KajoPicks: The 6 best cafes with WiFi in Kuching

Published on December 5, 2018

Lifestyle

We’re not anti-social; we’re just into connecting with each other digitally.

Over the last decade, nightclubs in Kuching have been losing out to the growing number of cafes and coffee bistros.

Kuchingites have come to enjoy cafes (almost as much as we love our coffeeshops), probably because of our overall laid-back lifestyle.

While we do our best chilling in cafes, they have also become the ideal place to work as they provide all the necessities we need; coffee, cakes, light food and WiFi connection.

Here are some KajoPicks of the most comfortable cafes in Kuching with WiFi.

Coffee Obsession

KajoPicks: The 6 best cafes with WiFi in Kuching — Coffee Obsession id located at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce (Picture source: Coffee Obsession)

Located at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce (formerly known as Jalan Keretapi), Coffee Obsession is one of the top KajoPick of cafes in Kuching with WiFi connection.

Apart from WiFi, Coffee Obsession has a great selection of light dishes for you to snack on while working on your laptop. Their interior is simple, yet cosy because of the pine wood tables and cushioned seats.

It is also a popular spot to host a small gathering and a hang out place to play games and read.

Tease by Jase’s Tea Room, ICOM Square

ICOM Square is basically a hub for innovation hubs.

So, it is no surprise that Tease is always swamped with digital nomads looking for a different environment to work.

Apart from the WiFi connection and soothing ambience, it also has a great selection of food.

Tease is closed every Tuesday.

Earthlings Coffee Workshop, Jalan Wan Alwi

As the name might have suggested, Earthlings Coffee Workshop regularly hosts a coffee workshop.

As one of the top cafes in Kuching with WiFi connection, it also has great selection of cakes to go with your coffee.

Earthlings Coffee Workshop has another branch set up at CityONE Megamall, Kuching.

bing! coffee

bing! coffee is no stranger to hipsters with laptops.

As of one of the first cafes of its kind to open in Kuching, bing! coffee also hosts live performances regularly.

Currently, there are three branches of bing! coffee in Kuching; Jalan Padungan, Green Heights and Premier 101.

Kai Joo Café, Lorong Kai Joo

Tucked away in the corner of Lorong Kai Joo, it is easy to miss this café as it blends in nicely with the rustic tropical surrounding.

This open-air café is the place to go if you prefer to work surrounded by fresh air and old Kuching.

Kai Joo Café is closed every Tuesday.

Starbucks

Starbucks is known globally for having all the necessities for people who work with laptops: coffee, cakes, light snacks and the all-important WiFi connection.

Among the places where you can find Starbucks in Kuching includes CityONE Megamall, the Spring Shopping Mall, Vivacity, Jalan Song and Plaza Merdeka.

Top five shopping spots in Sydney this holiday season

Published on November 7, 2018

Travel

Sydney is known for its food and coffee culture, but it is also a top shopping destination brimming with luxury international brands, local artisan finds, and standout Aussie fashion.

If you are heading out early on Christmas shopping, here are top five shopping spots in Sydney, Australia:

1. Birkenhead Point

Top five shopping spots in Sydney this holiday season — Levels of discounted shopping at Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre, Drummoyne.Credits: Destination NSW

This is Sydney’s answer to Los Angeles premium shopping outlets. Birkenhead Point has a classic, shopping mall feel with loads of top brands under one roof.

To top it all, it offers a free nanny service, Visitor Passport, bus tour drop offs and a direct ferry service.

The Shopper Hopper ferry is a great way to see the harbor and get to Birkenhead. Just jump on board for the 20-minute ride to Sydney’s largest outlet centre for $13 one-way or $22 return.

Once inside, both domestic or international travellers can present their IDs to the customer service desk to receive a complimentary Visitor Passport with over 35 discount offers.

There are plenty of to shop from luxury goods, fitness gear, shoes and children’s clothing.

End your shopping trip by enjoying crispy squid with soft polenta, tomato and herbs with a glass of bubbles at Café Birkenhead.

2.Mosman

Located on Sydney’s north shore, Mosman had a bustling village feel with many sophisticated multi-concept retailers.

Walk its pretty streets where you can find cafes, florists and beautiful boutiques. Then, make a stop to fuel up at The Mews, tucked into a laneway in Mosman Square. There you can give the Poke Bowl and a Green Peace Smoothie with kale and coconut water.

At the newly opened Moya, visitors can find a carefully curated collection of Equipment shirts, AG Jeans and Max Mara.

Or you can to Fox and Dove where you can pick a stylish sunglasses, a Zulu and Zephyr swimwear and an Oganised Life Zodiac notebooks.

3. Pyrmont

With luxury shopping at The Star Casino and unique retailers popping up a round Union Street, innercity village Pyrmont is having something of a shopping renaissance.

The luxe arcade in The Star has high-end brands Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Gucci, Moda Emporio along with G-Star Raw and IM Lingerie.

