is considered outskirt of Kuching. I was lucky to meet this Grab driver who happens to be a licensed tour guide and he was willing to bring us there. Grab or rather private hirer drivers usually charge around RM120 in total to transport you 2 way from city area to Qing Shan temple and back to city, whole duration takes 2hour (1 hour for two way journey, another 1 hour for seafood lunch and temple visit). If you order for a taxi service, they will charge at least RM150 as verify by my own experience as the cab driver that took me from airport to the city offer me the rate. Do note it is not simple for one to find a grab transport back from Qing Shan temple to Kuching city center.

Qing Shan Temple is located high up, overlooking the harbour where villagers venture out to the sea in search for seafood. This area is mainly occupied by Malay villagers and certainly, having a seafood lunch is one of  the top draw of this seaside location too!

1500H: Arrive back to Kuching Center

1600H: Visit the many massage center around the city! Time for your legs to take a well deserved break before one continue in the food hunt in Kuching city.

1730H: Walk around Kuching town, be amazed by the numerous cat statues that are found in and around the city!

1900H:  Visit the annual Kuching Festival Food Fair , happening between 29 July to 21 August 2022. The food fair usually happens around this period, so if you miss out this year, look out for the next one around this period.  I got to say the number of food stalls exceed 300 outlets here and is simply  mind blowing looking at the amount of food on offer! Many tourists come to Kuching for this festival, that alone will explains how big attraction this festival is all about. I spend 2 hours walking and trying all kinds of food ranging from local delicacy to international food such as Taiwanese, China, Philippines, Mexico, United States cuisine.

Day 03 : Sunday 

List of attractions to visit on Day 3:

*Fort Magherita

*Borneo Cultures Museum 

*Boulevard Shopping Mall  

0900H: Began your last day with exploration of the many museums in Kuching! I suggest heading to Fort Magherita.  Built in 1879 to guard Kuching’s river approaches from pirates, it gives one a better understanding of the history behind Kuching. The fort is easily accessible by river crossing from Sarawak Waterfront.

1030H: Next, explore Kuching newest attraction in town,  Borneo Cultures Museum. Opened in March 2022, this is the second largest museum in Southeast Asia and Malaysia’s largest to date. I took about 1.5hours  to fully explore the place and is certainly increase my understanding of how Sarawak is born, the environment, the people, the cultures and about Borneo Island as a whole. Recommend place to visit and good place to escape either the rainy or hot weather.

1400H: Time for last minute shopping. One of the better place to shop around the many air conditioned malls are Boulevard Shopping Mall area. Located not far from the airport, the mall offers over 200 stores, along with a supermarket & a food court.

2045H: Depart Kuching on AirAsia back to Singapore.

All in all, I spend a total if around Singapore Dollars SGD$250 inclusive of 2 way AirAsia tickets (SGD$110). It sums up a perfect weekend getaway. Who says Kuching is boring after all?

Categories: Asia Region