Rayu River, or best known locally as Sungai (Sg) Rayu is a less known place just outside of Kuching City which is great to bring families and friends for a barbecue or a picnic, or to enjoy a dip in crystal clear water.
The place boast of a shallow stream that makes the river, with small pools created out of rocks to create some sort of ‘swimming pool’ within a river. A deeper pond was also created for adults, and it comes with a swing which you can use to jump into the water! Oh yeah, the place has a swing by the river which you can use to jump and create a grand huge splash! (Read on, and check out the video of us making waves by jumping in the river!)
We managed to talk to an uncle who sort of manages the place, and he said that he is working on upgrades which include adding more swings, you know, just so that more people can be like ‘Tarzan’, and truthfully, there aren’t many places in Kuching that can boast of such facility.
Anyway, when we came, it was a weekday so the place was rather ours, and it was just pretty relaxing and fun to have the whole place to ourselves as we jumped in the river and barbecued at will.
The massive trees around the river provided the much needed shades for us to avoid the afternoon heat, and the tranquility of the whole area, which is next to a forest reserve, just makes the whole experience pretty relaxing.
I mean, if you are a budak bandar (town person), you’d not get to enjoy these things often, so Sungai Rayu was a pretty nice change to all those concrete swimming pools.
GETTING TO SUNGAI RAYU
Obviously, you need a ride to go to Sg Rayu, but if you need directions, the map of the place can be seen below.
If you are more adventurous, try taking bus number 21 from the city, but be sure you tell the driver where you want to stop and keep your eyes peeled for the cute green signage of Sg Rayu, or at the very least, the Matang Wildlife Center as Sg Rayu is just beside the center.
The entrance to Sg Rayu is just beside the road, but if you have difficulty locating it, do ask around because locals would be glad to help.
We drove up, so there wasn’t any problems finding the place though we did slow down nearby the location.
TIPS BEFORE YOU COME TO SUNGAI RAYU
Since some may make their first journey to Sg Rayu, I’d like to share some tips based on our experience.
First and foremost, there is an entrance fee of RM2 per person into the area. The money is used by the ‘uncle’ I said above, to maintain the place, so pay with a smile-lah.
Secondly, there’s a stall selling food and drinks in front of the place, but they lack in variety, so try your best to bring what you need instead of expecting it to be sold in the small shop.
The uncle told us that the place gets crowded on weekends, particularly Sundays, so if you are slightly ‘anti- social’, and do not want to ‘rub shoulders’ while swimming, avoid going there during weekends!
And last but not least, while there are changing rooms, be very sure to bring towels to cover up while you change, just in case these rooms are full.
THE SUNGAI RAYU VIDEO TRIP
If the photos aren’t enough for you, then I bet the video of us below will do more justice. Enjoy!
OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN KUCHING
Sungai Rayu isn’t the only place to enjoy the lovely rainforest of Borneo as there are many more places equally great to explore. Trekking in Kuching is one of the greatest way to check out the rainforest of Kuching, as places like Mount Singai in Bau, as well as Santubong, provide you an unrivaled view of Bau and Kuching respectively.
Aside from trekking, Kuching also has a number of well maintained national parks with the Bako National Park being the best place to see the long nose Proboscis monkeys, and Gunung Gading National Park to be the best site to check out the world’s largest flower.
Last but not least, do read the complete guide when visiting Kuching if you want to know more about Kuching, Sarawak.