For unique finds, Urban Oasis has cute gifts such as S ’Well water bottles and quirky stationery.

Meanwhile, go to St Frock as it is popular for its Aussie-designed, floral-print midi dresses.

For lunch, just head to The Star’s top eateries—sample Asian street food at Fat Noodle, a burger at Fuel or coffee from Antidote.

Then, what better way to end your shopping trip than perusing the bookshelves and sipping a martini at Edition BookBar.

4.The Intersection, Paddington

The Intersection is the tree-lined point where Glenmore Road meets Oxford Street,Paddington.

The Chic enclave is the home of high-end Australian designer boutiques; niche art galleries and hole-in-the-wall cafes.

Start at Jackie’s Café with a lazy sunlit brunch in their leafy courtyard. After that, head to Lee Mathews for sophisticated blouses, skirts and dress.

There are plenty to shop at this part of Syndey, from a cashmere-blend shawl from Jac+Jack or a standout accessory from Sass and Bide.

Then, enjoy a vegan coffee with almond milk at Orchard street or a crisp rosé at historic Village Inn.

5.Surry Hills

If vintage is your style, this is the shopping spot for you in Sydney. In this vibrant inner-city suburb of working-class origins, you will find one-off vintage finds and seriously cool collectibles.

Start with a taste of Surry Hills at Kawa Café with a Chai Latte and Generous ‘Best Breakfast’.

From here, you can find some of the best vintage clothing in Sydney. Zoo Emporium is a treasure trove of vintage dresses and accessories.

It offers treasures throughout the eras, from 1920s art deco sequined numbers to faux-furc apes, 1940s suits and delicate jewellery.

Or go to Cream on Crown which is a busy secondhand den overflowing with seventies shirts, vintage denim and coats.

Across the road is Oscar and Friends Booksellers, with an interesting collection of non-fiction novels, teen tales and sweet giftcards.

For lunch, have a healthy buffet at About Life or settle into The Winery for their signature ‘Picnic’, $45pp and a glass of Bilpinapple cider.

This article is based on the press release provided by Destination New South Wales, the official tourism board for the state of Australia.

8 scientific reasons why nature is good for your health

Published on November 7, 2018

Lifestyle

You’ve heard or read it on the Internet before; nature is one of the best medicines out there. So much so that doctors in Scotland have been authorised to prescribe nature to their patients.

Here at KajoMag, we searched high and low for the scientific proof of why nature is good for you:

8 scientific reasons why nature is good for your health — If you are picking a vacation spot, why not pick somewhere near the nature instead of a metropolitan city? Credits: Pexels.

1.An experience with nature helps to reduce depression

According to a study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) in 2015, nature experiences reduces rumination.

So what is rumination? It is a repetitive thought which focuses on negative aspects of the self, a known risk factor for mental illness.

This research showed that participants who went for a 90-min walk in nature reportedly had lower levels of rumination compared with those who walked through an urban environment.

In other words, being outdoor does helps you to lower your chances of getting depressed and the risk of having mental illness.

2. Living in an urban area with more green space is also beneficial

Even if nature is not that accessible to you, living in an urban area with more green space is also beneficial.

A study has shown that individuals have lower mental distress when living in places with more greenery.

Although the effects are relatively small, it does have cumulative benefits when you have some trees or plants outside your doorstep.

3. Spending time in the forest has proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure

Forest bathing has been a part of the Japanese national public health program since 1982. It is basically the practice of being in the presence of trees.

In a study conducted by Japan’s Chiba University, the researchers measured the physiological effects of 280 subjects. These parameters included salivary cortisol (which increases with stress), blood pressure, pulse rate and heart rate.

They compared these results from subjects who spent a day in the city and of those who spent 30 minutes in the forest.

Surprisingly, the study concluded that the forests did actually have a visible effect as subjects in lower concentration of cortisol, pulse rate and blood pressure.

4.A day trip to the forest can also improve immunity

If you haven’t hear of NK cells, they are natural killer cells that are important to the innate immune system.

Renowned for their healthy lifestyles and longevity, the Japanese have also proven that simply making a day trip to a forest park can increase human NK cells activity. They also found that making that just one day visit to a forest park can increase the number of NK cells in your body.

Apart from that, the group of researchers from Nippon Medical School, Tokyo found that such a trip can increase levels of intracellular anti-cancer proteins and all of these effects can last for at least 7 days after the trip.

5.Children who spend more time in green and blue (beach) spaces have lower ADHD symptoms

In 2012, a group of researchers in Barcelona, Spain was investigating the impact of contact with green spaces and blue spaces (beaches) on children’s mental health.

Then the result came back that there beneficial impacts of spending longer time in green spaces and beaches as well as living in residential area surrounding greenness on children.

Evidently, these factors reduce symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in schoolchildren.

6. The sounds and sights of nature help to reduce pain during flexible bronschoscopy

Flexible bronschoscopy is a procedure which allows a clinician to examine the breathing passages of the lungs. The clinician will insert a thin tube called a bronchoscope is placed in the nose or mouth.

