Heritage and Wildlife of Kuching

📍 Walking tour (5 km): 4 hours

Kuching is a veritable treasure trove of historical buildings, remarkable stories and diverse food. At 09:00, meet the guide for your morning walking tour and explore the streets of this quaint town, learning about its recent history and sampling local food from a range of ethnic groups. Start the day with a traditional Sarawak Laksa – a local favourite of noodles, fish, prawns, or chicken in a spicy coconut broth. This is arguably the best laksa available in Kuching! 

Start your walk exploring India Street, flanked by colourful century-old shop houses. Follow a narrow passageway and discover a hidden small Indian Mosque.

Head to the site of the Kuching City Mosque — the oldest mosque in the city, originally built in 1847. Reconstructed in the 1960s, this modern Islamic-style mosque features distinctive gold domes and stands proudly by the Sarawak River, blending history with spiritual significance.

At various points on the heritage walk, take the opportunity to stop and sample some regional delicacies from the street and kopitiams (small cafés).
 
Next stop is the Old Kuching Courthouse, the first Brooke-era administrative building and The Pavilion, originally used as a medical headquarters. Take a photo at the Square Tower, which served as a maximum-security detention centre and later a dancing hall used by the Brookes’ officers.
 
Take a short walk in Main Bazaar, one of the oldest streets, and observe the antiques and handicrafts outlets found here. Make an offering at a 175-year-old temple, Tua Pek Kong Temple, a singular Chinese temple and its dominant dragon

Discover the health benefits of Chinese tea with a stop at the oldest tea shop in Kuching, make an offering at a 175-year-old temple and walk streets that have remained virtually unchanged for 100 years when traditional craftsmen ply their trade.

The heritage walk takes around four hours, and there will be a break for a local lunch as and when needed.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

At 17:30, embark on a 2-hour sunset cruise along the Sarawak River aboard a traditional boat. This is the perfect way to end the day of discovery in Kuching, and provides an alternative view of the city waterfront, reminiscent of the days when Kuching was accessible only by water. 

Dinner at leisure 

Overnight in Kuching.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Kuching to Bako Village (24 km): 35 mins / Bako Village to Bako National Park (by boat) 25 mins

Just a short drive and boat transfer from Kuching (35 minutes by car, 25 minutes by boat), Bako National Park provides an accessible escape into nature. In a matter of days, visitors can experience pristine rainforests, observe abundant wildlife, and discover diverse plant life. The park also boasts jungle streams, waterfalls, secluded beaches, panoramic rocky shorelines, bizarre rock formations, and an extensive network of trekking trails.

At 08:00, depart Kuching for a 45-minute drive to Bako Fishing Village.  Continue by motorised boat for a 30-minute cruise along the beautiful coast to reach Bako National Park for an overnight stay.

The oldest of Sarawak’s national parks, Bako offers the perfect introduction to Sarawak’s forests and wildlife. Bako is also home to 275 rare proboscis monkeys, found only in Borneo. Observe the fabulous proboscis monkeys, silvered langurs, bearded pigs, and monitor lizards. Despite its seemingly small size, Bako contains a wide range of vegetation – swamp forest, scrub-like padang vegetation, mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate cliff vegetation and beautiful sandy beaches.

Explore the rainforest on a variety of walking trails from mighty 80-metre dipterocarp to dense mangrove forest.  For bird enthusiasts, Bako is the home to many species such as the rufous-backed kingfisher, stork-billed kingfisher, red-crowned barbet, white-bellied woodpecker and many more.  During low tide, observe the mudskippers and blue-fiddler crabs coming out from their hideout to feed on the beaches. Check into the accommodation and enjoy some time at leisure or discuss with the guide the options for the rest of the day. 

In the mid-afternoon, observe proboscis monkeys by the accommodation's nearby beach, where they gather to catch crabs during the changing tide. This offers an excellent chance to view these animals in their natural habitat.

Dinner at leisure.

This evening, take a nocturnal jungle walk with a national park guide to explore the sounds of the night. This is a very different experience from the day, as the jungle comes alive at night with an array of insects, reptiles, and birds.

Note: This tour is unavailable from December - February due to rough seas.

Accommodation provided is basic and clean. For the overnight stay at the National Park Lodge in Bako, please pack a small bag and bring your toiletries, as none are provided. Main luggage can be left at your hotel in Kuching.

Overnight in Bako National Park.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Bako National Park – Bako Village (by boat): 25 mins / Bako Village – Santubong Pier (32 km): 40 mins / Santubong Pier – Semenggoh (40 km): 1 hour / Semenggoh – Kuching (20 km): 35 mins

After breakfast, take a 20-minute boat transfer to Bako Village. Today’s program may vary due to tides and weather.

Upon arrival at Bako Village, meet the driver and continue to the mouth of the Santubong River. Board a motorised boat to cruise through the nearby mangrove forest and listen to the guide as he points out and describes various flora and fauna along the way.  Near the mouth of the Santubong River, begin searching for the elusive and rare Irrawaddy dolphins (April – November) before proceeding along the Salak River to look for proboscis monkeys and other wildlife.

Return to shore around noon and enjoy the freshest seafood for lunch in a fishing village, before transferring to the afternoon feed at the Semenggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. 

Established in 1975 and just outside Kuching, Semenggoh Nature Reserve is the home of many orangutans.  For over 20 years, the wardens here trained young orangutans, who had been orphaned or rescued from captivity, how to survive in the wild.

The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre serves as a hub for studying orangutan biology and behaviour, attracting visitors primarily for this reason. Additionally, its rangers do work with other species, such as crocodiles and hornbills. Take a short, 15-minute walk through the rainforest to the feeding platform. Here, rangers will be distributing fruit to the semi-wild orangutans. These orangutans typically roam the forest, but frequently return to the Centre for a complimentary meal.

Return to the hotel in Kuching for an evening at leisure.

Overnight in Kuching.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Kuching to Kuching International Airport (11 km): 20 mins

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning before departing for your onward journey.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast