Kuching

Kuching is the capital of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, built along the winding Sarawak River with a compact, walkable downtown known locally as the Golden Triangle. Hotels here cluster near the waterfront and Main Bazaar, close to the Sarawak Museum and old bazaar's food scene, and serve as a base for day trips to Bako National Park, the Semenggoh orangutan rehabilitation centre, and the Sarawak Cultural Village. It's a slower-paced, culturally distinct market from Malaysia's peninsula cities, with a stronger emphasis on nature and heritage tourism than shopping or nightlife.