There has been a study in Chest Journal that showed that distracting patients with the sounds and sights of nature can reduce their pain during this intrusive procedure.

Perhaps next time you are going through any painful medical procedure, try playing some sounds of nature.

7.The closer you are to nature, you have higher tendency to exercise

Danish researchers were trying to study the relationship between distance to green space and the level of physical activity among the population of Denmark.

Later they found that those who are living more than 1km from green space had lower odds to exercise and keep shape compared with people living closer than 300m to green space.

Additionally, the scientists found that people who are living more than 1km from green space had higher chance of being obese.

With more and more news on the effects of climate change, it may be time to move closer to nature rather than the gym, don’t you think?

8. Lastly, nature lower risk of you dying

Forget about the Fountain of Youth, nature is the real deal to prolong your life.

A study proved that middle-aged men living in high amounts of green space have 16 per cent lower risk of dying compared with similar group living with less greenery.

Another research showcased that older people are more likely to live longer if they live near walkable greenery filled public areas.

Overall, people are just healthier, happier and have better well-being when they spend more time or live closer to nature.

Learn more about felines at Kuching Cat Museum

Published on November 6, 2018

Travel

If quirky is your taste and the cat is your animal spirit, then you must visit Kuching Cat Museum. If there was a group of cat lovers out there combining together their cats memorabilia of cats, the place would look exactly like this museum.

Founded in 1993, Kuching Cat Museum run by Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) was an idea mooted by current Sarawak governor Abdul Taib Mahmud and his late wife Laila Taib who thought of having a museum dedicated to nothing but cats.

The museum is located in Petra Jaya on the bottom floor of the DBKU building which is about 20 minutes from Kuching city. Standing tall at 60 meters above sea level, the building also offers great view of Petra Jaya and Kuching city.

The Kuching Cat Museum is divided into four galleries; Gallery A, B, C, and D.

Learn more about felines at Kuching Cat Museum — There are many things to see and read at Kuching Cat Museum.

Gallery A of Kuching Cat Museum

Cats play significant role in many communities around the world including the Malay, Chinese as well as the Iban in Sarawak.

In the olden days, some Malays believed that one of the most effective way to call for rain was to soak a cat in a pan of water… It is certainly not something we would encourage people to do nowadays, but this is one of the many cat-related superstitions one can learn at Kuching Cat Museum.

Here at Gallery A of the museum, visitors can also learn about the famous Japanese lucky cat, maneki-neko.

It is a common figurine depicting a calico Japanese bobtail which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner.

Gallery B of Kuching Cat Museum

In this part of the museum, visitors can know about interesting cat facts in oriental arts, medieval age and ancient Egypt.

Do you know that in China, cats are usually portrayed as a child’s gentle playmate? Meanwhile, the Japanese prefer to associate cats with women.

Additionally, this museum is one of the few places in the world which featured the works of Malaysian artist Jane Yap Jian Yi.

Graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Japanese Painting from Takasaki Art Center College, cats have been the only subject that she has featured in her work since 2000.

Apart from Kuching Cat Museum, her works are also displayed in Club Med Kabira, Japan and many private collections in China, Malaysia, Tahiti and the US.

Gallery C of Kuching Cat Museum

We cannot talk about cats without mentioning them in popular culture. Felines have inspired humankind in many artistic ways from poems to songs, and even Broadway musicals.

Visitors can find the poem “Lost Words to a Dumb Friend” by Thomas Hardy at this museum.

Large portions of the artifacts displayed at the museum were donated by cat lovers from around the world. One of them is Dr Betty Jamie Chung from Hong Kong.

She visited Kuching Cat Museum in the 90s and was left impressed by the collection. Later after her death in October 2013, Dr Chung donated 539 cat artifacts to the museum.

Gallery D of Kuching Cat Museum

Speaking of popular culture, Gallery D of the museum featured more famous felines around the world such as Garfield and Hello Kitty.

Visitors can also browse through comic strips featuring cats for their own amusement at this part of the museum.

There is also an exhibition of local and wild cats of Borneo if you want to learn more about these animals.

For example, some of the interesting observations of Sarawak cats are that 15% of them have short tail, 50% kinked tail, 25% bobbed tail while 10% or less have long tails.

Another fun fact about this museum is that it houses the only complete Bay Cat (Pardofelis badia) skeleton in the world.

Found in Borneo, it is one of the rarest cat species in the world.

On top of wide collection of cats artifacts, Kuching Cat Museum also paid tribute to famous cat lovers around the world including French poet Charles Pierre Baudelaire, Sir Isaac Newton and Anne Frank.

For cat lovers with great appreciation for arts and patience for reading fun facts and cat-related general knowledge, Kuching Cat Museum is definitely worth the trip.

5 things to do at Buntal Esplanade, Kuching

Published on October 23, 2018

Travel

Located about 30km from Kuching city, Buntal Esplanade is a hidden gem waiting to be explored more by the locals and tourists alike.

