Back in November 2013, I had originally planned to make a 1.5 week trip to the Philippines after spending a few days in Kuala Lumpur to attend my friend’s wedding. Then super typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines. Many of the destinations I had originally planned to visit were in Haiyan’s path such as Coron and Bohol. It just wasn’t going to be the same although one could argue that “To see the world as it is, even at its worst” should be a “real” traveler’s motto. I might’ve done so had I had unlimited time but it was a long-awaited vacation and I wanted a vacation, as selfish as it is for me to say that. Thus, after forfeiting $250 in plane tickets, I purchased a ticket to East Malaysia, starting in Kuching, Sarawak.
There is nothing to do in dull Kuching but eat, in my opinion. They had some fantastic food that I hadn’t had in Peninsula Malaysia, such as tomato kuey teow, sarawak laksa, mee kolok, manok pansoh and beautiful kuih lapis. They’re variations of many Malaysian staples. Seafood is also a must-eat and a popular spot to get seafood is Top Spot, an outdoor food court filled with stalls selling the freshest seafood.
Among the multitudes of small, low-budget museums scattered around the city, one museum did stand-out; The Chinese Museum. Being of Chinese heritage, it was eye-opening to learn just how many different Chinese “clans” made their way from China to Malaysia during the early 1900s. I was aware of the major ones such as Hakka, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese and Teochew but I didn’t realize there were many more minor ones. The museum had pictures, stories, and even an exhibition which played audio of a single sentence but in all the various Chinese dialects.
A word of warning. Taxis are expensive (by Malaysian standards) to take and many drivers insist on not using the meter. But if you need to get somewhere fast and are willing to pay, it’s the best option. If you stay close to the city center, you can walk everywhere.
Did Kuching replace the Philippines? Certainly not. But Sabah sure did. I’ll write another entry about Sabah soon.