Hilton Kuching
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
If you are looking for a good city hotel to stay whilst in Kuching, Sarawak, you should consider the Hilton Kuching. It is probably the best hotel in Kuching right now with 4-star rating. Though it is 4-starred, I think it is not far off from a 5-starred hotel. This hotel fronts the riverside promenade and offers a great view of the Sarawak River with its "tambang" - river sampan ride.
The Hilton Kuching is within walking distance of Tua Pek Kong Temple, and approximately seven miles from Kuching International Airport. This location is less than half a mile from the Chinese History Museum, Fort Margherita, and the Sarawak Museum.
Hotel amenities include the gym, rooftop pool, floodlit tennis courts, sauna and steam bath, massage treatments, tropical gardens, kids' pool and mini-playground, Toh Yuen (traditional Chinese restaurant), Waterfront Cafe (informal restaurant with views of Sarawak River and Fort Margherita), Matang Terrace, Steakhouse, and Mizube (sushi and oyster bar).
The hotel also offers room service, concierge assistance, babysitting, valet laundry service, a business center, banquet facilities, express checkout, on-site shopping, and 24-hour front desk service. All rooms feature satellite TV, Internet connections, minibars, tea and coffee making facilities, bathrooms telephones, hairdryers, desks, and safes. {source}
As I was saying, this hotel gives you a good starting point to explore the city due to its excellent location. Just take a stroll along the Main Bazaar which is just to the left of the hotel and you will see some pre-war buildings which are still maintained to good condition till today. These buildings / shops sell some of the best handicrafts available in Kuching - wood-carvings, pua kumbus, rattan mats, etc. The well known art gallery of Ramsay Ong is also situated around the corner.
Currently, rates start from USD43.00 to USD51.28 per night.
Technorati Tags : Malaysia , Hotels , Accomodation , Holiday , Hilton , Travel
Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort, Sarawak
Thursday, 14 December 2006
Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is located on the shores of a spectacular freshwater lake, surrounded by mountains and the unspoiled rainforests of Sarawak. Its design is based on the traditional timber longhouses of the region's native Iban Tribes. The resort has 100 rooms, the Nanga Mepi Restaurant, Wong Irup Bar, an outdoor terrace, a swimming pool, a meeting room for up to 220 guests, and a boat jetty for arriving guests. Nearby is the 27,000-hectare Batang Ai National Park.I stayed at this Resort about 5 years back and was very impressed with the place. The boat ride across the lake, is in itself, an experience to be savoured and remembered fondly.
For that trip, we travelled by the resort's van from Kuching. The van ride takes approximately 3 1/2 hours towards the Batang Ai Dam. When we arrived at one side of the dam, the boat was already waiting for us and we were given life-jackets each for safety reasons. The man-made lake (the dam, if you call it) is huge! Surrounded by mountains and trees, you'll be forgiven for thinking that you are being transported to another world - away from the hustles and bustles of the city.
There is a welcoming party at the Resort. Basically, the boat ride ends at the Resort. The room we had was nice. As it is very cooling to be in the midst of the jungle, no air-conditioning is necessary. Mosquito netting is standard and you can almost touch the trees if you reach out your hand from the window. As this is a eco-resort, as little trees are removed as possible to maintain the eco-system.
There was a Resident Guide (a Briton who was based in Sarawak as part of the British armed forces and made Sarawak his home after Sarawak's independance from the British Government) who is very well versed with the jungle. He gives a guided tour on a nature trail and showed us some medicinal plants along the way. I wonder if he's still there... he's quite a character, really - donning a hat, Steve Irwin-type of khakis and armed with a parang...and very generous with his wealth of knowledge. It was truly an enjoyable experience walking with him. Oh by the way, the guided tour is free. Just be there at the schedule time and pray that the weather is good.
The Discover Malaysia Offer includes:
- One night accommodation
- Hilton Breakfast
- Free upgrade to a Suite (Subject to availability)
- Early check-in /out (Subject to availability).
Sep 01, 2006 - Mar 31, 2007
Technorati Tags : Malaysia , Hotels , Accomodation , Holiday , Hilton , Travel
