During our trip to the Malaysian side of Borneo, we spent a few nights in Kuching, which is in the Region of Sarawak. Kuching is actually Malaysian for ‘Cat’ – literally the city of the Cat.
On previous adventures, a cycling trip proved to be a wonderful experience and a great way of learning more about the place you are visiting. We love seeing the most out of any destination and we found a cycling City tour that appealed to us.
We never dreamed that this trip would be one of the highlights of our travels.
On previous adventures, a cycling trip proved to be a wonderful experience and a great way of learning more about the place you are visiting. We love seeing the most out of any destination and we found a cycling City tour that appealed to us.
We never dreamed that this trip would be one of the highlights of our travels.
Paradesa Borneo in Kuching have a range of city-cycling tours so we opted for “Bike Discovery, Heritage Discovery”, it was due to last 3.5 hours, however we were all having such a good time getting on so well, our tour was 4.5 hours, so a big thank you to our guide Nik!
It was a Sunday, so the streets were relatively free from cars. It was a pleasure pootling around feeling the breeze on our faces. We stopped briefly at temples and monuments to allow our friendly guide, Nik, to give us historical information.
It was a Sunday, so the streets were relatively free from cars. It was a pleasure pootling around feeling the breeze on our faces. We stopped briefly at temples and monuments to allow our friendly guide, Nik, to give us historical information.
We stopped for half an hour at a local Malay food Court and, included in the tour, was a traditional noodle and chicken breakfast. It is customary to use chopsticks which is a skill we had (thankfully) learnt in China a few years ago, so we both thought “we can do this” ... it’s funny how quickly you lose the artform if you don’t keep up the practice! Nik found our attempts highly amusing! She did confess to being impressed that neither of us refused to give in, and watched as we stubbornly finished the dish solely using chopsticks, despite the offer of a fork!!
Cycling and eating go hand in hand on the City Cycle tour
During the city tour, we came to a point where it was time to cross the Sarawak River, but how were we to do this on bikes? Nik made a quick call to a boatman, and we watched with amusement as they loaded up our bikes onto a traditional Sampan boat – apparently this is the way Kuchingnite’s commute each day between the two halves of the City.
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Continuing our journey on the other side of the river, we cycled around off-the-beaten track village paths. People smiled and waved as we passed by, it was very heart-warming and we couldn’t help but cycle with a smile! We cycled up a street in a small village and saw a marquee, tables and chairs were laid out and people were sitting around and talking. We disembarked our bikes to discreetly pass... but the residents were having none of it!
Crowds of well dressed people gather, waiting for the main event to begin
This gathering was actually a traditional Malay Muslim wedding and the attendees insisted we join them. “Please sit, eat” they implored and not just once ... oh no, they pleaded with us in different ways, and we were asked by many people. Despite our less-than smart appearance, and feeling rather out of place and awkward, we knew it would be rude not to join in. They were clearly genuine and we didn’t wish to offend. The thought then crossed our minds – what an amazing experience this would be.
The guests seemed very happy to welcome a couple of 'strangers' for this special occasion
The ladies were impeccably dressed, bright colours and smiles were plentiful. We felt very underdressed in our shorts, t-shirts, walking boots (and cycle helmets), but no one seemed to care! It was a relaxed affair and food was served throughout which was simple, but delicious.
The beautifully brightly dressed ladies did make us and our attire feel out of place!
An arrangement of dishes such as rice, pineapple shreds and chicken in various sauces were laid out, all of which the neighbours and friends had cooked days in advance in order to prepare enough for everyone that was going to visit during the celebrations – and there was a lot of food! Usually Malay weddings are attended by hundreds of people so it becomes a community event - everyone pitches in to help, guests come and go as they please within a certain time and when the sun is shining, it becomes a lovely day!
The food was stunning - even though we were full already!
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Must wash your hands!
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Before we could eat anything, we were invited to wash our hands in the traditional way by pouring water over our fingers from a teapot into a hand-washing bowl.
Their culture use fingers to eat and as Westerners, we are used to a knife and fork so at first it felt a little awkward sitting across from strangers trying to delicately feed myself rice. I was always worrying that I would drop it all over my chin... or in my hair ... or down my top ... but I soon overcame this paranoia – I embraced the “novelty” and felt like a child again given permission by their Grandma not to use a knife and fork when you went to visit her!
Their culture use fingers to eat and as Westerners, we are used to a knife and fork so at first it felt a little awkward sitting across from strangers trying to delicately feed myself rice. I was always worrying that I would drop it all over my chin... or in my hair ... or down my top ... but I soon overcame this paranoia – I embraced the “novelty” and felt like a child again given permission by their Grandma not to use a knife and fork when you went to visit her!
Our new friends talked to us in perfect English about their love for Borneo
We were seated opposite a couple who lived across the street and spoke excellent English! The gentleman used to run the logistics for football teams throughout Asia, he was very well travelled and he spoke with passion about Borneo, and the Indonesianpart of Borneo, which he believed is somewhere we should really consider visiting. We informed him we intend to return next year, and this was on our list! It was all very surreal but most of all a humbling experience, one of which we felt very privileged to be a part of.
This super friendly couple took us under their wing to explain the events as they unfolded
The bridal procession arrived – the bride and groom took a seat in their exquisite bright blue silk outfits on a purpose-built raised platform flanked by two huge free-standing vases filled with flowers. We were asked if we wanted to sit next to them and have our photos taken ... now that was a step too far for us, we definitely couldn’t impose on them that much, it was their special day after all!!
The Happy Couple in their spectacular clothing and setting
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After we had taken a few (or should I say many!) photos of the happy couple, it was time to continue on our journey, however saying our goodbye’s was no mean feat! When we attempted to walk away, we were invited to sit down and eat with them again! We explained we had already joined in the festivities ... honestly, we had already eaten!!
We sincerely thanked our new friends for their hospitality, shook hands and said how grateful we were to have been a part of this special day.
The thoughts which remain with us following our departure are clear. With some of the negativity directed at Muslim culture in today’s society, the kindness we were shown at the wedding in Borneo is what Muslim’s and their culture is really about. It's about warmth, kindness, generosity, sharing what they have with others, and their openness towards strangers are values often lost in the Western civilisation. We shouldn’t tar the Muslim religion with the same brush as extremists, we should all learn a valuable lesson from these caring, honest people, and be less judgemental in our daily lives and interactions.
Who would have thought that a simple "City Tour" could have turned in to so much more?
We sincerely thanked our new friends for their hospitality, shook hands and said how grateful we were to have been a part of this special day.
The thoughts which remain with us following our departure are clear. With some of the negativity directed at Muslim culture in today’s society, the kindness we were shown at the wedding in Borneo is what Muslim’s and their culture is really about. It's about warmth, kindness, generosity, sharing what they have with others, and their openness towards strangers are values often lost in the Western civilisation. We shouldn’t tar the Muslim religion with the same brush as extremists, we should all learn a valuable lesson from these caring, honest people, and be less judgemental in our daily lives and interactions.
Who would have thought that a simple "City Tour" could have turned in to so much more?
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