Kuching Borneo Malaysia
Malaysia

8 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Ponant (8 Cruises)

Port of Kuching, Malaysia | Cruise Port Guide

A capital ruled for a century by a dynasty of English rajahs: that is where Kuching's story begins. In 1841, the adventurer James Brooke received Sarawak from the Sultanate of Brunei and founded a line of "White Rajahs" that reigned until the Second World War. The largest city in Malaysian Borneo has kept from this singular history a fort, a palace, bazaars — and a name that evokes the Malay word for "cat," something the city embraces with a smile and plenty of feline statues.

Getting Downtown from the Terminal

Cruise ships dock downstream, in the port area of the Sarawak River, a good ten kilometres from the centre. Since the immediate surroundings are industrial, plan on the cruise line's shuttle or a taxi to reach the heart of the city; allow twenty to thirty minutes by road. Once there, almost everything can be explored on foot along the water.

The Riverfront and the Tambangs

The Waterfront esplanade hugs the bank for nearly a kilometre, among lawns and kiosks, with a view of the golden roofs of the State Legislative Assembly building. To get from one bank to the other, you board a tambang, the wooden water taxis that have been crossing the river for generations for a few ringgit. The crossing takes just a few minutes, but it offers the best view of the city and is one of the little local rituals.

In the Footsteps of the White Rajahs

On the north bank, Fort Margherita has raised its crenellated white silhouette above the river since 1879; it now houses a gallery devoted to the Brooke era. Nearby, the Astana, the former palace of the second rajah, serves as the governor's official residence and can be admired from the gardens or from the water. Back on the south bank, the streets of old Kuching — Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street — are lined with Chinese shophouses home to workshops, cafés, incense-scented temples and antique shops where you can hunt for Bornean beads, textiles and carvings.

Museums and the Island's Cultures

Kuching has a major museum devoted to the cultures of Borneo, showcasing the peoples of Sarawak, their longhouses, their textiles and their relationship with the forest. It's the best possible introduction to the island's human mosaic — Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Malay and Chinese — and an excellent air-conditioned refuge during the hottest hours. Families will also enjoy the small cat museum, a playful nod to the city's name.

The Orangutans of Semenggoh

About half an hour's drive south, the Semenggoh reserve protects rehabilitated orangutans that live semi-wild in the forest. In the morning and late afternoon, fruit is placed on platforms; the great apes come to feed when the forest doesn't provide enough, emerging from the canopy in an impressive silence. Sightings are never guaranteed — these are free animals — but the appearance of a mother and her baby at the end of a vine is among the most powerful memories a Borneo port call can offer. Book the excursion early: feeding times dictate the schedule.

The Sarawak Table

When it comes to flavours, the local cuisine fervently champions two specialties: Sarawak laksa, a vermicelli soup in a spiced broth that is both rich and tangy, and kolo mee, stir-fried noodles with meat. The traditional cafés of the old quarter serve them from morning to night, amid old floor tiles and ceiling fans.

One Last Look from the Riverbank

In the evening, the Waterfront lamps light up and the tambangs continue their silent shuttle between the two banks. You head back on board feeling you have passed through an improbable story — a private kingdom in the heart of the tropics — and have barely opened the door to the forest that begins at the edge of the last neighbourhoods. You leave this port call the way you close an adventure novel: reluctantly, promising yourself the sequel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Downstream, in the Sarawak river port area, a good ten kilometres from the centre. As the immediate surroundings are industrial, plan on the ship's shuttle or a taxi; allow twenty to thirty minutes. Once there, almost everything is walkable along the water.
The name echoes the Malay word for cat, and the city embraces it with a smile through feline statues scattered through the streets. There is even a small cat museum, an openly claimed wink that families enjoy. The exact origin of the name is still debated, but nobody here seems in a hurry to settle it.
An English dynasty that governed Kuching for a century. In 1841 the adventurer James Brooke received Sarawak from the Sultanate of Brunei and founded a line of White Rajahs that ruled until the Second World War. The city kept from that singular history a fort, a palace and its bazaars.
The riverfront, a tambang crossing and the old streets fill a half day. If the Semenggoh orangutans interest you, you must book early and accept that the feeding times dictate the whole programme: it is one or the other, rarely both.
It is a wooden water taxi that has crossed the Sarawak river for generations, for a few ringgits. The crossing takes only minutes, but it gives the finest view of the city and is one of the local rituals. It is the simplest way to reach the north bank for Fort Margherita.
Yes, at Semenggoh reserve, about half an hour's drive south, which protects rehabilitated orangutans living semi-wild. Morning and late afternoon, fruit is placed on platforms; the apes come to feed when the forest does not provide enough. Sightings are never guaranteed, as these are free animals.
The Waterfront esplanade follows the bank for nearly a kilometre, among lawns, kiosks and views of the golden roofs of the state parliament. On the north bank, Fort Margherita has raised its white crenellated silhouette since 1879 and houses a gallery on the Brooke era; the Astana, the second rajah's former palace, is admired from the gardens or from the water.
Along Main Bazaar and Carpenter Street on the south bank, where Chinese shophouses line up workshops, cafés, incense-scented temples and antique dealers. You can turn up beads, textiles and Borneo carvings. It is also the best quarter for understanding the island's human mosaic without setting foot in a museum.
Sarawak laksa, a vermicelli soup in a spiced broth at once rich and lemony, and mee kolok, noodles tossed with meat. The old quarter's traditional coffee shops serve both from morning to night, amid old tiling and ceiling fans.
The large museum devoted to Borneo's cultures is an excellent air-conditioned refuge in the hot hours, and the finest introduction there is to the island's human mosaic: Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Malay and Chinese, with their longhouses, their textiles and their relationship with the forest.