There are items to suit all pockets, from budget priced knick-knacks with ethnic motifs to ancient carvings and artifacts from remote longhouses. The Iban Umbu (hand-woven textiles) makes attractive wall hangings or table covers. Examples can be seen on the walls of Sarawak's leading hotels. Another popular fabric is the Malay Kain Songket intricately woven with threads of gold and silver and still worn by Malay men and women on festive occasions. Other popular items include carved hornbills, silver belts and jewelry and Bidayuh basketwork.

The Orang Ulu, or upriver people, are famous for intricate carvings that illustrate their ancient legends and for beadwork, some of it very old that is eagerly sought after by international collectors. The Penan, the last nomadic tribe in Sarawak, produces blowpipes and bracelets. Besides carvings, antique collectors will be attracted to the ornate brass cannon, kettles, and betel nut boxes. Some antiques require an export permit from the Sarawak Museum, but the shopkeeper can usually arrange this, along with shipping of larger items overseas.

Proud of its culture, Sarawak is now producing modern clothes and household items incorporating the state's unique ethnic designs. Other items popular with visitors include books on Sarawak's history; culture and ethnic groups, locally produced pottery, gold and gold and silver jewelry. Also sought after are high-quality edible birds' nests, harvested from local caves, and the famous Sarawak pepper.

Shopping malls in the main towns are well stocked with daily requirements including imported clothing while supermarkets sell Western and Japanese food stuff. All major centers have several camera and video shops offering for sales, service and film processing. Many visitors find that local opticians sell eyeglasses cheaper than in their home countries. If you are going trekking you can find clothes and equipment for your trip in the main towns and pharmacies are well stocked with insect repellant and sun screen lotions as well as proprietary and prescription medicines. You can find all the maps and guidebooks you need in bookshops. There are several banks and moneychangers and most offer better rates than you will find in your hotel. Most banks also provide automatic teller machines that accept most major credit cards. Just look for the sign of your card company on the machine. It is safer than carrying a lot of cash or travelers' cheques.

It is common to bargain on the markets. You cannot bargain in the supermarket or for food. Most of the souvenir shops are situated on the riverside of Kuching. You don't need to get up early for shopping as most stores don't open until 9am or 10am. Furthermore, they will be open until 9 pm at night. If shopping is your thing do the department stores during the day (they are air conditioned) and visit the street shops at night.

The main shopping centers are the Sarawak Plaza which is located centrally next to the Holiday Inn, Saborkas which is a short trip along Jalan Tan Haji Openg, and the Riverside Majestic which has a good cinema complex and ten pin bowling alleys on the top public floors. The food markets are located on the Waterfront where fruit, vegetables, and meats are displayed openly.

Lately indoor aquariums have become popular resulting in a number of fish pet stores opening. As a visitor it is unlikely that you want to buy aquarium fish, however it is worth visiting one. They are similar to aquariums at a zoo with a range of attractive and often large tropical fish.


Dinning & Restaurants
You can wine and dine from fine Western menus at the hotels or restaurants in major towns where there is also a wide choice of excellent Chinese restaurants. If fast food is your choice then burgers, pizzas and fried chicken are available from leading international franchises such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. There are also a number of Malaysian franchises, including Sarawak's own Sugar Bun chain, which is now branching out overseas. But if you restrict yourself to the familiar you will be missing out on the taste treats that Sarawak has to offer the more adventurous diner. Let the stars form your canopy as you dine out at stalls on fresh fish, prawns, lobster, crabs, or bamboo clams, a local delicacy. All are best enjoyed at open air food stalls, by a river, on the sea shore, street-side or ingeniously placed on top of multi-story car parks, these stalls provide dining at prices so low they amaze overseas visitors.

Most of the dining places are quite safe. The standards of hygiene are high and it is alright to drink the tap water so branch out and try something new. Savor the Satay, beef or chicken on skewers grilled to your order and dipped in piquant peanut/curry sauce, or try the myriad types of noodles that Sarawak has to offer. The king of these is undoubtedly Laksa, Sarawak's famous breakfast dish, consisting of noodles, bean sprouts, julienne chicken, eggs and prawns in spicy coconut curry gravy, it is just the thing to start your day of adventure. In the main towns try the spicy and delicious Malay food. Nasi Lemak, a dish of rice cooked in coconut milk, curry with several piquant accompaniments makes a substantial lunch.

For those with exotic tastes, sago worms and jungle snails make interesting gastronomic excursions into the unknown. You may well be served these during a longhouse stay, along with chicken jungle rice steam cooked in lengths of bamboo. If you like Sushi you should try Umai, which has been described as sushi with attitude. Made of sliced raw fish with chilies and limejuice, it has become like Laksa, a Sarawak national dish.

If you are vegetarian there are vegetarian restaurants in all the major towns to cater to your palate. Even if you are not vegetarian you should try Midin and Paku, jungle fern shoots that most visitors find it delicious.

