Markets
Sunday Market
pasar minggu, off jl. satok, between esso gas station and wisma satok. a kuching institution, starting every saturday afternoon and winding down by noontime sunday. very much a workaday market, with tourists few and far between, the emphasis is on fresh food of every description. be sure to try some apam balik a pancake with nuts and margerine, very filling, absolutely delicious and rm1 a piece. bring along suitable footwear plus a tolerance for heat, crowds and powerful odors.
Two other local markets, more conveniently located and open daily, can be found at the west end of Jl. India.
Shopping centres
Riverside Shopping Complex
Jl. tunku abdul rahman opposite sarawak plaza. one of the older malls in the city, it is home to the first parkson in kuching. other anchor tenants include lfs cineplex and giant supermarket. it is also home to riverside superbowl - one of the 2 bowling centres in kuching.
Wisma Hopoh
Jl. p. ramlee, near syaria court. just a walk away from sarawak museum. a small and old shopping centre yet still frequented by shoppers. its tenant includes lea sports centre, jee kwong optics and the fast food restaurant franchise, kentucky fried chicken kfc.
Green Heights Mall
Jl. lapangan terbang. kuching's first suburban neighbourhood small mall, with an international cold storage supermarket as the anchor tenant, over some 4,000 m² of leasable space. it opened in mid-2008.
Sarawak Plaza
Jl. tunku abdul rahman next to grand margherita hotel. one of kuching's older malls. lea center is the anchor tenant, selling a wide variety of shoes from sportswear to fashion. recently, the mall was renovated hoping to provide a better shopping environment for both locals and foreigners.
Tun Jugah
Jl. tunku abdul rahman opposite sarawak plaza. named after the first sarawakian politician in malaysian parliament, the mall stands majestically twelve storeys tall at the commercial and financial hub of kuching city. it comprises 3 levels of retail space, 9 levels of office space, and 2 levels of basement car park. it also has one of the major local bookstores, popular, as one of its main tenants.
Wisma Saberkas
Located at the junction of jl. tun abang haji openg and jl. rock, is a older cylindrical building on the outskirts of kuching approximately 15 min from the waterfront that offers a feast of hi-tech products based around mobile phones and computers.
The Spring
(http://www.thespring.com.my), jl. simpang tiga. between the city centre and airport. opened to the public in january 2008, 'lifestyle' shopping mall. it offers many international brands like esprit, elle, mango, charles & keith, starbucks, mac and quiksilver etc. the mall is spread over 4 stories including a carpark basement. the main tenants are parkson @ the spring, ta kiong supermarket, padini concept store, and mbo cinemas.
Kenyalang Park
Kenyalang suburb. a very old place that consists of a cluster of shophouses and one enclosed area. it is the place to go if you want to find cheap items like clothes, accessories and especially dvds/vcds. when chinese new year approaches, many stores are set up here to cater to the event. kenyalang would usually be crowded with people during these times.
Crown Square
Towards pending, opposite hock lee centre. a medium-sized, newly refurbished shopping mall. the tenants include mr. ho's fine foods - which serves authentic fusion cuisine. the largest mummycare and kiddycare in the city is located here.
Hock Lee Centre
Jl. abang abdul rahim. the place to find and buy cheap clothes and fashion accessories for the young females. there are electronics and a supermarket in the basement and home & living on the ground and 1st floor. one of the major bookstores in kuching, smart bookshop is under the same roof. a hock lee music centre is also available on the 3rd floor previously was on the 2nd floor which sells a wide variety of musical instrumentsbe warned that these are not traditional instruments.
Wisma Satok
Off jln satok, just a pedestrian bridge away from the location of the sunday market. one of the older malls in kuching. cheap items can be found here. there's a departmental store and supermarket. a high concentration of mediocre cyber cafe is at the fourth floor. cimb bank is located beside wisma satok.
Boulevard Mall
Located at mile 4 kuching-serian rd. not far from regional bus terminal. opened in late december 2007. it offers a boulevard hypermarket and department store plus a variety of shopping outlets like sony centre, popular book store and fast foods outlets such as sushi king, kenny rogers roasters and kfc. the management is currently expanding the mall.
There's some interesting shopping in Kuching. For a wide selection of tribal handicrafts and touristy gewgaws, head down to the aptly named Main Bazaar street on the Kuching waterfront. It's worth going inside for a look, as many shops have larger and more authentic collections hidden away upstairs or in a back room.
Note that, in this mostly Christian city, some shops close on Sundays.