Kuching - tourism perspective #1

Below are some of the phrases taken from "The official Kuching guide 2007" prepared by Wayne Tarman & Mike Reed, sponsored by Sarawak Tourism Board.

"Like all towns and cities in Borneo, the focal point of Kuching, and the reason for its existence, is the river. Hiring a “sampan” to meander slowly up and down the Sarawak River is the best way to get your first impression of Kuching, and a real bargain. It’s good during the day, bliss at sunset and a truly one-off experience at night. From the river you will see picturesque Malay villages (kampungs), a golden-domed mosque, a Victorian fort, a whole street of 19th century Chinese shophouses and an imposing wooden-roofed palace, all set against a background of distant mountains."

"The Waterfront offers excellent views of the Astana, Fort Margherita and the Malay kampungs which line the north bank of the river, but at night-time it really comes alive; it seems like half of Kuching is out meeting friends, watching a show, or just taking the air. "

Obviously, the quality of the city can be summed up as follow:

• the villages (kampung) line the north bank of the river, opposite the city centre.
• the river as the primary icon of the city
• waterway transport - the sampan (small wooden boat)
• picturesque setting made up from these features - distant mountains, historic buildings, villages, sunset and the river.

So the question I want everyone to ask is the modern development as shown in this post - the oversized State Assembly building, arced pedestrian bridge and wide boulevards to replace the forested water edge, villages and the surrounds of the historic sites appropriate ?

Crossing The River

Crossing Sarawak's Limbang River. Although this photo is not taken along Sarawak River or anywhere near Kuching, it does represent a typical way of life many Sarawakan live along the river. The houses scattered along the river edge are similar to those villages opposite Kuching city.

So similarly you can see many villagers make daily trips by sampan (wooden boat) to Kuching old markets in the downtown to shop of fresh produces and other groceries.

The following photo - 'sampan' was taken from the old market, view to the villages lined along the opposite bank of the Sarawak River.

Crossing The River
At Flickr by Roslan Tangah (aka Rasso)

The Last Trip

The Last Trip
At Flickr by Jeremy-G