Siniawan is a small town located just 30-minutes’ drive out of Kuching. The town which was established in 1840 is some is 21KM away from Kuching.
The road side town is easy to miss because the new Bau – Kota Sentosa highway by-passed this historical town when the main road were upgraded.
Siniawan’s history is inextricably tied to the reign of Sarawak’s “White Rajah”, as this was where British adventurer James Brooke helped the Sultan of Brunei put down a rebellion, winning him the appointment “Rajah of Sarawak” as a reward.
It is here where Brooke built Fort Berlidah, which is just located outside Siniawan. A bungalow at the summit of nearby Serembu mountain soon followed, enabling the new Rajah to stand watch over the area.
Fort Berlidah has since been destroyed, but the bungalow Brooke built still stands and can be visited by hiking the Wallace Trail up Mount Serembu.
The Wallace Trail was named after Alfred Wallace, a prominent anthropologist who independently developed the theory of evolution around the same time as Charles Darwin.
Today, Siniawan Town is popular among locals and tourist for its Siniawan Night Market which happens during the weekends, and it is considered a major tourist attraction in Kuching.
GETTING HERE
You can take a Public Bus to Siniawan Town.
Bau Transport Company, Bus No.2 will start from Jalan Masjid [MAP] schedule as follows :-
- Departure from Kuching – Bau : 7:00am, 8:20am, 10:20am, 12:20pm, 1:40pm, 4:00pm, 5:10pm
- Return from Bau – Kuching : 5:45am, 6:40am, 8:40am, 10:20am, 12:00pm, 2:20pm, 3:20pm
Bau Transport Company Contact Number : +6082763160
The Bus driver will drop the passenger at the main road near to Siniawan Bazaar and the passenger have to walk for another 5 minutes to the Siniawan Bazaar. It would be better to double check at all times with the Bus driver for the correct timing on return to Kuching. Bus fare is RM3.50 per way. Note that bus service in Kuching aren’t usually on schedule.
Grab ride sharing service is an easier option if you wish to visit the night market, which comes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Fare is +/-RM30 from downtown Kuching. It would be best to arrange a return trip as Grab services may not be available in masses within the area at night.
Another option is to rent a car and drive to the market, but parking is known to be difficult and limited in number during the night, but you should have no problem parking your car during other days.
SINIAWAN TOWN UPDATE & DETAILS
For updates on Siniawan, you can follow their Facebook page.