5 things to do at Buntal Esplanade, Kuching — The road into Kampung Buntal, a local fishing village located between Kuching city and Santubong.

The esplanade is inside Kampung Buntal, a traditional Malay fishing village situated at the mouth of Sarawak river leading to South China Sea.

The village is named after ikan buntal or the puffer fish which commonly found near the area.

If you are looking for fresh air on a Saturday afternoon, here are five things to do at Buntal Esplanade:

1.Enjoy the beach view

First of all, just enjoy the view of South China Sea at Buntal Esplanade. Do you know that Buntal beach offers a mesmerising scenic view of the sunrise? (Just make sure you’re there before 6 am).

Plus, the best part is that the walkway of Buntal Esplanade is wheelchair-friendly.

2.Buy some seafood

Being a fishing village right next to the ocean, it is no surprise that Buntal provides a variety of fresh marine resources at its market.

Some of their seafood on offer are seasonal catch, so you only get to buy them during certain periods of the year.

These include jelly fish (March-April), swimmer crab (July-August), eng-ngoyang (October-February), sea anemone (December-January) and ambal (December-January).

Additionally, the non-seasonal catches are hard clams, mangrove clams, cockles, mud crabs and obtuse horn shell.

3. Do some bird-watching activities

Did you know that Bako Buntal Bay is the wandering site for 27 migratory bird species in their annual migration between Southeast Asia and Australasia?

Completed on March 2015, Buntal Esplanade was designed as a walkaway with an observation point for bird-watching activities.

According to the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, the Bako Buntal Bay area welcomes more 25,000 migratory birds between October and April every year.

Most of them are threatened species such as Nordmann’s Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Far Eastern Curlew.

Meanwhile in 2009, two rare birds – the Pied Avocet and Eurasian Oystercatcher were caught on sight near the bay.

The habitat in the coastal area is mud and mangrove forest, making it attractive for migratory birds in search of food.

If you notice unique wooden structure near the beach while bird-watching, it could be an engian. It is a traditional trapping method used by the local fishermen to catch anchovies and small shrimps.

4.Taste the local food

Visitors should not miss the chance to buy local delicacies. These include kuih keria (fried dough similar to doughnuts but covered in palm sugar or gula apong), pais ikan (grilled smashed fish) and bahulu.

Other local favourite are belacan (shrimp paste), madu kelulut (stingless bee honey), jeruk buah (pickled fruits) and cencaluk (preserved shrimp).

5.Eat some seafood

Kampung Buntal is one of the favourite local places for Kuchingites to go to enjoy some seafood.

While visiting Buntal Esplanade, why not drop by one of the seafood restaurants like Teo Seafood?

Besides Kampung Buntal, other famous local seafood cuisine spots are at Telaga Air and Muara Tebas.

World Press Photo Exhibition shows in Kuching, Sarawak for the first time

Published on October 18, 2018

News & Features

World Press Photo Exhibition shows in Kuching, Sarawak for the first time — The exhibition showcased the winners of the annual World Press Photo Contest.

In 1955, a group of Dutch photographers organised an international contest to showcase their works to the world. They called it ‘World Press Photo’ and now it has become one of the most esteemed photography competitions in the world.

Fast forward to today, the exhibition has toured more than 100 cities in 45 countries, including Kuching.

For the first time ever, the exhibition is being held in Kuching in conjunction with What About Kuching (WAK) 2018, showcasing the winners of the annual World Press Photo Contest of which 4,548 photographers from 125 countries sent in a total 73,044 entries.

True to its name, the winning photos gave fair and compelling insights about what happening in and around the world.

Apart from the winning photos, the exhibition also showed stories from six Southeast Asia and Oceania Talents of the World Press Photo Foundation.

Installed on the ground of Padang Merdeka, the exhibition is open for the public from Sept 29 to Oct 27.

World Press Photo Exhibition: Giving glimpses to the outside world

The series of photos displayed were featured various themes such as environment, nature, people, sports and world issues.

Some of the photos were explicit and powerful, showcasing serious human rights issues such as sex workers in Russia.

For those who are avid fans of National Geographic, some of the photographers might be familiar such as Ami Vitale who is widely known for her work capturing photos of wild pandas and rhinos.

This exhibition also allowed visitors who follow prominent photographers like Vitale on social media the opportunity to appreciate their images in sizes larger than cellphones’ screens.

In addition to that, there were also well-known photos which have been circulated on international news.

The most famous one displayed was the image of 28-year-old student Victor Salazar whose clothes caught on fire after a motorcycle exploded during a street protest in Venezuela against its president Nicolas Maduro.

The exhibition also managed to open up any visitors’ eyes to world issues such as the stateless case of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and the deforestation in Brazilian Amazon.

About WAK World Press Photo exhibition

What About Kuching (WAK) city festival together with Sarawak Museum Department co-organised the exhibition sponsored by the Netherlands Embassy and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak. The Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology Kuching supported the event through its design and installation.

