Explore Continued from previous page
Living museums Whether you venture to Fort Margherita, built by the second Rajah of Sarawak in 1879, or to the Borneo Cultures Museum, it’ll be clear that Sarawak’s history is on display in abundance. However, if museums aren’t on the agenda, strolling through Kuching’s streets reveals the city’s diversity, such as India Street, bursting with a kaleidoscope of stalls and eateries. Carpenter
K UC H I N G
‘Performances demonstrate the traditional lifestyles and costumes of tribal communities in longhouses’
Sarawak Cultural Village opened in the late 1980s to preserve the traditions of Sarawak’s ethnic groups, such as Iban, Orang Ulu and Malay. Open year-round, the village’s exhibitions and performances demonstrate the traditional lifestyles and costumes of tribal communities in longhouses, including shows of traditional Sarawakian instruments at the Rainforest Music House. The Sarawak Cultural Village hosts several festivals, and if you time it right, you might be lucky enough to attend the Rainforest World Music Festival, which celebrates its 29th anniversary from June 26-28, 2026, showcasing acts from around the world.
scv.com.my
Street is lined with colourful colonial-era shophouses and features the Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple dedicated to the Taoist Deity of the North. Kuching’s waterfront really comes alive at night and is the perfect spot to admire the iconic Sarawak Legislative Assembly building and Darul Hana Bridge, shaped in the letter S for Sarawak. Many of Kuching’s historic buildings have transformed the old town into an outdoor gallery, featuring vibrant street art, particularly around the Main Bazaar and its adjacent streets and lanes.
Sarawak Cultural Village Set in the jungle on the Damai Peninsula, the
28 BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Sarawak River; meet the locals; Ocean Pavilion at Cove 55
Semenggoh Nature Reserve Semenggoh Nature Reserve is one of the few places where you can still witness orangutans in the wild. Observing these apes going about their business as nature intended is worth planning your trip around. Although sightings are
not guaranteed, when they do clamber down to snack on fruit, it makes the experience all the more special. You’ll soon wonder which one of you is doing the observing. It’s an absolute privilege to be in their natural habitat, in the knowledge that the sanctuary was established in 1975 to save orangutans, who were injured, orphaned or held captive as pets.
sarawakforestry.com
Cove 55 Sitting snugly between Mount Santubong and the South China Sea, Cove 55 is the ultimate hideaway. As a member of Secret Retreats, Cove 55 is one of its many boutique properties across Asia, advocating local communities and immersive experiences. Before its expansion it was the home of a local Iban family, and Cove 55 immediately embraces you in understated luxury across its rooms, suites and overwater villas. It’s easy to disconnect and relax in this stunning part of the world. Unless you answer the call of the wild with an adventure in the nearby Bako National Park, or join a Wetlands Wildlife Cruise, where you might spy Irrawaddy dolphins or the unusual-looking proboscis monkeys. secret-retreats. com/hotels
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 NOVEMBER 2024
IMAGES GETTY IMAGES; ADOBE STOCK; COVE 55
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