Kuching

Back in Malaysia.

This is (only) our second overseas holiday this year. We had a lovely, albeit cold trip to Japan in Feb. Now it's December and we are spending a month or so in Malaysia.

We haven’t travelled much this year because we were selling two properties and needed to get our retirement funds in order. (Well I say we, but really Richie is doing all the hard lifting). Anyhoo, both properties were sold, one very slowly and one obscenely quickly and here we are.....

Lombok, sadly experienced several earth quakes, which caused lots of damage late this year. We were in Lombok, after the Japan trip in March and we had decided to give it a rest for a while anyway. Fortunately (for us) Malaysia is our next go to for no stress, relaxing holidays.

We left Perth one a one way ticket, two suitcase (for a change) and a very loose itinerary. We are currently in Kuching, at the delightful Hilton Hotel and we have just extended our state to 7 nights. We booked the Club Floor and then we were upgraded to a super room. It’s massive and has superb views. We have already spend two nights and, as usual, our flirting with the lovely Club Floor staff has paid off and I’m enjoying buckets of wine (instead of the usual meagre serves).

our lovely Hilton Hotel room....

and look at that view

We have slipped into relaxed mode soooo easily (let’s face it, we hardly have a stressful life😝😝). It was raining on our first day, so after a very long, late breakfast we went back to bed and watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button (test of a great movie, when you can still enjoy it after two or three viewings). We finally dragged ourselves out at 2.30pm and mooched around town for the rest of the afternoon. 

Ensconsed in the Club Floor

We wandered (lonely as a cloud) up and down the Waterfront, watched a slightly bizarre hip hop dance competition, full of gyrating, grimacing young men (who have very good knees..... but not for long). Then we crossed the new Golden Bridge, it’s very well built and quite impressive, although it doesn’t go anywhere. Once you have walked to the other side you just have to turn right around and come back again.

Richie at the Chinese Temple

Mural in Kuching

After about an hour of walking, including a nice cold beer in China town, Richie’s shoes decided now was a good time to die. This is reoccurring event on our holidays. It’s happened to me twice. So we limped around a few shoe stores but our hearts weren’t in it, so we dashed back for the 5 pm Club Floor cocktails.

Riverfront by night

Riverfront by day

After several large buckets of wine and many chicken wings we headed back to the Waterfront and caught a sampan across the river (all of 1MR). 

It was quieter and even more sedate on the other side. We visited the layer cake shop, tried too many samples and made a purchase. Stopped of at the local outdoor food hall and had fried rice and iced tea and longan juice and finished the evening with a walk along the waterfront pathway. Which, by the way, also doesn’t go anywhere and at the end you have to turn right around and come back again.

ummm Cakies

I think it’s quite Zen, it’s all about the journey not the destination (cos there isn’t one).

We caught a sampan back across the river, the journey is less than 5 minutes and on alighting on the other side found the longest ever Christmas parade. Lots of (presumably Chinese Christians) marching bands, flashing lights, floats, balloons, Mary and Joseph and their camels and elephants, zebras and giraffes (either they have a different nativity story in Malaysia or there was a run at the costume shop).

River transport

We were initially booked for four days at the Hilton but decided to extend to seven.......ahh this is the life. We spent a leisurely day by the pool, followed by The Club Floor drinkies and more drinkies at the Granary Bar. 

lounging by the Hilton Pool

Expresso martini for Sir and one more glass of red for Madam

We did find a new pair of shoes for Richie. I went through the usual humiliating routine of trying to find a pair to fit me (why after all these years, do I still do this to myself). Big Foot go home!



Although we spent most of our time walking up and down the the lovely waterfront, we finally took a boat trip up and down the river. It was an hour trip on one of the smaller local boats. It was very pleasant and provided us with a different view of the river. 

views on the riverfront

Ajayis' on the water

We did finally purchase some shoes for me - not one pair but two!!!

They are mens shoes - but you can’t tell and I love them. We had a very successful couple of shopping days. We had planned to go to a shopping centre recommended to us, but our trusty Grab driver, advised us it was a crappy centre and mostly closed and recommended the Aeon centre instead - we took his advise and it was a complete success. 

exhausted from all the shopping, love the 3 MR massage chairs.

We had a couple of enjoyable massages at The Mirage Spa, just near the Pullman Hotel. It had good ratings on Tripadvisor and it looked very nice from the front. It had cute lighting etc but when you went out the back (to the toilet) it was a pretty average place. The massages were enjoyable, who can complain when you are having your feed rubbed for less than $15.

We travelled across the river again and visited the Brooke Fort Museum. Very interesting, finally a British Raja that wasn't a complete shit! 

Brooke Fort Museum

We followed this up by a visit to the food hall at the Merdeka for (my first for this trip) ABC and chicken curry. Finished the day with another massage and the inevitable Club Floor pig out....

ABC nom nom

We revisited the cake place, at the Courthouse complex, it seemed a bit smaller than last visit and not so many cakes, but still delicious. The Granary was visited one more time and we also checked out the Waterfront Hotel, next to the Court house - this was also a disappointment. Very flash on the outside and very uncharming on the inside. I think it was built to cater for the Chinese market. We also found a great Murtabak place, around the corner from the hotel. It was pretty basic and cheap but the murabak was perfect. 

dicking around at the Courthouse complex

Back at the Granary, in a new shirt.

Although we mostly spent our evenings in the Club Floor, and then ventured out for a walk and more drinkies, we did  manage to drag ourselves out for dinner at Blah Blah Blah. The restaurant had great reviews, when we finally found it, it turned out to be the exact same restaurant we visited on our last trip to Kuching. We are nothing, if not reliable in our tastes. Anway we had a fabulous meal, so it was worth the repeat performance.

back at Blah Blah Blah

We thoroughly enjoyed the seven nights we spent at the Hilton Kuching (in room 1122). Our room was so lovely, the Club Floor was great - lots of free flowing drinks and delicious food - it was hard to check out and move. But move on we did - next stop Kuala Terengganu.