Kuching Waterfront

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Stretching along the banks of the Sarawak River, Kuching Waterfront is a must-visit either during the day or in the evening. It is home to historic buildings such as the Square Tower which was built in 1879, the Old Sarawak Steamship Building which is now a bazaar, the Old Chinese Court which has been converted into a museum, and the Old Courthouse which once served as the seat of Sarawak's government.



The waterfront also boasts scenic views of Astana, Sarawak's State Legislative Complex, Fort Margherita, Kampung Boyan and Kampung Gersik across the river. Astana was built by the second White Rajah of Sarawak Charles Brooke in 1870 as a gift to his wife Margaret. The imposing palace has the style of an English manor house, and at night, its grounds light up beautifully. Standing next to Astana is Sarawak's State Legislative Complex. This building has nine storeys and an iconic umbrella-shaped roof.



On top of the hill, you'll find an 1879 fortress named after Brooke's wife. Fort Margherita was built to protect Kuching from pirates. Further along are the Malay villages - Kampung Boyan and Kampung Gersik - with their traditional homes and rustic surroundings. They are best known for producing different forms of layer cakes. One such producer is Mira Cake House .



Along the waterfront itself, there are a number of food stalls to entice your taste buds too. Do give gula apong ice cream a go if you've never tried it before. Interestingly, the choice of toppings include Oreos, cornflakes, peanuts, nestum and bubbles! And, if you're wondering what gula apong is, don't worry, it is simply a specialty natural sugar also known as nipah palm sugar.



In more recent times, a pedestrian bridge has been constructed to connect the northern and southern riverbanks. Darul Hana Bridge is 335 metres long and shaped like the letter 'S'. Its two viewing decks offer great vantage points over the river. After sunset, the bridge is illuminated, and you can go for a stroll until midnight.



At 8:30pm, you'll be able to enjoy a musical fountain featuring colourful and whimsical light art. Set against Sarawak's State Legislative Complex, this fountain dances to the rhythm of the music and has nozzles that shoot water up to 25 metres high. The 15-minute display is bright and actually quite dazzling.



Lastly, it's impossible not to notice the state flag flying high near Fort Margherita. In fact, the flag is fastened to the tallest flagpole in Malaysia (and South East Asia). Inspired by its nine-pointed star, the free-standing pole measures 99 metres in height. This makes it four metres taller than Dataran Merdeka Flagpole in the country's capital.

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