What we bought from Kuching...

We are now very controlled in our souvenir buying and only got stuff that we really liked or which we think would be useful to us

 some of the things that define Kuching/Sarawak

 I love Kuching T shirts: mine is RM7 and my daughte's is RM6

 daughter's buys....I love Sarawak T, ethnic beaded bag, bracelets for her friends, minicroc and more trinkets

 bead necklace, shirt and croc

 lovely beading shoulder bag which is so her

 handcrafted bracelets and orang asli beaded armbands for her friends

 this necklace costs a whopping RM65 and her dad bought it for her

goes well with her blue top

 I got this table cloth with the Sarawak design for RM20, there are table runners, sash, curtains etc in this design!

 Sarawak black and white pepper corns and pepper grinder (RM13) and RM6 for the packets

 fridge magnets (RM4.90)

 my necklace, RM28

goes with my orange and black top

and sarong..I hope I look so in my native Sarawak element here, minus the shades of course!!

 Dayak design pareo for RM35...you can get this for RM18 in downtown Main Bazaar road!!!

she wore the necklace and sarong for her school Hari Raya costume day, the SIAO CHA BOR!!!

 my mini croc RM1.90 and another fridge magnet which is a wood carving used as a shield by the Sarawakian warrior.

 this is the room key tag

 compared to my fridge magnet

Bye!!!

Mini Croc says "bye bye" to Kuching!!!!

De Palma Waterfront Kuching

In Kuching, we stayed at De Palma Waterfront Kuching, a hotel that is tied up with AirAsia Go Tours

affordable and dirt cheap...RM64 per night

It is situated along Jalan Abell and you can walk to Jalan Padungan to find a lot of coffee shops
sadly, it is also the road where the two British medical students were stabbed to death.

It is at the far end of the waterfront

colourful and unmistakable but since it is at the far end of the waterfront, you might have trouble spotting it.

what a dorm might look like...

we had the three bedded room, turns out to have two single and 

one double bed, can sleep 4 or 5!

the tiny lobby and the only receptionist hahah!!!

simple room with basic amenities

see, the waterfront and the town?

has mats and cushions for chilling on the floor

every evening and morning we just walk out to Jalan Padungan to look for food

early evening....going out for our cruise

has a padang right in front of the hotel which is actually an office block converted into a hotel

 since it is a waterfront, boats will bring in the latest catch, and there is a fish market selling the freshest fish!

 people from near and far will flock to buy them

 there is also an ice factory nearby and these men have already done their day's work!

 it is only 8 or 9 in the morning!!!

 we walked around, marvelling at the still undeveloped and informal atmosphere of this last stretch of the waterfront....

 part of the waterfront and the last vestiges of untouched wharf...

 boathouses that bespoke of an era suspended in time

with unspoilt views like this!

Then the view is gone,

and we walked across the padang  for our breakfast...

this coffee shop visible from our hotel window serves

 Kolo mee, Sarawak mee etc, 

but only in the morning, by 11 or 12 it is sold out!

Since it was packed inside, we asked for a seat outside, 

and surprise, surprise!!!

 they carried a table and two chairs and accommodated our wishes!!!

De Palma Waterfront Kuching Hotel,

 if you do not mind bare necessities....

after all you only come back to the room to bathe and sleep!!! 

and relax!!!

David Thien Executive Taxi for Kuching

 If you go to Kuching, I would highly reccommend you look up David Thien

This is how he looks like:

your friendly tour guide and driver 

trusted and pleasant

He runs his own taxi and tour guide service

and subject to availability, 

will fetch you anywhere in Kuching for a reasonable fee

e.g. Crocodile farm and Annah Rais Longhouse for RM160

We booked him for the whole day (9 am to 5 am for RM300)

his meter actually showed more than RM300 because he also took us for lunch and to the hotspring

Since there was only 3 of us, he took us around in his Innova taxi

He also has a van for bigger groups.

This is his card:

email:   tdavid_28@yahoo.com

tel No: +60 19 887 6928

He doubled as our impromptu English speaking tour guide

And our unofficial photographer!