Cat Museum, Sarawak

Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, is located on the banks of the Sarawak river. Its name in the Malay language actually means “cat”. While the origins of the name of the city are unclear; the city has now embraced its name, and has come to be known as the “Cat City”.

If you drive around Kuching, you will notice various cat statues symbolising the name of the city. And of course, if you claim to be a cat city, well you need a Cat Museum!

Entrance to the Cat Museum

The origins of the museum actually stemmed from a cat exhibition that was held in the National Museum of Kuala Lumpur in 1987 featuring the private collection of Dato’ Shahrum Yub, the Curator of the Museum and which was formally opened by the Chief Minister of Sarawak Pehin Sri Haji Taib bin Mahmud.

Pehin Sri’s wish was for Kuching to have its own Cat Museum; this dream was realised when the Sarawak Government bought over Dato’ Shahrum’s personal collection of 2,500 cat artifacts made up of various materials such as glass, marble, crystal, copper, porcelain and ceramics; as well as other memorabilia such as sketches, art and paintings.

The collection was handed over to the care of the Sarawak Museum department in time for the commemoration of Kuching as a city in 1988. The collection was first exhibited in Dewan Tun Abdul Razak on 1 August 1988.

Upon the completion of the new Kuching North City Hall building on Bukit Siol, the collection was handed over to City Hall and the Cat Museum was relocated to the ground floor of the City Hall building.

Kuching North City Hall Building.

Bukit Siol is located in Petra Jaya, across the Sarawak river from the original settlement of Kuching. A 60m high hill, the location of city hall on top of the peak gives a commanding view of the surrounding city. It is worth to spend some time to admire the views here in addition to visiting the Cat Museum.

Views from Bukit Siol.

Upon entering the ground floor lobby of the building, you will notice a huge cat sculpture, the mouth of which acts as the gateway into the Cat Museum. The Cat Museum consists of four galleries of a total of 1,035 square metres and there are now more than 4,000 artifacts in the collection. You will have to pay a fee of RM3 for each camera you bring in, and RM5 for a video recorder.

Entrance Door.

Cat Paintings.

Cats.

Maneki-neko, or Japanese Good Luck Cat Figurines.

More cat figurines.

Cats, cats, cats.

Antique cats.

The Cat Museum may come of as a bit kitschy, but it was a surprisingly fun visit for half-an-hour or so if you just so happen to be in the area.

Cat Museum

Address: Bangunan Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara, Bukit Siol, Jalan Semariang, 93050 Petra Jaya, Kuching.

Tel: +6082-446688 / +6082-448762

Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday; 9am to 5pm (except public holidays).

Kek Lapis Sarawak, Sarawak

If there is one cake that the city of Kuching in Sarawak is famous for, its the layer cake or "Kek Lapis" as it is known in Malay.

Kek Lapis is of course of Indonesian origin and it is a rich cake made up of butter, milk and spices that is laboriously built up layer by layer as it is baked. The cake is then cut up into bite-sized pieces to reveal the various layers and colours of the cake.

The Sarawak version has been modernised to incorporate various difference flavours and patterns and the end result are various different designs and looks to the finished cake.

While you can buy the cake at stalls by the roadside in Kuching town; to make it a bit of an outing, why not cross the Sarawak river to get to the other side of the river where the Malay kampong is? 

The starting point is to get to the boat pier nearby to the Riverbank Suite apartments, Riverside Majestic Hotel and the Khatulistiwa Restaurant and Café is. From there you will need to look for a river taxi or tambang / penambang. Tambang is literally the malay word for "fare". The boatman will take you across the river to the other side for a nominal fare.

The river taxi jetty near the circular shaped Khatulistiwa restaurant.

The Riverbank Suite as viewed from the other side of the river.

Crossing the river on the Penambang.

The jetty on the other side of the river.

Once you get to the other side, walk off the boardwalk and you will be at the Malay kampong (village). Walk along the riverfront pass the food court, then cut in and walk along Jalan Brooke.

The first Kek Lapis shop you will come across is Mira Cake House.

Mira Cake House along Jalan Brooke.

Various types of Kek Lapis are on sale.

Weird names are given to the various kek lapis designs. This one is named "Datuk K", after the husband of a popular Malaysian singer.

You are welcome to sample the various types of kek lapis.

No worries about purchasing the Kek Lapis and bringing it back home

to eat, if you follow the instructions!

After Mira Cake House, the next Kek Lapis shop is Warisan Layer Cake. Basically you will find the same types of fare, similar to Mira.

The last Cake House and arguably the most famous is Dayang Salhah's. This is located near the mosque, at the junction of Jalan Brooke and Jalan Gersik.

The pink coloured house of Dayang Salhah.

Choose your favourites and pay here.

If you are confused by the variety, just close your eyes and pick one.

Or buy one of each...

For some reason, if going to Kuching, one of the requirements especially for people from the Peninsula, is to buy Kek Lapis to give to loved ones back home. If you must buy, make an outing out of it!