5 reasons to visit Danau Sentarum National Park, Indonesia

Published on October 11, 2018

Travel

Danau Sentarum National Park is a unique seasonal wetland where the water levels can rise up to 12m during raining season.

Together with Betung Kerihun National Park and Kapuas Hulu District, the whole area was awarded the biosphere reserve certificate from Man and Biosphere UNESCO last July 2018.

Located in Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, the park lies at the upper Kapuas River vasin.

It is a vast floodplain with 20 seasonal lakes, complete with picturesque freshwater swamp forest and peat swamp forest.

Here are five reasons why you should make your way to Danau Sentarum National Park:

1. Explore a maze-like peat land like no other

Travelling over the blackish water of Danau Sentarum is something that needs to be experienced at least once in your lifetime.

When dry season comes (June till September) and the water recedes, some of the lakes turn into narrowing channels while the channels turn into grasslands.

With all the trees that look almost alike and its winding channels, cruising through Danau Sentarum feels like going through a maze.

Plus, the vast floodplain leaves visitors wondering if there is something beyond the horizon of the lake.

5 reasons to visit Danau Sentarum National Park, Indonesia — The national park covers 127,393.4 hectares whereby half of the area are lakes while the other half is swamp forest.

2. Do some birding activities

Pack your binocular and telephoto lenses to engage in birding activities at Danau Sentarum National Park.

About 240 bird species have been sighted at Danau Sentarum which include the black hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus), great argus (Argusianus argus), Storm’s stork (Ciconia stormi) and crested gowshawk (Accipter trivirgatus).

3.Observe the trees and wildlife (on camera) along the way

Danau Sentarum National Park is located at the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative area. It is a government-led and NGO-supported programme that was initiated by a joint declaration by the governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2007.

Today, it is one of the largest transboundary rainforests remaining in the world.

The whole island of Borneo is home to 6% of the global biodiversity though it only covers 1% of the world’s land area.

One of the areas which contribute to the high biodiversity of Borneo is Danau Sentarum.

It is home to 675 species of plants of which 13 are endemic to Borneo. Additionally, the park provides a natural habitat for orangutans, proboscis monkey, sun bears and arowana fish.

4.Watch sunrise and sunset over a floodplain

Thanks to its flat geographical feature, Danau Sentarum National Park gives picturesque views during sunrise and sunset.

And the best place to catch this view is at Bukit Tekenang.

Lonely Planet called Danau Sentarum a “photographers haven”,advising visitors to bring that extra memory card during your visit.

5. Learn about the Malay and Dayak cultures of Danau Sentarum

What makes Danau Sentarum National Park a unique place to visit is the people living in its area.

There are about 3,000 people living in the 20 villages enclaves within the park. About 90% of them are Malay while the rest are Dayak Iban people.

The Malays live in high-stilt houses connected by bridges while the Ibans live in traditional longhouses.

The residents are very welcoming and visitors should fully utilise their visit to Danau Sentarum by visiting at least one of these traditional villages.

5 best ways to preserve your travel memories

Published on September 28, 2018

Travel

The trip is over and you are on your way back to reality. Your mind is filled with travel memories and part of you wants these experiences embedded in your brain forever.

So, how do you preserve your travel memories?

Here are five Kajo-approved ways to document your travel memories for you to look back one day and say, “I’ve had the time of my life”:

1.Create a travel scrapbook

5 best ways to preserve your travel memories — Collect your travel memories and put them in your scrapbook. Credits: Unsplash.

The best part of making a scrapbook is that you can just let your creativity flow freely without any restriction.
Put anything, write about everywhere and scrap everything out of your travel memories.

Make a listicle out of new foods you have tried for the day and paste your receipt next to it. Pick up a travel package brochure, stick it on your scrapbook and jot down your experience of the day.

Press a flower or a leaf using your hotel iron and insert it in your scrapbook to remind you the what kind of greenery surrounded you during your travels.

There are so many ways to make a travel scrapbook.

If you are travelling with your partner or in a group, pass the scrapbook around for them to put their memories travelling with you. If you made a new friend on the road, let that stranger put a word or two in your scrapbook.

2.Make a travel photo book

A travel photo book is still one of the best ways to preserve your travel memories.
Just take tonnes and tonnes and photos during your trip and once you reach home, send them to a professional to make a photo book.

This idea is a lacking a bit of personal touch but you can rest assured your travel memories are well kept and preserved.

3.Write a personal travel journal

Writing a personal travel journal is like having a time-out on your own. A private journal will always be your personal space where you can write down your thoughts.

Journalling can help you to get it out of the way of what you are feeling at that moment while travelling. Do you feel mellow while on the way from the airport to the hotel? What do you think about the stranger who sat next to you on the plane?
This way you can capture every travel memory in your own words and it is fun to read it back after a few years.

4.Send yourself a postcard

Sending a postcard to your loved ones are a common thing to do when travelling. But how about sending yourself a postcard?

