12
th
September was public holiday in Labuan (Hari Raya Haji). Therefore my family
and I travel to Kuching to enjoy the holiday. The flight ticket was RM 74 per
way. As the seat for cheap flight ticket
is limited so one of my family members bought RM 119 for the flight to Kuching.
10th
September 2016: Flight AK 6355 14:50-16:55
12th
September 2016: Flight AK 6354 13:00-1505 (delay)
10th
September 2016 (Saturday)
Labuan International
Ferry Terminal >> Menumbok Bus Station >> Kota Kinabalu
International Airport (KKIA) >> KFC (Lunch) >> Kuching
International Airport >> Nova Kuching Hotel >> Top Spot Seafood Food Court (Dinner) >> Nova Kuching Hotel
Early of the morning,
we took big ferry to Menumbok. It took around 1 hour plus to arrive, if I not
mistake. The times we arrived, it was raining and one of the red buses had been
full and second bus has some problem which caused delay. We wait for a while
and lastly we been told to take Sipitang Express to Kota Kinabalu around 10.30
a.m.
As our destination was
airport not Kota Kinabalu bus station so we told the bus conductor to stop at
airport bus station. From airport bus station, we walked to airport. Luckily
that time the rain was not big. In airport, we were having lunch at KFC.
When in Kuching
airport, we took airport taxi to hotel which cost RM 43. We wait for a while
for the taxi because the taxi which we took is not normal taxi (max 4 people)
but is executive taxi. If you take normal taxi, it is very fast because all the
taxi already queues up to take passengers.
The taxi driver (Sarip Chek- 0198865196- HQ1867) gave
us his name card and offered RM 40 per trip from hotel to airport. He said that
Kuching is very clean. If he sees someone throw the rubbish from car, he will
honk that people. He ride us to a long way to hotel in order to show us some
building or view of Kuching because using shortcut, less things can be seen.
At night, around Nova
Kuching Hotel seems quite difficult to look for dinner. We walked and walked,
lastly I saw UTC and I knew that at the top of UTC has Top Spot Seafood Food
Court so we planned dinner at there.
11th
September 2016 (Sunday)
Nova Kuching Hotel
>> Chong Choon Café (Breakfast) >> Cat Statues >> Waterfront
>> Chinese History Museum >> Tua Pek Kong Temple >> Carpenter
Street >> Post Office >> Textile Museum >> Plaza Merdeka
(Lunch) >> India Street >> Street Art >> Electra House
Shopping Complex >> Kai Joo Lane >> James Brooke Bistro & Café
>> Nova Kuching Hotel >> Sarawak Plaza >> Tun Jugah Mall
(Dinner) >> Riverside Shopping Complex >> Nova Kuching Hotel
Near with Nova Kuching
Hotel has Chong Choon Café which is so famous and full of people every morning.
After breakfast, we went to Padungan (opposite of Nova Kuching Hotel road) to
search for cat statues. Padungan is known as China town in Kuching.
On the way to looks
for cat statue, we shop at some traditional shops for souvenirs. The times we
went to Kuching was near with Moon Cake Festival so can saw many mooncakes to
be sell at shop. Most of them are handmade. My family looks for some biscuits
and noodles.
This cat statue
located at the end of Padungan Street. My dad said the “big door” has the China
feel.
This cat statue not
easy to take picture with because need to cross the road and the space is
limited.
I think this is the
most popular cat statue because I always saw people took picture with it.
Sometimes the sun is too bright also difficult to get good lighting. Therefore
we went there for picture taking for 2 times.
After took picture
with this cat statue, we went down to Waterfront. It has a long path for you to
walk for. We were a bit early reach Chinese History Museum so need wait for a
while before it opens (10 a.m.). After visited museum, we cross a road and
reach Tua Pek Kong temple (oldest temple).
In accordance with the
wishes of the 2nd Rajah, this distinctively non-Chinese building was
originally built in 1912 to house the Chinese Civil Court, which arbitrated
over business and domestic disputes in the Chinese community and served this
purpose till 1921. From 1930 till 1990, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce
occupied this premise. It is now under the charge of the Sarawak Museum and
houses the Sarawak History Museum which chronicles the heritage, culture and
lives of Chinese settlers in Sarawak up to present day.
Built by the early
Teochew settlers from Swatow, this temple was originally sited on the Main
Bazaar but moved to present site in 1863; it was restored in 1889 after the
1884 great fire, dedicated to the “Lord of the arcane heaven” or also known as
the “Deity of North”, a mythical character who is part of the Taoist pantheon
of gods. As with most Chinese temples, a stage is built to provide
entertainment for the deity on feast day; this is usually done on the 4th
day of the 12th lunar month. Most other days, this mini opera house
serves as a food court with local dishes.
Carpenter Street
The heart of the early
Chinese community of Kuching, this street still boasts 3 temples and various
association buildings. Named for the carpenters that congregated here, many of
the signs still announce Shanghainese carpenters within, though these have
largely become furniture shops amongst the many bars, eateries and guests
houses which abound now.
Carpenter Street full
of Chinese shops. During Moon Cake Festival, it has night market. As it is very
far from my hotel so I did not go night market. At Carpenter Street which near
with Textile Museum has Post Office. The Post Office is very beautiful with
European style.
