Sunday Market
The Sunday morning market at Jln Sadok is a good place for a stroll around. The market is situated in a square and snakes along the alleyways. All kinds of produce from live sago grubs to fleshy young coconut trunks are sold. Villagers from afar bring their produce for sale here and can be heard at least a dozen dialects from different languages; sellers hawking their wares and buyers negotiating for a better price. The famous Sarawak terubok salted fish is available here for RM7 onwards. If you're already hooked on midin (fern) usually served fried with belacan, here's the place to pack some for home.
Visitors can catch a taxi from town centre for around RM6 but you can also catch a STC bus heading towards Bako or Sadok for under a ringgit. Or you can walk. it's south along the Jalan Tun Haji Openg and then take a right at Jalan Satok. The market starts late Saturday and slowly winds down by late Sunday afternoon.
Boat Cruise down the river
Evening is a good time to hop onto one of the many boat cruises operating at the Kuching waterfront.
The fancy Harbour Cruises boat runs daily and sunset cruises starts at 5.30pm , which lasts 1hr30min. Charges are RM45 per adult and RM20 per child. For enquiries: Tel +6 082 240 366 or +6 013 8271 271 . This cruise boat also caters to functions, parties etc which includes buffet meals.
A traditional Kotak Boat which looks like a converted fishing boat runs at a cheaper rate of RM18 per adult and RM0 per child for a 1hr boat cruise. Tel: +6 013 8244 781 (Mr Helmi) or +6 016 885 8944. anytime between 9.00am and 10.00pm .
Tambang
Somewhat looking like a floating billboard for fair & lovely and nestle ads, these are the boats that are seen crossing the river, bringing passengers from one bank to the other for as cheap as 40 - 60sen per trip. For those wanting to visit the Police Museum ( Fort Margherita ) and the Astana, just hop onto one of these tambangs and do what the locals do.
Charles Brooke as a gift for his wife, Margaret de Windt, built the Astana, in 1870. Margaret had just turned 20 when she married and moved out to Sarawak . Charles proposed to her while she was playing the piano. The proposal was hastily written on a piece of paper with a message,' With a humble demean If the King were to pray That you'd be his Queen, would not you say Nay?' . Margaret arrived and fell in love with Kuching. She loved the land and its entire people. She quickly learned the Malay language and discarded her cumbersome clothes of cool climate for the practical clothes of the tropics.
The Astana is now Governor of Sarawak's residence and is closed to the public.
Main Bazaar
Down the street from the Tua Pek Kong temple is the main bazaar. This is the place to pick up some native artefacts, bamboo mats, souvenirs, furniture, packs of Sarawak pepper, gambier; you name it, down to kitsch ornaments. A few tour agents are located here too and makes a good place to shop around for day trips or even jungle trekking trips like the headhunter trail.
Just behind the main bazaar is Carpenter Street . The old street has many little coffee shops and food stalls.
Tram Ride around Kuching town
If you have time to take a short tram ride and would like to familiarise with kuching town, this is a good way to do so. (Although there isn't an audio guide to go with the ride) . Passengers can alight at certain points along the route and since it's free, why not?! For those staying at the hotels in Kuching, you can pick up a tram ticket at the concierge. a tram ticket (which is really a sticker) is required though....
The main stop is at the the bus stop just outside of the Khatulistiwa Cafe on the waterfront.
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