Send yourself a postcard from every new place you visited for the first time.

You can write something quirky to yourself on the postcard like, “Hey you, your eyebrows are on point today – good job!”

5.Buy the same souvenir wherever you go

Souvenirs can be overrated but not if you pick the same souvenirs from all over the world.

If you want to play safe, you can always buy the usual souvenir such as keychains and fridge magnets.
Nonetheless, there are other souvenirs out there that help to make your travel memories more personal.

If you love music, how about buying a traditional percussion from every country that you visited?

Or you can buy local crafted cider, wine or liquor and that way you still have a taste of your travel memories.

For bibliophiles, you can try to purchase your favourite book published in the local language. Imagine having Wuthering Heights in 20 different languages in your collection!

10 things to do in Kuching, the Cat City of Sarawak

Published on September 10, 2018

Travel

Kuching, also known as Cat City, the capital of Malaysian state of Sarawak is a vibrant, colourful city.

It is a mixture of old and new; with traces of the 150 year reign of the Brooke family as well as recent modern development under the Malaysian federation.

Most foreign tourists treat Kuching as the main gateway to visit the rest of Sarawak and Borneo.

The city itself , however, has so much to offer. Here in KajoMag, we highly suggest not to leave the Cat City of Sarawak until you have done these 10 things:

1.Learn the cultures

Kuching is a multi-cultural city and a visit to it is incomplete without learning about the different cultures.

The best place to absorb and experience the different cultures Is one place is none other than Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV).

It is a living museum showcasing the different ethnicitIes of Sarawak including Iban, Orang Ulu, Chinese, Malay, Melanau and Bidayuh.

10 things to do in Kuching, the Cat City of Sarawak — Baruk, the Bidayuh Cultural House at Sarawak Cultural Village.

2.Eat your heart out

Kuchingites are foodies to their core and they are very proud of their food. Plus thanks to the city’s multicultural backgrounds, it offers more variety of food inspired by different races in the Sarawak.

If you are stuck on what to eat in Kuching, here are KajoMag’s list of what to devour in Cat City.

As for desserts, do not skip on these two classic ice-creams!

3.Explore the national parks

Sarawak’s wide range of biodiversity is the state’s crown jewel. The best part of Kuching is that you do not need to travel far to experience its rich flora and fauna.

Visitors can take a dip in Matang Wildlife Centre or climb to the peak of Mount Serapi.

4.Walk the streets of Kuching

While in Cat City, skip the shopping malls and walk on the streets of its old town.

Visitors can start with the Main Bazaar, the oldest street in Kuching located at the Kuching Waterfront. Explore Carpenter, India and Padungan streets and let the different smells and sound excite you.

5.Visit the museums

Did you know that the Sarawak Museum’s old wing was built in 1891, making it the oldest museum in Borneo?

Besides Sarawak Museum, there are other museums in Kuching as well including Textile Museum, Chinese History Museum, Art Museum, The Brooke Gallery and Islamic Heritage Museum.

Since you are in Cat City, do not forget to visit Kuching Cat Museum.

6.Spend a day at Santubong peninsular

Located only 40 minutes from Kuching city, Santubong peninsular provides the perfect place for a little R&R.

It is the perfect place to have the best of mountain and the sea. There are so many things to do that you can actually spend the whole day at the peninsular. Visitors can start a day with hiking at Santubong National Park, have a quick kayaking at Permai Rainforest Resort in the afternoon and end the day with a beer at Damai Central.

7.See the wildlife up-close

A trip to one of the cities in Borneo is never complete without seeing wildlife up close.

Here in Kuching city, you can choose to watch a bearded pig strolling by the shore or a proboscis monkey jumping from tree to tree at Bako National Park. Or visit an orangutan during its feeding time at Semenggoh Nature Reserve.

8.Sight-see heritage buildings

With a rich history spanning over 150 years, Kuching has so much to offer when it comes to heritage buildings.

Only in Kuching, you can find the only Japanese building built during World War II, a prison turned into a fortress and which now houses a restaurant at Square Tower and a neoclassical style post office.

9.Experience at least one festival

Kuching is probably best known for its international 3-day full of music and fun Rainforest World Music Festival.

However like any other city in Malaysia, you can experience different kind of festivals all year round.

Experience the harvest festival with the Ibans or Bidayuh during Gawai or go house-visiting during Chinese New Year or Hari Raya Adilfitri.

10.Hop into the coffee culture

The coffee culture in Kuching city has its own charm. First of all, Sarawak has its own coffee bean called the Sarawak liberica. You can find them at Black Bean Coffee at Jalan Pending and Ewe Hai Street.

Atmosphere-wise, you can choose to have your cup of java in a heritage building such as Commons Kch at the Old Courthouse or Indah Cafe at Upper China Street or in a hip, minimalist-decorated cafe like Keeper’s Ground.

