1. What is the Sarawak Cultural Village and what can you see there?
The Sarawak Cultural Village is not far from Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. It is a large open air museum, where you will be able to learn about the culture of the various peoples of Sarawak and Borneo. You’ll be able to see and discover the houses typical for the individual cultures, taste some of the food they prepare, watch people prepare various things (food, different objects), see how they use the blowpipe (and even try it yourself), and buy various souvenirs.
Each house has a staff, and you can ask them any questions about the house, the traditions and generally the culture of the given people. It is a large area with a small lake in the middle, where you can also walk around and enjoy the gorgeous view of the mountains that surround the “village”.
The cultures/peoples you can learn about include the Bidayuh, the Ulu, the Iban, the Melanau, the Chinese, the Malay and the Penan. They also have a show every day, with wonderful dances in traditional costumes and their traditional music. The price of the show is included in your ticket – once inside, you only have to pay for what you buy there on the spot like souvenirs, food and drink. They have a restaurant there with affordable prices.
2. How to get to the Sarawak Cultural Village from Kuching
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The Cultural village is quite a long way from Kuching, it is near the Damai beach. The easiest and the most economical way is to use the shuttle bus of the Cultural village. It leaves from in from of Hotel Grand Margherita. You will have to buy the ticket at the hotel reception, and you can wait in the lobby, should it be too hot outside (yes, it will!).
The shuttle buses leave at 9.15am, 11.15am, 12.15 and 1.15pm. You can find the bus schedule online at https://scv.com.my/. When you pay at the hotel, pay for the whole package, it will be cheaper: I paid 100RM for a return ticket plus the entrance fee. Ask them when the show is so that you can plan your trip accordingly.
They also have special events like Malaysia Day or Christmas, when they have extra shows and/or discounts, check their website for up-to-date information.
See my separate, more detailed post about what to do and see in Kuching