The Central Post
Office
Completed in 1931
during the time of the 3rd Rajah, Sir Vyner Brooke, this majestic
neo-classical building differentiates itself from the other buildings in the
vicinity and was designed by an architectural firm based in Singapore and who
also designed the Brooke Memorial. Astonishing as it may seem, this once housed
the 2nd Rajah’s stables where Areca palms fenced in the Rajah’s
coach house, hayloft and harness room. The Brooke crest, at the centre of the
pediment, bears the Brooke motto: Dum spero spiro which roughly can be
translated as, “While I breathe, I hope.” This approximates the Iban rallying
call, “Agi idup, aki ngelabang,” or “While I live, I contend.”
Opposite Post Office
has Textile Museum and Plaza Merdeka. Those very close with each other. In
Plaza Merdeka, we lunch at Food Court. I ate hot plate rice.
From Plaza Merdeka can
go to India Street. The purpose to India Street is looks for street art. As I
scared I went out at wrong exit so I asked a boy who carried a box for donation
and stand at exit there. I donated some money and double confirmed with the
exit to India Street.
When walked at India
Street, I was regret that just asked one question to the boy as I did not know
the exact places for 2 street arts. I tried asked a staff in fabric shop but
she did not know where street art and Jalan Power are.
I walked until the end
and saw an India cat statue. Then I just knew that has India cat statue because
never seen before. Beside India cat statue has wall art like “I Love Kuching”.
At there, I also tried looked for Orang Utan street arts but cannot find. As
cannot find so I planned walk to Electra House Shopping Complex and suddenly I
saw it.
The Orang Utan street art
located at the end of India Street there. When saw Orang Utan street art, I was quite
disappointed because at the trolley there has lots of rubbish. Why people
cannot throw rubbish to dustbin? Where is moral?
The other one Orang
Utan street art has a bag of water which I saw online. Now, don’t have so I not
sure what happen or original also did not has a bag of water?
On the way back, I saw
police station and knew that Kai Joo Lane around it so go there to looks for
Shao Pao (bun) but two shops closed. As all of us had been walked for half day
so we planned rest and have some drinks at James Brooke Bistro & Café.
Kai Joo Lane
Unfortunately known to
the locals as “Coffin Street” (Kua Ca Hung) from the trade once common here.
Now it is famous for tailors and traditional pineapple tarts, particularly
during Chinese New Year.
After resting in
hotel, we went to Sarawak Plaza and Tun Jugah but that time was heavy raining.
We cannot go too far. Luckily these two shopping malls are opposite with each
other. Lastly we were having dinner at food court of Tun Jugah mall. These entire malls are early closed the shops.
I ate crispy chicken rice for dinner.
After dinner, the rain was getting small so we went to Riverside Shopping Mall.
At Jalan Main Bazaar
has many stalls or shops are selling kek lapis or layer cake. It is very famous
in Kuching. It has many types of layer cakes and the stalls we bought have
bought 10 free 1 offer. At there you also can looks for souvenirs.
There are list which I
hope can pay a visit in future:-
Winnie Café- need book
early 2 days for main and small dishes.
Kai Joo Lane- Chong
Chon Biscuit Maker (Shao Pao) & Tong Kee
Carpenter Street- Food
court opposite Xuan Tian Shang Temple
Sarawak Museum- near
with Padang Merdeka
Open Air Market (Jalan
Khoo Hun Yeang) near with Electra House Shopping Complex.
12th
September 2016 (Monday)
Nova Kuching Hotel
>> Min Hong Kee (Padungan- Breakfast) >> Kuching International
Airport >> Sugar Bun (Lunch) >> KKIA >> Hua Mei Hotel
>> Suria Sabah >> Sushi King (Dinner) >> Hua Mei Hotel
Early in the morning, we
looked for our breakfast at Min Hong Kee. After that, go around and back to
hotel for a rest before check out to airport. In airport, as my parents would
like to eat some rice so we lunch at Sugar Bun which nea
r with Old Town Coffee. I ate
nasi lemak.
As the weather problem
in Kota Kinabalu, pilot decided to stop at Labuan Airport. We requested direct
go down from Labuan Airport. An airport staff needed our boarding pass and
asked us to write a formal letter. When we wrote the letter, being informed that
we cannot touch down from flight. Therefore we followed the flight back to Kota
Kinabalu around 5 p.m. something.
From KKIA, we took
shuttle bus which cost RM 5 per trip and our drop by point is at Horizon Hotel.
From there we walked to Hua Mei Hotel. Hua Mei Hotel did upgrade a bit compare
my previous stay that it has flat screen TV. We stay in Standard Twin Room
which cost RM 115 per night.
13th
September 2016 (Tuesday)
Hua Mei Hotel >>
Qiang Sheng (Breakfast) >> Jesselton Point >> Labuan International
Ferry Terminal
Early in the morning,
we breakfast at Qiang Sheng (same row with hotel). After that we walked to
Jesselton Point and backed to Labuan by using Ferry Express.
*All history of
building which I copied from “Kuching Heritage Map Exploring 22 Landmarks”
