Hi, I’m Vinnie.

In 2016, my wife and I made a leap that didn’t make much sense on paper. She was running a successful child-minding business; I was training to become a psychologist. We left both behind and moved to Sarawak to be closer to her family.

She took over her family’s business. I had to start from scratch — proper graft, as we’d say back home in Manchester — and somewhere along the way found my way into digital marketing. We told ourselves it might just be for a couple of years. We’re still here, and these days we can’t really picture being anywhere else.

Why this site exists

When we were weighing up our own move, most of the advice we could find was either written to sell us something, or written by people who’d never actually lived here. I wanted to make the opposite: an honest record of what life in Kuching is really like — what things cost, what’s wonderful, what’s frustrating, and the small practical stuff nobody warns you about.

Everything here comes from lived experience where we have it, and honest observation where we don’t. I’ll tell you when I’m sure — and I’ll happily tell you when I’m still figuring something out.

Who I write for

Most people I’ve met came here for one of a few reasons — a job that brought the family over and the school decisions that follow, or the search for a slower, gentler base later in life. Wherever you’re coming from, I hope something here makes your own move a little easier.

Say hello.

I’m a real person, not a brand, and I genuinely like hearing from people thinking about the move. Drop me a line any time.