If you are reading this post, that's mean you are looking what to do while you are in Kuching or you just want to read my adventure, hehehhe. Last December 2021, as I participate in programme LAN BERAMBEH MAKAI' BA SARAWAK organized by Tourism Malaysia Sarawak, I had opportunity to do a cycling tour around Kuching city which conducted by Paradesa Borneo.
Just for your info, Padaradesa Borneo is the leading cycling holiday in Borneo, Kuching especially. So if you are into cycling, you should looking for them. Anyway, their office is located at the Main Bazaar, just across the Big Hornbill mural, near the traffic light. You can check out their website: https://paradesaborneo.com/
Let me summarize our cycling route:
- Starting point: Kuching Waterfront Square Tower
- Old Museum and Borneo Cultures Museum
- Jalan Ajibah Abol
- Masjid Bandar Kuching (Mosque)
- Enter Lorong Dock
- Masjid India Bandar Kuching
- Square Tower - ride to jetty 'Penambang' behind Tourism Malaysia Office and take penambang across to jetty Kpg Boyan with the bicycle
- push bike up to the old SK Gersik (Kpg Boyan access to The Brooke Gallery)
- pass through Brooke Gallery, Old DUN, Botanical Garden down to the new DUN
- Darul Hana Bridge
- push bicycle on Darul Hana Bridge (waiting for sunset)
- finish point. Enjoy IG Gula Apong ice-cream as reward.
Before the tour, I had given my height measurement to the organizer as the Paradesa Borneo will ready the bicycle custom for you as per your height. When we arrived, the bicycle had given as per your number. Anyway my lucky number is 28. Safety helmet also provided. Just make sure you are using appropriate attire for this activity.
Safety briefing conducted in professional manners. As we are group around 20pax, there are enough guide/marshal with us just for our safety as for 8pax, there will be 1 guide. My biggest fear is cross the road as there are so many cars. Luckily there are guide helping us. Hopefully the drivers are understand as nowadays there are so many viral post regarding the cyclist. Hahaha, I do not want that, especially the video of me while crossing the road.
Our first stop is Old Museum, we learned about Jerunai (Old Burial Pole) as Old Museum still closed for renovation. So, if your are in Kuching, you can have a look at this Jerunai. One in front of Old Museum, anyone one is at the new building of Islamic Museum.
Then we are crossing the new bridge to the New Islamic Museum, continue to Jalan Ajibah Abol. Along here is the Malay village. We called here "Kampung Nombor", or if I translate to English "Number Village". Why? Because in this area, the kampung divided by number such as Kampung No1, Kampung No2 and so on.
We cycling through the new waterfront of Kampung Nombor then we exit through Masjid Bandar Kuching then we continue to Lorong Dock, Masjid India or Gambir Road, till the Riverbank Suite building where we took a ride to jetty "Penambang", it is only behind the Tourism Malaysia Office (located inside Riverbank Suites). All our bicycles inside the penambang till we across to the jetty of Kpg Boyan.
As the hill is very steep, you need to push your bike up till the old SK Gersik where the Kpg Boyan access to The Brooke Gallery). We reached at the area of Brooke Gallery and take some rest, the view of new DUN Building is amazing here. We continue our journey passing the Botanical Garden, old DUN building the down ASTANA (Governor house), new DUN bulding as Darul Hana bridge.
As one the rule that you can't cycling on the bridge, you need to push your bicycle on the bridge. As the time we reached there around 6.15pm, we are waiting for the sunset. Unfortunately, the weather in Kuching nowadays very moody and cloudy, the sunset was very shy. So, we ended the tour the same place where we started.
As a reward, enjoy the signature of Sarawak, called Ice Cream gula apong from IG Gula Apong. Yup, for me, I really enjoy the tour. But for me, they need to more stories along the route as I know every place we go offers so many history.
If you asked me, I recommended you to do this tour. If you are looking for adventure cycling tour, do check out Paradesa Borneo, various interesting tour they can offer for you. Oh, you are wondering about difficulty level, I can categorize as EASY as I never done this before or cycling this long.
Salfok lihat perahunya di cat pola bendera Malaysia, sungguh elok dan nasionalis kelihatannya. Tak terase 2 tahunan lalu terakhir kesini. Entah bile masa bisa open border untuk Indonesia.
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