Kuching, on the island of Borneo, may still be a part of Malaysia, but it almost doesn't feel like it. It's somewhat more urban than I expected, perhaps because I had imagined a tropical rainforest backdrop with wildlife roaming free. However, this is certainly one of the nicer cities I have visited in Malaysia.
 
After getting acquainted with the numerous kitschy cat statues that are scattered around the newer part of the city, we headed to the tourist information office across town to investigate our options for the national parks and other sites nearby. The lady there was exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable, which is a real surprise after being virtually snubbed in most of the tourist offices over on West Malaysia. 

We left completely overwhelmed with information and leaflets, promising to return once we had absorbed everything fully.
 
Over the course of our visit we returned to the tourist information office a number of times, because the advice they gave was so good. Tip: get a copy of the latest bus schedule which lists the different companies servicing all the key destinations that you will want to visit whilst in Kuching. 
 
We ended up spending 2 weeks in Kuching, there's certainly a lot to do close by.
 
Gunung Gading national park
 
It turned out that a Rafflesia flower (biggest flower in the World) was blooming in Gunung Gading national park. So of course we planned a trip out there the following day.
 
The flowers only last 3-5 days and are considerably rare. Fertilisation is carried out by flies, that are attracted to the rotting flesh smell secreted by the flower. However, there needs to be a male and female flower within close proximity in order for the fertilisation process to take place.  
 
To get to Gunung Gading national park it's a case of taking a bus from the main bus terminal (out of town but accessible by numerous local buses) to the town of Lundu approx 2 hours from Kuching. From there you need to negotiate a shared mini van out to the park.
 
The Rafflesia flower was easy enough to locate, but not so easy to access from the board walk due to the railings set up to protect the area. Some other tourists climbed over the barrier so we reluctantly followed suit just to get a decent photo and smell the rotting flesh smell. Of course we were extremely careful where we stepped, so much so that I ended up ripping holes in my trousers and drawing blood a couple of times to avoid taking the easy path.
 
Afterwards, we trekked to some of the waterfalls (each of them is numbered on the map they give you), stopping at no 3 for a lunch of nasi goreng (Malay fried rice) that we had brought along. There was no one else there which was nice.
 
It only took an hour to trek back from waterfall no 7, although it can apparently be done quicker... I blame the knee injury that still hasn't eased up.
 
Semmengoh - orangutans
 
See my detailed post here: http://tiggerbird.blogspot.com/2013/11/orangutans-of-borneo-semenggoh-nature.html
  
Sarawak museum
 
This museum is a little dated, with stuffed birds and a large shell collection downstairs. Upstairs the life of longhouse dwellers is well mapped out with an interesting video, showing a number of different longhouses in the area. This is a good place to start your visit to the state of Sarawak, plus it's free (as are most of the museums in Kuching).
 
Other museums
 
The Natural history museum only seemed to have an exhibit with petrified/fossilised bits of wood, and there is a token entrance fee, not worth bothering with in my view.
 
The art gallery was only open downstairs but the air con was a welcomed break from the heat outside.
 
The new wing of the museum complex is housing an interactive dinosaur exhibition, so we skipped that and headed next door to the free part. Here, there's an extensive display covering rock art or cave painting, as well as an informative history section and then a large collection of Chinese pots and gongs detailing some aspects of local life.
 
Sarawak cultural village
 
The only way to get there is by shuttle bus or taxi. 
 
It's quite pricey, but I would recommend a visit as it does bring to life Sarawakian culture in a very up close and personal way. There are a number of shows scheduled throughout the day, so I suggest aiming to get there for the late morning one, as it will be busy with Malaysians, but they will have most likely already been around the village first. Start with the show and then explore the village afterwards, when the crowds have cleared.
 
Each of the 7 different tribe's longhouses offer something unique. I enjoyed trying the different foods and sweets they were making in a few of them.
 
The village is located close to a large resort, and across the road is a beach. I personally didn't like the look of the water here as it smelt bad at one end of the beach, but that didn't seem to deter the swimmers.
 
Cat museum
 
A huge collection of everything and anything cat related. Displays with well known cats such as Hello Kitty, Garfield, the Aristocats as well as a lot of cat figurines and other items such as posters and tea pots.
 
There are some interesting boards sharing the stories behind nursery rhymes such as the cat and the fiddle as well as potentially useful information including how best to pick up a cat. 
 
There was an interesting section showing some of the adverts made famous by the stray cats that were adopted and trained by a Japanese film maker who became a millionaire.
 
Think of something to do with cats and this museum is bound to have it. Almost everything is on display here, including cat food. 
 
However, I was disappointed not to find the Cat in the Hat or the Thundercats, but everything else is there. It's a heaven for cat lovers.
 
Walk the waterfront
 
The waterfront in Kuching is a nice place to walk. Close by is the street referred to as the 'main bazaar' which is a row of souvenir shops. These are a great place to pass the time if it's raining. 
 
A visit to Kuching isn't complete without savouring one of the famous layer cakes. These are on sale along the street or at the specialist bakeries around town. They usually let you try samples before you buy. The butter recipes are significantly more tasty than the margarine ones. My favourite was the chocolate and orange, although chocolate and mint came a close second.
 
Another popular souvenir here is pepper and items such as sweets made from pepper. And of course, anything with cats.