Getting There and Around in Kuching (Sarawak)
Part of the Kuching (Sarawak) travel guide — see every topic in All Kuching (Sarawak) Guides.
Sarawak is a two-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur across the South China Sea, and arriving there involves something that surprises visitors: a passport check. Sarawak retained its own immigration control under the terms on which it joined Malaysia in 1963, so even Malaysians from the peninsula are stamped in. Kuching itself is small, flat and walkable in the centre, with Grab covering everything else cheaply. Sarawak is very large, so anything beyond the city means a flight or a long drive.
Getting there
Kuching International Airport is about eleven kilometres south of the city, twenty minutes by Grab for 20–35 ringgit. Direct flights run from Kuala Lumpur (about two hours), Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore and Pontianak in Indonesian Kalimantan. There is also an overland border crossing to Pontianak by long-distance bus, around eight to ten hours. Note the immigration control: keep your passport accessible, expect a stamp, and be aware that a Malaysian entry stamp from the peninsula does not cover Sarawak's own permitted stay.
Around Kuching
The old town, waterfront, Chinatown and India Street are all walkable and flat — the city is genuinely pleasant on foot, which is rare in Malaysia. Tambang passenger boats cross the river all day for a ringgit or two and are the nicest way to reach Fort Margherita and the north-bank kampungs. Grab covers everything else at 8–25 ringgit within the city and 30–60 to Semenggoh, Bako village or Damai. Public buses exist and are slow. Car hire is useful only if you intend to drive to Gunung Gading or beyond.
The rest of Sarawak
The state is enormous — larger than peninsular Malaysia — and the road network is limited. Sibu, Bintulu and Miri are reached by flight in under an hour or by long coastal bus rides of eight to fifteen hours. Mulu, for the caves, is reachable only by air from Kuching, Miri or Kota Kinabalu, or by a multi-day river journey. Bario in the Kelabit Highlands is a flight from Miri. Express boats run up the Rajang river from Sibu, which is one of the classic Borneo journeys and takes the best part of a day.
Practicalities
Sarawak's immigration control means an internal Malaysian flight functions as an international one for paperwork; allow time. Grab is the default and metered taxis are rare. Distances outside Kuching are long and the roads are winding, so fly between the state's cities rather than driving unless the journey is the point. And note that Sarawak observes some public holidays the peninsula does not — Gawai Dayak on 1 and 2 June being the largest — when transport and accommodation fill.
Getting There and Around at a glance
| Immigration | Sarawak has its own control — passport check even from KL |
|---|---|
| Airport | 11 km south; Grab RM 20–35 |
| From Kuala Lumpur | ~2 hours by air |
| In the city | Walkable; tambang river boats RM 1–2 |
| Grab | RM 8–25 in town; RM 30–60 to Semenggoh, Bako, Damai |
| Elsewhere in Sarawak | Fly — the state is larger than the peninsula |