Trip to Kuching, Sarawak: Day 1

Courtesy to Borneo Soap (Facebook: fb.com/borneosoap), I was invited to an exclusive trip to Kuching, the land where this luxury handmade soap is born. It was kind of a private "discovery" trip as the CEO only brought me and Kak Ella, another blogger from KL to Sarawak. 

Well, what is it to be "discovered"? Continue reading to know more!

The morning flight was smooth, and we settled at Dormani Hotel before exploring the town. The sponsor was really generous to give us one room each, fairly decent and comfortable for me to spend a night staying there. Plus, the room has such strong WiFi connection that I can type a blog post during the night itself!

Location wise, it is ideal for tourists and locals alike. Many tourist attractions are within walking distance from Dormani Hotel such as the popular Sarawak Museum, the old City Mosque, Islamic Centre, Satok Market and Kuching Waterfront.

The first place to visit is of course the Borneo Soap factory. I was excited as I had not been to any soap factory before, plus the one we were heading to was all about hand-making soaps! Time to be amazed with the excellent craftsmanship and quality ingredients.

If you remember my first encounter with Borneo Soap last May, surely you'd have heard of the goodness of their organic soap and skincare products.  Made of natural ingredients native to the rainforest of Borneo, they are heralded for their healing, therapeutic properties and long used by the indigenous people of Borneo in their bath and beauty rituals. 

From extracting the ingredients to packaging the soaps, I notice that attention to detail and quality is given to each and every blend of the organic handmade soaps. Despite of the painstaking process of getting the raw ingredients from the jungle and rural areas, Borneo Soap has never compromised with the quality as it believes in making rare gems that everyone can enjoy daily.

The whole range of Borneo Soap products include body bath, facial bar, foot soap and feminine wash. 

All soaps here are enriched with Goat’s Milk and vitamins to provide a luxurious cleansing experience. Borneo Soap is now available at Metrojaya Mid Valley KL and Metrojaya CityOne Kuching. Online purchases via www.borneosoap.com will be entitled for FREE delivery within Malaysia.

There goes my office tour to Borneo Soap, I'm currently using the Beras Bario soap,

and it really whitens the skin alot! Try it to feel the difference yourself :)

After a sumptuous seafood lunch, we went back to the hotel to freshen up
before attending a high-tea party in the afternoon and meet Syamin Jasmi!!

Courtesy to CQ Music, we were invited to the exclusive preview of official music video "Lagi dan Lagi" by Syamin Jasmi, the first talent managed by CQ Music at Riverside Majestic Hotel. Syamin is a young homegrown talent from Kuching, and now he records his very first song! 

And gosh, he looks SO cute in real life!

Well, I don't normally sing Malay song, but I kinda get addicted to his song after that afternoon and keep singing after that! The travelling mates keep teasing me about this HAHA, I can't wait to meet Syamin again in KL ;)

Lagi Dan Lagi is a sentimental love song about a heartbroken guy, composed by Ajai,

a famous local musician. Don't forget to watch his Youtube music video HERE!

After a well-spent afternoon, it's time for dinner hunting in Kuching! I really wanted to try out the local Malay cuisine here, and the team recommends us Barong Tinuk (Tel: 082-237551 / 019-8188145), a local restaurant that offers loads of local delicacies which I probably have not heard before!

 

Nasi Goreng Dabai ❤ / Sayur Midin Masak Sambal Belacan

Instead of the usual Nasi Goreng Kampung, we opt for the fried rice with exotic "black olive" famous in Sarawak. The dish is so simple, yet well-packed with fragrant Dabai flavours. Dabai is a seasonal fruit which you may only get them once in a year, so be sure to bring some home if you travel from far to Sarawak!

 Linut with Sambal Belacan ❤ (RECOMMENDED!)

I bet lots of Sarawakians have not heard of Linut! I am glad to try this traditional food by the Melanau ethnic group here. Freshly made of the fresh sago flour by mixing with boiling hot water, Linut has a very unique texture! Very gooey and sticky but not as thick as glutinous rice. Best served hot with a dip of spicy sambal belacan.

 Umai Ikan with sweet savoury dip

Another traditional Melanau side dish is the umai that comes in a choice of fish or prawn. This reminds me of Chinese festive Yee Sang (鱼生)! Thick slices of raw fish should be well-mixed with shredded vegetables and zesty lime juice to get rid of the fishy odour. 

I'm surprised that the fish serves here is so fresh that I can eat them raw without any condiment/sauce. In fact, all the food items here are freshly prepared and CHEAP! If you're craving for some local tastes, this simple neighbourhood restaurant is highly recommended for family gatherings and casual meals. 

Well, that's the end of Day 1. Wondering what did I do in Day 2? 

I flew to another part of Sarawak for more adventurous journey! 

Stay tuned on my next post ;)