30 things to do for free this What About Kuching 2018

Published on September 7, 2018

News & Features

What About Kuching (WAK) is back! From Sept 29 till Oct 28, Kuching will be lit up with tonnes of activities all over the city.

This month-long festival is a local community effort aiming to celebrate the arts, culture and lifestyle that Kuching has to offer.

Mark your calendar and decide what to do during this year’s What About Kuching:

1.Watch local artists in action at Bishopsgate and The Clock Tower

What About Kuching Music Portail provides platform for local artists to showcase their talents. Watch out for these dates Oct 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 when the fun is happening at Bishopsgate Street Stage. Then on Oct 26 and 27, the party is moving to Clock Tower@The Old Courthouse.

There will be performances from Zee Avi, Tuku Kame, At Adau, Meruked and many more.

30 things to do for free this What About Kuching 2018 — At Adau’s Ezra Tekola on the sape’. Catch At Adau on Oct 12 at Bishopsgate Street Stage.

2.Visit the World Press Photo Exhibition

The iconic Padang Merdeka will come alive during the whole duration of What About Kuching. There, the World Press Photo Exhibition will make its Kucing debut showcasing a series of award-winning photos.

3.Follow a food trail along Padungan Street

What Kuching without its food? Follow the trail of Food Safari, collect stamps along the way and redeem a What About Kuching Merchandise.

4.Enjoy the music by Sarawak river at Waterfront Night Live

Do you know that there is a free weekly entertainment programme at GoDown Amphitheatre@Kuching Waterfront? The entertainment continues throughout What About Kuching month every Friday and Saturday.

5.Support young entrepreneurs at Junior Art Market

This art market is unlike others as it is exclusively dedicated to young entrepreneurs. However, there are art workshops, food and performances for all ages.

6. Observe the beauty of body art of Sarawak

What does the late Anthony Bourdain and Crazy Rich Asian’s Henry Golding have in common? Both of them have tribal Iban tattoos on their bodies.

From Sept 29 till Oct 9 there will be a tattoo exhibition happening at The Old Courthouse.

7. Learn more about Sarawak tattoos

Speaking of tattoos, know more about this artistry on Sept 30. There will be a presentation about tattoo artifacts. While on Oct 7, there will be a panel discussion on Sarawak tattoo industry.

8. Take part in a photojournalism workshop

Calling out all professional and amateur photographers! There will be a free a workshop conducted by photojournalists from the World Press. Sign up quickly because seats are limited.

9.Meet a fine artist

Ramsay Ong is a household name when comes the local fine art scene. Meet him daily from 10am to 2pm from Mondays to Fridays at the Pullman Hotel.

10.Take pleasure in listening to monologues

Listen to local talents reciting their monologues on Oct 5. There will guests performers flying in from Singapore and West Malaysia.

11.Enroll your kids in a Latin dance workshop

Start ‘em young! Sign your kids up for Latin Dance Workshop and they might have a knack for it!

12. Watch a yoga performance

Observe professional yogis in action at Sarawak famous Darul Hana Bridge Oct 6. On Oct 18, the yoga performance is happening at the Old Courthouse. After both of the performances, the public will have the chance to try some yoga moves. Do not miss out on this!

13. Gain an understanding on how to be a published writer

Do you have a manuscript tucked away somewhere in the corner of your room? Or have you always wanted to be a published writer? For two hours on Oct 7, bestseller Gina Yap will share about her journey.

14.Take in the knowledge of a poet

Marc Nair, a poet from Singapore will gives listeners a peak into his world of publishing poetry, taking photographs and more on Oct 7.

15. Familiarise yourself with Borneo beads

The beads of Sarawak can be considered as one of the state’s most precious heirlooms. Know more about beads of Sarawak by Heidi Munan on Oct 9.

16.Admire the beauty of Sarawak craft

From Oct 8 till 28, explore the beauty of Sarawak arts and Crafts at Pullman Hotel.

17. Grasp more about mental health problems in Kuching

Honestly here in Sarawak we do not talk enough about mental health. Join in the movement of raising awareness in conjunction of World Mental Health Day from Oct 10 till 14. There will be exhibitions, screening and forums.

18.Ignite your passion in Latin dance

Dance to Latin music with Sarawak sunset glowing on you on Oct 12 and 19 at Kuching Waterfront. Only for two days, there will be a showcase and free dance lesson from Baile Latino Kuching from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

19.Spend an evening of music, art and coffee

Shades of Art is back in town on Oct 13! The 13th edition of this evening of music and arts is dedicated to the Ranee of Sarawak.

20. Watch local short independent films

For one night only on Oct 13 at The Garden@The Old Courthouse, there will be film screenings and sharing session.

21. Play some ping pong games

Sweat it out for some ping pong games at Plaza Merdeka on Oct 14-27.

22.Show your support to the artists from the Kuching Autistic Association

Walk through forty pieces of artworks from the talents of Kuching Autistic Association. The exhibition is happening on Oct 19 to 21 at Hilton Hotel.