In Sarawak's hot climate you should maintain your liquid intake. Coffee shops and roadside stalls sell thirst quenching fresh lime, sugar cane juice and a host of other local drinks as well as the famous Teh Tarik, or pulled tea. Just watching it being made is an experience in itself. The local coffee sold at Kopitiam or traditional coffeehouses has a flavor all of its own or you can grab a cappuccino or a latte at Western-style coffeehouses and hotels. If you are in favor of something stronger you are after beer and stout are served in Chinese coffee shops. Most major towns have several bars that sell both local and imported beers, wines and spirits. Wine is now becoming more popular with local drinkers. Try not to leave Sarawak without trying Tuak, whether home-brewed at an Iban longhouse or served at a pub in town, this rice wine is Sarawak's traditional drink of welcome and fellowship.

At the end of a hot walk, nothing is preferred than Ice Kachang, a mixture of ground ice, condensed milk, jelly pieces, Soya beans, and other chunky bits. One of the extraordinary snacks is called Rojak, which is a combination of various vegetables and fruit mixed with dark brown syrup. It is best eaten straight away. The most of fresh fruit drinks especially coconut which is served in the coconut itself is best with ice. The tender coconut flesh is normally scooped out and eaten while or after drinking. One of the more refreshing drinks is star fruit drink.
There are different conventions on when to pay for food. In the western style fast food places it is, as in other places, when you pick up your food. In the local small shops it is generally when they serve your order to your table, in the restaurants it is at the end of the meal just before you leave.


Entertainment & Nightlife
Kuching offers entertainment and nightlife to suit most tastes. These include the multitude of restaurants, food court centers, pubs and bars, Cineplex, bowling center and local hawker stalls that is equaled in no other area. Although Sarawak is not exactly a place that never sleeps, there is definitely enough to keep you well occupied. Night spots in Sarawak tend to exist in clusters, making pub-hopping even easier especially now in Kuching. Some of the areas that come to life after dark are Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahaman, Jalan Mendu Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahaman, Jalan Padungan and Jalan Borneo. Each caters to a different type of crowd so it is worth doing some exploring. Drink prices are usually pretty standard (about RM9-RM14 for a beer, and about RM20-RM25 for a whisky or tequila shot) but look out for 2-for-1 drink offered which is, of course, an happy hour. Most discotheques come with a surcharge which usually includes one or two drinks, but most pubs or wine bars do not come with one. There are also some popular night spots for food in Kuching. They are: Top Spot Food Center, Open Air Hawker Center, Hui Sing Hawker Center, Song Kheng Hai Hawker Center, Jalan Satok, and restaurants in some hotels and resorts. For other night activities, Kuching offers karaoke lounges which are now dotted all over the area as a result of the increasing karaoke's popularity, including in all major hotels. Most of them provide songs in Chinese (various dialects), English, Iban, Malay, Japanese and Korean.


Getting Around
There are many options to get around the city. It is your choice to choose from; ranging from less to much expensive. Transportation available in Kuching is Taxis, Buses, Car rental or Boats.

Taxis don't seem to drive around but rather congregate in a few key positions and there are also some unfortunate locations where not all taxis can go as regular taxis only service on some roads or parts of the town. This makes it hard to just flag a taxi and expect to be taken where you want. Most taxis do not have meter, you must agree on the price before getting in!

Buses are by far the best option. Although most places are walking distance, it is too hot to do so. Taking buses is economical, comfortable and reliable but since most buses are not air-conditioned, sitting beside an open window is what you ought to. Be cautious that the bus drivers seem reluctant to provide any assistance to those who don't know where to go. Even though the fares are considered cheap as 40 cents can get you across the town, the air-conditioned buses generally cost a bit more and seem to make up perhaps half the fleet.

Car rental is relatively expensive but is certainly convenient to get around especially if you plan to get out of the city. Prepare your own international driver's license if you want to hire one. Driving is not difficult here as the local drivers are relatively courteous and do not travel fast. They do however tend to travel close together so sudden moves should be avoided. The frequent roundabouts are the main thing to get used to, merge in slowly giving way to those on the right and 'go with the flow'. The other thing that is different from many places in the way the motorbikes weave in and out with seeming little regard for their own safety. Drive in the center of lane and mind your own business. Renting a car is not tricky but it is different story for small motorbike and bicycle as there is not obvious place to hire them. Also, be careful as a pedestrian, vehicles won't seem to try to miss you.

Express Boats are powerful boats, which often resemble wingless aircraft, and are the main means of travel on the major rivers and between the coastal towns. Express boat services are available to most of the major inland destinations. As well as being fast and economical, they offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy the scenery and meet the locals.

Longboats and Sampans, suit local river travel, is usually in smaller craft. Small wooden longboats are the equivalent of buses and taxis in upriver areas, and visitors to longhouses will normally experience the pleasures of upriver travel in one. In Kuching, wooden sampan, known locally as tambang, is used as river taxis and is an excellent way of discovering the Kuching river front.