Kuching’s expat community is small and spread out, so there’s no single place where everyone gathers. Getting to know the city itself helps: its languages, its customs and the festivals that fill the calendar. This page collects the guides on that side of settling in.
I’m still working on a proper guide to expat groups and clubs here. Until it’s ready, the pages below are where I’d start.
TL;DR
- Kuching is home to many communities, including Malay, Chinese, Iban, Bidayuh and others, and each has its own festivals and customs.
- Learning a few words of Malay goes a long way, and many people here also speak English.
- Major festivals often come with open houses, where hosts welcome guests beyond their own family and friends.
- Visiting a longhouse is a privilege, and there’s etiquette worth knowing before you go.
Culture and Language
You want an orientation. Culture and language in Kuching is the newcomer’s overview: who lives here, how people tend to interact, and the customs worth knowing early.
You’re wondering what to learn. What languages are spoken in Kuching covers the main languages you’ll hear around the city.
Festivals Through the Year
The festivals in Sarawak, month by month is the full calendar. The biggest ones have their own guides:
- Gawai Dayak, the harvest festival of Sarawak’s Dayak communities.
- Hari Raya in Kuching, and what the celebrations are like here.
- Chinese New Year in Kuching.
- The Rainforest World Music Festival, held each year at Santubong.
- Sarawak’s public holidays, which differ from the rest of Malaysia’s.
Longhouses and Indigenous Culture
- How to visit an Iban longhouse respectfully.
- The Sarawak Cultural Village, which brings the traditional houses of several of Sarawak’s communities together in one place.
Why People Settle Here
If you’re still weighing up the move, why expats choose Kuching and what daily life is actually like give you the bigger picture. For the practical side of arriving, getting started in Kuching takes you through the first weeks in order.