23.Explore a cardboard city

Here is another activity to bring your kids! Explore the Cardboard city made from recycled cardboard on Oct 20 till 21.

24.Jam with the youths

Feel the young vibes of local youths at Kuching Youth Jam. This monthly gathering features exhibition and workshop for hip hop enthusiasts.

25.Party with the local hip hop scene

Another What About Kuching event for hip hop enthusiasts, Tha (this is not a spelling error) Block Party organised by Tha Project will highlight hip hop talents, break dancing and more.

26.Take a pint (or more) during an Oktoberfest

Forget about celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany and head down tHe Spring shopping mall. Enjoy your drinks and the live music for ten nights from Sept 29 till Oct 7.

27.Channel your inner Tony Hawk

What About Kuching is all out giving platforms to different kinds of communities in the city. One of these community is the skaters of Kuching. There will be workshops, competitions and booths during Skate About Kuching on Oct 21.

28.Celebrate Deepavali for three days

Although Deepavali is not a public holiday in Sarawak, it should not stop all Sarawakians to celebrate. Come together on Oct 26-28 at CityOne Megamall to celebrate with arts, fashion shows, Bollywood competition as well as cooking classes and contests.

29.Visit a flea market

Show your support to local artisans and entrepreneurs while watching live music at Green Heights Mall Halloween Flea.

30.Find a treasure at a trunk sale

The biggest pre-loved market in Kuching is back on Oct 27 till 28. Give new life to old items at Kuching Trunk Sale (Oct 27-28) at Emart Batu Kawa.

There are more activities happening this year What About Kuching, download their calendar here!

Suggestions

Things To Do - Page 3

We’re not anti-social; we’re just into connecting with each other digitally.

Coffee Obsession

Tease by Jase’s Tea Room, ICOM Square

Earthlings Coffee Workshop, Jalan Wan Alwi

bing! coffee

Kai Joo Café, Lorong Kai Joo

Starbucks

You might be interested in

If you are heading out early on Christmas shopping, here are top five shopping spots in Sydney, Australia:

1. Birkenhead Point

2.Mosman

3. Pyrmont

4.The Intersection, Paddington

5.Surry Hills

You might be interested in

Here at KajoMag, we searched high and low for the scientific proof of why nature is good for you:

1.An experience with nature helps to reduce depression

2. Living in an urban area with more green space is also beneficial

3. Spending time in the forest has proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure

4.A day trip to the forest can also improve immunity

5.Children who spend more time in green and blue (beach) spaces have lower ADHD symptoms

6. The sounds and sights of nature help to reduce pain during flexible bronschoscopy

7.The closer you are to nature, you have higher tendency to exercise

8. Lastly, nature lower risk of you dying

You might be interested in

Gallery A of Kuching Cat Museum

Gallery B of Kuching Cat Museum

Gallery C of Kuching Cat Museum

Gallery D of Kuching Cat Museum

You might be interested in

If you are looking for fresh air on a Saturday afternoon, here are five things to do at Buntal Esplanade:

1.Enjoy the beach view

2.Buy some seafood

3. Do some bird-watching activities

4.Taste the local food

5.Eat some seafood

You might be interested in

World Press Photo Exhibition: Giving glimpses to the outside world

About WAK World Press Photo exhibition

You might be interested in

Here are five reasons why you should make your way to Danau Sentarum National Park:

1. Explore a maze-like peat land like no other

2. Do some birding activities

3.Observe the trees and wildlife (on camera) along the way

4.Watch sunrise and sunset over a floodplain

5. Learn about the Malay and Dayak cultures of Danau Sentarum

You might be interested in

Here are five Kajo-approved ways to document your travel memories for you to look back one day and say, “I’ve had the time of my life”:

1.Create a travel scrapbook

2.Make a travel photo book

3.Write a personal travel journal

4.Send yourself a postcard

5.Buy the same souvenir wherever you go

You might be interested in

The city itself , however, has so much to offer. Here in KajoMag, we highly suggest not to leave the Cat City of Sarawak until you have done these 10 things:

1.Learn the cultures

2.Eat your heart out

3.Explore the national parks

4.Walk the streets of Kuching

5.Visit the museums

6.Spend a day at Santubong peninsular

7.See the wildlife up-close

8.Sight-see heritage buildings

9.Experience at least one festival

10.Hop into the coffee culture

You might be interested in

Mark your calendar and decide what to do during this year’s What About Kuching:

1.Watch local artists in action at Bishopsgate and The Clock Tower

2.Visit the World Press Photo Exhibition

3.Follow a food trail along Padungan Street

4.Enjoy the music by Sarawak river at Waterfront Night Live

5.Support young entrepreneurs at Junior Art Market

6. Observe the beauty of body art of Sarawak

7. Learn more about Sarawak tattoos

8. Take part in a photojournalism workshop

9.Meet a fine artist

10.Take pleasure in listening to monologues

11.Enroll your kids in a Latin dance workshop